Chapter 5

The next morning, Mike woke up, still holding Kelly in his arms, and looked around the room. He had been so tired when he came in the day before he hadn’t paid much attention to his surroundings. They were in a huge canopied bed. The room was wood paneled — probably oak, he thought. A huge armoire sat across from the bed. The room would have made a perfect setting for a Gothic novel. He looked at Kelly and saw that her blue eyes were open and focused on him. Her hand was over his as he still cupped her breast.

Giving it a gentle squeeze he saw her eyes close as she made a warm happy sound. “That feels so good, Mike. Don’t stop.”

He looked at his watch and said, “Do you know what time it is?”

She smiled and shook her head. “No, and I don’t care, either. Can’t we just stay like this? I’ve never felt so warm and snugly ... and loved.”

He smiled back and said, “Kelly, it’s almost seven o’clock. We’ve been asleep since yesterday afternoon and we have to get moving. We’re getting the Concorde to New York this morning. I’m not sure if we can still make it.”

Reluctantly, he got out of bed. There was an envelope on the floor that had been slipped under the door. After opening it and looked over the papers, he looked at his watch again. “We’re supposed to meet the colonel for breakfast at eight o’clock. It says there’s stuff for you to wear on the door.”

He opened the door, found clothing on the knob, and hung it in the closet. Entering the bathroom, he was pleased that it was as modern as the bedroom was ancient. Even though he had taken a shower the day before he hadn’t really noticed it. Then he showered and shaved.

As he finished his toilet, Kelly opened the door and came in. She stuck out her tongue and said, “I think I hate you. Why couldn’t we just stay in bed?”

Then she winked and pushed him out the door. Mike found his uniform waiting for him in the closet. As he finished dressing, Kelly emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and another one wrapped around her hair. “Mike, do me a favor? Would you mind taking a look at my back? Before I get dressed I want to know if I should bandage the cuts.”

Mike was chagrined, having completely forgotten the whipping at the KGB headquarters. Kelly had been moving so naturally ever since he had completely forgotten about it. He said, “I’m sorry, honey. I’m so fascinated with your boobs, it never occurred to me to look at your back.”

She smiled and turned her back to him. She dropped the towel and he saw three cuts crisscrossing her back. He carefully ran his finger tips along the one across her shoulders. “Does it hurt much?” he asked. “They’re not bleeding. There are welts but it doesn’t look too bad. There’s no blood.”

He then took advantage of his proximity and extended his hands around her body and put them over her breasts. She leaned back against him, closed her eyes, and made soft sounds deep in her throat.

“Does that answer your question? It doesn’t tickle, but it’s been far worse. I guess I can safely dress.” She turned in his arms and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Then she went to the closet and found a uniform skirt and a shirt without any insignia. There were also panties and a bra. She went back into the room with the bra hanging from her hand. “Do I have to wear this?” she asked, making a face.

He grinned and replied, “Into every life a little rain must fall. I’m afraid so, darling. Without one, you’re a menace to the maintenance of good order and discipline in this man’s Army.”

She stuck out her tongue started to put on the bra. When she went to hook it in back, she let out a small cry. She took it off and looked at Mike, “Honey, I really can’t wear it. It squeezes right across a welt.”

He kissed her softly and said, “Then I guess we’ll have to preserve good order and discipline some other way.”

She smiled gratefully, dried her hair, and finished dressing without the bra.

They went down to the ground floor of the mansion and were directed to the dining hall. Colonel Hawkins was sitting at the head of the table sipping a glass of orange juice while waiting for them. “Good morning! I hope you two slept well.”

He looked at Kelly thoughtfully and said, “Miss Jackson, you are an enigma. You are certainly the most beautiful young woman it has ever been my good fortune to meet. At the same time I have it on very good authority that you are deadlier than a coral snake. They’re very pretty, too, by the way. Won’t you have some breakfast? I took the liberty of ordering orange juice for you, but you’ll have to select the rest of your breakfast from the menu.”

A steward was waiting and Kelly ordered steak, eggs, hash browns, toast, and a lot of coffee. Mike’s eyes widened as he heard the order. Then he ordered the same thing. “Where do you intend to put that breakfast, young lady?”

Kelly patted her flat stomach and grinned. “Right here,” she replied. “I haven’t had a steak in longer than I can remember. And you’re being sexist. Why can’t I have a big breakfast?”

Mike shook his head and smiled. Turning to the colonel, he said, “What do you do with a girl like this, sir?”

Hawkins maintained a perfectly straight face. He was again wearing a British tweed sport jacket, gray flannel slacks, a rep tie, and a shirt with a button-down collar. “It’s very simple, Major. You sign her up. Miss Jackson, Major Callahan tells me you are willing to join our merry band on two conditions: The first is you visit your parents. The second is you serve with Major Callahan. Is that correct?”

Kelly was surprised and showed it. “Yes, sir. That is correct.”

Hawkins smiled warmly and said, “That’s fine!” Then he frowned. “Captain Jackson, you are not in complete uniform.”

He pushed a button on the table and a female officer came in. She saluted and asked Kelly to accompany her. Kelly excused herself and left the table and the room. A few minutes later as the food order was being brought in, she returned. The woman had attached rank insignia to the shirt and gave her a uniform jacket that fitted her perfectly with silver captain’s bars on the shoulders. She was amazed to find a female officer’s hat which also fit. Then she sat down at her place at the table.

Nothing was said for a few minutes as they all began to eat. Mike was surprised to find he was starving. Then he remembered he had only eaten two meals in two days.

When they leaned back after the second cup of coffee, Kelly looked at Hawkins and said, “Colonel, would you kindly tell me what’s going on here? How did I get a captain’s uniform? In the infantry?”

Hawkins looked at her as if she were a dear, but slightly feeble minded relative. “We’re in the army, Captain. If you wish to serve with Major Callahan, you should be, too. Furthermore, it’s bad for our image if word gets around that teenybopper civilians are blowing bridges and tearing up enemy armored divisions. But if a Special Forces captain does it, it’s fine. So you are now in Special Forces. You might not have known it, Captain, but you’ve been in the Army since the first of last month. Do you accept your commission?”

Kelly was shocked and showed it. “Colonel, are you serious? I haven’t finished high school, for heaven’s sake. I can’t be an officer, let alone a captain.”

Hawkins looked at Mike and said, “Callahan, you forgot to mention that your deadly friend is also insubordinate.” He turned to Kelly and said, “If you accept, it’s Captain Kelly Jackson. Now, do you accept the commission?”

“Of course I accept, but...”

“Please stand,” the colonel ordered.

Kelly stood up. Hawkins told her to raise her right hand and began, “Please repeat after me. I, Kelly Jackson, do solemnly swear...” He completed the oath with Kelly repeating the words. Hawkins grinned and held out his hand, “Congratulations, Captain Jackson. Welcome to the Army. Now move your ass or you and Callahan will miss your damned plane!”

A helicopter flew them to Heathrow which was still in civilian operation. They boarded the Concorde to New York and were soon in the air. Within a few minutes they had cleared the coast of England and the pilot cut in the afterburners — boost as the British call it — and the plane accelerated toward Mach 2. The Concorde followed the sun and landed at New York’s Kennedy International Airport at ten-thirty. Kelly slept almost all the way over.

Arriving in New York, they rapidly cleared customs and went out to the taxi stand. Mike carried an overseas bag while Kelly had only her purse. “What now, honey?” Mike asked.

“Mike, will you come with me to my parents’ apartment? I’m nervous.” She looked at him wistfully.

“I don’t have anything else to do,” he said. He tipped the skycap who had carried his bag to a waiting cab.

They went west on the Long Island Expressway, through the Midtown Tunnel and up Park Avenue. Kelly’s apartment was in the 60’s. A doorman opened the door as the cab pulled up. He saluted the uniforms and then did a double-take. “Miss Jackson? Is that you?”

Kelly gave him a big smile and said, “Harry, it sure is! And I’m awfully glad to be home.” She then gave him a big kiss on the cheek. The doorman reddened, and took the bag inside. She asked if her mother was home and was told she was. “Harry, could you let me surprise her? Please?”

He smiled and said, “Of course, Miss Jackson. May I say you look wonderful? It’s great to see you back, but I didn’t know you were in the army.”

“It’s a recent development, Harry,” she said with a smile.

Kelly and Mike were admitted and went up in the elevator. Kelly pushed the bell button.

A few moments later the door was opened by a very attractive woman. She looked at Kelly with a polite smile on her face and then did a double take. “Kelly?”

Suddenly Barbara Jackson’s face lighted up and she screamed, “Kelly!“ She suddenly broke into tears as she took Kelly into her arms. “Darling! Welcome home. Oh God, you’re safe! For Heaven’s sake, come in!”

Kelly entered the apartment with her arm around her mother’s waist. It was only when the door was closed that Barbara realized Mike was there. She wiped her eyes, looked at Kelly and then at Mike again.

“Mother, I would like you to meet my savior and my lover, Mike Callahan. Mike is a major in Army Special Forces. He got me out of the school.” Kelly was holding Mike’s hand as she spoke.

“Did I hear you say lover? Kelly, you’re not even nineteen years old! What is this nonsense?”

Kelly smiled at her mother and said, “Mom, I have a story to tell you. If it’s all right, I would rather just tell you. I think you know what to tell Daddy and how. Incidentally, can I call him?”

“Good heavens!” Mrs. Jackson exclaimed. “I completely forgot! I’ll call him right now.”

She picked up the phone and called Jackson’s private line. He answered the phone immediately. “Darling,” Barbara announced, the excitement obvious in her voice, “Kelly’s home! I don’t know yet how she got here, but she just walked in the door. Can you come right home?”

She listened for a moment and then hung up. “He’s on his way. He was so excited, he didn’t even say goodbye.”

They went into the study and Barbara said, “I’m sorry! Are you hungry? Thirsty? How did you get here, anyway?”

“Mom, we came in on the Concorde this morning. I’m not hungry, but I would love a beer and I think Mike would, too.” Barbara glared at her daughter but got two beers.

Kelly then quickly told how the school was overrun by the Russians and the girls held as slaves and concubines. She told her mother how she had been the commandant’s mistress for the last months. She concluded by saying, “So, Mom, when I say that Mike is my lover, I can’t tell you what it means to me. It’s certainly not that he has taken my virginity but I wish he had. What he did was pick me up out of the garbage can and persuade me that I wasn’t so bad after all. Do you think you can communicate that idea to Dad?”

Barbara’s face was white after listening to her daughter’s recital. She took Kelly’s hands in hers and looked in her eyes. “Darling, thank God you’re safe. Mike, thank you for saving our daughter’s life. I don’t know what else to say.”

Mike smiled at Barbara and shook his head. “Mrs. Jackson, Kelly wasn’t completely honest. I didn’t save her life; she saved mine.” He had started telling her about Kelly knifing the guard when the door opened and a very distinguished-looking man came rushing in.