Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“I’m right here, buddy,” I said, letting the kid know where I was so I didn’t startle him. “What’s your name?”
He sighed, putting his hands behind his head. “Alex.”
“I’m Mike. I ain’t gonna hurt you, but I need to come to you and pat you down. That way when the police get up here, they’ll know you’re not a threat anymore. Will you let me do that?”
The kid looked so defeated I felt sorry for him. I’d seen that look in every new soldier who set foot in my battalion. Fear. Resignation. Everyone knew your life expectancy plummeted the second you got your draft notice. Sounded like this kid was just like all the others.
He didn’t give us any trouble after that. Jo climbed the stairs and secured his weapon before approaching us. “Thank you, Alex. It was very brave of you to trust us. Do you want me to call your dad?”
Alex shrugged, shaking his head. “He’ll just box my ears. I ain’t supposed to do nothin’ to get sent up to ‘Nam. He said once the war ended, I might have a future if I kept my nose clean. ‘Course he don’t know we got ordered to ship out.”
“Right now, I think he’ll tell you the most important thing is that you’re alive.” Jo smiled at him. Again, it was a kind smile, so at odds with how I’d first pegged her. She said she was a doctor. Maybe this was her bedside manner.
Alex met Jo’s gaze with a frightened but grateful one of his own. “I ain’t smart, but I know what you done, ma’am. You saved my life.”
“I’ve seen more than enough death to last me a lifetime, honey. Just remember this. Take your punishment like a man, then go home to your family and take care of them.”
“I will. Thank you, ma’am.” He glanced in my direction before lowering his eyes again. “Sir.”
I cringed inwardly, trying not to let Alex see. Last thing I wanted was for him to feel like he’d done something else wrong. I’d feel like I was kicking a fucking puppy.
We waited with Alex until the police had him cuffed. Every time one of them would get a little rougher than Jo thought strictly necessary, she’d calmly say, “That’s enough. He’s going peacefully.” When one of them called Alex a yellow-bellied nigger, Jo stepped up to him and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and got right up in his face. “You say one more word to that kid tryin’ to provoke him, and I’ll cut off your nuts. Then I’ll take my jail time with a fuckin’ smile. I may be in prison for a while, but you’ll be minus your balls. Forever. Get me?”
Surprisingly, the officer backed down. Probably because this was a completely different Jo than the woman who’d been so kind with Alex. She also looked scary as fuck. Even more so than when I first pegged her on the plane.
For his part, the boy looked startled, like he hadn’t expected anyone to take up for him. As the police led him down the stairs, Alex turned his head over his shoulder to look at us.
“Kid’s gonna be lucky to survive the next few days. If his CO will get him back to Fort Knox to await trial, he might have a chance.” She spoke absently. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head.
“What’er we gonna do?” I asked. Because I just knew Jo wouldn’t let this go.
“Nothin’. Ain’t my fuckin’ problem.” She snarled her words a little too harshly to be believed.
“Nope. It ain’t.” I had to bite back a smile. I had the feeling the next few days were going to be interesting.
Chapter Two
Dr. Josephine (Jo) Peyton
Captain, US Army (Mama Jo)
The kid -- Alex -- did indeed get taken back to Fort Knox. Two days later. There were a whole slew of charges against him. I had no doubt he’d end up in Leavenworth before it was all over. The only question was how much time he’d get. There wasn’t much I could do about it, but it was obvious the kid wasn’t all that bright. He wouldn’t have survived a tour in-country. I was surprised he’d managed to last in any form of armed services as long as he had. Something about the kid had me needing to help him as much as I could, though.
Though Mike and I had just met, I was reluctant to leave his company. For one, we fit. There was a fierce sexual attraction, but we both chose to let it simmer a while. Mike had expressed his intention of going South to a little town in Kentucky called Somerset which I’d never even heard of. That was fine by me. I wasn’t fit for the big city anymore. I wanted to make a home somewhere peaceful and quiet.