Rocket City Blues

and walked back to Cee Tee, leaving her standing there, suddenly feeling very alone and hurt. She ran a hand through her red hair, stopping at the neckline to scratch as she pondered.
Yeah, well, you’re welcome, Special Inspector Burlington. She rolled her eyes. God, you can be such an ass sometimes!
But he was already engaging Cee Tee, “Lemme tell you how this is gonna go down.” He had his finger in the young man’s face. “Me and Trooper Jones here … we are going to escort you up to their rooms personally. Once you’ve taken care of whatever business you need to, we will escort you back off the premises.”
“Seriously?” Cee Tee looked incredulous. “I’m not even armed.”
“And we’ll double-check to make sure before we go up.” He turned his head as if to look over his shoulder, but his eyes never left Cee Tee. “Trooper Jones.”
“Sir?” She could tell she was getting the frigid treatment from the tone in his voice.
“Pat this man down before we get on the elevator.”
“Yessir, Special Inspector, sir!” The last ‘sir’ hadn’t been necessary, but she’d thrown it in with a healthy dose of attitude. If he wanted to be an ass …
“And put in a transfer order to have these men moved to another hospital. For security purposes.”
“Yessir,” was all she would say as she pulled out her PDC and began processing the order.
Cee Tee shook his head in amusement but said nothing. He stepped up and held out his PDC to get her business card. “Please let me know where you transfer my men if you would be so kind.” She tapped her PDC against his and the information swapped. Matt stood aside and gestured toward the central bank of elevators.
“Shall we?”
***
“I resent that fact that you are treating a duly appointed officer of the court the way you are, Inspector,” Cee Tee was still vehemently protesting as they stepped off the elevator onto the floor where Frost was recovering.
“Save that for somebody that might give a shit,” Matt growled. “You’re not here on judicial business, you assberry. You’re here on a corporate run.”
“Still, I’m an Asset Retrieval Agent,” the merc Comtech grumbled as he walked behind Burlington. “My license carries the same weight as your badge, Inspector.”
Matt stopped in his tracks and whirled to face the young man. Stella watched the merc’s face go ashen gray as the cop grabbed the man’s lapels. “That’s Special Inspector … got it?”
Cee Tee nodded his head rapidly, panic in his face as he took in the wild eyes of the bigger man. “Yeah, yeah! I got it! Chill out, man!”
“Good!” Matt let go of the man’s shirt, giving him a little shove as he did. “You dumbass bounty hunters seem kind of thick between the ears.”
“Ummm, speaking of dumbasses,” Stella spoke up. Both men turned to follow her gaze to a very suspicious-looking young man in faded jeans and a threadbare t-shirt with Property of University of Mars Athletic Dept stenciled across the front. He seemed to be skulking nervously in front of a particular door … the one to the room where Forrest Frost was hospitalized.
“What’s with this cum drip?” Matt asked, to no one in particular, but then turned to Cee Tee. “What’s the deal? Why’s that inbred jackoff standing in front of your boss’ door looking like he needs to find a shitter quick?”
Cee Tee fought back the panic. There was no way in hell whatever was going on could be in any way good if it involved the Tuttles, especially after what Frost had done to the old man and his eldest son. But he couldn’t let that be known to a couple of cops. At the same time, there was little doubt his boss was probably in grave danger.
“I have no idea,” he replied, quite unconvincingly. “But, I assure you there’s no reason for him to be loitering in front of Mister Frost’s door.”
“Riiiiight,” Matt eyed the man as if he were an overflowing toilet. “You think I’m stupid, you little peter popper? You think I dunno who that is? You think I dunno somebody did a sex-change operation on his brother with a rail pistol yesterday and shot his old man’s ear off for smirks and jerks?”
“I dunno what you’re implying, Special Inspe—”
“Oh, you don’t, do you?” Matt smirked and turned to Stella. “He’s one stupid fuck, isn’t he?”
“Would appear so, sir,” Stella’s voice was matter-of-fact, no emotion.
“I’m implying that your boss in there was probably the one that turned Rayford into Raylene. In fact, I’d bet my right nut on it. And ... knowing the Tuttles, Ol’ Gideon has come to exact his own brand of hillbilly vengeance on some mercenary ass.” He cocked his head and set his jaw. “I oughta let him.”
“You’re an officer of the law, sir!” Cee Tee was mortified. “If you won’t do something, give me a weapon, and I’ll do it myself!”
“Well, I won’t be allowing an OK Corral in the hospital.” Matt shook his head. He looked to Stella once more and said simply, “Trooper Jones.”
That was all he needed to say. As fast as any man, her laser pistol cleared leather. Cee Tee heard the Zreeeem! as the power pack charged the moment it read her palm print. With it up and at the ready, she moved away from the elevator toward the unsuspecting Tuttle.
Junior saw her coming far too late. He fought back the panic as he tried to decide what to do. His mind wanted to tell him just to walk away calmly, but briskly, to try to make the stairs, but she was on him before he knew it. The plan fell apart quickly. About three steps into his plan, he abandoned it. He broke and ran. A young candy-striper carrying a tray of Jell-O and popsicles found herself in his path and was rudely bowled over, flavored ice and gelatin flying in all directions.
Stella allowed herself an evil little smile as she let him get