Chapter 148: Not Again

When I awoke, it was in a room with no windows, but it was uncomfortably bright. That told me that it was a hospital of some kind. I somehow knew, without any reason, that the walls were metal. That put me somewhere, inside someone's ship. I had no idea what country owned the ship, but I hoped that it was a US Navy ship of the line, or if not, at least a European Navy ship. I did not want to be aboard the ship of an African or Arab nation.

I found a call button, attached to the small hard platform where I lay. so I pushed it. A young naval officer, who looked to be about sixteen, entered a few minutes alter. He wore a white dress uniform, but then most officers probably did. I doubted that there were too many things an officer in the navy did which would require utilities. They had sailors and marines to do those jobs.

"Ah I see you are awake?" he said.

"Obviously, and I need water badly," I suggested.

"I can get you some ice cubes, but water is not going to be available to your for a few more hours. You have been out a while and a couple of hours ago, you have also been under anesthesia.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Our surgeon removed a bullet from your leg," he informed me. "When you came in, you were covered in so much blood, we didn't see how you could still be living. Turns out most of the blood belonged to someone else."

"Yes, fortunately for me and unfortunately for him." I replied.

"How did you get so much of his blood on you?" he asked.

"He laid on top of me while he bled to death. Well almost to death, I think he still had a minute or two left when I rolled him off me.' I said.

"How awful for you," he commented.

"Not as awful as it was for the man who died on top of me." I said seriously.

"Yes of course," the young officer said, "There are a lot of people who want to see you. Your friends, some TV people, and of course our intelligence officer. He has been interviewing the others. They say you were quite the heroine."

"Well they are mistaken. There is a thirty something chick, who gets that award in my opinion. How did she come out,"

"Mary Ellen," The child officer said, "She is alive and uninjured as far as I can tell. She might have some emotional issues later on. She killed two men, so she may have some PTSD, but who knows. Right now she is just glad to be alive."

"She should be feeling that," I said. "It could have gone either way there at the end."

"Well, I'm sure you would rather see your friends, but the intelligence officer insists that he be first." the young officer said.

"Tell him that until I talk to my boss Alex, I have amnesia. See what his reaction is to that." I said with a weak smile.

The young officer smiled. I think he had a secret dislike for the intelligence officer. But then it has been my experience, that officer and intelligence don't really belong in the same sentence, let alone a man's title.

About ten minutes later an older man in uniform came into the room. He had gray hair and black eyes. He also didn't smile. "Sergent Stone, you can stop the bullshit and talk to me or face trial for murder." he demanded.

I laughed, "If you have evidence of anything, other than self defense, then you need to go ahead and try me. I think you will find video evidence that we tried to avoid the confrontation which led to those men dying."

"Contrived no doubt," he said.

"Okay, I have nothing more to say. If you do not allow me to see my friends, I am going to file an official complain on humanitarian grounds. We need to comfort each other and we are civilians you know."

"Why didn't you pick up the survivors of the smaller boat?" he asked.

"I have no idea. I was busy at the time trying to keep the pirates from killing us all. After that I was unconscious. I am sure you have asked the others that same thing. What did they tell you?"

"I don't answer question, I ask them." he said.

"Then you need to get the fuck out, before I have that nice little officer file a harassment complain. After all I have been wounded." I said.

"Right," he said as he turned to leave.

I had no idea what would happen next. I had a pretty good idea that Morris or Gwen was outside with a video camera. I would have felt better if it had been Mike. It took them another thirty minute to get Alex into the room. I started to speak, but he put his finger to his lips. I knew that the room was probably bugged, but I nodded my head at the reminder.

"So what happened after they got on board?" he asked.

"First I saw of them on the ship was the men trying to get to the bridge. I shot one of them, then somebody shot me." I said. "That's about all I know. They are saying that we got fifty of them, I can only speak to about ten. Then there were probably that many more at the rear of the ship. Teacher and Bear were defending back there. I have no idea how many they killed. Probably ten more. Four more got on board midship I killed two of them the other two somebody else got. I don't know what happened to anybody else." I said.

"Mary Ellen, of all people, killed one with your pistol, then hunted one down in the crew's cabin. Then she put all six slugs from the buck shot shell into his belly. Not a pleasant sight I assure you." Alex said to me.