Second Chances (92 page)

She rubbed her brow, sure that her boss was going to hit the roof. He wasn't the only one; she could feel the tension headache building. “So this is a recent thing? You folks are getting the last trades in before the winter storms bury everyone in snow like up here? The crews here are going insane. Lisa's having all she can do to keep the trucks on the road.”

She found out the Tropical village had had enough to get by with the first harvest, and a surplus the second and third harvest. It was enough to trade for meat, hides, and materials from the other communities, mainly Colonel Dunn's.

“You two have said quite enough,” a familiar hated rumble came over the radio. “Don't you have anything better to do than gossip?”

“We're catching up on news, Colonel,” the warrant officer said.

“Well, shut the hell up; that's an order. You don't need to be talking about other people's business,” the colonel growled.

“Really?” Jolie asked. “Last time I checked we've got no constitution and I don't work or live with you. If I want to talk, I can talk to whomever I please,” she said, smiling maliciously. “Care to comment about all the trading, Colonel? I hear you are having quite the harvest party right now,” she said.

“Again, none of your business,” Dunn growled.

“Our harvest party is going to be in a week I think,” Brown said. “Can you make it, Jolie?”

“No, sorry,” Jolie sighed theatrically. “Wish I could but I can't. We've got a lot going on here. And by the time I got there it'd be over,” she said.

“Darn,” the warrant said. She smiled. The man sounded nice, he may or may not be single, she hadn't found out yet.

“Well, do enjoy the rum,” Jolie said, twisting the knife a bit. “Since we paid for it,” she muttered to herself. She bit her lip and then passed the report on to Mitch. She was pretty sure the fur was about to fly. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be caught in the middle of it or not. She definitely liked the idea of being a fly on the wall but being called in as a witness? She shook her head then double checked to make certain she had dutifully recorded everything. She nodded when she noted the files once more. Good. She forwarded bookmarks leading to them to Mitch as well.

Mitch stormed into the radio room and contacted Tropic a few minutes later. They avoided him for a couple of times so he left the room. Jolie recorded every conversation. Both of them got brush off.

------*------

The next morning Mitch flew over to East Village to consult about the shipment he had received from Tropic. “Let me see if we can settle this,” a distressed Evan said. He kept waving his hands, clearly upset over the bad blood. “We really did need this, Mitch. I know you...,” he shrugged helplessly.

“You mean you've known they are shorting us?” Mitch asked, voice cooling.

Evan shook his head frantically no. “No! It's, well, I thought they were shipping you something too! Not anything?” he asked, eyes wide. “I mean I know they said the storms were bad over the radio, but I heard they delivered tons to Dunn and...” Mitch shook his head firmly no. “Now that's not right!” Evan said, rearing himself up in righteous anger.

“Glad someone else thinks so. Care to call them on it?” Mitch asked. Evan nodded.

Evan called Trinika, hinting about another trade. They chatted while Mitch listened. Evan played his part, offering to trade some spare water filters the Tropics had been after. “My question to you, how are you going to pay for it? I mean, you should be tapped out, I heard about your problems with the storms and pests,” he said. “It makes one wonder how you managed to export what you did so far,” the engineering professor said, finally calling Trinika out about the exports. “What about what you owe Mitch? The start-up?”

“We did the work; it's ours for the taking. Don't worry about it,” the woman said with a lascivious island drawl. “He'll get over it.”

“No I won't,” Mitch snarled, taking the microphone. Evan blinked at him. Mitch's knuckles tightened until they were white as he held the transmitter stand. “This is Mitch. We had a deal, Trinika. I'm on to you,” he growled. “You've been playing me, now avoiding me. Game's up. You are caught. It's time you own up. We had an agreement.”

“I don't remember any such thing,” Trinika said in a drawl.

“We had an agreement.”

“What agreement?” she asked in a shark-like voice. “I don't remember any such thing.”

“Then how did you get the seeds? I didn't give them to you for free. We wrote it down, Trinika. Signed, sealed and delivered to you. I have the records,” Mitch growled.

“I remember no such agreement,” the woman said. “And all you have is hearsay,” she said snidely.

“Really?” Mitch replayed the video/audio and then uploaded to the open net a copy of the written agreement.

“So? It is paper, worth nothing but for toilet wiping. This is not in a court of law. There aren't any here. You're on our turf,” Trinika said with a smug sniff. Her tone was maliciously gleeful.

“And you pledged to trade in good faith. Do you really want to go down this route?” Mitch asked, tone dropping into an arctic warning. Evan looked at him wide-eyed in distress.

“So? What are you going to do about it mate?” Trinika asked haughtily. “You are a bit out of your neighborhood,” she said snickering.

“Nothing it seems,” Mitch snarled as he cut the channel. He left the radio room and paced, angry until he got an idea. “Nothing indeed,” he muttered to himself. “If they want to play games...fine. There are ways to deal with that.” He went back to the radio room, but Evan was gone. He took a seat and radioed Paul blacklisting the tropic community. “No trade, no information. No more selling goods on credit. No barter either. We write them off,” Mitch said coldly. “I had to do this once with the Amazons. I'm done playing games.”

“Should we blackball anyone who trades for them?” Jacklynn asked over the radio, now concerned. Omar sucked in a breath from the doorway.

Mitch noted the radio operator looking at him. He took a deep breath then let it out before he triggered the microphone. “Tempting,” Mitch replied, knowing other communities were listening. “But no,” he said slowly after a long moment. “
They
did nothing wrong.” He wasn't so sure about Dunn.

“So we're screwed?” Paul asked over the radio, still sounding pissed. “Boss, that's bullshit and you know it. I'm halfway to Prairie. I didn't come here risking my ass for nothing.”

“Short term, it looks that way. We've got some seeds left; we'll have to figure something else out long term,” Mitch replied. He wasn't sure what. Cotton they could do, probably some of the other plants as well, but many of the tropical plants needed a tropical climate. He thought about it and then decided to talk to Gunny Usher and Professor Hinkley. Both were straight shooters. Perhaps Crash Town would like another export? He'd have Jolie feel them out for him.

“What about the machinery and stuff they commissioned?” Paul asked. “I'm supposed to drop the stuff off with Dunn to pass on to them in a couple of days you know.”

Mitch nodded, eyes flashing. “They didn't pay for any of it, so it's not their property. Since they are stiffing us, I'm serious about blacklisting them. When the rest of the equipment is ready, it goes to the next people on the list. If
they
can
pay
for it. I'm through getting screwed. Straight barter from now on, no more credit. Strictly quid pro quo, just what everyone wanted. If they don't have it, they don't get it.”

“Understood,” Paul said then nodded again. “And I fully agree. I don't like being screwed either.”

“Agreed,” Jacklynn said after a moment.

“I don't like doing this, but I'm not going to go down this road,” Mitch snarled. “I told them I'm not a doormat. They probably think they can get away with it because they are so far away and think I'm a pushover. I've been giving and giving and some people just see someone they can take advantage of. Well, there are ways to deal with such things. I'll let Sam know to focus on other areas that are more
worthy
of his time and effort as well.” He turned and tapped a note on his tablet.

“What about the sugar and other stuff?” Jackie asked.

“Well, Doc said it's bad for us anyway. So much for that. I guess we'll have to do with alternatives in our coffee,” Mitch quipped. He heard a cough and distant laugh on the other end. “The rest we'll have to synthesize or learn to live without. We've done this far with what we've got. If it means the price of finished goods goes up or it pushes deliveries back, so be it.”

“Roger that. Signing off I guess,” Jackie said. Paul echoed that a moment later.

------*------

Mitch returned to base in a foul mood. It was apparent the moment he landed that word had gotten around within Capital Base and the other communities about the sour deal and how it had gone south for Capital Base. Some of the residents of Capital Base looked at Mitch funny, Anne was a bit stand offish for a day or two. Most of the residents of other communities were unsympathetic for both sides.

When Trinika realized the next load of goods wasn't coming the tropical community took to the airwaves to rant on the radio network about how the Capital didn't need the supplies, how they were taking advantage of the little guy. They went on about how badly they needed the food and gear, how badly they were hurting with few people and the dangers around them.

“It's tempting to cut them off,” Jolie said when Mitch came in, arms crossed to listen. “I mean, one flick of the switch and I could just cut their channel...” She reached out a hand.

“No, don't. I believe in free speech,” Mitch said.

“But they are using our equipment. Our power, our network,” she said, turning expectantly to him. “They are playing the guilt trip card, making us out like the big meany, and they are the scrappy underdog sticking it to the man,” she said. “I'm not happy with that. It's not right,” she said, eyes flashing. “I wish I could knock that woman's teeth in!”

He nodded. “And if we muzzle them they'll be thought of as more of an underdog than ever. Right now we're the big mean guy, the bully for making them pay up to what they agreed to. Fine. Let them bitch. But I'm not trading with them. We're
done
. Let them talk. Just make a note...no,” he cocked his head. “Record it. All of it. Have the computer make transcripts. I'll read it later,” he said walking out. Jolie nodded as she continued to listen to Trinika and Dunn.

Colonel Dunn agreed to some points as did a few others like Kirafiki. Adam sounded off, angry about someone not holding up their part of the deal, but he also seemed amused that Mitch was getting stiffed. “Banks were the bane of all farmers on Earth. Every farmer hates them; they are just evil. They want their money and don't care,” Adam said. “If they could foreclose on you, they'd do it. Just be glad he can't do that here,” he said.

Evan was unhappy; he pointed out that Mitch should just forget the seeds and wipe the slate clean for the sake of the children. Not many communities came to the defense of Capital Base. Mitch read the transcripts but didn't comment. He did make sure to record who was being two-faced and who wasn't.

Sandra and others were worried he'd hold a grudge. He turned to his wife when she asked him about it. “What do you think? You may be Irish but you aren't the only one to hold a grudge you know,” he said. She bit her lip a bit, now unhappy about bringing the subject up. “I'm not going to take it out on the other communities, but I am logging those who support the thieves. They may try the same thing as well so I want to be wary,” he said.

She nodded reluctantly.

“Besides, I don't like Dunn. He's up to his neck in this, bet your pretty ass,” he growled, eyes flashing. “He's playing both sides; I can feel it.”

“Yeah,” Sandra sighed with a nod. “I can see that.”

“Right. But he's dangerous. He could hijack Paul.” That got a look of surprise and fear from Sandra. He nodded grimly to her. “That's right. If he wanted something bad enough, he could hijack a load. Make it look like a dino attack. No survivors to tell us differently, right?” he asked grimly. She made a face. “I don't know if he would. He'd be stupid if he did, but I have to take that into account,” he warned.

“Or if they pulled into his fortress and he took them there. Or hostage,” she said. She shivered. “What are we, animals?” She looked away.” We're supposed to be better than this,” she said.

Her distress woke concern in Mitch. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I know,” he said. “We keep trying to live up to those ideals. I'm not going to stop because a few bad apples got into the mix here,” Mitch said. She nodded. “I'm going to have Paul institute radio checks regularly. And I'll see if we can arm him a bit better,” he said. He felt Sandra nod against his chest and then hug him. He sighed, trying to let the anger sapping his body and mind go. It wasn't easy.

------*------

He had no problem trading with other communities, but he made it clear, no more start-ups, no more credit. He was firm, cold to all who kissed the Tropic Village's ass or showed sympathy for them. Some of the communities were not happy about that. “It's about time you stood up for yourself Mitch,” Jack radioed in his approval. “About damn time,” he said.