“Tell me about it,” she said wearily. “While we’re telling each other about things, the major’s pissed about discipline-like you guys talking back when I say something. He hears you interrupting me or griping about his orders, he’s likely to bust humps a good bit more. Not that I can’t handle it, or even worse, but a word to the wise, Double-X, a word to the wise.”
Double-X looked around as if to check for eavesdroppers before answering. Then he put his hands on the desktop, leaned forward, and lowered his voice. “Man, that stinks even worse,” he said.
“A brilliant deduction,” said Brandy, slapping her hand on her desktop. “Just what do you suggest doing about the problem?”
Double-X fidgeted, his face screwed up in a frown. “I dunno, Sarge,” he admitted at last. “If the cap’n was here, I bet he’d have some way to get us out from under this mess.”
“I wish he was here, myself,” said Brandy. “I don’t think he’d be any happier than the rest of us with what’s going down, but I know he’d have some ideas for fixing it.” She paused and lowered her voice. “But don’t get your hopes too high, Double-X. Botchup is the latest dirty trick from Headquarters, and he’s got the full authority of the top brass backing him. I’m afraid not even the captain’s going to be able to flick him aside all that easily.”
Double-X shrugged. “All I know is, the captain’s took ’em on and won before. If anybody can do it again, he’s the man.”
“Well, then you better hope he gets back soon,” said Brandy. She paused a moment, then said, “You got anything else to gripe about, or are you going to hang out here until the major notices and puts you down for extra punishment?”