Chapter 11

Two weeks later, Kelly was in her office when Mary Harris came bouncing in. She closed the door and sat down. Sagging into a chair, she spread her thighs wide. “My God, Kelly ... excuse me, Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Jackson, U.S. Army, sir ... I can’t take a lot more of this.”

She was grinning broadly as Kelly threw a rubber eraser at her, hitting her shoulder. “Kelly, do you ever feel you’re not normal if your thighs aren’t spread wide to welcome Mike inside? I thought I was in great shape coming out of Quantico, but I’m not sure I’m in shape for bedroom athletics. But if you can die from it, what a great way to go!”

Kelly just grinned. “Your trouble, Lieutenant Harris, is you weren’t broken in by the Russians. I guess that’s how I felt about a year ago. But the answer is, you’ll recover. How do you stand on preparations? It looks like we’re going to be hauling a lot of gear. Any ideas?

Mary instantly appeared serious. “I think Mike has it all worked out. Don’t you two ever talk? Or do you just make love?”

Kelly answered serenely, “We just make love. Is there more to life than making love?”

Mary threw the eraser back at Kelly who easily ducked. She stuck out her tongue. “My goodness! Assaulting a superior officer. Terrible!” She, too, grew serious, “Let’s hear it. What’s the plan?”

“The plan is for little Kelly to look beautiful...” Mary looked at Kelly pensively, and then shrugged, “Well, I guess you’ll have to fake that part. Then we hijack a Russian truck ... two, actually. Mike figures, as you did, there’s no way we can be airlifted close to the target area. It’s too heavily covered by radar and missiles. How does it sound?”

“It makes sense to me,” Kelly replied. She got up from her desk and uncovered a map on her wall. She pointed out the east-west road at a point about 50 kilometers east of the suspected target area. “Landing here, we just join up with the normal westbound supply traffic. I think the road will take us where we want to go. Agreed?”

She looked at Mary and smiled again. “That’s assuming you can get in shape by then. How’s everything else? Are you glad you and Ken volunteered for this assignment? You’ve got your necks stuck out a mile, you know. And there are thousands of Russians waiting to chop them off. It’s not a lot of fun.”

Mary grinned at Kelly and said, “Colonel, your honor, sir, I just got an interesting piece of news. I am the proud owner of several ‘MH’ awards from Quantico.”

Kelly raised an eyebrow suspecting she was walking into something. “And what, may I ask the lieutenant, is an ‘MH’ award?”

“Oh,” said Mary blithely, “That stands for Merely Human to differentiate us mere mortals from Superwoman. At any rate, I set a couple of records myself.”

Kelly pretended to glare at Mary. “Harris, wait until I prefer court-martial charges: insubordination, conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman — or is it officer and a lady, do you suppose? — aggravated assault ... And I’m just getting started. With any kind of luck you’ll spend the next forty years at Leavenworth or wherever the hell they ship broads. As if I don’t get enough shit already.” Kelly grinned and said, “Now get your overworked ass the hell out of my office!”

Mary walked to the door. As she opened it, she gave her hips a very professional bump and grind. She stuck out her tongue and ducked out, but not fast enough to avoid being hit by another flying eraser. The headquarters phone rang on her desk and Kelly grabbed it. “Jackson,” she said.

She heard a warm chuckle and then, “King here, Colonel. Kelly, do you have any time free this afternoon? I would like to come down and see you. Is it possible?”

Kelly smiled to herself hearing Cathy’s voice. “I’ll be here all day chained to the desk. How do you paper-pushing types take this shit every day? Ten minutes of it has me climbing trees ... or wishing I could.”

She heard a warm chuckle and then the pitch of Cathy’s voice changed to one of hauteur, “One needs to develop an appreciation for bureaucratese. It grows on one, like a fine wine.” She laughed merrily and said, “Besides, it serves you right. It gives you an appreciation of what us poor slobs live with every day. I’ll see you at 1400.”

Promptly at two o’clock there was a knock on the door. Kelly said, “Come in,” and Cathy entered. She closed the door and stood posed like a model. Kelly looked at her, jumped up and ran around from behind her desk. She grabbed Cathy in her arms and hugged her. “Cathy, you are outrageous! You are absolutely gorgeous!”

Cathy’s hair was shorter and very feminine. It was the perfect easy-care hairdo that Kelly had had in mind. But the way she stood and the way she moved was the big change. Cathy shrugged off her tunic and stood in front of Kelly. She had a beautiful figure and now it showed. “Cathy King, you have that well-fucked look!”

Cathy’s eyes glistened brightly and she nodded her head vigorously. “I sure do, don’t I? Can I buy you a beer? I have a few papers to deliver personally. It’s the ostensible reason for the trip down. My own helicopter, no less. The pilot’s off having a cup of coffee and is in no rush to get back. Can we do it?”

Kelly signed for the papers and locked them in her safe. She grabbed her uniform jacket and the girls went off to the O-Club.

Again they had the table in the corner. They had just seated themselves when Kevin Murphy and John Haggerty came up. Murphy introduced himself and Haggerty to Cathy. He looked at her strangely and finally said, “You are the same officer who was with the Colonel when we ... met the last time, aren’t you, ma’am?”

Cathy said she was.

Kevin looked puzzled, “Ma’am, you look different, somehow. Anyway, we were in the Colonel’s office when General Adams called. He told Kelly ... pardon, the Colonel ... that you hadn’t said anything and to ask her about it. Jack and I want to thank you for not telling General Adams what happened. If he knew what we had done...” Kevin whistled softly.

Cathy looked at him and smiled. “First, Kevin, you’re right, I do look different. I hope I look better, but thanks for noticing. Second, it was between you and Kelly.” Her smile became broader as she added, “I don’t think you disturbed Kelly the least little bit. But how are you feeling? I don’t think it’s correct to say Kelly left you ... undisturbed?”

Kevin’s eyes were now in full bloom, with the black eyes now displaying all sorts of colors. His nose was still taped. In spite of it, he grinned. “Captain, it was a lesson learned. I ... I couldn’t have chosen a worse person to pick on than Kelly. But thanks, Captain. We appreciate it.”

They stiffened to attention, and returned to the bar. Just then another group of junior officers came in looking for a table and started back toward their corner. Kevin Murphy got off his stool and interposed himself between the officers and the table. Kelly saw him put up his hands and start speaking. She could see eyes widen and men swallowing hard. They turned around and went to the bar.

Cathy had been watching and grinned at her companion. “Kelly, tell me: How does it feel to be the terror of the Officers Club?”

Kelly grinned back and said, “Since you ask, it feels great! But Cathy, you look absolutely marvelous. What’s happened?”

“I’m now Sam’s mistress, is what happened. Kelly you were so right it hurts. Before I forget, I have something for you.” She reached into her purse and gave Kelly three pairs of bikini briefs. They were beautiful, lacy, and very expensive. Kelly said as much and pointed out she had only given Cathy two. Cathy shrugged and said they must have reproduced. Her eyes were gleaming as she said, “Kelly, half the time I don’t even wear pants. I want Sam to have full access to me at all times. And God, does he take advantage of it. It’s so wonderful!”

“How did it happen?” Kelly asked.

Cathy smiled and said, “It was our first conversation coupled with some of the other phone calls. You’re a great coach, by the way. I think what finally did it was the musk oil you sent me. I put it between my breasts. They’re boobs now, by the way. Sam likes to call them boobs ... and in my cunt lips. We were working late. I was at my typewriter and Sam was standing over me. I saw him sniffing and then he asked what he was smelling. I told him it was me, and I kissed him. He said he loved the smell, so I told him to kiss me again, because the odor would intensify. He did, and it did.

“We went out to dinner. Then he drove me back to my quarters and I asked him up. I asked him to please make love to me. He was startled, but I had started to strip like you told me. I wasn’t wearing a bra. I took off my tie, and slipped off my skirt and pants. The shirt tails just barely reach to my crotch. then I unbuttoned the shirt but left it on. I came close and he spread the shirt and started to caress my boobs while I started to undress him. Then he took me on my bed.”

Kelly was beaming at her friend. “Let me guess what you said afterwards.” Cathy nodded vigorously. “Cathy, you said it was wonderful, please do it again.”

Cathy looked chagrined and pouted. “How did you know?”

“Because that’s the kind of girl you are. Then, I’ll bet Sam said something like he had never been seduced before, and you said no, it was just the first time a girl had told him he had been seduced. Right?”

Cathy smiled and shook her head. “Kelly, you’re too much. Then what happened?”

“That’s easy! After probably one more time you went back to his quarters and spent the rest of the night there so he could be close to his phone. Am I right?” she asked.

“Of course. I should have known better. Kelly, how do I look?” she asked. From the seriousness of her expression, Kelly decided the time for teasing was over.

“Cathy King, if you looked better it would be sinful. I doubt if you’ve ever looked this good. Ever!”

The girl smiled and nodded, “As usual, you’re absolutely right.

“By the way, Sam asked about you. That night in his bed he asked me if you had anything to do with what happened. By this time we were exhausted. He was on his back and I had my head on his shoulder. I took a leaf from your book. I put his hand on my boob and covered it with mine. Then I said you had everything to do with it. I said it wouldn’t have happened in a million years if it hadn’t been for you. Then we went to sleep. Kel, I had the sweetest dreams that night! And when I woke up, his hand was still over my boob. He gave it a little squeeze and took me again. It was heaven! And I’ve been in heaven ever since.”

Cathy turned serious. “Kelly, they’re relocating SACEUR headquarters down this way. I’m being transferred. Since Sam doesn’t think it’s right for his future wife to be his secretary, one of the letters I brought down is a letter saying I’m being transferred to you effective with the relocation of headquarters.” Cathy’s eyes sparkled as she added, “I won’t need local housing. But I will be able to take the shit off your hands.”

“When’s the wedding?” Kelly asked.

“When this mess is over. Kelly, if you’re right ... and Sam is certain you are ... it will be over in a few months. The only other thing is your availability to be my Maid of Honor. I told Sam about you and he wouldn’t have it any other way.”