Читать книгу On Guard For Thee - Murray Snow - Страница 8

Ship’s Office

Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt

23 December, 0758 Hours

Leeanne walked into the office, floating, almost oblivious to the task awaiting her this sunny winter morning. As distasteful as today was going to be, she couldn’t stop reliving the tenderness of the previous night. The headaches and mood swings were gone, or at least gone for now, and she wondered if the sex had something to do with it.

James had been transferred from Ottawa to the base hospital in Esquimalt three days ago and after passing all the medical tests they could throw at him, he was released that afternoon. After an early dinner with her father, they left and spent the rest of the night at home, holding each other and carefully making love.

Although they had only been apart four months, it was as if they had fallen in love for the first time. She smiled as she thought of him slowly exploring her body, enjoying the newness of the feelings they had once innocently thought could never be taken away.

“If you keep smiling like that,” Petty Officer Gratton called across the office, “people are going to think you’re up to something.”

Leeanne stopped and turned around, the smile bigger, if possible, than before. “Silvia,” she said, and winked, “after last night, I’m too tired to care.”

Gratton laughed, feigning shock. “Why, Mrs. Morgan, I didn’t know you were that type.”

Leeanne stuck her tongue out at her, walked to her desk, and tried to focus on the job at hand. She looked at the picture of James one more time. Finally, after working through most of the morning’s mail, she pushed away from the desk. She rubbed her eyes and blinked several times as she turned to look out the window. It was a quiet start to the day, and other than the soft, rhythmic tick of the wall clock, the only sounds were those of the fax machine spitting out more paper.

The temperature hovered a few degrees above freezing, and what little snow was on the ground made way for the ground to peek through. It wasn’t yet warm enough for the blossoms to come out, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before the sweet fragrance of flowers and the music of playful birds filled the air.

Leeanne turned back to the clutter atop her desk and her hand came to rest on a small black notebook. Any thoughts of an early spring faded as she thought of what she was about to take on. “Enough,” she said softly.

A shadow appeared on the door, and Lieutenant-Commander Pétin stormed in, slamming the door behind him. Startled at his sudden appearance, Leeanne gripped the edge of her desk and stared coldly into his eyes. She wasn’t going to back down and wasn’t going to give an inch in what was surely going to become a very loud and very ugly argument.

“What the hell is this shit?” he snapped, throwing several papers in her direction. Leeanne, fighting a rage within her, casually reached down and picked up the forms, deliberately arranging them neatly before looking at them.

“What do you mean, Commander?” she asked after almost a full minute.

“The staff work sucks. I wouldn’t expect this meager caliber of work from an Officer-Cadet.” He turned to walk out.

“Just a minute.” Leeanne walked around the desk, stopping dangerously close to Pétin. He turned back to her, his hand still on the doorknob. “The next time you feel the need to berate the rest of us for a mistake that has been made, I suggest you make sure it isn’t one of your own.”

“Are you saying you are not responsible for the garbage in those letters?”

“That is correct.”

“Well then. Why don’t we just find out who is.” He grabbed her left wrist as he pulled the door open and walked out dragging her with him. She winced from the pressure and made the only decision she could.

Leeanne planted her left foot and pulled back, partially spinning Pétin around. As she balled her fist and swung her arm forward, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. Her fist smashed into Pétin’s throat, driving him backwards.

James, eyes blazing, reached out and grabbed Pétin’s wrist just as she hit him. The force of her punch and the twisting motion James used to free her spun Pétin around and onto the ground. His head met violently with the carpeted floor. James pounced on the dazed man and his knee slammed into Pétin’s chest, pinning him to the ground.

He raised his left arm and with one massive, irreversible effort, punched Pétin in the face. The sickening sound of teeth and bones snapping briefly filled the office. “Never again,” James said.

A booming voice filled the room as he brought his arm up for another blow. “Stop!”

James’s arm froze in midair. He wanted to beat this man to within an inch of his life, but years of training overrode that desire.

“What is the meaning of this?”

James turned around and looked into the eyes of Captain Leroche. An MP stood beside him. It was hard to tell who looked more angry or amazed.

Spittle flew from between his clenched teeth. He could only stare at Leroche and try to control the feelings that threatened to erupt. Finally, slowly, he stood, but not before shoving his knee farther into the man’s chest.

James walked over to Leeanne. She continued to rub her wrist, and her eyes flared with disgust as she stared at Pétin. “Are you okay?”

She nodded and leaned into his chest. “My hero,” she said sarcastically. Suddenly, she straightened up and looked at him. “Why didn’t you let me hit that bastard again?”

“Easy, tiger. It’s all over.”

Leroche looked at the MP. “Would someone mind telling me what the hell is going on before I have everyone arrested.”

Leeanne walked over and thrust out her arm for him to inspect. He looked down. “This,” she said. “Thisis what started this incident.” She explained the argument to the two men. “In addition, sir, if immediate charges of sexual harassment and assault are not brought against Lieutenant-Commander Pétin, I will be forced to take this incident to the civilian court system.”

Leroche thought about the ultimatum and looked at the warrant officer beside him. “I presume,” the MP said slowly, as he looked from James to Leeanne, “that you are able to substantiate your claim of sexual harassment, ma’am?”

“You’re goddamned right I can.” She walked into her office and looked down as she passed Pétin, mumbling under her breath. Within seconds, she reappeared, carrying the small black notebook. She walked over to Petty Officer Gratton. “Hand it over.” Gratton unlocked the top right-hand drawer of her desk and pulled out a similar black book.

“I had Petty Officer Gratton keep an account of everything she heard that asshole say, not only to me, but also to the other females in this office. My notebook, with the exception of today’s activities, contains those incidents that I know about.”

The warrant officer took the books and leafed through them. “Have you compared notes or exchanged information at any time, ma’am?”

“No. We haven’t seen each other’s notes nor have we discussed what was written down.”

Pétin groaned and tried to get up, but ended up resting on his hands and knees. Blood poured out of his nose, and three teeth had been broken from the force of James’s punch. “Sit down, asshole,” James said, and pushed Pétin over with his foot.

Leroche briefly looked up and then continued to glance over the many pages of accusations. “James,” he said, trying desperately to care that Pétin outranked the angry young man, “step away from the commander.” James chuckled at the tone, but did as he was ordered.

Pétin staggered to one knee as he awkwardly pulled himself up, and leaned heavily on the desk. He looked around the room, trying to make it stop spinning. The front of his white uniform shirt was almost completely red. He pointed at James and coughed as he tried to speak. Finally, he brought his voice under control. “Arretht thith man at wunth.” His last, pitiful attempt to salvage his dignity disappeared as everyone in the room burst out in hysterical laughter at his now prominent lisp.

Leroche put his hand on the warrant officer’s shoulder and steadied himself. “Get the paperwork started to have Commander Pétin charged. As of now, he is under arrest, open custody. Gilles,” he said, and wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. “Not only are you under arrest and about to be charged with assault, sexual harassment, and conduct unbecoming an officer, but you’re fired.”

“Sir. I’m taking my wife home.”

Leroche nodded. “Leeanne,” he said, “I am very sorry you and the others had to go through this. As much as you don’t want to admit it right now, he is very good at his job. I just thought he didn’t have any people skills. I didn’t know he was criminally insane.” She nodded, accepting his apology. “Go into my office and put your name on a leave pass. I’ll fill out the rest.”

“What about Morgan?” Pétin asked incredulously.

Leroche shook his head. “Commander, it’s your right to press charges against Captain Morgan, but I don’t think there’s a court-martial board in the land that would convict him under these circumstances.” Leroche walked into his office, signed the leave pass, and gave Leeanne a copy. “Get your wrist looked at. Make sure they get a few pictures and then go home. I’ll call your father and tell him what happened on the official net. Knowing him, he’ll be waiting on the front porch.” Leroche walked her out of his office and watched as she reached for James’s hand.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Leroche watched them leave and shook his head. He walked into his office and shut the door. It was shaping up to be a long day, and his first call wasn’t going to be a pleasant one. “Hank,” he said when the connection was made, “it’s Marc. I think you should sit down.”

Work Point Barracks

21 January, 0955 Hours

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Just thought I’d see if you’d run the battalion into the ground.” James shut the door, sat down, and removed the sling he had been forced to wear after a second reconstructive surgery.

“Are you sure you’re supposed to be doing that?”

“Probably not, but the doctor isn’t here to stop me.”

“Maybe not, but family can be worse than the medics at times. Get your arm back into the sling right this minute.”

“For God’s sake, Dad, I’m not a kid anymore.”

Hanson nodded in agreement and relished the opening he had just been given. “Maybe not, but just remember how much time I have to make up for. You thought I was tough when you were just dating my daughter. Well, Captain, now that you’re legally part of this family and not just another snot-nosed junior officer that I am forced to endure, I have a few more things I can yell at you about and not seem like a tyrannical CO. What do you think of that?”

James shrugged, massaging his arm as he spoke. “I’ve learned how to deal with you, General. When you piss me off, I tell myself you’re just an in-law. Mostly, I just ignore you.”

“I see another bullet hasn’t rid you of your insolence.”

“Nope. Anything going on around here?”

“You’ll take over the details for the battalion’s return when you get back from Wales.”

“Come again?”

Hanson laughed at James’s expression. “Not that you deserve it, but there are two tickets to Gatwick and a connection into Newport waiting for you at the airport. Your Uncle John will pick you up and take you to Brecon. Think of it as an early anniversary present.”

James’s eyes widened with surprise. “You’ve got to be kidding. When the hell are we supposed to be going?”

“Tomorrow. Leeanne is probably busy packing. Speaking of right now, don’t you have an appointment with Captain Graham at the hospital?”

James, still shocked, shook his head as he walked to the door. “You know, Dad, every time I think I’ve got you figured out, you pull something like this.” He shook his head. “Thank you.” There was nothing else to say.

Nothing his watery eyes didn’t say for him.