by Saxon Andrew
“My boyfriend worked with me before he left. I don’t know how he did it, but he seemed to transfer fighting skills into my subconscious. Anyway, let’s get back to the room.” They stared walking and Emily said, “Thanks, Cyn. Gabrealla was angry about my showing her up in class. The professor liked my painting more than hers.”
“Some things you just can’t control.”
As they approached the dorm they saw the six girls walking their way with several large males leading them. Emily said, “Oh crap. This doesn’t look good.”
They stopped and the group surrounded them. James Stilwell stepped forward and said, “I understand you attacked my girlfriend.”
Cynthia smiled and said, “I would have thought you could choose a girlfriend better than that. Which of the six girls that attacked my friend here is yours?”
James furrowed his brow and said, “They say they were minding their business and you attacked them.”
Cynthia looked at the group of girls and said, “Not only are you cowards but liars as well. You truly are the finest of your sororities.” She turned back to James and said, “Do we look like someone that would attack anyone?”
The boys were starting to wonder what was going on but Gabrealla said, “Are you going to believe her or me.”
Cynthia said, “Oh, you picked the cream of the crap. You should be proud of what you call a girlfriend.”
The other five girls started moving away from Gabby and James was in a quandary. He knew that if he didn’t do something, Gabby was going to dump him. “You can’t let her get away with that, James.”
James looked at the young man next to him who was easily fifty pounds heavier. He looked at the girls that had moved away from Gabby and knew that she had lied. He turned to the larger man and said, “Just what would you have me do, Tom? Hit a girl?”
Tom sneered, “It’s not so hard. These independents need to know they can’t mess with the Greeks.”
Gabby said, “Now that’s a man talking.”
James looked at Gabby and thought about her being the mother of his children and slowly shook his head, “It’s never right to hit a girl, Tom.”
Tom pushed James aside and moved forward and shot his hand out to slap Cynthia. Cynthia grabbed his arm and flipped him on his back, knocking the breath out of him. She held on to his wrist and put her foot on his shoulder and twisted the arm forcefully. Tom started screaming and Cynthia started to break his wrist. “No, Cyn! Don’t do it!”
Cynthia looked at Emily and felt her rage melt. She released Tom’s arm and he pulled it tightly to his chest. The crowd that had gathered was silent. Cynthia walked up and looked into Gaby’s eyes, “Do I need to tell you to leave my friend alone?”
James thought Gabby was going to get whiplash she shook her head so fast. He looked at Emily and saw she felt bad for the one that attacked her.
Cynthia looked at the crowd and said, “Come on, Emily. We’re not wanted here.”
Later that evening, Page Duncan knocked on their door and stuck her head in their room, “The two sororities those girls pledged are disciplining them. They learned what they did and are making it clear that sort of behavior is not acceptable. Gabby is suspended for the remainder of the quarter and will have to prove she has the moral character needed to rejoin. I just thought you should know.”
Emily said, “Thanks, Page. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t color them with the same brush, Emily; Cynthia. Some of the nicest people here are Greeks.”
Cynthia said, “Not from my perspective. They avoid us like the plague.”
Page nodded slowly and said, “Are they the only ones that avoid you?”
Cynthia took a deep breath and said, “No, I guess not.”
“Keep that in mind as you pass judgment.”
Cynthia sighed and said, “Thanks, Page. Really, I mean it.” Page smiled and closed the door.
Emily said, “She is the nicest dorm monitor here.”
“I’m surprised she’s not in a sorority.”
“They all want her; she just can’t afford it.”
“Really?”
“Her mother was an Alpha Delta Pi but died of breast cancer when she was young. Her father has never recovered from the loss. It’s a sad story. She’s a dorm monitor to help her pay for her tuition.”
Later that night, Cynthia called home. “Dad, I want to tell you about a young woman.”
• • •
Three weeks later, the President of Alpha Delta Pi came with the entire sorority and told Page that she had been accepted into the sorority and that her expenses were paid by a donor. She was also told that her tuition was paid until she graduated. Page wept as she was taken to the sorority house. Cynthia watched her go with the girls holding their candles as they led her away.
Emily said, “I understand your father’s rather well off.”
Cynthia continued to watch the candles move away and she said, “Some things are best left unsaid, Em.”
Emily smiled and said, “I know.”
• • •
Omaha was looking at the enemy kill reports and noticed that one platoon at Gibraltar led the Division in confirmed kills. He pulled up the rosters and saw that Gardner was in that platoon. The Lieutenant was being considered for promotion so he gave Captain Green a call. “I see one of your platoons leads the division in confirmed kills; congratulations.”
“Thanks, Sarge.”
“Division is thinking about promoting the Lieutenant.” Green remained silent. “What do you think about that, Sir?”
“Will it be to a staff job?”
“No, they’re thinking about a company of infantry.” Green remained silent and Omaha said, “It’s good talking with you, Sir. Once again, Congratulations.”
Omaha contacted one of the Sergeants in the other company stationed at Gibraltar and learned that Lieutenant Bingham was named the Cadet and got in the way of the men fighting under him. It was a general consensus that he was a coward. He never went out on patrol and when he did it was always following another squad. Omaha went and talked to the General.
• • •
“You have to be patient, Son.”
“Dad, my platoon has the highest confirmed capture/kill rate in the Division. Why haven’t I been promoted?”
Bingham Senior hesitated and then said, “My sources tell me that some private is getting all the credit. Have you been around when all these Vietcong have been taken?”
Bingham hesitated but said, “No, but it is my platoon that is doing it.”
“It might be that you are not recognized for your accomplishments because you haven’t been involved in the action. I would suggest you be there for any future captures or kills and that the private not be around. That’s all you need to do to make it happen. Can you do it without putting yourself in danger?”
Bingham thought a minute and said, “I think so. I’ll just make sure support is close by. That private is getting all the respect from the men. I’ll take your advice, Dad. Thanks.”
“No problem, call me after you’ve made some progress and I’ll apply pressure on my end to make it happen.”
• • •
AG stood at attention in front of Lt. Bingham and didn’t like what he was hearing, “Sir, I really don’t want liberty in Saigon. I prefer to just take time off here in camp.”
“Gardner, I don’t care what you prefer. Soldiers need time away from combat to recharge. I am ordering you to go to Saigon for three days liberty. Your chopper will arrive in an hour; be on it. You’re dismissed.”
Gardner said, “Sir, may I take Charles Weston with me?”
“You may not, dismissed!”
AG saluted and did an about face and left the Lieutenant’s office. This was not good. The Cadet was up to something and that meant nothing good was going to happen. He went in to his bunker and Gomez saw him start to pack, “What’s going on?”
“The Lieutenant has ordered me to take three days
in Saigon.”
Gomez looked over at Jackson and then turned back and said, “You’re due some time off.”
“I think he’s up to something, Sarge. Please keep your head down and look after Charles while I’m gone.”
Gomez shook his head and said, “The Cadet is envious of your reputation. I hope he doesn’t go out and try to pull a John Wayne.”
“That’s what I see coming. Just be very careful.”
Jackson said, “I don’t see chicken little putting himself in any danger.”
AG shook his head, “Oh he’ll do it; he’ll just put everyone else in danger with him. You guys be very careful.”
Gomez sighed, “Sinner’s in the hands of a crazy Lieutenant.”
AG smiled, “Something like that.”
Craig Bowen stuck his head in the bunker, “Hey, Gardner, there’s a Huey here that’s biting at the bit to get out of here.”
AG grabbed his pack and ran to the Chopper. Lt. Bingham smiled as the chopper lifted and send word to Gomez that the platoon would be going out the next day. Gomez shook his head and knew Gardner was right.
• • •
The next morning Lt. Bingham had the platoon in ranks and said, “I will be going with Sgt. Gomez’s squad in the lead. The other squads will fan out behind us and sweep anything that pokes its head out.” He went over to Gomez and said, “What are those knife vests?”
“Sir, they are weapons we’ve been training on.”
Bingham knew they were tools Gardner had brought in and he decided that he didn’t want anything that could give credit to the private, “Have them removed.”
“Sir?”
“I said have them removed and do it now.”
Bingham stared at Gomez and Al turned and issued the orders to remove the vests. Five of the squad had started knife training with AG each night and Gomez saw they were not happy. Bingham saw the angry looks from the squad but didn’t care. He had a career to build and nothing was going to get in his way. After ten minutes he said, “Load up and move to the departure zone.”
Charlie felt naked without his knives but had no choice but to comply. This Lieutenant was trying to get them killed. He had seen the white birds circling and that meant trouble. But what could he do. Maybe the numbers going out would prevent trouble. He looked out over the jungle with the birds still circling and knew it was probably wishful thinking.
• • •
AG arrived at Danang to pick up another ride to Saigon but stopped by Omaha’s office before he left. Omaha saw him as he entered from a trip out to ordinance and said, “Gardner, what are you doing here?”
“I’ve been ordered to take three days liberty, Sir. I really didn’t want to go.”
“Who gave the order?”
“Lt. Bingham, Sir.”
Omaha shook his head. “Doesn’t want you around, does he?”
“That’s how I see it, Sir.”
Omaha knew Bingham was pushing for a promotion to start his path to being a General. “Would you like to take your liberty hanging around here?”
AG gave a big smile, “Yes Sir.”
“Good; ask Sgt. Myers to assign you a bunk and them report to communications and see if you can make sense of what’s going on out in the highlands.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Omaha watched him leave and yelled, “Someone get me Captain Green in Gibraltar.”
Two minutes later Omaha said, “I think your Lieutenant is going to pull a John Wayne and go charging into the jungle. You better have another platoon to pull his butt out if he gets in trouble.”
“I have one ready. I’d stop him, but his father has his hands in higher command.”
“I know; I’ve seen the letters requesting his history. I see he sent Gardner out.”
Captain Green sighed, “I know and he’s made the ones trained in the knives take their vests off. I’ve got air support on standby and I’m hoping I don’t have to use it.”
Omaha slowly shook his head, “Murphy will probably be working overtime on this one. I’m keeping Gardner here at Danang to get him back quickly. You know how delays happen getting out of Saigon.”
“Thanks, Omaha.”
Omaha cut the connection and shook his head, “Deadhead Cadets are going to get us all killed.”
• • •
AG hung out in intelligence listening to the back and forth between the non-coms discuss what gathered information indicated. One of them said, “I hear the Black Witch is out in the highlands again.”
“That’s not good.”
“Pull up that recording again.”
AG got up and went and looked at a recording of an ambush in Saigon. The American Troops were marching back to base when they were suddenly attacked by small arms fire from a building. None of the American soldiers were hit and they immediately started returning fire. Suddenly a young Vietnamese Woman came rushing out of the door holding a young baby in her arms. She was hit multiple times by the fire from the Americans. Cease fire was ordered but it was too late. Both the woman and child were dead. Sgt. Daniel said, “I’ve never understood why she ran out the front door. There was a back door to the building that the attackers escaped but she came out the front in the middle of a fire fight.”
AG said, “She didn’t come out; she was pushed.”
Sgt. Daniels whipped around and said, “How do you see that, private?”
AG pointed at the screen, “Can you run it at a slower speed?”
Lt. Bates rewound the tape and it started. Ag said, “This ambush was set up to kill that woman and child, not the patrol. Notice that when the patrol is fired on, every shot is over their head. They weren’t trying to hit the patrol but just to start them firing on the building.”
The group watched and saw that no one in the patrol was hit by enemy fire. Then they saw the young woman in the door way, “Freeze it there!” The recording stopped and they saw the young woman in the doorway with both arms wrapped around her baby. “How did she open the door? Both of her arms are around her child which means someone else had to open it. Now start it slowly and see which part of her body comes out first.”
They watched as the young woman’s upper body came out of the doorway followed by her legs. Sgt. Daniel said, “She was pushed. If she had come through on her own, her leg would have come out first.”
“I guess that explains it.”
AG said, “Explains what?”
Lt. Bates brought the view in closer to the young woman’s face just before she was shot and said, “That is the Black Witches Daughter and Grand-child. They did this to make her what she’s become.”
Daniels shook his head, “Those are really evil devils. Colonel Van Bao led that attack. I guess now we know why someone of his rank was designated to do it.”
AG said, “Who is the Black Witch?”
Lt. Bates sighed, “She’s used to draw our troops into ambushes. When Charlie captures any of our troops, they’ll turn them over to the Black Witch to do her magic. She holds them outside our bases and announces all day that she is going to kill them slowly that night. She then starts torturing them by cutting pieces off and burning their extremities. They always die slowly and screaming at the top of their voices. Their suffering is what pulls our troops out to try and save them. Waiting for them is a specially trained battalion setup to ambush anyone that attempts a rescue. We’ve learned that to go after our captured soldiers is suicide. Even if we managed to get close, she would just shoot the captives in the head before she escapes. She is one sadistic bitch.”
AG slowly shook her head, “She blames us for what happened.”
Bates nodded, “She certainly does and she names the toes she cuts off after her daughter and grand-child.”
Daniels said, “Word has it that she’s up in your neck of the woods so be careful.”
“What do you mean?”
“That battalion is set up to capture our soldiers alive so that she’ll have all she needs to do her
dirty work outside our bases . They’ll be looking to capture some of our soldiers.”
AG turned and ran from the room. He came in Omaha’s office and said, “I need to get back.” Omaha looked at him and AG said, “What’s wrong?”
“It appears your dumb ass Lieutenant had gone and got himself and a squad captured by the Vietcong.”
“What squad!?!”
“Sgt. Gomez, son.”
“Get me back!”
“There’s nothing you can do Gardner. She has them and is announcing her plans.”
AG leaned over Omaha’s desk and said, “Sir, no one but me can do anything! Now get me back!”
Omaha stared at him and then nodded at the corporal AG had run by barging into Omaha’s office. AG turned and ran out. Omaha slowly shook his head. Gardner was a dead man if he went out after the witch. He looked at the four beams AG had hit with knives and decided that maybe there was a chance. He contacted Captain Green and told him Gardner was coming back.
Chapter Twelve
AG arrived at Gibraltar an hour before sundown. The Huey lifted and he could hear the witch’s amplified voice telling everyone what she was going to do to Lt. Bingham as soon as the sun went down. AG hit the ground running toward his bunker and was greeted by Sgt. Slade, “That’s far enough, AG. The Captain has ordered no one to go after them.”
AG looked Slade in the eyes and said, “Being arrested for hitting a NCO is not going to be something I worry about, Sir.”
Slade stared at him just as Captain Green arrived, “Gardner, you will not go out of this base.”
Sgt. Gomez and Jackson ran up and Jackson said, “It was just as you said. The Lieutenant had to prove something and walked the squad into a trap. The Sagent and I were the only ones to escape.”
AG turned to Green and said, “If you were being held down there, would you want us to just listen to your screams? That witch has Charlie and I made a promise that I intend to keep. That stupid Lieutenant deserves it but the others don’t, Sir. Now either you are going to trust me to make this happen or you are going to have to shoot me to stop me. What’s it going to be?”