Turning to leave she paused by Curtis leaning down as if to whisper in his ear. “I’m not giving up on you yet Jungle Man,” she said just loud enough for the table to hear and ran a hand across his shoulders as she slinked past.
“One more thing Lieutenant,” Jeff called before she got too far. “What’s your name?”
“Kaplan, sugar. But you can call me Alison.” She blew him a kiss then rolled her hips suggestively as she sauntered off.
Jeff smiled enjoying the view of her behind as she retreated. The sound of Curtis clearing his throat grabbed his attention. The dark man had that weighing look Jeff had come to know in his eyes. James and Joanne just stared, mouths agape, at the risqué display they’d just witnessed. “What?” Jeff asked.
“I didn’t peg you for a slut Knight,” Joanne sassed him.
With a smile Jeff shot back, “Would you prefer it if I invited her to test out Captain Styles’ sofa?”
Joanne just raised her hands to acquiesce defeat obviously not wanting to bring up her past. Curtis harrumphed ignoring the exchange. “You’re up to something,” he said suspiciously. “You do realize that mission briefing is at zero-six-hundred.”
“Is it?” Jeff mused. “Must have slipped my mind.”
James pipped up, “Knight this is cruel. I’ve seen you pull pranks. But I’ve never seen you get downright devious about it.”
“I’m not pulling any pranks this time,” Jeff said swirling the ice in his drink. “Just proving to Spanky here she’s my type.”
“So you’re going to give her the what for in front of the squadron?” Joanne hissed in disbelief.
“Fuck no,” Jeff defended himself. “I have no interest in mixing work with pleasure.”
At that Curtis burst out in his deep rumbling laugh. “Just like you to use that charm to get what you want.” James and Joanne looked at him not grasping his meaning. “Don’t you see? He wants her on the squadron.” Raising his glass, he mirthfully added, “To Knight. The only son of a bitch I know that can prove me right by proving me wrong.”
***
Zero-six-hundred arrived much sooner than Jeff would have cared for. The jovial atmosphere had lasted well into the night, much to his chagrin, and finding himself sitting in the squad room before the imposing frame of Captain Williams trying to hide his hangover reminded him of that fact. Thankfully Curtis and several other members of the Yellow Jackets who happened to attend the impromptu celebration were sharing the captain’s stern glare.
“Now you are one rag tag group of pilots here,” bellowed Williams in a stern voice. “Fitting,” he growled, “but not excusable!” Arms tightly clasped behind his back, the dark man paced the front row of seats directing his glare at any who’d make eye contact with him. Stopping in front of Jeff, the gruff captain opened his mouth to say something before whipping his head up at the sound of the hatch.
Lieutenant Kaplan stood at the threshold, looking as bleary eyed as half the assembled squadron. With a shake of her curly mop she straightened her jacket and proceeded down the steps to stand at attention before Captain Williams and holding a folded piece of paper out for him. Williams snatched up the parchment allowing Alison a moment to direct a heated scowl at Jeff.
He wasn’t even given the pleasure of a moment to react to her accusatory look before Williams was shouting, “On your feet Grant!” A chorus of hoots, with some catcalls thrown in, chased Jeff to his feet. Williams cast a steely glare which silenced the room before thrusting the crumpled notice in Jeff’s face asking, “Care to explain this?”
“I can’t explain what I haven’t read Sir.”
“Don’t play coy with me son you Goddamn well know what it is.”
“Ah,” Jeff stalled, “Well. You see Sir. Lieutenant Kaplan here so impressed me last night that I may have initiated a transfer request with Commander Roma of the Nightdippers before consulting you.”
A nasally voice somewhere behind him said, “Is that what they’re calling it now?”
Again Williams focused his attention on the crowd of pilots waiting briefly to ensure there were no further interruptions. Smoothing the paper, he handed it back to Alison. “It meets my approval Lieutenant,” he said to her quietly. “However the decision’s ultimately up to you. Please take a seat. You can discuss it with Mister Grant when I’m finished here.”
“Thank you Sir,” she replied tightly. Casting another menacing glance at Jeff, she moved to the back of the room to find a seat.
Jeff followed her ascent up the rows for a moment before Williams recaptured his attention gruffly announcing, “Commander!” Jeff winced reflexively; the tone of the man’s voice was cutting through his throbbing head. “You have an interesting way of demonstrating responsibility at your first squad meeting. Hell, you managed to make over half of the rats in this room look downright respectable. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
“No Sir,” Jeff replied firmly.
“Damn right you don’t,” Williams growled harshly. Leaning into Jeff’s face the heat of his breath was like a furnace lending weight to his menacing tone. “I’m not sure what the old man sees in you Commander. In the course of forty-eight hours you’ve mouthed off to the captain, made an enemy of the XO, gotten drunk and showed up to your first briefing hungover and I’m not sure I want to know what happened between you and Mako. Now listen very closely Knight. This may be a scrappy group. But that doesn’t give you carte blanche to run it like some kind of frat house. You get me son?”
“Yes Sir,” Jeff’s reply was just shy of timid in an effort to appear both chastised but unapologetic in the face of adversity. He wasn’t quite sure if he pulled it off.
Captain Williams turned abruptly. Marching up to the podium he picked up a file folder. Looking down at Jeff he hollered, “Quite gawking at me boy and get your ass up here!” Jeff straightened his grey jacket and strode to the podium with as much dignity as he could muster. A quick crooking of his finger told Jeff he wanted him follow to the far corner where they could speak in private.
Opening the folder, the captain made a show of rifling through the contents. In a thankfully low voice he said, “I like you Knight. You’ve got instinct and aren’t afraid to take initiative. Don’t take the tongue lashing personally. I understand having a celebration upon promotion. Hell, I’d be lying if I told you I was never in your shoes. Thing is I have to maintain some level of decorum. Especially with these characters,” he indicated the collected pilots with a nod of his head. “The business with Mako is unfortunate. I know there are no hard rules about fraternization and the lieutenant has a certain reputation. What you do with your down time is your business. But if you put in the transfer request to get easier access, you’re going to find out very fast I don’t take preferential treatment lightly. There’s absolutely no room for it in my air wing.”
Just as quietly Jeff replied, “I can assure you Sir. The only interest I have in Lieutenant Kaplan is her reputation as a pilot. I have it on good word she’s not afraid to put it on the line. That’s the kind of person I want at my back in a fight.”
“Good. Keep it that way.” Snapping the folder shut, Williams clasped his arms behind his back. “As to your record. You’ve been labeled a trouble maker of the highest order. You frequently use creative interpretations of regulations to bend the rules to suit you. That is when you’re not blatantly ignoring regulations outright. Now I don’t give a damn if you bend the rules when you’re not out there risking your ass. Commander Thomas has a different opinion on that. You’ll find out quickly she’s very rigid about regulations.”
“I’ve already been well acquainted with the XO’s opinion of both regulations and myself Sir.”
“So I’m told. I can help smooth some minor transgressions over for you. Nothing more than I’d do for any other pilot on Victoria. Pull that shit in combat, without a fucking damn good reason, and I’ll feed you to her on a platter.”
“Understood Sir.”
Smili
ng Captain Williams shook his head. “The old man is a good judge of character. Whether or not you’re what we need is up in the air. But based on what I’ve seen today, I’m beginning to agree with him. That you just might have that combination of sass and smarts that can lead these scraggly goats through the gates of hell.” Slapping the packet into Jeff’s chest he added, “Now that we have that settled, you and your little crew here are going to perform flight drills today. Call it a little incentive not to show up in my squad room hungover again.”
Turning, Williams walked to the podium bellowing, “Jackets on your feet!” A number of audible groans answered the captain as the collected pilots rose. All save for Lieutenant Kaplan who continued lounging at the back of the room. “That includes you Mako.”
With a huff the lithe woman stood complaining, “You said the choice was up to me Jazz.”
“I’ve had a change of heart.”
“And Mako gets a change of quarters,” the nasally voice from earlier mocked. Jeff now saw it belonged to Lieutenant Alan Jacobs.
“Kiss my ass half pint,” Alison hollered.
Williams looked about to call Alan out when the man next to him, Jason Baker, Jeff thought, blew out a cloud of smoke saying, “You’re just jealous she likes taller men.” His voice was raspy and low and seemed to match his dark eyes and the smirk he threw at his comrade.
“Fuck you Gunsmoke!” Alan challenged.
And it almost looked like a good natured tussle was about to break out before Williams growled, “Both of you knock it off.” His nostrils flared as he exhaled forcefully. “Gunsmoke, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Taking a slow drag of his cigarette Jason said, “Explainin to the runt that Mako prefers men over boys.”
Alan made a frustrated growl which Williams appeared to ignore. “I mean that.” He pointed out the cigarette in Jason’s hand.
“Oh!” Jason’s tone sounded as if he just figured out what the captain was getting at. “I’m smoking,” he added matter-of-factly and took another long drag.
“I can see you’re smoking,” Williams all but yelled. “What I want to know is why you’re doing it in my squad room?”
Dropping the butt, he crushed it under his boot. “Since you let the new commander off light for partaking in Mako’s brothel I thought we were on holiday time.”
Williams dropped his head grumbling before erupting in a profane tirade about bending versus breaking the rules. Jeff let the unflattering diatribe of the Yellow Jackets wash over him, instead studying the collected pilots’ reactions. Glancing up at Alison he saw the woman staring daggers at the back of Jason’s head. She seemed to be paying no attention to Captain Williams scathing comments in lieu of plotting revenge on the blonde man. Jason on the other hand looked to be taking it in stride. And by stride, in Jason’s case, was showing no outward concern one way or the other. Just a slight curl to his lip and a stony stare in reply. It was a far cry from Alan’s beat red face that, whether from embarrassment or anger, was yet to be seen.
“Commander Grant!” Williams bellowed. Jeff snapped to attention directing his focus at the captain. “So happy you could join us again Grant.” The smarminess of the jab told Jeff he’d gotten too wrapped up in his own thoughts. “If you could please take charge of these grade-A fuckups, I’ve got more pressing matters that require attention.”
“Sir,” Jeff answered crisply.
Stiffly Williams turned in a textbook display of military etiquette. Head held high and giving off the impression that every step had an important purpose he marched from the room. Catching a glimpse of the side of his face as he passed the first row or chairs, Jeff could have sworn a hint of a smile was turning up the corner of his mouth.
“Okay Jackets,” Jeff said taking Williams place behind the podium. “I recognize some of you from last night’s party. Others I’ve already had the pleasure of getting to know.” He flashed a wink at Alison complete with his signature smirk. Opening the dossier Williams left behind he began leafing through the papers. “What you don’t know about me,” he continued, “or do, in this case I suppose, is that I’m not a follower of all the regulation by the book bullshit.” Looking over at Jason he added, “Which means I don’t give a damn if you smoke in here Gunsmoke.”
The stony faced pilot wasted no time lighting another cigarette nodding at Jeff as if to say, much obliged.
“That being said,” Jeff returned his attention to the seated pilots, “just because I have no love for regulations doesn’t mean you have free reign to say whatever pops into your filthy little minds.” Casting a knowing look at Alan to drive home the point he said, “That means keeping your opinions to yourself until you know all the facts.”
Straightening Jeff tucked his arms behind his back and panned a gaze across the assembled crew. Judging by the looks of more than just Alison, Alan and Jason he had his work cut out for him. In fact, the entire crew smelled of troublemakers and misfits. “Any questions?” Jeff finally asked finished weighing the collection of scallywags.
“Just one sugar,” Alison pipped up from the back. Arms crossed, she had her feet propped up on the seat before her. The young lieutenant sitting in it didn’t seem best pleased at her toe tapping the back of his head. Before Jeff had a chance to acknowledge her she said, “Your berth or mine?”
Jeff ignored the playful taunting that erupted from the crew. “Does that mean you’re no longer protesting your assignment?”
“Haven’t decided yet,” Alison’s voice dripped with innuendo. “Sabre’s been looking for a way to move me from the ’dippers since,” she paused flashing him a suggestive smile, “Well, now that’s not important sugar.”
Clearing his throat Jeff said, “Very well. Thank you for your, allusive, answer.” Placing his attention back on the dossier Jeff flipped the divider from the crew manifest to the day’s mission orders. “As to the matter of today’s business. Jazz wants us running drills.” A chorus of groans, most notably from those who’d gotten swept up in the previous night’s celebration, assaulted him. “Yeah, yeah, I don’t like it either,” he said rubbing his temple. “But it’s the only way we’ll learn to work as a unit.” And Jazz thinks it a fitting payment for my indiscretions, he left unsaid flipping the portfolio closed. “You know your jobs people. I’ll see you out there in two hours.
The grumbling continued unabated from the pilot’s as they filed from the room. Lighting a smoke Jeff looked over at Curtis who hung back from the exodus. “You handled that well,” his friend said draping an arm over the front of the podium. “Gave them room to be scoundrels but made sure they knew who was in charge.”
“I also saddled them with a day of drills,” Jeff sighed. Gripping the ace in his teeth he collected the file folder and stepped from the raised platform. “We’ll see how good their humor is after six hours of practice.”
“Commander?” Jeff turned to find Alison had unexpectedly appeared at his side. He also received a full armed slap for his trouble that sent his cigarette flying. “Next time you want something from me just say it up front,” she seethed.
“Point taken,” Jeff winced rubbing his cheek. The blow hadn’t helped his hangover either.
“Quite crying it was only a love tap.” Rolling her eyes Alison looked over at Curtis. “Is he always so melodramatic?”
“Ever since the day I met him,” Curtis chuckled.
Placing the folder back on the podium Jeff stooped over the retrieve his cigarette. “Why do I get the feeling you two aren’t telling me something.”
Pursing her lips Alison said innocently, “Now why would you think we’re hiding something sugar?” Taking Jeff’s cigarette, she pulled a long drag blowing the smoke back in his face. “There’s no way little ol me could ever pull a fast one on someone so renowned for mischief.”
That rumbling chuckle of Curtis’ was back with a vengeance. And this time it carried the smug sound of pride. Cutting his eyes over at the large man Jeff confirmed his sus
picions. The undeniable look his friend had when he got the upper hand was looking back. “Hazing the new squadron leader is a rite of passage Jeff,” he laughed, “and you walked right into it.”
“So…Last night was an act?”
“No sugar. That was one-hundred percent all me. Jungle man told me what you were up to.” Stepping closer, she pulled Jeff’s head down kissing him as fiercely as she had the night before. “The offer still stands,” she teased with a wink.
CHAPTER 11:
BLITZKRIEG
“Good morning Commander Thomas,” Jeff said in an overly cheerful manner. Some two months had passed since Jeff’s new assignment. And he’d made fast friends with most every person he worked with in that time. That is except for one Commander Kameryn Thomas. The pale little woman’s temper was as fiery as her hair and she wasn’t shy about sharing its sharper barbs with him. Jeff had made an attempt to better get to know her after their, unfortunate, first encounter on the ships bridge. But the feisty commander held a grudge like no other and seemed hell bent on comparing him to the great genius and model officer that was his father Russell.
So Jeff, as was typical of him when confronted with unbending authority, decided that the little spitfire needed to be taken down a few rungs. And so his antics, reminiscent of those he pulled at the Academy, became a common occurrence aboard ship. Suppressing a laugh at his latest attempt to goad the XO he asked, “I trust you slept well?”
“Grant,” Kami bit brushing past him in the passage.
“Guess not,” he feigned concern the whole time congratulating himself for another successful prank. Falling in behind her he teased, “Get up on the wrong side of the rack?”
Stopping outside the captain’s briefing room she turned sharply to face him. With narrow eyes she looked him up and down sneering at his appearance. “You could at least dress yourself appropriately Lieutenant Commander!” she said pointing out his unbuttoned jacket. “Now may I ask why you’re following me?”
In the Blink of an Eye Page 12