New Beginnings, page 5
Once she was inside the locker room, she tossed her helmet into her locker, then began loosening her vest. She heard the door open but didn’t bother looking to see who it was as she pulled the vest over her head and stowed it in the locker. Then, she pulled her shirt free of her pants and tossed it in the bin to be laundered before pulling a tan t-shirt on.
“You know your team left the flight line without being dismissed,” Courtney said from a few feet away as she removed her own gear.
“Do you really not realize what you did?” Tristan said, spinning around to face her. Courtney had taken her hair down and removed her jacket, leaving her in the same tan t-shirt and camo pants. “Landing that helo right there could have easily gotten us all killed, or worse, stuck in a country where we have no leg to stand on. So, excuse me if I was a little too pissed off to wait for the major.”
“There were no hostiles in the area,” Courtney replied, her brown eyes staring back at Tristan as her heart began to thump in her chest.
“What if there had been? They could’ve easily been hiding and ambushed you!” Tristan said, raising her voice. “We had it under control. There were only two hostiles. If we can’t handle two people, then we don’t need to be in special forces!”
“I do know how to do my job, and that was to get your team and get them out! You were under fire!” Courtney yelled.
“That’s what we are trained for! It’s literally our job! You transport us in and out, not decide what we do and how we do it!” Tristan spat, clenching her teeth.
“I was in command of the helo. It was my call to make. I understand you outrank me, and you’re the leader of that ground team, but if it has to do with the helo, I’m in command.”
“Seriously. You’re going to pull that shit on me?” Tristan shook her head.
“What’s your problem with me? I risked my own life and the lives of my crew to go in there and get you and your team out. A simple thank you would’ve been ideal, but you attack me instead. What’s really going on here?”
Tristan moved closer, leaving just over a foot between them. “I don’t like people who can’t decide who they want to be,” she stated.
“I know who I am and what I want.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Tristan huffed, shaking her head.
Courtney grabbed a fistful of the front of her t-shirt and snatched her closer. Tristan’s mouth crashed into hers in a heated kiss full of lips, teeth, and tongues, that sent her head back against the lockers. Her heart pounded in her chest, sending blood directly to her belly like a pool of lava. She let go of Tristan’s shirt and ran her hand up into her short hair.
Both of Tristan’s hands were flat against the lockers on either side of Courtney’s head and there was just enough space between their bodies to see light. The suddenness of the kiss had taken her off guard, but she quickly recovered her brain cells before they’d disappeared below her waist, and stepped back, pulling her mouth away from Courtney’s.
The two women stared at each other with questioning eyes and heaving chests.
“We can’t do this,” Tristan finally said, taking another step back to put more space between them.
“We’re both officers, and we’re not in the same battalion command,” Courtney replied, moving closer.
“Those lines are a little blurry, don’t you think?”
“I see them just fine,” she whispered.
The muscles of Tristan’s core began to tighten, and the fabric of her underwear became increasingly wet between her legs. She couldn’t ever remember wanting someone so badly and wanting to smack them at the same time. The throbbing ache between her legs won over her shouting brain and she gave in, putting her hands on Courtney’s cheeks and pressing her back up against the lockers as their lips devoured one another once more.
Courtney’s hands went directly to her waist, pulling Tristan’s t-shirt free and sliding her palms up the rippled muscles of her damp torso until they cupped her breasts through her sports bra. She rubbed her thumbs over erect nipples, enticing a hiss from Tristan’s mouth as she softly pinched them through the thin fabric.
Tristan’s hands left Courtney’s face and found their way under her shirt. Her lips broke free of the breathtaking kiss as she pulled the sports bra up and bent her head, taking one breast into her mouth. Courtney’s hands quickly moved from under Tristan’s shirt to the top of her shoulders. One palm reached up, grabbing a handful of her short hair, seemingly holding her mouth in position. Tristan licked and sucked the nipple between her lips while her hands worked the enclosure of her pants open.
A loud bang sounded outside the door just as Tristan’s hand slipped under the waistband of Courtney’s underwear. Both women jumped apart with their hearts beating nearly out of their chests. Tristan’s shirt tail was out, but she was fully covered. Courtney rushed to adjust her bra, pull her shirt down, and close her pants. She finished and spun around in time to see the door across from them opening.
“Captain? Chief?” the young private startled, fumbling with the mop and bucket as he tried to salute.
Courtney chanced a look in Tristan’s direction. Their eyes locked in a split second, and everything came flooding back to her. She swore she could still feel Tristan’s hot wet mouth on her breast. She cleared her throat to keep from letting any other sound escape.
“At ease, soldier. We were just leaving,” Tristan said, seeing the glaze in Courtney’s eyes. She turned to face him. “It’s all yours. Let’s go, Chief. We have an early morning.”
Courtney followed her out into the hangar that was now closed with the helo tucked inside.
Tristan sighed, shaking her head.
“Are we good?” Courtney asked, her demeanor changing drastically once they were out in the open.
“Squared away,” Tristan answered, meaning they were fine, and everything was good, before they each headed off in opposite directions as if nothing had happened. “Debrief ought to be loads of fun,” she muttered to herself. Damnit all to Hell.
*
Courtney wanted a shower, but what she needed was sleep…and release. Her body was still wound up from Tristan’s hands and mouth on her, but her brain was in overdrive as it replayed the mission. With nothing else to do, she pulled a tank top on over her bare breasts, and a pair of soft cotton shorts on over her bikini briefs, both with ARMY written on them. She lay on her rack in her private room in the barracks and set her watch alarm to go off just after dawn so she could go for a run to clear the fog from her head and start the day fresh before the debrief. As she closed her eyes, she willed herself to drift off to sleep, but all she kept seeing was Tristan’s green eyes. “This is going to be a very long deployment,” she sighed.
*
“I was expecting an ass chewing this morning after last night’s debacle,” Fowler said as he rounded the corner. Tristan was beside him and the rest of the team was behind them, forming two lines as they jogged in formation around the base. Working out was the only thing to do on the base, besides going to the Canteen. With their rigorous missions and heavy gear, it made sense to always stay in good physical condition. They sometimes paired up when they went to the gym, but they usually ran together as a team.
“Nah. They were more interested in the intel we brought back,” Tristan replied.
“Oh, look. Here comes the turd squad,” Judd Dewey called as he and a couple of his soldiers stepped out of the Canteen. “How’s that homemade PT course working out for you? I heard you had to be rescued.”
“Maybe if you ran a PT course, those little chicken legs of yours wouldn’t let you down when you played tag football,” Fowler yelled back. “Must be nice riding around in a Humvee all day. Let us know when you actually get your boots dirty.”
“Why? Are you gonna clean them?” Dewey’s second in command said, evoking laughter from his team.
“Just remember who they’ll send in to rescue you when you guys need it,” Tristan yelled as they passed by. “It won’t be an overzealous pilot.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” Fowler asked as they kept running out of earshot of the Alpha Team.
“That’s how I labeled it in my debrief.” She shrugged.
“Ouch.”
“It’s true. She didn’t need to land that damn helo where and how she did it. We had the situation under control and were on our way out. We had an agreed upon rendezvous point for extraction. She chose to go completely off mission.”
“I agree,” he replied. “It’s still good to know she’s a badass and has our six. It took balls to land like that in the dark on terrain she’d never seen before.”
She nodded. He certainly wasn’t wrong. Courtney was a damn good pilot. Tristan wondered if she was more annoyed by the fact that Courtney flew like she had no fear, or the fact that she boldly swooped in to help them out, no questions asked; something no other helo pilot had done before. After their tryst in the locker room, she began to question if that was just who Courtney was, or if she acted because of her interest in Tristan.
*
Courtney was happy to have the debrief over with. Capt. Warren had pulled her aside, asking whether or not she deemed it necessary to fly in and land like she did without knowing the full extent of what was going on inside the warehouse. She’d looked him straight in the eye and said she’d do it again in a heartbeat. As an Airborne pilot, her job was to get those soldiers where they needed to go and get them hauled back out at all costs. He told her to never lose her instincts because they made her a phenomenal pilot, but to wait for command to make the call next time, meaning wait for him to tell her what to do. She politely saluted and went on her way, all the while thinking he’d never stepped foot off a base since he graduated from OCS. He reminded her of the junior officer pricks she’d met when she first started out. Maybe one day he’ll grow into his boots.
Since she was still in the command center, she headed down to the computer room and dialed her parent’s number. She hadn’t spoken to them since she’d arrived, and having come straight from Afghanistan, they had no idea where she even was.
“Mom!” she said as soon as her mother appeared on the screen.
“Oh, my gosh! Is it really you?” her mother asked, excited to see her.
“I’m sorry it’s been a hot minute. My unit was heading for garrison duty and got redeployed instead,” she said.
“Wow. So, no rest for the wicked,” her mother laughed, knowing how headstrong her daughter was. “Where are you now?”
“I can’t disclose, but I’m not in Afghanistan anymore.”
“That’s good to hear. I just sent you a care package a few days ago. I hope it finds you.”
“It will, as long as you sent it to my garrison base. They’ll know how to get it to me,” Courtney said. “Where’s dad?”
“He’s out playing golf.” her mother shook her head. “He’s going to be mad he missed you.”
“I’ll call back again in a few days. I just had some free time and wanted to give you an update. This isn’t a full deployment. We’ll be rotating in and out, so I’ll let you know when I’m back state side.”
“Oh, that’s great. We’d love to see you!”
“Me too. Take care, Mom. My love to you and dad,” she said before ending the call. She missed her parents, but she loved what she was doing. Plus, they understood. Her mother was a military wife for the twenty-five years her father had served and had grown up a military child. Simply put, it was in their blood. Everyone knew how the system operated.
Chapter 7
Not knowing what to do about the situation with Courtney and avoiding her were two very different things, but Tristan handled them both the same. It was easier to keep to herself, choosing to go to the gym and right back to her room…which she’d been doing for the last few days, until her team was scheduled for another mission.
She dressed in her uniform with the combat shirt, subconsciously checking the tapes and insignia on both shoulder sleeves before tying her boots and blousing her pants. She grabbed her crisp patrol cap off the bed and held it in her hand as she shut the door and walked down the hall.
“You ever get sick of it?” Perry questioned as they exited the barracks together and pulled their caps on.
“You mean the last minute, scarcely detailed missions that nearly get us killed in the middle of God knows where and for something that is usually of no value?”
Perry chuckled.
“Sure. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t. But is there something else I’d rather be doing…” She paused for a second. “I guess if there was, I would’ve been out by now.” She shrugged.
“Yeah, me too.” She nodded.
The rest of the team was in the locker room checking their pockets and pouches when they walked in and began doing much of the same. It was early evening, but still dark enough to be called a night mission. Tristan’s eyes scanned the lockers a few feet away from hers. If she closed her eyes, she swore she’d see Courtney standing there. She shook her head, willing her brain to get back on track. She was headed out on a mission and needed the focus of a clear head. She pulled her vest down onto her shoulders and fastened the straps while she waited for everyone to finish gearing up. Then, she turned off the lights so they could check their night vision and the flashlights on their rifles. After confirmation from everyone, she flipped the lights back on and opened the door to head out into the hangar.
The helo sat out on the flight line with both pilots already inside. Howie, their crew chief was standing to the side, waiting for the Bravo Team. It was his job to be the last person into the helo, assuring everyone was accounted for.
“Bravo Team. Anytime, anywhere!” the team yelled as they smacked their helmets together in a salute to their battalion company for good luck.
*
Courtney watched from afar as she went through her flight information. She hadn’t seen Tristan at all in the last few days. She’d been in and out of the meetings while the new mission was being put together, but she’d still been around the usual places. The base certainly wasn’t big enough to lose anyone.
“Cargo is squared away,” Howie called over the radio as he slammed the door shut and got into his jump seat.
“Copy,” she replied, as she went down the flight checklist with Maguire.
“Rock and roll,” they said together as they fist bumped.
“Outlaw One, Eagle. You copy?” Command radioed.
“Lima Charlie,” she replied, meaning loud and clear.
“You are cleared for wheels up. Have a safe flight,” they radioed.
“Roger that.”
She gave one last look at the dash instruments before starting the engines and lifting the bird into the air.
“Bravo Team, we’ll be touching down at your destination in approximately one hour. Sit back, relax, enjoy your flight, and as always, we thank you for flying with the Outlaws. Hooah!” Courtney said across the radio.
Maguire smiled and shook his head.
*
Tristan ignored the pilots and listened to the staccato sound of the rotor blades chopping the air instead. Her mind was on the mission. It was like any other they’d been on, and none of them were the same. They were all classified as reconnaissance, but some were intel sweeps, some were meetings with informants, and some were all out gun battles. Tristan never knew what they were walking into. She often wondered if the brass who sat behind screens all day, cooking up these missions, had ever set foot in actual foreign soil outside the walls of a military base.
Either way, she knew what her team had to do. An informant had given Alpha Team a location to check out. He said the cartel used safe houses all over South America and often moved from one to the other. He had information proving they’d been at this particular one in Venezuela within the past month. This mission was an intel sweep of one of the houses. Tristan had already gone over the different possible scenarios with her team. With the tiny bit of information command had given her, she really wasn’t sure if they were about to startle the hell out of a local family, knock on the cartel’s front door, find a vacant home full of rats, or get ambushed like baited prey.
*
“Bravo One, we are fifteen klicks and closing on the drop zone,” Courtney radioed.
“Copy,” Tristan replied. It was the first time they’d said anything directly to each other since the incident in the locker room.
A few minutes later, the helo touched down and Bravo Team jumped out. Within seconds they were running away on foot as the helo went back into the air. These were the missions Courtney wasn’t a fan of. She never knew what would happen when she dropped a team off in the dark. She didn’t have a connection to their IR tabs like command, so she had no way of knowing where they were until they marked an extraction zone or popped smoke, depending on what time of day it was. The only thing she could do was listen to the radio chatter.
“This is where the fun begins,” Maguire said as they flew up to an altitude high enough to not be noticed, but also maintain a holding pattern within about a ten-to-fifteen-mile radius of the purposed extraction point in case they were needed in a hurry or had to lay down cover fire.
“Yep,” she replied, checking, and double checking her instruments. “Let’s hope we don’t have to land this baby in the driveway this time.”
He laughed. “That would definitely wake the neighborhood.”
Luckily, the house was on the outskirts of one of the smaller cities and didn’t have any direct neighbors for anyone to come in contact with.
