Texas Nights - Book 13 of the Damned of the 2/19th

Ta(l)king it Out

15th FSB Motorpool
Fort Hood
Texas, United States of America
10 October, 1991
1630

The Lieutenant stared up at me as I smiled at her. I could see the fear in her eyes, simmering rage, and disbelief.

"I'm going to let you go," I told her, easing up on the pressure, "And you're going to act like an officer."

"I'm going to press charges," She snarled.

I let go, letting her start to stand up, and grabbed her, lifting her off her feet with one hand and tossing her into the ambulance. I climbed in behind her, reaching out and shutting the door as I did so.

"What the fuck are you..." she started. I turned around and she had her hand lifted to smack me.

"Touch me, I'll tear your clit rubber off and slap you with it," I told her, flexing my shoulders.

The fear in her eyes got more intense.

"Sit," I barked, pointing at the stool.

She sat.

I grabbed the other one, pulling it out, and sitting down across from her. Keeping my eye on her I reached down and grabbed the empty soda can, setting it on the cot next  to me.

"You got a serious attitude problem, Lieutenant," I snapped. She opened her mouth as I dug in my pocket. "And you have a problem keeping your hands to yourself." I opened my pack of cigarettes and stuck one in my mouth.

"I don't appreciate your," she started, stopping when I snapped open the lighter.

"Everyone else doesn't like your grabby hands," I snapped back, then lit my cigarette. I closed the lighter, staring at her. "Right now, they aren't willing to go to the CO, figuring she'd take your side because you're an officer and they're just enlisted scum."

She just stared at me, silent, the fear in her eyes spiking as I shoved the lighter and cigarettes back into my pocket.

"If I go to her, I may just be a Warrant, but I'm a fellow officer that you assaulted in front of a half-dozen enlisted, including an NCO," I told her. She opened her mouth and I held up my hand, taking a deep drag off my cigarette.

"You're about to threaten me or something like that," I said. I took off my sunglasses and set them in my lap. Her mouth closed. Either from the scars she could see as I took another drag off my cigarette or from the faint lavender glow that Aine had left in my eyes.

"You have zero chance of intimidating me, Lieutenant," I told her. coldly.

"What, what?" She started.

"I suffered severe snow blindness, used eyedrops past their expiration date that had been exposed to sub-zero temperatures, and field expedient salve on my eyes," I told her, "Unless you're talking about the scars," I took another drag, "That's from getting hit in the fact with a forward drive-line of a humvee."

She nodded dumbly, staring at my face.

"You think I'm going to beat on you," I  guessed.

She nodded again.

"You've been in this man's Army for six months, Lieutenant," I told her, shrugging, "You're twenty years old, attended ROTC in both High School and University of Maine. You had a four point oh in High School, three point two in College, majoring in Sociology. You attended final training at Fort Lewis, Washington's six week course, where you graduated thirty-second in your class of forty."

 I sighed, tapping my ashes in the can. "This is your first unit, and yes, I know everything about you."

She licked her lips, "How?"