Chapter 2

Saturday, the First Week

At 0700 hrs, one of the orderlies woke me. Someone must have taken pity on me, as I was covered with a blanket when they woke me. I needed to be in the General's office in two hours. Amber's door was open, and a nurse was waking her. I waited till she was awake before going in. The nurse was still there. Amber wanted to get out of bed. The nurse wouldn't allow it.

"Amber," I told her, "listen to the nurse. I have to go and get ready to see the General at his office. A psychologist will see you sometime this morning. Just talk to him. Answer his questions, and tell him what he wants to know. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Uncle Jim," she answered, very quietly as she teared up.

"Either I will be back to see you, or someone will come to get you later. Either way, I will see you later this morning. Now, cooperate with these people, Amber," I told her. She had started to cry.

"Yes, Uncle Jim," she answered, again in a quavering voice. I move over to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She turned her head just as I was about to make contact with her cheek, and I kissed her lips instead. It only lasted a second, but it was like an electric current had gone through me. I could see it had the same effect on Amber. I drew back quickly.

"I'll see you later," I said and then left the room and the hospital. All the way out, I wondered what the hell was happening!

Interlude in Hospital Room

Amber felt the jolt when their lips touched, She had no idea what it was, but she thought it was a sign of some kind. She had kissed a few boys, but nothing like that had ever happened to her! She intended to find out more about it. Her thoughts were interrupted by the nurse talking.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"I said," the nurse answered, "your uncle must really care about you. He slept on the hall floor till a little while ago. He never said anything to us or complained. He got right up when the orderly woke him, as if he did it every day."

"Yes," Amber answered quietly, "Uncle Jim is very special." She, herself, was just beginning to realize just how special he was. She needed to pay attention though, as the nurse was speaking to her again.

"You have an appointment with the psychologist at 0830 hrs. Your breakfast will be here in twenty minutes. Go wash your face and what ever else you need to do in the lavatory. I will bring you something to replace the hospital gown after breakfast," the nurse told her.

Her breakfast was brought in by a black orderly. As soon as she saw him, Amber became hysterical. Screaming and crying, she rolled into a fetal position, and lay there shaking on the bed. The nurses rushed in immediately at the noise.

"What happened?" one asked.

"I came in with her breakfast," the orderly said, "and she freaked. I didn't get any further than just inside the door. What the fuck is wrong with her, anyway?"

"She got raped last night," the nurse replied. "The only other male here was her uncle, and he slept in the hall last night. I think you better leave. We will calm her down and see about her breakfast."

"Yea, I'm out of here. I don't need no crazy white chick accusing me of something," he returned and left. The nurses finally got Amber calmed down and to her appointment. Part of the breakfast got eaten.

End Interlude

In my vehicle, I didn't have time to think about electric shocks. I had to concentrate on the drive back to the SBEQ. I didn't need an accident to complicate things further. In the room, the 4 S's: shit, shine, shower, and shave were the order of the day. I was ready to go by 0830 hrs and headed out for the Post Headquarters.

I timed it so that I arrived at the General's office at precisely 0855 hrs. I was met by the Post Sergeant Major. He was sitting in the outer office, apparently waiting for me.

"So, you are the cause of my ruined weekend," was what he started with when he saw me. He didn't seem to be a happy camper at all. Finally, he took a good look at me.

"What are you doing in that old uniform?" he asked. "And come to think of it — how old are you?"

"This is the only uniform I have. It's from when I retired twenty three years ago. I'm 65 years old." Before he could ask any more questions, I handed him the letter and my orders. He took them and studied them for a short time. Then he looked up at me for a minute, and then back down at the papers again. When he looked back up at me there was a strange look on his face.

"You were a First Sergeant at Benning as a E-7 back in the early eighties," he stated. "You left and they put a real asshole in your place. Isn't that correct?" he asked.

"How do you know that? It isn't anywhere in those papers!" I answered, bemused.

"It's easy, Top. I was one of your little soldiers back then. I had only been in the Army for a year or so then. How the hell can they recall you after all this time?" he wondered.

We had been talking for 15 minutes or so, when we heard the General shouting in his office.

"He's on the phone to DA," the Sergeant Major said. "Sounds like he isn't getting anywhere, about usual." A short time later, the General came out of his office. He looked upset.

"Sergeant Major, first thing Monday, get a hold of DA again. I want to talk to the G-1 up there, damn it. Nobody up there will admit to anything, and no one is there on the weekend."

"Yes, sir. First thing Monday morning," the Sergeant Major answered.

"Top, " the General said, "I was really hoping to get this thing straightened out. But it doesn't look like anything can be done till Monday at the earliest." While he was talking, an LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) entered the office.

"You sent for me, sir?" were the first words out of his mouth.

"Yes, Roger. We need to have a serious chat. Come into my office, you too Top. Sergeant Major, you had better come in also," the General stated. When we got inside, the General did the introductions. Then he got down to the reason for the meeting.

"Roger, I called you in here to let you know that your daughter, Amber, is over at the Base Hospital. She was raped last night. Top here saved her from the men who did it, but couldn't hold any of them there. The MPs are out looking for them," the General told him. The colonel looked dumbfounded.

"Why didn't the MPs contact me last night?" he asked, confused.

"They didn't contact you, because I personally handle things like this with Senior Officers. It was my call. I was over at the hospital, and talked with the doctors, Top here, and Amber. She is just in for observation. She has an appointment with a psychologist this morning. Then they will be releasing her. My wife is calling your wife to inform her of this, and to have her take some clothes over for Amber. Hers were destroyed last night," the General told him.

"Well this really cuts it," Roger O' Day said, in disgust. "That girl has been nothing but trouble for some time now. I don't know what to do with her anymore."

"Roger, she's a young girl," the General said. "Yes, some of the responsibility is hers for this mess she got into. Mainly though it was the man who lured her to the place and his two friends. They drugged her cola, Roger. The lab people are still trying to figure out what drug was used. It paralyzed her for a time, while they attacked her. Its effects wore off before the three of them were done with her, and she managed to get away from them. Top here prevented them from catching her again, and chased them away."

"How could an old fogy like him prevent three men from taking her back?" Roger asked, mystified.

"It was easy," I answered. "They didn't want to face my Model 97 loaded with buckshot." We were interrupted then by a knock on the door. The Sergeant Major got up to see whom it was, and admitted another LTC. He saluted the General, who returned the salute.

"Morning, Bob. What have you got?" the General asked.

"Morning, sir," Bob, the Provost Marshal, said. "My people have been all over the site. There were fingerprints galore; some torn female clothing; a mattress and cot, and a cooler with beer and cola in it. We did find the partly empty cola can that you mentioned. It went to the lab for analysis; it's not back yet. They also took a bunch of crime scene photos. Hopefully we can get a match on all the prints today or tomorrow."

"Good work, Bob." the General said. "Give my thanks to your people."

"One other thing, sir," the PM said, "my CID people are pissed at not being able to interview the victim or the witness yet."

"What witness?" asked the General.

"The one who rescued her," the PM answered.

"I wasn't a witness," I said. "I didn't get there till she was outside. I just chased them off when they came after her again."

"Bob, the girl is in with the psychologist now. As you can imagine, she's pretty messed up. When the Doctor clears her, your CID people can interview her, till then, no. I will give you a call when she's cleared," the General told him.

"The only other thing I had, sir," the PM said in conclusion, "is a report from the MPs' OD of an unregistered shotgun on Post. Supposedly in the possession of the Master Sergeant here."

"Bob," the General started, "the man is a Senior NCO. He hasn't even been on Post 24 hours yet. He doesn't have a permanent assignment yet. Your own regulations wouldn't allow him to register it till he has an assignment. Hell, he can't even register his car yet. Forget the shotgun."

"Very well, sir," the PM answered, "I'll await your call." He saluted again and departed.

"Well," said Amber's father, "it looks like Bob's people have everything wrapped up. If you don't require me any further, sir, I've a meeting to attend."

"No, that's all, Robert," the General said. LTC O'Day saluted and left.

"Well," said the General after the door was closed, "I can see where Amber gets her feelings about her father from."

"Yes, sir," I said, "if she was one of my kids... !"

"Yes," the General interrupted, "you would be out with that shotgun looking for the bastards."

"Yes, sir. How did you know?" I asked.

"Just a guess, Top," he replied. "Just a guess based on the way you do and say things."

It was just before 1000 hrs, when the phone rang. The General answered it. It was his private line. He listened a minute, then advised us that it was private.

"You two go have a cup of coffee," he told us. "I need to talk to the psychologist in private. I'll fill you in later." We went over to the Sergeant Major's office.

"Coffee?" he asked.

"Never touch it. That stuff can kill you," I told him. "I'm a 'coke-aholic' myself. Get my caffeine in a can."

"The machine is down the hall," the SGM said. We sat there for fifteen minutes or so nursing our drinks and not saying much. Eventually, the General buzzed us, and we returned to his office.

Interlude

Phone Conversation Between the General and the Psychologist

"Sir," the psychologist said, "I just got finished interviewing the O' Day girl. She has some serious problems."

"Mary, when are you going to remember to call me Charlie in private?" the General asked.

"Charlie, this is an official report. Even if it is over the phone."

"Mary, just give me the Readers Digest version. Send the official report in writing later."

"OK, Charlie. She has a definite fear of her parents. She thinks they only put up with her because it is expected. She fears being thrown out on her own. She may have good reason, Charlie. The mother was here. She brought some clothes for her. She left them with a nurse and departed. She said she had other things to do today. Didn't have a care in the world for her daughter, or the fact that she had been raped. The clothes she left make her daughter look like a tramp. It's no wonder they picked her to rape. God, Charlie, this girl is one fucked-up kid. There's no love from the family, she's left on her own most of the time, and then they wonder why kids go wrong. The only good thing she had to say was about someone who she called 'Uncle Jim'. Do you know who he is?"