Destroyer 134: Bloody Tourists by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir

Author:Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Frank Curtis always did what he was told. As long as it was Greg Grom who told him what to do.

Frank Curtis had infinite respect and measureless affection for Grom. Every word President Grom uttered resonated with ageless wisdom. Every action Grom took was purposeful and correct. Doing Grom's bidding was so gratifying.

Not everybody understood that, including his best friend since college, Randall Switzer, who would say, "I don't get it. You used to hate that guy, Frank."

"I never hated Greg!"

"Yeah, you did. You told me you did. You said he was the biggest moron ever to belong to Mensa."

"I never said that!"

"You called him an ambitionless, egoist jerk-off."

"Never," Frank Curtis had protested.

"The point is, you used to despise this little schmuck, and now all of a sudden you think he's God's gift to you."

"Don't call him a schmuck, Switz," Frank warned.

"I won't call him a schmuck if you admit that you used to say he was indolent as a sloth but with less personality."

Switz had been Frank's best friend for twenty years, but not anymore.

Frank's wife wasn't much better. "Frank, tell me the honest truth, honey," she demanded finally. "Are you gay? Are you having relations with this young man?"

Frank shook his head sadly. "Pauline, you know I am not gay."

"But Frank, I don't understand this obsession," Pauline wailed. "You're missing work, you're constantly away from home. Whatever this boy wants is your top priority, and everything else comes second. Where did this come from, Frank? You've never acted this way before-it's an infatuation!"

"Pauline, it is simply my respect and admiration for an important and powerful man."

"Powerful?" Pauline snorted.

"He's the elected president of Union Island!"

"It's just a small town that happens to be surrounded by water. If the place didn't make so much money on tourism, the mayor's position wouldn't even be a paying job."

Frank had not cared to continue that discussion. If Pauline Curtis couldn't show a proper level of respect for President Grom, then she could just go to hell.

Just that morning his boss had turned against him, too. "Professor Curtis, is this young man blackmailing you?" asked University Director Jack Holdsworth.

"Of course not! A ridiculous suggestion."

"I cannot think how else a rather unimpressive graduate student-a student you once fervently disliked-could turn you into his errand boy," the university director observed. "He's got you jumping through hoops. You've spent all your vacation days and personal days in his service-not just this year's, but next year's, as well. Hear me out-a few years ago, when Mr. Grom was our student, you disciplined him in a way that he may have found humiliating, although you were perfectly justified. It seems to me that he may have been angry enough to dig up some sort of dirt on you and use it against you."

"Nothing could be further from the truth," Professor Curtis insisted.

The university director sighed. "Well, I'm not going to pressure you on this, Professor, but I am also not going to authorize another day off so you can go propitiate this young hoodlum.

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