All four had served long enough to merit the single bar of a Leading Ranger on their badges. The tallest was Tina Agosta, a huge slab of a woman. She gave the impression of being slow and easygoing to the point of torpor, but as the conversation progressed, she made a series of sharp comments that caused Katryn to reconsider her evaluation. It was apparent that Tina’s sluggish demeanor masked a critical, dry sense of humor. It was also apparent that Tina thought far more than she said.
Bo Hassan was the patrol joker. Her voice was the one heard most often around the table. Her stream of gibes, puns and innuendoes was directed at everyone. The witticisms were of variable quality and frequently crude, but nobody took offense—probably due to Bo’s willingness to make herself the butt of her own jokes and the total lack of malice in her tone. Jan Sivarajah, the corporal, was the only one to show a trace of impatience with Bo.
Pat Panayi had well-formed features, and she knew it. She smiled frequently, but there was no warmth in her expression. She sat back at the table, tossing in the occasional remark. Her eyes shifted from person to person without regard to the flow of conversation. When she caught Katryn’s gaze, she raised her eyebrows slightly, as though they were sharing a private joke, but Katryn had no idea what it was supposed to be.
The oldest and quietest was Sal Castillo. She sat hunched over the end of the table, staring at her knuckles and playing little part in the talking, despite attempts by the others to draw her in. Her eyes kept shifting to the door. She was the one who eventually broke up the gathering when she stood and announced her intention of going into town. After a fair amount of dithering, the others, as a group, decided to join her.
It was a short walk to the patrol’s favorite tavern in Highview. The seven women straggled along the road in an untidy bunch. Sal led the way purposefully; there was laughter and playful shoving in the rear. Katryn tagged along in the middle, walking next to Nikki, who ignored her. Apparently, the young woman was someone who nursed a grudge. Katryn could only hope that it would not last long.
The tavern was a two-story timber construction, much like every other building in Highview. It was identifiable by the beer keg hanging outside and the volume of noise within. As the door came into sight, Bo Hassan sidestepped over and put her arm around Katryn’s shoulder. “Now, this is probably the first time you’ve been out for an evening’s entertainment in a Ranger’s uniform.”
“Um…yes,” Katryn replied cautiously.
“You are in for a very interesting learning experience.”
“I...” Katryn’s voice trailed off in confusion.
“You may have heard the world is full of women who are dying for the chance to examine the contents of a Ranger’s uniform. Tonight, you can get to see how many and how much.” Bo pulled away slightly and looked at Katryn’s profile. “In fact, with your looks, you might even get to challenge Pat’s position as the squadron’s champion clit tickler.”
Pat Panayi was only a few steps ahead and heard the remark. She paused with her hand on the door of the tavern and looked back, smiling. “I reckon I can cope with the competition.”
“You want to make a competition of it?” Bo laughed. She mimed the actions of a race official. “Okay, first one to reach ten, starting…now.”
Katryn tried not to look offended. Luckily, the disruption as the group shifted around to file into the tavern gave her time to recover. Of course, she had heard of the Rangers’ reputation for promiscuity, but she had not thought of it in relation to herself. Casual sex had never interested Katryn, and she certainly was not in the mood to start, with her heart still raw over Allison. For some women, it might have provided a temporary salve for the pain. For herself, Katryn knew, it would merely be a reminder of what she had lost.
As she stepped through the doorway, Katryn was hit by a wave of heat and noise. Several voices called out as the Rangers were recognized. The tavern was doing good trade, but the Rangers managed to find a relatively clear spot in the corner. Katryn squeezed onto a bench at a table next to Jan. Bo and Sal also sat down, while the other three remained standing closer to the bar. Tina ordered the first round.
The drinks arrived quickly. Sal drained hers immediately—something that Tina evidently had expected, as a second tankard was ready. For a while, the conversation flitted over a disjointed succession of subjects before Bo and Jan got stuck in a debate about stable-duty rosters, which began lightheartedly but became more touchy. It was obviously something that Jan thought was important, while Bo was being deliberately provocative.
“Give her a rest, Jan.” Sal spoke up at last, smiling to remove any sting from her words. “She gets enough earache from Ellis.”
Katryn peered at the speaker. It was the most animated response she had heard yet from Sal. Then she noticed the three empty tankards by Sal’s hands. Katryn was still on her first drink and had not seen the third arrive. She looked back at Sal, for the first time picking up the signs she had learned to recognize from her work in the Militia. Sal Castillo was not yet lost to alcoholism, but she was well on the way. Surely, the others must know, yet nothing was being said. Katryn looked away to hide her surprise. She had expected the Rangers to be stricter about such things. Ellis had been so dogmatic about the high standards of the elite service.
The conversation had just started to move on again when angry voices erupted at the bar. Katryn jerked her head around to see an unknown woman squaring up to Tina Agosta. Tina was taller by a head, but the other woman was either too drunk or too furious to care. Almost before Katryn had noted the details, Jan was out of her seat and between the two adversaries. She put her hands on Tina’s shoulders. Not that the slight corporal could have restrained the larger Ranger physically, but she clearly had a calming effect, and Tina made no move as a couple of the other woman’s friends wisely bundled her away.
Jan returned to the table with Tina in tow. Katryn gave up her seat to make room. Bo also stood, and the two wandered over to the bar.
“What was that about?” Bo asked.
Pat shrugged. “That local thought Tina had been ogling her girlfriend. She said something, and Tina gave it back, with a bit added on for good measure. You know how drink can get Tina sometimes.”
“Was she ogling?”
“I don’t know about Tina, but I certainly was. The sweetie is well worth watching,” Pat said, grinning. She raised her tankard to her lips.
“Where’s Nikki?” Bo switched tack.
Pat pointed to two figures wedged into a dim corner nearby. “She’s found a friend. I think they’re cleaning each other’s tonsils.”
Bo glanced at them and then back. “It’s not usual for Nikki to get into action before you. Aren’t you being a bit slow tonight?”
“I’m being sporting to the competition. I thought I’d let Katryn get a head start. But if she doesn’t make a move soon, I’ll have to do something.”
Katryn blushed faintly as Pat and Bo both smirked in her direction. She shook her head. “It’s not my game.”
“Oh, come on! You’re a Ranger now.” Bo protested. “Say, I know what. Why don’t you make a play for that local’s girlfriend? Don’t worry if the woman gets nasty; I’m sure Tina would love an excuse to flatten her.”
Katryn started to smile and then realized that Bo wasn’t joking. Her blush deepened, now partly the effect of anger. She was saved from the need to answer by a loud voice at her elbow. “I knew I’d find you layabouts here.” Sergeant Ellis had arrived.
Flustered, Katryn turned and spoke without thinking. “Ma’am, it’s my round. Can I buy you a drink?”
Ellis looked her up and down as though she had said something absurd. “No.” Then she snorted and relaxed slightly, “And you’re off duty. My name’s Mel.” Ellis turned to the group at the table. “Jan, I need to talk to you back at the barracks. Something’s cropped up. But there’s no rush. Finish your drink in your own time.”
Despite Ellis’ words, Jan drained her tankard immediately and
stood up. “I’m ready.”
“Oh. Right.” Ellis seemed a little put out by the speed of the response. Her eyes scoured the group and finished on Pat Panayi. Her expression became softer but no less intense, and after the briefest hesitation, she beckoned Pat to one side with a jerk of her head. The two exchanged a few whispered sentences. Then Ellis stepped away and headed toward the door, with Jan hurrying to catch up behind her.
Pat watched them go and let out a long sigh. “I’d also not been making a move on anyone, since I had a feeling this would happen.”
Bo looked uncomfortable. Obviously, she understood what Pat meant; however, it did not take much tact for Katryn to know not to ask questions. Tina and Sal left the table and joined them at the bar.
Tina turned her head to look sideways at Katryn. “A word of advice. Ellis may have implied that you can call her Mel, but I wouldn’t recommend trying it. ‘Sarge’ is a safer bet if you can’t avoid her off duty.”
“Thanks,” Katryn said, trying to look more at ease than she felt. She could not afford to start judging the other members of the patrol; neither was it wise to isolate herself. She slipped her purse free from her belt. “Anyway, the offer still stands; it’s my round. What do you want to drink?”
Katryn turned to the bar, waiting to get the attention of the bar staff. Behind her, Bo started talking. “Now that Auntie Jan has gone, we can have some fun. Pat and I were just saying that Katryn ought to prove she’s up to the standards of B Patrol.”
“You had something in mind?” Tina asked.
“We certainly did. That woman who was annoying you…” Bo indicated with her thumb. “Katryn should give her something to really get upset about. Try to score with her girlfriend.”
Sal yelped with laughter and leaned against the bar. “And she deserves it. I can’t stand jealous women.”
Katryn clenched her teeth as the last remnants of fellow feeling for her comrades vanished. At the other side of the room was the couple in question. It did not help that the disputed girlfriend had a passing resemblance to Allison. Their smiles were identical.
Bo patted her back. “There you go, Katryn. A unanimous vote. Are you up for it?”
“No.” There was ice in Katryn’s tone, but no one seemed to notice.
Pat chipped in. “Why not? She isn’t that bad-looking.”
“Don’t worry; we’ll back you up if fists start flying,” Tina added.
“It’s nothing to do with the woman or her partner. I’m just not ready to…” Katryn’s voice died as she bit back her rising anger.
“Oh, you’re not going to tell us you’re nursing a broken heart for the woman you left behind, are you?” Bo screeched with laughter, oblivious to the accuracy of her taunt.
Katryn bit her lip.
“Do you know your problem?” Pat said. “You drink too slowly. If you’d been keeping up with Sal, you’d have lost all your inhibitions by now.”
“And probably the contents of your stomach as well,” Tina tagged on the end.
Bo leaned on the counter and looked at Katryn. The woman would not let things drop. “So…when are you going to make your move?”
“I’m not,” Katryn said grimly.
“Why not?” Pat said. “There’s no need to be nervous. With your looks and a Ranger’s uniform, you could have any woman in the tavern. Five dollars says the girlfriend falls into your arms.”
Katryn snapped. She spun around. “I don’t flirt with other people’s partners, certainly not on a bet. I don’t get drunk. I don’t pick fights for fun. And I don’t want to stay here any longer.” She slammed her money down on the counter. “When you get the bar staff’s attention, you can buy yourselves a drink on me. I’m going back to the barracks.” She started to stalk off, elbowing her way through the groups of drinkers to grab her cloak.
Behind her, Tina said softly, “Then you should have joined the Temple Guard rather than the Rangers.”
Katryn did not look back. The door of the tavern swung closed. Outside, it was cold, and a soft fall of snow had started. Katryn’s mood faded from anger to bitterness as she walked up the street, shoulders hunched. She stopped on the bridge and stared down at the ice-bound river. Things were not going well. All she had to do was say something unpleasant about Jan Sivarajah’s mother, and she would have set the whole patrol against her.
The cold wind attacked the tears that spilled down Katryn’s cheeks. Six months before, she had been happy, with a job she was good at and enjoyed. She’d had friends, a partner she loved, plans to become a mother. How had everything gone so wrong? It had to be a nightmare. The trouble was, she showed no signs of waking up.
*
The next day started with the bell ringing out over the barracks. Katryn rolled over and sat up. She had heard the other Rangers return some time during the night, but when she looked around the bunk room, she saw that two of the beds were empty. It did not take long to find out who was missing. Even before the chimes had died away, the door opened and Nikki trotted in, grinning broadly. Her appearance was greeted by a few ragged cheers and other, less polite noises.
The far door to the sergeant’s room opened, and Ellis emerged. “Wakey-wakey! Rise and shine!” Ellis’ voice made the words sound like a threat. She stopped by Katryn’s bunk and looked up. “Parade in twenty minutes. And Militia…” She used the word as though it were a name. “Look tidy. Make sure you get the buttons in the right holes—your sword belt not twisted. Get someone else to check your kit before you set foot outside.”
Katryn might have felt annoyed by the patronizing tone, but her thoughts were distracted by the sight of Pat Panayi slipping out of Ellis’ room and heading for her locker. Nobody else showed any surprise, though they all must have noticed. Ellis flung out a few more caustic comments and left the bunkhouse.
Tina wandered over and threw Katryn’s purse up onto her bunk. “Thanks for the offer, but we didn’t pay for the drinks with your money.” Tina’s expression and tone were both utterly blank, but Katryn already had enough of a feel for the woman to sense the underlying scorn.
Katryn merely nodded in reply. If she wanted to fit in with the rest of the patrol, she was going to have to make concessions, but there was no time for explanations, and Katryn was not sure whether she wanted to give them anyway.
Pat was standing by the wood-burning stove, warming herself before venturing out. She rolled her head back and pulled an expression halfway between a pout and a smile. “I think a good long wash is called for this morning.” She cast a further sideways look around the room, eyebrows raised, and left.
At first, it seemed that there would be no comment. Then Tina said calmly, “And we all know which Ranger won’t be shoveling shit out of the stables this month.”
*
Sergeant Ellis shouldered her way through the door of the barracks, grasping a fistful of letters. “It seems as if your mommies haven’t forgotten about you after all!” Ellis shouted. Her face held a wide smile, but it was artificial—no more than a mechanical device to show that she was not currently angry with anyone. Even that much of a concession to friendliness fell away when she stopped by Katryn. During the ten days Katryn had been in the patrol, their relationship had not improved.
Ellis’ lips twisted in taunting scorn. She held up a letter. “Do you reckon that this is for you?” There was something challenging in the tone; however, Katryn scarcely noticed in the shock of seeing the handwriting. In Allison’s slanting scrawl were the words
Sergeant Katryn Nagata
Ranger Headquarters
Fort Krowe
Katryn only just remembered to reply, “Yes, ma’am,” as she took the letter. Ellis continued to glare at her, but the others were waiting for their post, showing as much impatience as they dared, and the sergeant eventually turned away.
Katryn jumped up onto her bunk and sat cross-legged, staring at the outer sheet of paper, oblivious to the noise and laughter in the barracks. Someone had drawn a squ
iggle through the bottom two lines and written 12th Squadron, Highview Barracks instead. Katryn wondered how long it had taken the redirected letter to reach its destination; presumably, it had only just missed her at Fort Krowe. She toyed with the idea of returning it unopened, but not seriously. She had to know what the letter said.
Her hands were shaking as she broke open the seal with her thumb. The three sheets of paper were densely covered in Allison’s handwriting. Katryn spread them flat and began to read.
My darling Kat:
I’ve been stupid; I know I have. Can you ever forgive me? How could I have thought your sister was in any way a match for you? I feel as if I have lost all right to say this, but I love you…
Katryn put down the letter. Tears—partly of pain, partly of anger—blurred her vision. She did not need to read any more to know that Cy had tired of another rag doll.
Chapter Eleven—Misunderstandings
“Hey, Militia.”
Katryn looked up from putting the finishing touches on polishing her boots in acknowledgement of what had become her nickname. Sergeant Ellis was standing over her. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Captain Dolokov wants to see you right away in her office.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Katryn quickly pulled her boots on and headed toward the door of the bunk room. Just as she reached it, Ellis spoke again. “Someone’s reported a lost dog.”
Scattered laughter rippled around the room. Katryn looked back, wondering whether the summons was real or whether Ellis was merely pulling her leg. “Does the captain really want to see me, ma’am?”
Rangers at Roadsend Page 13
