Chapter 5

Sanchez showed up at my rack looking as delicious as ever. Either she was about the most passionate woman in the RAS or she did not get laid except when she visited me. I suspect she was only sleeping with me. My right hand was my only outlet except her. I never asked and neither did she. The next drop could be the last for one or both of us so it was something most did not talk about. We concentrated on living in the here and now. Nobody made plans for the future or at least talked about them. I had no future and she knew it.

I did not feel guilty or torn about Sanchez and my foolish infatuation with Swanson. They were two separate things. In another world things would be different, but it is what it is.

It sure did not take the tension out of the air when I was with Swanson. Sure there were still things to tell her, but the usefulness of the tutoring was rapidly becoming barely measurable. She however showed no indication that the sessions would stop any time soon. I had no practical way to stop them and no will power to even try.

What did happen though is she talked about herself and her life. I learned that she had two older brothers and a younger brother and sister. The two older brothers were Navy. She was the only Marine. The other two were not old enough for RAS service yet. I found out she was shy in school and never could seem to keep a boy interested long. I read between the lines that she was inexperienced or might have been a virgin. It was hard to believe though. She just unconsciously radiated sexiness.

Her fellow officers were not like she expected. Marine and Navy officers mixed freely. There were not many Marine officers so it was sort of necessary. Most Marine officers were men where the Navy was more evenly split with slightly more women. There were only two other women officers in our Regiment and they were more like men than women and were openly lovers.

I got the distinct impression that she had no real friends in the officer's quarters. The men just wanted sex. I was her friend, her only close friend.

"Sweeney. If your lifer status ended what would you do?"

I stopped. She was sitting across from me at a table in a classroom looking wistful. Nobody had asked me that question in a long time.

"I'm not sure. I've been doing this for almost all my adult life. I can hardly remember anything else," I said.

She leaned forward and hesitantly took my hand. It was a firm hand but with skin softer than mine. Her fingers were long and supple but still strong looking. I laced my fingers with hers.

"I would stay. Stay as long as you did," I said meeting her eyes.

"Oh how I wish," she said trailing off with some unshed tears in her eyes.

We would often hold hands across the table from one another after that. Neither one of us trusted ourselves to do so without a table between us. I was a little worried she would say something or let it slip to somebody about our 'not relationship' but she must have kept it to herself as nothing changed.

We docked at Shiva 3 for some maintenance to the Demios and R&R. I was ship bound and on duty. The Colonel and Firsk were on the ship during the day most of the time, as was Swanson.

They were having workshops on officer crap. I had duty when they did, but it was easy duty. My reward for being a gopher and errand boy were meals from the officer mess and of course watching Swanson.

They, except Swanson, did not pay much attention to me. I paid some attention to them though. The topics were on morale, battle comp functions, and other specific tactics. The morale part was a total waste of time, but it was nice to see they took their jobs seriously.

They played a few basketball games. They seemed to like it, but I suspect it was mostly for team building. I used to play some, but hadn't for a long time. They did not offer nor did I ask. I just watched them play and watched Swanson's boobs jiggle as she ran, wondering why I was torturing myself.

"Sweeney, Cpt. Simmons tells me you're pretty good at hand to hand."

"I've had some practice Sir."

"Good. It seems that Swanson learned from her old man since she was a kindergartener. She uses some ancient Asian techniques. I was telling her that they weren't the most effective forms, but she is better at hand to hand than we are. She wants to start teaching them to our Marines. I don't think they need it. You've been watching us. Think you can take her?"

"I can try Sir."

"Good. If you do I'll see you get a nice steak as a reward."

I looked at Swanson standing at the other end of the mat talking to some of the other LTs and wondered if she would appreciate getting beat by me. I would gladly let her kick my ass to keep her happy. The question is, would she notice if I held back? I didn't know if I needed to.

She stopped talking and walked to the middle of the mat.

"You know this is not really a fair contest," I said quietly.

"Why cause you're bigger?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not exactly. You distract me."

She blushed when I said that and I noticed that her nipples made themselves known. She blushed deeper red when she noticed my eyes look down at them.

"I think you can handle it," she said.

"There is also the fact that I'm more experienced. Meaning I've been augmented for a long time and use it better because of familiarity."

I didn't mention that my augmentation was better than hers. That never went over well.

"I'll take my chances."

"Okay. Don't cheat. If I react to your distractions they will notice. I won't be able to help myself."

"I understand."

We backed up a little and bowed to each other, then began. Slowly we circled each other. She feinted a couple times and I failed to react on purpose. A couple test kicks from her which I dodged, let her feel me out. Whatever she saw satisfied her and she attacked.

Swanson stepped forward leading with her left and following with her right leg. I leaned to my right and grabbed her leg as she kicked and kept leaning. Swanson found herself being tossed to the ground. I followed her down and my right elbow thumped her solar plexus but I held the blow back not wanting to injure her. We were very difficult to injure and if it was one of the other officers I would have probably thumped him good.

I got to my knees and briefly squeezed her hand before getting up.

"Fuck," she said looking up at the ceiling.

"I wish," I said quietly.

Evidently she heard me and gave me a look. It was shy and she was blushing, I thought, again under her flushed face. She got up quickly after that.

"I don't think I've seen that in any handbook," Swanson said.

"Me either. Care to try again Lieutenant?" the Colonel asked.

"Sure."

We faced each other again. I could not help myself and notices her nipples making dents in her skinners. She noticed me looking. I quickly bowed before we did something to raise suspicions.

The next exchange was little longer as she did not commit herself, being wary now. I did, and Swanson found herself on her back with me kneeling next to her. Instead of a follow up strike to the throat, I caressed a cheek before grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet.

"One more time," she said.

"They're your bruises," the Colonel said chuckling.

I stretched that one out. It was almost like foreplay. She clocked me a good one when my mind wandered, but when she tried to follow up for the kill I was up and she found herself on the ground. That time I behaved myself and just stood back.

"I think we've established that the current training is adequate. We'll discuss offering additional training, especially to Marines who stand watches or guard out of armor. Very impressive. Both of you. Go shower. Sweeney, come see me after."

"Aye Aye Sir."

Swanson did not look worried about that but, I could not help but be. You did not get to be a Colonel by not being observant.

"Private Sweeney reporting as ordered Sir."

"At ease Private," he said.

I noticed he did not say for me to close the door. That was a good sign.

"Did you hold back?" he asked.

"A little Sir," I admitted.

"Why?" he asked.

I hesitated.

"At ease. Speak freely."

"Young officers are like puppies. They need positive reinforcement or they turn into bullies."

"Most enlisted would have not been so restrained. An opportunity to give an officer a serious ass whooping would have been fully taken advantage of."

"What's the point Sir? I've long since moved past that. This is all I've got and all I'll ever have. No point in posturing or trying to gain status."

"You're right Private. I appreciate your honesty."

Same rock slightly different view. We were back on Doe 4. Except this time there were Brass from Command there along with their own company of Marines. They were testing some new insect repellent or something. It was supposed to keep the wasps and mosquitoes away, even kill them. Whisky was there along with Kilo and Bravo. Mike and Golf were ready to drop when things went to shit. Yes I meant 'when' and not 'if.'

"Do you think the old man would get too upset if I just shot Flanders?" Swanson asked me.

"Accidents happen."

"But not when you need them."

"Relax. He won't last long. He's had what? Seven major medicals in eighteen drops? He has not made it through one without at least a minor medical."

"We all can't be charmed like you," she said teasing me.

"You have been so far," I said.

"Don't jinx it."

I didn't blame her. SSgt. Flanders was a 'rock' and it amazed me that he was still alive. Surviving drops is the practical measure of promotion even if not the official. Somehow he had out survived his fellows. That was not hard though. Kilo was the bastard step kid of the Battalion and had the lowest survival rate to go along with the low kill ratio. Swanson was not okay with that so things were changing. She'd had them in simulators and classrooms more in the last month than they had in the last six before.

Of course every Marine, except me for the most part, was in training and simulators regularly during transit. A bored Marine with too much free time is not a good thing.

Col. Santiago was making Swanson earn her platoon. She eagerly took up the challenge though. Her hand to hand skills served her well having 'instructed' her NCOs and gaining some measure of respect.

We had a hike to get close enough to a nest site to test. Whisky was leading the way and tasked with chameleon duty in the outer ring looking for ambushes. Kilo was next with Bravo, the heavy weapons company, then with Echo from the 37th Marines babysitting the Brass.

Nothing unusual during our stroll, the chameleons were no thicker than normal I thought. At the nest Whisky circled around and was on guard. Kilo was helping with the gators. Part of Echo and part of Bravo were working the nest. The other half of them were with the Brass just inside our perimeter. I was thankful I was as far away from them as possible. Gregs wanted to be close to the Brass so that meant he wanted me as far away as possible. Sanchez was to my right.

I started to get a funny feeling about the whole operation. It was so normal, just Gators and Skinks protecting the nest. They were even dying like they should according to S.O.P. which almost never happened.