Off the Books

Posted on Fri Jul 13th, 2012 @ 11:14am by Captain Li Hawke & Commander Oralia Zeferino & Tog
Edited on on Tue Sep 22nd, 2015 @ 10:29pm

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Suresh's Quarters

* * * Down In The Cherry Pit * * *

Suresh departed the turbolift and the difference in his mood between the Admiral’s office and his own deck was marked. He was a man with a plan now, turning his anger to good use. He stopped at a public comm panel and summoned Tog, then continued on to his quarters. Once inside, he poured a drink and moved on to the problem of Lemmy and Tater. Lazan was right. Removing them would kill two birds with one stone and the irony of that made him laugh, deep and long.

Whistling happily, Tog took his sweet time walking to Suresh’s quarters. He was in no hurry to get there and, when a merchant tempted him into sampling her wares... well, he certainly couldn’t refuse such a kind offer. Licking the merchant’s sweet taffy from his fingers some ten minutes later, he continued on and finally arrived at Suresh’s door. He finished the last of the taffy traces, straightened his suit jacket, checked his watch and smiled: he’d already billed Suresh for thirty minutes and the only thing he’d done was walk over from his office. Indeed, his father would be proud: making money, doing nothing.

Just as the watch ticked over to thirty-one minutes, Tog pressed the door chime and entered when the door opened. “Do you know how busy I am, Suresh?” He launched into a tirade, as if he’d really had anything pressing on his docket this afternoon. “With the Security Chief’s recent raids on Saturnalia, why I’m up to my ears in motions for bail!” In reality, his secretary was working, quite efficiently, on getting each client released from the Brig; he hadn’t done anything on those cases, except issue a bill. “I hope you recall that I charge extra for last minute summonses. Now, why am I here?”

Suresh leaned close to Tog and sniffed. “Stopped by Rana’s again, did you?” He prodded Tog’s waistline. “A little extra padding? Just like my bill?” But Suresh didn’t seem angry at the thought, strangely enough. “You’re here because we are taking two off the books tonight. Standard procedure.”

“Ah,” the Ferengi pulled at one large ear lobe then clasped his hands in front of him. “And why am I here again? You know, unless I’m one of those you’re taking off the books, having your attorney here and telling him just what you’re up to... well... not such a good idea, Suresh. You know, ethics and all that. I’m supposed to go fill in Security on any crimes in progress.” He paused then brightened, “Unless you really do mean we’re erasing some fellows from the payroll books!” He reached into a pocket and pulled out what looked like a rectangular, pink rubber eraser. “I have just the tool for that.”

“We are. Does that thing explode?” Suresh took a sip of his drink, as he eyed Tog. “And you know the drill, a statement where to send their things, then I’ll deal with the rest.”

With a quick sneer at Suresh, Tog put the eraser back in his pocket. “Send their things? I see.” Tog nodded sagely, thinking that Suresh could have just sent him the names of the folks who were being ‘removed from the payroll’. His wonderful and efficient secretary could have produced the necessary statements in a matters of seconds; he, then, could have charged an hour for drafting, revising and proofreading the statements. “And the names of the unfortunate souls who are being erased?”

“Lemmy and Tater. They are no longer employed, so that is two less you’ll have to keep track of. I’m sure you won’t mind.”

For a moment, Tog had to search his memory for those two. When he found them, he nodded, trying not to show he was saddened. The one, Tater, had a nose like a Ferengi: mashed rather flat and lumpy; the other... well, he just offended the nose, no loss there. “Of course. I’ll have my secretary find their family information and forward their things and their last paychecks.”

“Thank you. If they ask, and as far as you know, they are being reassigned off station. Anything else Tog? You’ve heard the latest gossip I assume?”

“Gossip? If you have gossip, Suresh, you need to spill it!”

Suresh smiled like a cat with a bowl of cream. “Two things. The Chief of Security’s fellow has departed this universe. And the other? The station CO has discovered Saturnalia. He was down here a few nights ago.”

“The CO? Admiral Wegener? Ooohhh, was he the fellow who spent some quality time with Isha?” The Ferengi, fully aware he was yanking on the tiger’s chain, winked and chuckled. As for the Security Chief’s loss, he didn’t want to touch that; a cousin of a cousin of a cousin twice removed had known Oralia Zeferino in the Alpha Quadrant. Had, in fact, given her a tiny spider as a pet. He wondered if the current spider had eaten that one....

The glass in Suresh’s hand shattered under the pressure of his fingers, but his expression remained unchanged. “It was. He and I had a most interesting conversation tonight.” Suresh turned back to the bar, dropped the remnants of the glass and picked up a towel. He wrapped it around his bleeding hand as he spoke. “I want to be informed anytime he steps foot down here.”

“Why are you telling me?” Tog stared at him, grimacing at the blood dripping from his hand. “I’m not your security watchdog. I’m your legal guru and all-knowing-soothsayer. Have Lazan or... or....” He suddenly couldn’t think of the name of anyone Suresh employed as a go-fer. “...someone else keep tabs on the Admiral.”

“That is a ‘just in case you see him’.” Suresh squeezed his hand tighter around the towel without missing a beat. “Now, how long will it take you to get home? Without stopping off on the way?”

“Hmm...,” Tog rocked on his toes. Without stopping? Well, he could, most likely, convince a merchant or two to walk slowly with him... or to let him walk in place. Both qualified as ‘not stopping’. “Shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes, same as what it took me to get here,” he smiled, his pointy little teeth gleaming in the low light.

“My old granny walks faster than you, as I’ve mentioned before. Maybe you should have that looked at.” Finally a smile graced Suresh’s face. “Be prepared for a little trip next week. I’ll make sure Nine stocks the barf bags as they like to call them.”

“Heh. Sounds like such fun!”, he enthused with as much sarcasm as he could muster. “Sounds like I may have a Piper Medical trip in my future. If you’ll excuse me?” He was nearly to the door already, having been slowly backing up, away from Suresh’s bloodied hand. All that red... he felt slightly queasy.

“Very well. Enjoy your evening, after you stop the clock on my account. And one more thing... Lazan is getting a raise. I’ll send the particulars on in a day or two.”

“A raise?” Tog nearly reversed his backwards creep towards the door; his surprise at least wiped away his queasiness. “What has he done to earn a raise?” Paying Lazan more just might mean less in the big golden pot for him to plunder with his legal bills.

“Let’s just say it wasn’t what he did, but what he kept me from doing... and leave it at that, shall we?” Suresh knew that his vagueness would drive Tog nuts. The thought made him smile again.

Tog stared at Suresh, keeping his narrowed eyes well above the level of the bloody towel. “Yeah, sure. I’ll remember that when I prevent you from doing something, too. On that note, I’m leaving. Get that hand tended to! I’d hate to lose one of my best clients to a silly hand infection.” Grimacing yet again, he backed out the door into the hallway.

After Tog’s departure, Suresh went into his bathroom to wash and bandage his hand. He’d check it tomorrow and then worry about having it stitched if need be. Palms tended to bleed a bit and he was happy to see that the cut wasn’t that deep. Once it was bandaged up tight, he held it up above his heart the ease the throbbing. It was this hand that had touched Isha, pulled her into his arms when she’d had such a strong, and unexpected, reaction to the necklace. He still had no idea what that was about but it made him curious. Still tonight was business. He had Lemmy and Tater to deal with, then some calls and plans to make. Stepping out of the bathroom, he sent calls out to his two goons, then refilled his drink.

By the time they arrived, Suresh was comfortably settled on his sofa, drink in hand. The chime rang and when he ordered the doors open, they hurried in with their usual effusive greetings. He noted idly that Lemmy’s stench had returned and made a note to have the computer do an ‘airing out’ once he was done.

“Good evening gentlemen.” Suresh looked up at the two with a smile. “I”m afraid I have some bad news for you. You two are being... reassigned.”

Neither noticed the disruptor in Suresh’s hand until it was too late.

*********
Suresh
House Cleaning

Tog
Walking at a Turtle’s Pace
Billing a Boss's Rate