Category Archives: Rise of the Judge

Day of Dread, Part Twenty-Five

Continued from Part Twenty-Four

Two months later, Snyder sat in bed in his hospital room. Bandages covered his face other than his eyes and mouth. He opened the letter Father Goodwin had sent to him and removed a print out of a newsreader screen.

Father Goodwin had written across the top in bold red type, “I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY!!!!”

The story read:

Local Priest Commits Suicide

Las Vegas, NV: At the Circus Circus casino, guests found Father Jude Bernard’s body at the bottom of the swimming pool. Bernard had jumped into the pool with a hundred pound barbell tied to his neck.

Police found a cryptic suicide note in a waterproof compartment of the priest’s cassock. The note read, “But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. “

Snyder sneered. “Now, not only am I res-ponsible for your sin, but your note makes me responsible for your death, Padre.”

A sneak preview story caught his eye:

Prosecutor Found Dead

Las Vegas, NV: A noted military prosecutor, Major Bryce Hollerman, died last night when he lost control of his car and went off the road.

Snyder hesitated. Hollerman wasn’t a bad guy. He just had some bad ideas.

It was bound to happen. That’s life. Could’ve been Dread or that ever-lovin’ kiss-up, Merle.  

Snyder laughed. Merle, successfully stage a murder?

A third item caught Snyder’s eye.

     

Colonel Censured

Las Vegas, NV: Major Charlie Merle has said Colonel Paul Dread lied about an incident under oath, but has apologized will not be prosecuted.

Dread, apologize? He was incapable of it. “Major Charlie Merle, what a sap. Unless Dread killed the major so Merle could get promoted and Prosecutor Merle agreed to drop the case to return the favor.”

But who cares if a guy who was only trying to do his job was killed so a dolt could replace him? Not my concern.

Snyder put down the letter from Goodwin and filed it way along with his other reasons for being irreligious.

He picked up the half-drank shot glass of scotch on the bedstead. Nick Verducci’s friends could drink in Verducci’s hospital. But Snyder would stick with one drink this time.

Snyder grinned like the Cheshire cat, left the Scotch, and walked out, ignoring the insult-ing courtesy. The big day he’d been waiting for had finally arrived

The nurse and Snyder into Dr. Abraham Arturo’s plush office. Dr. Arturo said, “It’s at last time to see my latest masterpiece.”

Arturo unwound the bandages. With each layer gone, Snyder felt a little more human. The process had begun when the doctor removed the bandages on his eyes and mouth, areas where healing balm had not been administered. The rest of his face was a matter of moving bones and cartilage back where they belonged, a task beyond the nanites’ capabilities.

Arturo washed Snyder’s face with a wipe and pulled out a small mirror. “Behold.”

Snyder stared in the mirror and touched his cheek. “It’s me.”

But it was different than it had been before the beatings and the betrayals. Something was different about this man staring back at him that hadn’t been there three months before.

The doctor sighed. “I know what’s wrong.  There’s a very small scar on your forehead.”

Snyder frowned. “There is?”

“Only the trained eye can see it. A couple more days of healing balm should correct it.”

Snyder glanced away. “Doc, you know, some scars never heal.”

This concludes the story. Further adventures of A.L. Snyder are available in the Laser and Sword issues.

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

Day of Dread, Part Twenty-Four

Continued from Part Twenty-Three

Snyder sat in silence beside Blackjack, who drove a rental gray Ford Escape on a highway headed towards Los Angeles.

Blackjack sighed. “Okay, I’ll bite. Kid, why did you go to San Diego?”

Snyder sighed. “I wanted to get away, and it was the destination of the next metro headed out of town.”

“Your mother was worried.”

“Well, I don’t care anymore.”

Blackjack jerked off the road. “What?”

“I don’t care if she’d belt me, if she’d ap-prove, if she’d disapprove. I’ve resolved I’m not going to care. I’m going to live for me.”

“Hell of a philosophy. Same as Dread’s.”

“I’m nothing like him!”

“He cares about himself, what he wants, that’s it. He couldn’t care less what happens to others. The good news is you can’t just sign up to be a sociopath. Can be tempting, though. If you never care, you never hurt, and nobody can ever stab you in the back.”

“You make it sound like a crutch.”

“Because it is. It’s running from the world. Drown your pain in booze or gamble it into nothing. Nobody cares about you, you don’t care about nobody. But it’s a miserable life.”

Blackjack stared Snyder in the eye. “Don’t run from the world. It needs you too much. You not only care, you can do something.” Blackjack merged back into traffic. “Okay, end of speech. We got a plastic surgeon to meet.”

Something’s different about Blackjack. “Didn’t I read that your kid died?”

Blackjack nodded. “Drunk driver hit him six months ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The goodbye is not forever.”

Blackjack found religion?

At least Blackjack’s not a Bible beater. That’s about as close he’ll ever come to ‘witnessing.’

Continued Next Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

Day of Dread, Part Twenty-Three

Continued from Part Twenty-Two

Snyder awoke and grasped his head. It felt like it was about to split in two. Snyder cursed. He sat up and buried his face in his hands.

Once the dizziness subsided, he looked up. He was in an old-fashioned doctor’s office.

In strolled an auburn-haired man wearing the odd combination of a kilt, a sweat shirt, and a lab coat. “I see you’re awake.”

Snyder groaned. Talking hallucinations.

The redhead said, “The pain you’re feeling is a good thing. It means you’re alive. You almost weren’t after last night.”

“I wasn’t?”

“You had a rather severe case of alcohol poisoning, but God healed you.”

Snyder rubbed his temples. “If God healed me, why do I have the headache?”

“To remind you not to do something so stupid. The bartender said you’d gone through two bottles of Scotch. You might as well have been drinking arsenic.”

“If it’ll help me forget.”

“I suspect a young man as brilliant as you will find that pretty hard.”

Snyder peered closer. “Hey, I was here a few months ago! You’re Dr. McIntyre. How’s the new security software going?”

“Fine, and please, call me Brother Kael.”

“I’m no brother to you.”

“Then I take it man has let you down, and you’re walking away from God?”

“It’s not just a man. It’s the Church.”

“That’s a shame.” Kael hesitated. “I can help you find a new church.”

Snyder laughed. Kael probably could; his folks deserved the credit for half the protestant Christian “terror cells” in existence. “You might as well ask me to find a new God. The Catholic church is the Church.”

“So you’ll punish the entire denomination because of one man?”

“If you want to view it that way, fine.”

“And you’re either you’re a Catholic or—”

“A heathen.” Which Protestants called him already. “And this heathen is leaving.”

“You friend John McGraw will be here in a couple minutes.”

“Fine, but no more religious talk. I thank you for saving me. You’re a good doctor. But I’m done with God.”

“But he’s not done with you, Snyder. Go your way, but our Father will call you home.”

Continued Next Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

Day of Dread, Part Twenty-Two

Continued from Part Twenty-One

Snyder stumbled out of the metro car and onto the high, windy platform. He peered at the San Diego skyline. He’d grabbed the first high speed monorail headed out of town. Guess it’d gone pretty far out of town.

Mama’s going to be worried.

Snyder frowned. “You’re looking out for you now, remember?”

He jumped down the pressurized air shaft, bounced out onto the street level, and stumbled into the Irish pub next door. Snyder walked up to the bar. “I want Scotch.”

The bartender poured Snyder a glass.

Snyder said, “Save yourself time, leave me the bottle.”

The bartender said, “No thanks.”

“I can hold my liquor, and I’ll pay for the whole bottle with a generous tip included.”

The bartender waved a wand tag reader over the bottle and Snyder’s right wrist. “And the tip?”

“$100.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Just keep the liquor coming.”

After two full bottles, whatever problems had led Snyder here drifted away in a haze.

Continued Next Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

Day of Dread, Part Twenty-One

Continued Part Twenty

Late that evening, Snyder entered the sanctuary. At the altar, Father Bernard’s eye twitched. Snyder trembled with the desire to deck him. “So, while I was on trial for my life for not raping a child for free, you were paying for the privilege.”

“They’re not children in mind. They grow up quickly.”

“I guess that’s what all pedophiles say.”

“I’ve not gone there in years. I know the church’s teaching, but with your little military operation, and taking all the risks associated with fighting the Empire, I cracked.”

“So, it’s my fault you raped a child.”

“No, I’m not saying its your fault.”

“Don’t give me that. You’re alleging you never would’ve gone back to this if I hadn’t been such a bad influence on you.”

“No.”

“Don’t try to con me.”

“I never conned you.”

“You acted like you cared about me, only to abandon me for months, when I needed you most, in order to rape a child.”

“I didn’t rape my Emily. I loved her. Someone else would’ve taken those hours and hurt Emily. But you won’t understand, neither would the Bishop.”

“I don’t. It’s not something to understand. It’s sick.”

“I knew if you saw me, you’d know. I was naked and hid myself, as Adam said.”

“You know, Nick Verducci is a hedonist, but at least he doesn’t pretend to be something else.” Snyder removed his rosary from his poc-ket and dropped it. “Keep the souvenir. From now on, I’m gonna look out for me. No one else will. It’ll be a cold day in Hell before I’ll ever buy into this religious stuff again.”

Snyder ran from the church.

Father Bernard’s voice echoed through the night. “Come back, I’m sorry! Come back!”

Continued Next Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

Day of Dread, Part Twenty

Continued from Part Nineteen

Snyder entered the unlocked church and slid through an empty foyer and sanctuary. He went around to the rectory. Father Goodwin sat behind the desk in the office. “Hello, Snyder. You made it out of jail, I see.”

“Where’s Father Bernard?”

“He said he was going downtown to get a couple things.”

“I can catch a bus that way. Which store?”

“He didn’t say. You’re better off waiting. He’ll be back in two hours.”

Two hours? I’ll explode.

Snyder ran out to catch the bus. It had an actual human driver, an overweight black guy, and two passengers, an elderly Hispanic couple holding hands, lost in each other’s eyes.

Snyder asked, “Hey, did a Catholic priest get on the bus?”

The driver nodded. “Yeah, I picked the guy up twenty minutes ago.”

“Let me off at his stop if you remember.”

“Well, there’s where he got off and where he goes.”

“Take me where he goes.”

“Cost you.”

Snyder slipped an old American bill into the driver’s hand. He frowned. “A five?”

“I just got out of jail.”

“I’m feeling generous today.”

After several stops, at one of which the old lovers got off, the bus halted outside the public harem that had been Dread’s “surprise.” The structure looked like a cross between an inner city boarding school and a convenience store.

The driver opened the bus’s doors. “This is your stop.”

Snyder walked to the driver. “There has to be a mistake.”

“Nope. For two and a half months now, he gets on the bus, gets off two blocks from here, and walks over. Apparently, it’s not becoming for a priest to get off at the public harem, but walking right into it is fine.”

Snyder stared at the hateful place. “This can’t be. It must be another priest.”

Out of the public harem stepped Father Bernard with a sickening smile. Snyder made eye contact. Father Bernard’s smile faded.

Snyder ran to the back of the bus. “Close the door. I’ll get off at the end of the line.”

The bus jerked into motion. Snyder buried his face in his hands as hot tears streaked down.

Continued Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

Day of Dread, Part Nineteen

Continued from Part Eighteen

Snyder walked out of the courthouse a civilian for the first time in four years.

A long black stretch limo pulled up. Hired muscle rolled down one of the back windows. “Get in. Boss wants to talk to you.”

Snyder folded his arms. “What if I don’t want to talk to him?”

The mug pulled a gun. “He can be pretty persuasive.”

Snyder got in the car beside Verducci.

Verducci waved the driver on. “Go around the block.”

Snyder asked,  “So, are you going to bump me off?”

Verducci laughed. “Kid, I said around the block, not down to the ocean. I don’t do that myself. It’s very unpleasant. I just wanted to say what you did took a lot of guts.”

 “Thanks. Coming from a harem operator, that’s a compliment, I guess.”

“I’ve been rationalizing that for years. All these prophets come by and tell me to free them and take care of them, and I’ve ignored it. Then you went on trial, and I felt like a skunk.”

“If I’d run, the captive clientele would’ve made you feel much better, I’m sure.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If the court had ruled that everyone had to use public harems, you would have seen an increase in business.”

“Kid, not everybody thinks as strategically as you do. I just felt guilty about owning the harems, partnering with Bloody Harry no less. But, you went through this whole thing and took the risks. So, I tell you what I’m going to do. I’ll close all four harems I operate and make provision for the girls. And as for you, I got you an appointment with a friend in Los Angeles. He’ll make you look like yourself rather than like you spent five years playing hockey and then took up boxing.”

“Thanks, Verducci.”

“And if there’s anything else, call me.”

Snyder got out of the car. Harems would be closed. Girls would be going free. He’d have to tell Father Bernard.

Mama Borden grabbed his arm. “Anny, come on, boy! We have to go out to celebrate.”

“Later, I got to talk to somebody.”

“Okay, but when you get back, I want to hear about that serial killer and your Indian father and whatever else you haven’t told me.”

“Okay, if you promise not to hit me.”

“Baby, I’m glad to have you alive. I’ll give you amnesty.”

“Thanks.”

Continued Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

Day of Dread, Part Eighteen

Continued from Part Seventeen

The judge said, “So ordered.”

Snyder, Hollerman, Mama, and Cerulean sat in the conference room.

Hollerman clapped. “Bravo. I enjoy having someone at the opposite table who is not awed by my reputation. I’m prepared to do some-thing I’ve never done before. I’m willing to offer a plea bargain.”

Snyder laughed. “Oh, you do comedy on the side? That jury’s not going to convict me. “

“Yes, you can walk out a free man and be returned to duty. You can be known as the man who defeated Major Bryce Hollerman in court. And they can put it in your epithet in weeks.”

Mama Borden glared at Hollerman. “You threatening my boy?”

“No, ma’am. In an ideal world, I’d move for the case to be dismissed and recruit Snyder into JAG. Unfortunately, the Imperial military has a culture of gaining promotion by arrang-ing accidents for your superiors. I don’t support it, but I’ve never had the cooperation needed to bring a case. Snyder’s defense today threatens that culture. So long as he’s enlisted, he’ll wear a target on his back. But if he’s not enlisted, I can take the evidence he’s gathered and build my case against Dread. And more importantly, Snyder can stay alive.”

Snyder sighed. “What’s the deal?

 “The treason charge will be dropped if you will plead guilty to insubordination. You’ll be demoted and discharged.”

“I’ll plead no contest, but I won’t plead guilty.”

“That’s reasonable.”

“What about your case law?”

“There’ll be another case. This one came with too high of a price tag. I’d rather get Dread than hang you.”

“A. L. Snyder, this court finds you guilty of insubordination. You are hereby demoted to the rank of Private First Class and dishonorably discharged.” Judge Appel banged his gavel.

Hollerman approached the defense table and ripped the rank and the imperial insignia from Snyder’s dress uniform. “Mr. Snyder, you are free to go.”

Continued Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

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Day of Dread, Part Seventeen

Continued from Part Sixteen

Oh boy, I’m in trouble now. “Why didn’t you report her? You knew I was underage.”

Dread waved. “A minor regulation.”

“Wasn’t it the JAG’s place to judge that? Didn’t you request the assignment of the officer in question, Captain Amanda Greywolf, who has since been executed by hanging for several of counts of homicide, which were charged as hate crimes for targeting minorities?”

A psst noise turned Snyder’s head to the gate where Cerulean was gesturing for Snyder.

“Just a moment.” Snyder jogged over to Cerulean.

Cerulean handed him a file folder. “Your friend the invisible man wants you to enter Amanda Greywolf’s record into evidence.”

“Thanks.” Snyder returned to the bench waving the file in the air. “I present as Defense Exhibit C Amanda Greywolf’s military record, which includes several warnings of misconduct towards those in her command and concerns about her gambling problem. What possessed you to bring her here?”

“I thought she’d be a good fit.”

“A gambling addict near Las Vegas is like a drunk in a rum factory. You brought her on because you knew she was a serial killer and you knew my natural father was three quarters native American.”

Mama asked, “He was?”

Hollerman said, “Objection. Your honor, it becomes clear to the prosecution there’s been a lovely soap opera going on here in the desert, but as much as the people appreciate the art, I fail to see the relevance.”

Snyder said, “I’m getting to that. Dread, tell me why was I finally promoted.”

“It was recommended by the late Colonel Morgan. I objected because I didn’t think you  specialist material, but Sergeant Major Kendall impressed upon me that she found you a useful addition. And since I was leaving anyway—”

“Before Colonel Morgan died, how did you get along?”

“We did fine.”

“Did you really? I’ve got witnesses willing to testify that, on the morning of the day he died, Colonel Morgan broke down your door because you didn’t answer quick enough for him and verbally assaulted you for sloth within hearing distance of several enlisted men.”

 “Oh, that. Just a little misunderstanding. I don’t hold grudges against dead men.”

“Not if you killed them.”

Hollerman said, “Objection, lacks proper foundation. Further, the witness isn’t on trial.”

“Withdrawn. Colonel, it took you an over-ly long time to be promoted to captain. Have you read any of your evaluations?”

“You read my evaluations?”

“Yes, and I actually gained access legally. An early one says, ‘Lieutenant Dread displays violent, anti-social tendencies.’ Next we have, ‘Lieutenant Dread lacks good judgment and has a violent temper.’ And then we have, ‘The big-gest mistake I’ve observed in all my years in the military is the decision to graduate Lieutenant Dread from the academy.’ It continues even into your later career. ‘I’m transferring Major Dread to intelligence because there he will have fewer opportunities to damage military morale and our public image.’ I ask that his evaluations be entered as exhibits ‘D’ through ‘W’.”

Dread shrugged. “So I wouldn’t win Mr. Congeniality.”

“Nor would you be congenial to Colonel Morgan. The prosecution has accepted the facts that I provided on a mission that you, myself, Colonel Morgan, and Sergeant Kendall were on. Tell me, how did Colonel Morgan die?”

Hollerman said, “Objection, relevance.”

“Your honor, it goes to the motive for the order in question. If it was an attempt to cover up a crime, it wasn’t a valid order.”

The judge said, “Proceed. Colonel Dread, please answer the question.”

“We were patrolling the basement area in search of our objective. Two terrorists ambush-ed us from behind. They fired two shots that hit Colonel Morgan and missed me. I turned and shot the killers.”

Got you for perjury. “You sure about that?”

“You have another theory you can prove?”

“I’d like to do a re-enactment.”

Hollerman said, “The prosecution has no objection provided we can do it in the court-room.”

“We can.”

Hollerman walked over to Snyder. “Good to know someone else watches ancient episodes of Matlock. I’d like to play a role.”

“Sure, you can be Colonel Dread. I’ll be Colonel Morgan, and I’ll need the two guards to be the terrorists.” Snyder gestured for Holler-man to follow him. “So, Colonel Dread, you and Colonel Morgan were walking through a basement area like this. Are we about the right distance apart.”

Dread said, “It looks right.”

“Now the two terrorists come out and they shoot me in the back. Just wave your guns and say bang, bang.”

At the dead silence, Snyder peeked behind him. The guards were shooting their very silent index fingers at him.

Snyder lay on his stomach. “Then I fall down dead, and Colonel Dread shoots the two terrorists.”

Hollerman turned and used his finger as a gun. “Bang, bang.”

Snyder stood. “Is this how it happened?”

Dread nodded. “Yes, exactly.”

“Great. Only one problem. It couldn’t have  happened this way.”

“I was there. I fired three shots.”

“I sent forensics folks out last week. They found all three of your bullets embedded in the wall. The bullets that killed the terrorists came from Colonel Morgan’s gun. Thus, he killed the terrorists, not the other way around. How does a dead man shoot his killers?”

Dread blinked.

Snyder said, “It’s ironic, sir. You set me up lest I get curious and investigate. Instead, this trial got Morgan’s body exhumed and the crime scene checked out. You killed Colonel Morgan because he knew you’d taken credit for work I did and he threatened to expose you. He killed those terrorist and, when his back was turned, you shot him with the terrorist’s gun.”

“The terrorist fired the weapon.”

“No, he didn’t. This was an old gun, and there were no powder burns on his hands. Tell me, Colonel, you wore gloves that day. Do you still have those gloves?”

“No.”

“Very interesting. Nothing further.”

Hollerman stood. “Your honor, I’d like to ask for a fifteen minute recess to confer with the defendant in the conference room.”

Continued Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.

Day of Dread, Part Sixteen

Continued from Part Fifteen

Hollerman stood and approached the wit-ness stand. “Sir, isn’t it true your business is in direct competition with public harems?”

Snyder stood. “Objection, relevance.”

“Give me a minute, your honor.”

The judge said, “For now, I’ll overrule the objection, proceed.”

Raulston sniffed. “Would you argue that  five star restaurants compete with McDonald’s? The businesses I highly recommend rear their concubines to be sweet, loving, and cultured and guarantee their virginity. Further, I assist clients with McDonald’s budgets by providing them representation in the process of buying exclusive rights to public concubines, so no.”

“But if everyone were required to use the public harems, your business would suffer.”

Raulston laughed. “Sir, you clearly do not know my business at all. Men who can afford new concubines would sooner die than set foot in a public harem. Not only does this include Donovan the Steward, but the Emperor himself. You will never see a law that would hurt me.”

“Mr. Raulston, do you really expect us to believe that men who travel frequently would not use their own public facilities? Would you not lie to protect your business interests?”

Snyder stood. “Objection, argumentative.”

The judge said, “Sustained.”

Hollerman glared at Snyder.

Raulston raised a finger. “I’ll answer. Sir, when you purchase an elite concubine, you join an elite club. It is this club’s culture to offer each other free entertainment while away. Frankly, your ignorance astounds. Any school girl could tell you that Donovan the Steward has insulted many a guest by refusing to grant them the use of his private collection. He may not be choosy about his women, but he is particular about his concubines. So long as he still breathes, you will never be a threat to my business.”

Hollerman growled and threw his hands up. “No further questions.”

Snyder said, “I recall Colonel Paul Dread to the stand and ask to treat him as a hostile witness.”

The judge said, “I’ll allow it.”

Dread stormed to the witness stand.

Snyder said, “Colonel, did you retain the services of Mr. Raulston?”

Dread said, “Of course. I didn’t know you well and recalled an acquaintance quite recently discussed as saying Raulston offered excellent service at an excellent price.”

Sneaking a dig in. The jerk met Donovan by stealing the credit for Snyder’s work. “Do you routinely access confidential personnel files and send them to outside third parties without permission?”

“When I feel it is appropriate.”

“Are you aware Army Regulation 8-304 governs the release of confidential files? Could you show me where, “Colonel Dread felt it was appropriate” is on the list of allowed reasons?”

Hollerman stood. “Objection.”

“Withdrawn. Now, Colonel, why did you proceed with the hire at the public harem when you knew it would not be well-received?”

Dread shrugged. “Sometimes, we must do difficult things. As Major Hollerman said, the military depends on rough men.”

“So your stance is you did it for my own good?”

“Yes.”

“Did you also deny six recommendations of promotion that were submitted in the last three years for my own good?”

Dread glanced to Hollerman expectantly.

Snyder smiled in the dead silence. “We’re establishing a pattern of conduct, Colonel.”

“I have always questioned the wisdom of having someone in intelligence with a criminal background.”

“So you denied promotion six times even when it was endorsed by my row supervisor and the CO over the operations center.”

 “Yes, but—”

“That was all.”

“You were sleeping with one of the COs.”

Mama Borden gasped. “Anny!”

Continued Next Thursday

Tales of the Dim Knight is available in Paperback form, in the Kindle Store as well as on Smashwords in a variety of formats. At both sites, you can get extensive free excerpts on your computer, or sent directly to your Kindle device from the Kindle store.