Chapter 8

"Girls, get back up stairs and finish your homework now, and quit fighting," JJ instructed her daughters with only a slight tremor in her voice.

"I'm sorry General," JJ said as she turned back to the general shaking her head. "They really are good girls but sometime their timing is terrible."

General Branch's face was blank as he watched Kim and Blake trot back up the stairs but the link with him had been established and Jim and JJ could see the sneer and speculation in his mind. He was imagining what he could do with both girls.

"Euuuu," Kim thought in disgust. "I feel like I need to take a shower."

Jim and JJ both had forgotten that the girls had the same connection with the General and could also see what he was thinking about as he watched the 12 and 14 year old run back up the stairs.

"General," Jim said to draw his attention from the two girls. "Were you here to see me or JJ, ah, to see the Major?"

General Branch's eyes swiveled back to Jim like the turret on a tank. In his mind Jim could feel the General's attention move back to him like the pitiless gaze of a reptile.

"Actually Mr. Bronson, I am here to speak to both of you," General Branch replied in his cold clipped tones.

Jim's insight into General Branch's mind made him understand where that coldness came from now. The General had no emotion that could be attributed to a human in his makeup.

"I told you I would have you monitored Mr. Bronson," General Branch said.

"Yeah," Jim replied. "I met one of them yesterday when he delivered my car. That was creepy," Jim said with a mock shiver. "I've never been under surveillance before and knowing that anyone that I see or meet could be someone watching me makes me feel kind of paranoid."

General Branch looked more than a little annoyed at the interruption but continued on. "That was the idea Mr. Bronson. You aren't supposed to know who is watching you which will force you to think before you say anything or do anything that would negate our agreement."

"Well, I won't do anything that will violate the papers that I signed General," Jim said with some irritation in his own voice. "I do understand how to keep my mouth shut, even when I am with people that know what happened in the desert". Jim took a deep breath and snorted before continuing on. "Why do you think I said the Army dropped one of their toys on my camp site? All of us here know that isn't what happened but I don't even want to think of what really happened. So, even in my private thoughts I think it is an Army toy that destroyed my truck. Is that good enough for you General? You can use all the resources that you want to in watching me and they won't get any more than that," Jim said in disgust.

"Surveillance of you isn't why I am here Mr. Bronson," General Branch said in even colder and more frustrated tones.

Jim could feel the anger rising in General Branch. Jim knew that even the General's anger was as controlled as the ice in a glacier. He thought of a snake again and realized the snake isn't angry when it strikes either. Jim wondered if General Branch was more dangerous out of control or under control.

"Be careful," JJ warned in his mind.

"I will," Jim replied to JJ as he interrupted General Branch again. "Then why are you here General?" Jim asked allowing as much frustration in his voice as he was starting to feel from the General. "I don't think you pay social calls on Majors in your command."

"I am investigating the death of one of my men Mr. Bronson," the General said tightly.

"Don't look at me," Jim said interrupting the General again. "I didn't kill anyone."

Jim could feel the spike of anger in the General at the interruption. He was reminded of a rattle snake coiled with the rattles buzzing and the snake hissing and poised to strike.

"My men were on surveillance duty last night," the General continued tightly. He was almost trembling in his effort to control his own anger. "They were assigned to watch you Mr. Bronson. They were parked in front of the Major's home this morning and there was an incident. One of my men died and I want to know why," the General said in even colder tones. He was trembling now at the internal struggle to control his anger.

"Do you mean the gay guys in the van this morning?" Jim asked with feigned surprise on his face and in his voice. "I know 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is the rule in the military now days but I didn't know that it applied to the high end units like you seem to have General," Jim concluded allowing disbelief and uncertainty to creep into his voice.

General Branch snapped. He took two quick steps forward until his face was less than a foot from Jim's and he said in low, dead, menacing tones, "Do not mess with me you son of a bitch. I will kill you where you stand and no one will ask a question. I don't need a reason and all I need to say is it is a national security issue so DO-NOT-MESS-WITH-ME."

Jim didn't back down from the confrontation. His time in the Army had taught him to deal with confrontation and he did it well. That was part of the reason for his meteoric rise through the ranks to Master Sergeant. It was also part of what made him successful as a teacher. Confrontation in the classroom in the Phoenix school district wasn't the norm but it was common enough with all the gang bangers that Jim's skills were kept honed.