Chapter 44

My natural alarm clock was in working order; even though I was tired, I woke up at 5. No one was home yet so I decided to work out in the gym. It had been several days since the last time I exercised. It's one of those things that is too easily put off if you don't force yourself to do it. So force myself I did; I used every one of the machines in the basement, finishing up on the treadmill as I always did. When I was finished I was huffing, puffing and sweaty; just what a good workout is supposed to do.

I heard an army of footsteps upstairs; knowing the girls were home I went up to a festive atmosphere. The word was out that Dan Blueburg was history, seems a lot of girls had a very low opinion of old roving hands Dan as they called him.

Jen was ecstatic that she was temporally assigned to the C-town barracks as a liaison for the task force. It was a reprieve from the bridge traffic and close to everything that was going on.

The group was involved in getting supper ready. I was told we were having salad, baked potato with crab cakes from the Inn, along with ice cold beer. It all sounded good to me.

I decided to look at the proposal from the college while I was waiting. My new title would be Director of Security and Safety. I could set my own work schedule based on needs. Along with a college supplied appropriate vehicle, I was to have a base salary of 200.000 a year. It was a five year contract.

No wonder Jenny said, "It was great!" It had my interest peaked.

Supper was still twenty minutes away so I had time for a shower before it would be ready.

I was in the shower just finishing up when Lorrie burst in, "You have visitors - Jen says they are Marines. She has them in the formal dining room".

I quickly dried off, put on jeans, bra, shirt and tennis shoes and I went to the dining room. I noticed that it was deadly quiet as I walked through.

Gunny Sergeant Richard Day, Captain Horace Ryan, and Major Clarence Morgan from Quantico Marine Base were sitting at the table reading the newspaper stories about me.

The Major said "I see you have been keeping busy". They were here to get me to re-enlist. They gave me their speech. The marines needed my training skills in hand to hand and self defense.

I still said, "No, I have done my time in purgatory."

"We can pull back in under the reserve clause," the Captain said.

"I will fight it every step of the way; on my last mission my life time girl friend, the girl that I shared slumber parties and went on double dates with died in my arms. I'm just now getting over that. If you check the medical records it was the doctors that forced my discharge," I said.

"With your record we can guarantee all stateside duty, we can guarantee you a promotion for signing to full lieutenant," the major said.

"No, I'm still not interested; it is just not in me any more. I am 30; there are few women in the marines over thirty and fewer in the things that I do," I said.

"We will leave a copy of the paperwork for you to look over, but I'm sure we will be back to talk to you again," the Captain said. I walked them to the door and thanked them for coming.

I turned and walked into the kitchen to stare at five faces with wet tears on their cheeks.

Jen said, "You told me that your best friend had died, you didn't tell me that she was killed in the war and had died in your arms - OH MY GOD".