Hell Bent

by Arlene Knowell

  “Well, it’s a good thing I wasn’t in danger. I’d be dead as long as it took you to decide to come to the phone.”

  “I’m sorry about that, I wasn’t in the building.”

  “Was it Mindy?”

  “Yes, it was,” Newhope explained. “He broke in on her four nights ago. She had no other choice.”

  “Where is she?” Pat asked, his heart pounding like a base drum. He clenched his fist at his side.

  “She insisted that she would stay at home. She stayed here on base for two nights.”

  Pat’s temper jetted into overload and shot off the end of his tongue. “You piece of shit, you let her stay there by herself?”

  He waited for a reply and wasn’t sure what the silence meant. Perhaps the big bad MP was trying to come up with a plan to toss him in the brig for the night. A touch of arrogant pleasure spread across Pat’s face. If the MP wanted an excuse to put him in the brig, all he had to do was show his face. Pat would be happy to do a little brig time to get to stomp this guy’s ass.

  “She’s very stubborn.” Shane’s voice was raw. “But she’s fine. I’ve called her several times to check on her and she assures me that she’s okay.”

  Pat nodded, yes, Mindy was stubborn. She’d come by it honestly. “She’s not stubborn by choice. She’s stubborn because my dad forced her to be that way. It seems to me an MP should learn the difference between the two.” With that, he ended the call.

  ~ * ~

  Shane gritted his teeth and eased the phone back into the cradle. Those smartass brothers of Mindy’s were a force to be reckoned with and if it weren’t for his promise to Mindy he’d be happy to deal with them. He took a deep breath and looked at the clock, it was now 23:20 and his shift ended twenty minutes ago. In fact, he had already sat down into his car to go check on Mindy when he’d been called back in to answer the phone…

  “Gunny Newhope, the phone is for you.”

  Shane rolled his eyes. He needed to get back to Mindy’s apartment. He looked at his watch, 23:07. He was officially off duty. He laid his cell phone into his car seat. He’d call Mindy just as soon as he handled whatever it was on the phone.

  “Who the hell is it and why couldn’t you handle it?” The door thudded closed behind him.

  “Gunny Pat Austin,” Dodson informed. “I thought you’d want to take it.”

  ~ * ~

  Mindy hadn’t wanted him to leave last night, but he also knew that she was stubborn. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea about why she wanted him around. He wanted to put her over his knee and spank her. He’d invited her to visit him on base while he was on duty. He would have also followed her home and crawled into the bed with her, if she’d only asked.

  He’d been at a loss for words when dealing with Pat. It wasn’t fear or even the possibility that he’d been wrong in the way he dealt with Mindy. It was because she’d set a crazy rule. He looked around at the other MPs who were far too interested in his phone conversation for his taste, then made his way back to the car.

  Shane slammed the car door and sat back into his vehicle. He was in a hell of a position. To her brother, it had to look as if he’d abandoned Mindy, and he wouldn’t have done that even to a woman he hadn’t fallen in love with. He wanted to tell Pat that he’d spent hours with her talking since the shooting. He’d even taken steps to make her his own. He needed Pat to know that he’d sat outside their apartment the past two nights just hoping she’d call him asking him to come to her. Last night, she rode shotgun on patrol with him while he was on duty, and he’d followed her home to verify that her apartment was safe. He spent the night in his car, parked outside their apartment door, in case she needed him. Tonight he’d sat there through his entire shift, watching and waiting for her to call. He would have been court marshaled for guarding a civilian off base had he been caught but he didn’t care. He’d swapped the patrol vehicle for his personal vehicle at the end of his shift and was about to make tracks back to her apartment when Pat called. Now he understood why she hated that independent part of herself. Her father had created it and it kept her from truly letting anyone in.

  ~ * ~

  “Mindy!” Pat’s voice echoed through the house.

  “Pat!” she cried in return.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he walked into Pete’s room and saw her standing in the corner, the gun still on the floor.

  She hadn’t wanted to make a big deal out of not feeling comfortable in the apartment. Shane would stay with her but the last thing she wanted was for him to think that she’d attached herself to him because he was her hero. She had learned straight away that she couldn’t sleep in her bedroom as nightmares invaded her sleep the way Sanback had invaded her life. She tried sleeping on her brothers’ beds but that didn’t help. The only thing that got her through her first night at home alone was sitting in a corner, gun by her side, waiting for the sun to rise.

  She broke down into tears. “I killed him, Pat.”

  “I know,” he soothed as he walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. “I talked to Gunny Newhope.”

  He kissed the top of her head and she clung to him the way a terrified little sister would cling to a protective big brother. She’d done what her father would’ve had her do. She’d made it through alone. Her father had prided himself on making not only the boys strong, but her as well. She didn’t like the obligation to be strong. There were times in a girl’s life that it was okay to need a pair of big strong arms to hold her.

  Her tears finally quieted, and they sat on the bed. She gave Pat a play by play reenactment of the night she’d killed Sanback. Pat’s face lit with pride that she’d actually listened when their dad taught her how to use a gun. The lesson that if she had to shoot, make it count.

  “Do you think you can sleep?” Pat asked after an hour.

  Mindy glanced at Pete’s bed and took a long slow breath. “I hope so. I think I’ll sleep in Pete’s bed.”

  He motioned her from Pete’s room to his own. He took off his jeans and snatched on a pair of plaid sleep pants. “You can sleep with me,” he informed with a voice of authority. “If Dad has anything to say about it, he can let me know.”

  Mindy’s mind was invaded by memories of nights at home when she’d get scared by the shadows of the willow tree outside her window. She would stalk down the hall with her stuffed green bunny and walk into her brothers’ room. They always allowed her to crawl between them on the big queen sized bed and she’d sleep soundly. Of course, they’d all have hell to pay the next morning when their dad found out. He didn’t like weakness, the one thing he refused to tolerate.

  Pat crawled into the king sized bed and pulled at the soft clean sheets as Mindy nestled into the opposite side from him.

  “Hey,” Pat spoke into the darkness.

  ”Hmmm?”

  “When Pete gets back so he can help, I’ll swap bedrooms with you. You’ll always be safe in here.”

  The joy was obvious in her voice. “Thank you, Pat.”

  “You’re welcome.” He rolled onto his side and pulled the cover close to his face. “Now go to sleep. It’s my watch.”

  ~ * ~

  Pete stormed in the house at 05:00 after hearing about the shooting. He ran to Mindy’s room and found it empty and oddly eerie. He turned toward Pat’s room. Opening the door, he signed with relief to see Mindy asleep on the extra pillow. Pat held a finger to his lips as Pete walked in.

  “Is she okay?” Pete whispered.

  Pat nodded and rose, then made his way into the living room. “She’s fine now, but she was in the corner of your bedroom with the gun when I got home.”

  “Damn it,” Pete growled. “What were the chances that we’d both be gone at the same time?”

  “Here’s one better than that,” Pat said, matching the snarl in his brother’s voice. “Remember Newhope, the MP that helped us before?”

  Pete nodded.

  “He actually let her stay here by herself the past
two nights. You would think that any dumb ass would have known that she would be scared out of her mind.”

  Pete hated himself and his damn job. He was away more than he was home. Mindy hated the military and he couldn’t blame her now. Not only had some idiot wearing a U.S. Armed Forces uniform stalked her, but the military had taken away the two people who had promised to keep her safe. On top of all of that, the dumb ass MP assigned to the case had actually listened when Mindy said she’d be okay alone. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his mussed hair. “We’ll get a chance to deal with him later. Thank God it’s Saturday 'cause I could sleep in a mine field.”

  “When we all get up I need you to help me swap bedrooms with Mindy. According to her, she killed Sanback in her bedroom,” Pat said.

  Pete nodded. “We’ll give it a try, but we may have to move. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I wonder if Mindy called Mom and Dad.”

  Pat shook his head. “Are you kiddin’? She knew that hardass would tell her what she did wrong.”

  Pete nodded. Even though he and his siblings had a wonderful childhood, Mindy had never gotten a fair shake. Their dad expected her to be as strong as the boys. He still remembered the horrible fight that had broken out between his mom and dad when the old Army hardass had taken Mindy’s green bunny away. Their mother had let him train her children to be mini-soldiers, but she’d be damned to let him take away Mindy’s sleep toy. She stood up to him, toe to toe, and dared him to defy Mindy the right to be a little girl. That was the only time his father backed down. The odd thing was, Pete never understood why his dad didn’t realize the type of strength their mom had would have been far more valuable to Mindy.

  He shook himself from the distant memory. It sounded

  just like Mindy to try and handle the situation herself. She might not want a military man in her life, but it would take one to ever be able to live with her. She’d been taught all of her life that there was no future in being weak and therefore she’d made herself strong.

  ~ * ~

  Several hours later, Mindy rose from the bed. Pat had long since started his day. Even when her brothers had gone out hell bent to save the world, they only needed two hours of sleep to do it. She heard the shower and walked across the living room toward the kitchen. She gasped, when Pete walked from the kitchen carrying a glass of orange juice.

  “Pete,” she sighed, walking into the open arms beckoning her. “When did you get home?”

  “Before the sun came up. How are you making it?”

  She nodded and answered all his questions about the night she’d shot Sanback. She wanted to tell him that Shane Newhope had been a huge part of her recovery, but she wasn’t ready for the celebration that would ensue if she told.

  “I’ve gotta go for a while,” Pat said as he opened the bathroom door and picked up his boots at the end of the sofa. He sat to tug them on.

  “What’s up at base?” Mindy asked, turning her attention from Pete to Pat.

  “I’ve got to talk to someone,” he answered. “It could wait 'til Monday but I figured I’d go ahead and get it over with since I have the time.”

  Mindy nodded and looked toward Pete. “Are you going to be here for a while?”

  Pete hesitated then took a seat on the sofa. “All day. I hear that we’re going to be doing a little room swapping, so maybe you and I could get a head start on that.”

  “That sounds good.” Mindy’s eyes sparkled as she took a seat on the sofa. “Hurry back, Pat.”

  ~ * ~

  Pat walked inside the MP headquarters, pushed his stylish black shades onto his head, and wasn’t surprised not to see Gunny Newhope. After all, it was Saturday and chances were he had the day off.

  “May I help you?” A scrawny, red haired Sergeant named Dodson quizzed.

  “How can I get in contact with Gunny Newhope?” Pat asked laying his palms on the counter as he talked. “I’m Pat Austin. I need to speak with him.”

  The young Sergeant swallowed hard. It became quickly obvious that the Sergeant was suddenly as nervous as a cat. Pat’s eyes scanned across the back of the office to three other men who had suddenly taken interest in his presence. He turned his attention back to Dodson.

  “He’s off duty today, can someone else help you?” Dodson asked as he laid his own arm onto the counter. “I could get the officer in charge if you need to see him.”

  “Did I ask for someone else?” Pat snapped as he slid his hands off the counter and straightened his back. “Look, I need to speak to Newhope. Does he live on base?”

  The Sergeant seemed startled and spun his attention toward the men to his left then back to Pat. “Let me give him a call and tell him you’re here and would like to speak with him.”

  There was something going on that Pat didn’t like. He felt like there was a big secret that everyone except him knew. There were two Corporals and a Staff Sergeant in the corner, and if necessary he’d pull rank on them all to find out what in the hell was going on. “That sounds like an excellent idea,” Pat growled. “I’ll wait outside.”

  It was almost fifteen minutes before Gunny Newhope pulled into the lot. Pat held his position, resting against his truck grill, arms folded over his chest. Shane stepped from the car and met Pat’s eyes.

  “I understand you need to see me?” Newhope quipped, as he made short time of the distance between him and Pat.

  Pat pushed off the truck and squinted at the all too cocky MP headed his way. It seemed they guy was under the impression that he was a bad-ass. Dumb ass maybe but he wasn’t so bad. A man with any balls would have handled the situation with Mindy differently. Newhope had given him his word that he’d take care of this situation and instead it had escalated out of control. That’s the reason he was here, and he damn well wasn’t leaving until he got some answers.

  “I got home last night and my sister was sitting in a completely dark house, in the corner of my brother’s bedroom holding a gun,” Pat barked. “Would you care to explain to me why you let her go back home by herself?”

  Shane took a noticeable deep breath and shifted his weight. “I allowed her to go home because she insisted.”

  “You’re going to need a better excuse than that,” Pat snarled. “That’s just not good enough.”

  Shane swallowed and rubbed his hand over his head, “I’m not trying to impress you with my answer. I’m just giving you the truth.”

  Pat furrowed his brow and stood silent for no more than two seconds. “Any dumb ass would’ve known she would be scared to death. Hell, she’d just killed a man.”

  “I barely knew her. Did you want me to insist that she stay somewhere else?” Shane lifted his palms in question.

  “Hell, knowing or not knowing someone shouldn’t keep you from protecting them.” Pat wobbled his head sarcastically.

  Newhope was thinking way too hard about his answers. There was more to the story of Mindy’s ordeal than Newhope was admitting. Movement at the door of the building caught Pat’s attention. The four MPs inside were looking out the doors and windows like a bunch of teenage girls hoping the paperboy would be along real soon. Something wasn’t right.

  “I called her several times to check on her. I even offered to call your brother at BUD’s.” Shane glanced down at his jeans as his cell phone jangled from his front pocket. He pulled the phone from his pocket and fought the smirk that battled its way onto his face. “Excuse me just a minute—it’s my girl.”

  Pat grumbled, folded his arms across his chest and turned away. The guy was cocky enough to answer a call from his girlfriend while he was obviously pissed? Something inside him wanted to go a little round of one on one with the big bad MP. His eyes caught the men at the door again. He threw his hands into the air as anger swept through him like a raging fire. “What?”

  The men scrambled to move from the door and windows. It reminded Pat of the time he and Pete had got caught with their father’s pipe. They’d been home alone, and had decided to beco
me men that day by smoking. A car had pulled into the drive and they’d run to the window to identify the vehicle. When it was their parent’s car the two boys had spun away from the door and made hasty tracks to extinguish the pipe. They’d gotten caught anyway. In fact there was only one reason to look scared as a Sunday School Teacher in a whore house. Those men knew something.

  “Sorry about that,” Shane said as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. “I’ll call her back.”

  Pat couldn’t believe that they’d actually tried to talk Mindy into hooking up with this pussy. He was as fake as a plug nickel, and just as worthless. What kind of man, real man, was perfectly dressed on a Saturday morning? He looked like he’d just stepped out of a designer clothing catalog. It took a pansy of a man to wear those half worn out, low rider jeans just because the Hollywood pretty boys were doing it. He was a grown man, a Marine for goodness sakes and he was wearing sandals.

  “That was your girl, huh?” Pat flexed his chin and rubbed his fingers across displaying sarcasm rather than scratching an itch. “What if the situation was reversed and it was your girl who shot the stalker and I was the MP who let her go home alone while you were away on a mission?”

  Shane clenched his teeth and drew in a slow steady breath. “I made several attempts to get her to stay somewhere else. She insisted.”

  Movement caught Pat’s attention once again, and from the corner of his eye he realized that the other MPs were looking out the windows again. He paused, gave the situation some thought and got madder by the minute. There was a reason those sons-a-bitches were glued to that window, and it had everything to do with Mindy.

  “What the hell is going on around here?” Pat’s eyes locked on Newhope’s and left no room for misunderstanding. He wanted a straight answer.

  “Around where?” Newhope twisted his face in question and looked at Pat as if he’d lost his mind.

  “Here.” Pat snapped as he pointed to the ground. “I want to know what in the hell is going on around here that makes four grown men plaster themselves to the window like a bunch of fucking suction cups?”