Before 24 Billion and Counting

Chapter 21 Part 1 The forces of the State

The bedroll left by the army was similar to the one Ellen and I had shared, but for one person.

I looked around the featureless box for a light switch. There was none. I took my baseball cap off and put it into the bedroll. I removed my boots and socks, and with extreme weariness struggled into the bedroll, found the cap and transferred the memory stick to the inner pocket of my blouse, detached the metal badge from the cap and pinned it over the location of the data stick, and then crashed out in spite of the blank stare of the ceiling light.

Lopez banged noisily in at some short time later and shook me awake.

"Time to rise and shine Berisford."

"What time is it?"

"Seven in the morning."

No wonder I felt like crap. I guessed I'd only had two hours sleep.

I struggled out of the bedroll, saying, "Well, you're calling the shots, What do you want me to do?"

"Wash, teeth and shave etc. then we'll get you some breakfast, then I have some routine questions, after which I pass you onto some high priced help, and it's up to them to look after you. No doubt I'll still have to be your keeper."

Lopez showed me to a Men's shower room, gave me a plastic sealed pack which looked like a towel, and said "Off you go."

I found a shower cubicle and unwrapped the pack. The towel enclosed a disposable flannel, a one trip razor, and a pasted toothbrush much as an airline would provide.

I made a refreshing toilette. I was beginning to feel suspicious about being treated with kid gloves. Sure, Lopez was probably waiting outside for me to finish my ablutions, but I had thought it more likely that I would have been hosed down from a fire hydrant.

He was there at the door waiting for me.

"Ok now?" he asked.

"Could have done with clean underwear and after shave."

"This ain't a hotel bud. this is the Army."

We went to a self service army canteen. It wasn't surprising that the personnel were on the beefy side. I could have taken the food for the whole day. However I still felt that sick feeling from the week's failures and Ellen's loss. I took some toast and a large black coffee. Lopez had a plateful of steak, eggs, tomato and chips. At the check out he used an identity card of some kind to pay.

We sat at a table. I toyed with the toast but completed a half piece only. The coffee was a reviver.

Lopez was enjoying his food. He looked up. "Not hungry?"

"No. Probably grief at a loss."

"The girl?"

"Ellen - yes."

"Good lay was she?"  

"Pardon?" I asked incredulously.

"Well she was black."

I braced myself against the table to resist the temptation to chuck my coffee at him.

"Where were you raised?"

"Alabama."

"Member of the Klu Klux Clan?"

"'Course not."

"Same bloody attitude. Just shut up," I said with contained rage.

He finished his steak egg and chips on which he had plastered Ketchup, wiped his mouth on a paper napkin and rising said, "Come on, you."