Chapter 2

John walked over to where Pixy was laying and checked her pulse. It was racing but otherwise fine. Al brought in a cup of coffee for him, then began apologizing profusely. John looked at him saying “stop Al, it’s that meat sacks fault, you were just as much a victim as anyone else. Sooner or later, he’d have done something like this anyway. By the way, before the police get here, can you give me a copy of the security video before the cops get here?” Both of them could hear the sirens approaching already. Al turned around and logged into the work station in the room, then went to the security feed. He copied over a file to a thumb drive he had on him and passed it to John.

John then ask, “you don’t happen to know a good attorney around here do you?” Al said “sure do, I’ll give her a call now” as he pulled out his cell phone. At this time a voice from outside said “you in the room, step out of there slowly with your hands on your heads.” John and Al both put their hands on their heads and slowly walked out. There were two county sheriffs out there with their side arms drawn. Al said “there is still a young woman in there but she’s out cold.” At that, a voice was heard from inside “I’m awake now, coming out.” John looks over at the door and out comes Alex with her hands on her head. John was impressed all over again, she’d gathered her wits fast enough to grasp the situation and react calmly.

About this time, the tech from the back came bebopping out from the back, apparently unaware of events. One sheriff turned and drew a bead on the idiot saying “hands on you head, right now.” At least the fool held onto the film as he put his hands on his heads, but dropped his coffee John thought to himself. The guy was directed to line up next to everyone else. The sheriffs called in for help and to report a dead body on the scene. Al spoke up and said “the young lady here had a nasty fall and needs to be checked.” Once again they were on their radio and an ambulance dispatched.

Two hours later after a fine example of a Chinese fire drill, John was loaded up and taken into the jail. Al had told him the lawyer would be waiting on him. Al was also going to watch over Alex and followed the ambulance to the hospital. After she was checked out, she rode back to Al’s shop and jumped in her rig to follow Al to the police station. About the time they got there, out comes John rubbing his wrist. Alex jumps out running up to him, and jumps her 5’2” frame up on his 6’2” frame giving him a hug while saying “thank you, thank you.” He grabs her and puts her on the ground saying “That’s enough Pixy” while chuckling. She looks at him oddly and says “Pixy?” John shook his head and said “with your spiky green hair it was the first thing that popped into my mind when I first saw you. It doesn’t offend you does it?” To this she smiles broadly and says, “it’s better than being called a stripper, I like it” then laughs loudly.

Al was just watching with a grin and says “I think you just got your permanent nickname Alex” as he laughs with her. Al looks at them both and ask “you two hungry? There’s an all night steakhouse near here, my treat?” John replies “sure, but my rig is still at your shop. What about you Pixy, hungry?” She nods yes, and says “I’ll take you to your rig after we eat if you can survive mittens.” John gives her a quizzical look and says “mittens?” He looks over inside the cab of her truck and sees a large figure in the passenger seat. Looking closer he realizes it’s a large stuffed lion. Looking back at Pixy he says “I don’t know, mittens looks pretty fierce, but I think I will survive. I could take it, two out of three falls. That’s a good idea for traveling alone, at first glance, all I saw was a big shadow in the seat. It would give the criminally bent pause at night.” Pixy laughs and says “it was my father’s idea, it works as advertised.”

Twenty minutes later, the three are stuffing their faces with a decent steak. John tells them “the lawyer says there is no problems, the security feed shut down the asshat detective trying to blame me.”

“What the fuck do you mean blame you? That asshole was going to shoot us all” Pixy said with extreme venom in her voice. After a pause, John says “easy Pixy, they are just following their training, it’s nothing personal. I’d much rather they do that than make up their own rules” John replies with a grin. She pouted her full lips and said “still, they don’t need to be dicks about it.”

“Well it goes to the DA tomorrow, we’ll find out what they really think then. The immediate concern is the job site opens in four hours. You going to be able to push through Pixy?”

Pixy nods her head “no problem, as long as I can get a shower and coffee, I’ll make it.”

“We better get moving then, Al, can you send over her test report please?”

“I’ve got them with me now. Do you want the mechanicals as well?”

John thought for a moment, “yep, better get those done for backup. With everything that’s happened, I can see the potential for someone questioning the results.

“Sure thing John” Al said as he nodded his head. “So you know, that prick was only on your job because we lost too many techs to the new clearance requirements for those that handle sources. I may have to come out tomorrow myself to cover the work now.”

“You’re getting a bit long in the tooth for that ain’t you?” John asked with some concern in his voice.

Pixy spoke up at that, “I had a friend back home that is a level two radiographer, ultrasound, magnetic particle, and dye penetrate tech if you don’t mind hiring females? She could test out any time, and so happens to have traveled with me down here looking for work.”

Al looked over at Pixy, then dug in his wallet pulling out a business card and passed it over. “If she has her state or ASNT radiography safety card, have her call me at noon.”

John looked on with interest and asked, “she doesn’t happen to have phased array ultrasound experience does she?”

Wrinkling her forehead in thought “I believe so actually.”