Chapter 10

Kelly and Catherine King went to the Officers’ Club which appeared to be an English pub. Cathy told her it had been one until SACEUR took it over. Kelly was glad she was wearing her new silver oak leaves. Her rank got them a table by themselves in the corner in spite of the club being very crowded. Theirs was the last vacant table. As they were being seated, three young officers headed over toward them. Kelly thought they looked drunk.

One came up and declared, “We trust you candy-assed ladies won’t mind giving us your table. We’re combat troops!”

Although Kelly wasn’t wearing her decorations, she was wearing her insignia including the paratroop badge she had earned in Quantico as well as her Combat Infantry Badge. She noticed that the officer’s name was MURPHY and he was a first lieutenant in the 82^nd Airborne Division.

Lt. Murphy looked at Kelly, bleary eyed. It was obvious he was having trouble focusing his eyes. He peered at her uniform and saw the paratroop and combat infantry badges. “What are you wearing those for, sister? Did your lover give you his to wear?”

Kelly rose from the table and faced Murphy. “Lieutenant, you’re making a very big mistake. Did you notice my rank insignia? It says lieutenant colonel! Now blow, before I call the MPs!”

“Why don’t you make me, sister? You’ll wish you were never born!”

Kelly could see Murphy was reeling, but his friends were backing him up. He made a sudden move to grab her.

She saw his move coming and said, “I’m sorry, Lieutenant.” Then she grabbed his head and slammed his face against her rising knee. She heard a sickening crunch as Murphy’s nose was broken. The other two officers, both second lieutenants, came towards her. Kelly grabbed their heads and slammed them together, trying to avoid serious injury. The two officers immediately lost consciousness and dropped to the floor.

Murphy, who had fallen to the floor, got up again with blood streaming from his broken nose. Kelly looked at him, grabbed his wrist and pulled him into their table. She had pulled his head down exposing the back of his neck. Kelly used a karate chop against it and put him out cold.

Meanwhile, Cathy King went to a phone. She called Sam Adams at his office. “General, I’m at the O-Club with Colonel Jackson. A few paratroop officers picked a fight with her. Three of them are unconscious. We need some MPs fast, sir!”

Moments later she heard the scream of sirens. A squad of MPs entered the club and picked up the three officers. The sergeant in charge saluted Kelly and said, “Colonel, we’re sorry for the trouble. We’ll take care of things from here.”

The two junior officers were helped to their feet and hustled out of the club. Murphy, still unconscious, was carried out.

Kelly sat down again and Cathy King looked at her. “Colonel, weren’t you scared?”

Kelly looked at Catherine King with an impassive expression on her face. She replied, “They were drunk. I hope I didn’t hurt Lt. Murphy too badly. I know I smashed his nose, but I hope it wasn’t anything more serious.” A smile started as she said, “And my name is Kelly. I hope you’ll allow me to call you Cathy.”

Cathy King was taken aback. She looked flustered but said, “Of course you can call me Cathy if you want to, Colonel.”

Kelly looked rueful as she said, “Cathy, it isn’t going to work for me to call you Cathy if you call me Colonel. The name is Kelly, or Kel, or you dumb broad. I answer to all of them. Then there are a few in Russian I won’t go into.” She looked at the woman and said, “How old are you, Cathy?”

She looked startled but replied, “I’m thirty-two. Why do you ask?”

Kelly grinned and said, “Because I’m only nineteen. You make me feel like an old woman when you call me Colonel.”

Cathy’s mouth opened as if to speak and then closed again. “Kelly, you’re only nineteen years old? I can’t believe it!”

“Ask your boss.” Then her expression became serious. “Cathy, why don’t you like me?”

Cathy was about to deny her feelings when she stopped herself. She decided to be honest. She said, “Because you wear too much makeup. You look cheap.”

With a self-deprecatory smile Kelly asked, “Are you sure?”

Cathy looked at her carefully and suddenly her eyes widened, “My God! You’re wearing no makeup at all, are you?” She looked at Kelly very carefully and added, “I don’t think you’re even wearing lipstick! I’m wearing more than you are and have the nerve to say you’re wearing too much. What is it about you? You glow. You’re vibrant!”

She looked at the younger girl intently, and then said, “It’s sex, isn’t it? I’ve heard people talk about ‘a well-fucked look’ but didn’t know what they were talking about. Now, I think I do. You are well fucked, aren’t you, Kelly?”

Kelly smiled a very friendly smile. Her eyes lighted up as she said, “I certainly am, Cathy. I guess I’ve slept with Mike Callahan almost every night since we met. I guess I average about ten orgasms a day. Yes, Cathy, I guess I’m very well fucked.

“Now what about you? You’re madly in love with Sam Adams. You thought I was a little chippy who Sam was keeping and you were jealous, weren’t you?”

Cathy smiled ruefully and replied in a small voice, “Yes. I was jealous ... Very!”

“Well why in hell don’t you do something about it? Cathy, do you have a figure?”

“I beg your pardon!” Cathy responded, blushing.

“I asked if you have a figure. I can see your face and it is very pretty. Why do you always wear your uniform blouse?”

“What do you think I am? The idea! I’m not a whore, for God’s sake!”

“What does that have to do with wearing your blouse? I’m sure that’s a full uniform shirt you’re wearing. You wouldn’t be nude if you took off your blouse,” Kelly replied reasonably. “I notice Sam doesn’t wear his blouse in the office. Why do you?”

Cathy looked puzzled and didn’t reply. Kelly continued. “You get teed off at me because you think I’m stealing your man. Does he think you think he’s your man? Why on earth would he? You seem to do your level best to appear to be a piece of office furniture ... government-issue furniture at that. It isn’t the first thing a guy will think about when he wants to unwind. I ask again, do you have a figure?”

“Yes, damn it! A very good one, too. I work out all the time. I ... I’ve got a trim ass, very nice legs, and ... and ... good tits.”

Kelly smiled warmly and said, “That came hard, didn’t it? Are you experienced with men?”

Cathy’s eyes widened. “Of course I’m experienced...” Her face fell. “The hell I am! I guess I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve been with a man ... and I’d have fingers left over.”

She looked at Kelly, abashed. “I guess I’m a real mess, aren’t I? I love the guy, hate any girl that gets near him, but don’t do a damn thing myself.” She looked straight at Kelly who could see tears forming in the woman’s eyes. She said, “You must think I’m the funniest thing in the world. Why aren’t you laughing?”

“Because I don’t see anything funny,” Kelly replied. Then she smiled a very warm smile at Cathy and asked, “Would you like to win Sam Adams?”

Cathy’s face registered shock, then pleasure, then determination. She returned the smile and said, “Damned right, I would!”

“Well, let’s get going then. I’ll take your word for your figure. Are you comfortable with a man? What would you do if Sam grabbed your ass?”

Again Cathy looked shocked. “Why ... why ... I don’t know. What should I do?”

Kelly said, “Do what feels right. Mike is wonderful with me. He knows how, and in what ways, I was abused by the Russians. He’s always gentle. Lately, though, he’s become more aggressive as he learns what I like and how I respond.”

There was warmth in her eyes as she spoke. “When we had our little apartment at Quantico, I always cooked. One evening we had just made love and I was starting dinner. I hadn’t bothered to get dressed. He came out to the kitchen and I was standing at the sink peeling ... carrots, I think. Anyway, he grabbed me softly by my buns and squeezed lightly. I could feel my knees turn to rubber. The next thing I knew, he had lifted my hips and entered me from the rear.”

Kelly’s smile turned into a grin. “Can you imagine? Here I am with my ass in the air being reamed by his glorious cock and I’m still trying to peel the damned carrot!” She looked at Cathy and said, “How do you think you would react? I gather it’s never happened to you.”

“No, it hasn’t.” Again she smiled ruefully. “Kelly, I think I’m passionate. I think I would melt if Sam grabbed me. Do you think I should?”

Kelly said, “It’s worth a try. Now, there are two suggestions. First, take off your tunic in the office. What about your uniform shirts? Are they government-issue or are they tailored?”

Again Cathy reddened. Then she said, “I’ve got to knock off this shit, don’t I? If I’m going to get Sam between my legs ... My God, Kelly, that’s the first time I’ve ever said it out loud! I want him between my thighs!”

Then she smiled. Kelly thought it was the first real smile she had seen and it lit up her face. She thought the older woman was very pretty ... beautiful, in fact.

Cathy continued, “I have one tailored shirt. And would you believe it? I’ve never even had the nerve to wear it. I’ve been too afraid. I’ll get more and throw out the others. What else?”

“Underwear. Cathy, I could swear you’re wearing a girdle. But you said your figure is good.”

“You’re right. It’s armor. Okay, the girdle goes. What else ... No. I know what else. The underwear goes. I’m wearing GI bras and panties. Could I go without a bra?”

Kelly smiled and said, “You said your tits are good. Do you want to prove it?”

Cathy didn’t answer. Instead she left the table and headed for the ladies room. A few minutes later she returned and Kelly smiled. Cathy was moving easier ... looser. There was no girdle. She stood at the table and asked Kelly, “What do you think?”

Kelly grinned and said softly, “Catherine King! If I didn’t know better I would swear you’re wearing no underwear at all.”

Cathy grinned back and nodded her head vigorously. She sat down again. “I think I ought to wear something, don’t you?”

Kelly said, “I think I can help you. You can get to a store soon enough, but I’ll send you a couple of pairs of bikini briefs in a courier pouch. And Cathy, do me a favor?”

Cathy nodded and said, “Of course. What?”

“Keep me posted on progress. I think I can help and would be happy to. I know it would be good for you and I think it would be very good for Sam.

“One more thing: For heaven’s sake, change your hairdo! Don’t look like a spinster. You should wear your hair so you don’t have to do anything with it at night. One of my great joys is to sleep with Mike and feel his hands running through my hair. I love it! But I almost cut it off when we met. When I was a prisoner I was forced to lick the sexual fluids off Russian cocks and then use my hair to dry them. Mike wouldn’t let me cut it off and now I’m glad that he didn’t.”

Cathy looked chagrined. “My God, what a fool I’ve been! Kelly, I don’t know what to say. You are a marvelous person. It’s becoming clear that you lived through hell on earth and yet you’re interested in helping me in spite of the way I acted toward you. Why?”

Kelly smiled and shrugged. “I wasn’t a very nice person, Cathy. Maybe I’m trying to make up for it. I think you’re very nice. Now will you please change your hair? You’re off for the rest of the day and under my orders. My orders are to get a new hairdo — one that’s easy to care for. I don’t want you to have to put your hair up before you sleep with Sam. Now beat it!”

The girls smiled at each other and left the pub. Kelly retrieved the jeep and returned to the country home they were using as a base of operations.

The next morning Tom Hawkins named Kelly the unit’s adjutant and Mike, director of operations. Tom smiled at Kelly when he gave her the assignment and said, “It’s going to be hell around here when you and Mike go off. I lose my entire senior staff.”

He looked at her and shook his head. “Kelly, I haven’t had the chance to talk to you alone. I just want you to know that you’re the best thing that’s happened to this unit since Mike Callahan. Your performance yesterday was absolutely magnificent. Incidentally, I got calls from both Sam Adams and Ned Carlson saying the same thing. It’s getting a little boring to keep hearing that you can’t be only nineteen! There’s an office for you. Now get to it!”

Hawkins had asked Kelly to be in uniform. She didn’t ask, but she sensed there was a reason for the request. At eleven o’clock, she received a call from the front gate. There was a Colonel Harding to see her, if it was convenient. The guard added that he had three other officers with him. She told the guard to admit them. Minutes later there was a knock on her door and an orderly admitted the four officers.

Harding, a colonel in the 82^nd Airborne, was ramrod straight. Behind him were the three officers from the previous day. Murphy’s nose was bandaged and he now had two huge black eyes. One of the other officers had his skull bandaged. Harding approached her desk and saluted Kelly smartly. She returned it as smartly, and rose to greet them.

“How do you do, Colonel? I’m Tom Harding. I have the misfortune to command a unit with junior officers who try to defy the laws of nature by living without brains. May we have a few minutes of your time?”

Kelly had given him a firm handshake and told him she would be happy to spend a few minutes.

She asked the reason for the visit. Harding smiled and said, “Colonel, I would like to use you as a live training aid, if I may. Murphy, what is the senior decoration Colonel Jackson is wearing?”

Murphy peered at Kelly’s breast with bloodshot eyes and saw the blue ribbon with white stars. His eyes bulged as he said, “I believe it’s the ribbon of the Medal of Honor, sir.”