For Love or Country

by Jesse Jordan

  “Nope, what's on your mind, Simon?” Mike asks. He's a good guy, and has done a good job as company commander this semester. “You ready for that Honor Class with the Plebes tomorrow?”

  I step inside and take a seat on his footlocker, leaning back against the footboard of his bed. I don't know why, I like sitting on footlockers more than chairs. “Not a problem there. No, I wanted to ask you about Sandhurst.”

  Mike grins, sitting back in his chair. “I wondered when you'd come by on that. I heard your rep before you joined I-1, you tore the course up as a Yuk in your old company. What's up?”

  “Well, what're we looking at so far? I mean, there's you and I, but that's still nine more slots to put up, and two of those need to be female in case one of the girls gets hurt.”

  Mike hums, nodding. “Yeah, we're looking good on the male side, we've actually got twelve guys who want to go for it, us included. But we're short on the female side.”

  “Really?” I ask, surprised. “You mean King doesn't want to? I figured she'd be charging the damn course, she's such a fireplug.”

  “A fireplug who's going out for the submission grappling team next semester,” Mike explains. It makes sense, Cara is a beast with a build perfect for wrestling, she's got better traps than a lot of the guys in the company. “I asked her about it, but she said nope. Said she wanted to twist some arms, work off some frustration. I can't fault her for that, so... got any ideas on who to recruit?”

  I think about it, then nod. “Yeah... what about Carlyle?”

  “Red?” Mike asks, referring to Carlyle's nickname. Better than JR, the name some joker in G-1 called her, after Jessica Rabbit. I had to straighten that shit out real quick, I won't accept that sort of disrespect. “You sure? I mean, I know she's impressed you Simon, but think she can hold up?”

  “I think so. Besides, do you know her rifle score from Beast? She hit a thirty seven during week three of Beast, man. That's some pretty impressive shit,” I admit. “She took advanced swimming, got an A in it, and she's got the right attitude, man. Seriously, I don't think she's got the natural talent for being a super high rank in the Corps, but she's never going to quit on us.”

  Mike hums, then nods. “Okay. I'll let you talk to her then. I'm going to talk to Betty Lawton, she's a good athlete. Her military skills are a bit lacking, but she tabbed her IOCT. That's hardcore shit.”

  I shrug, not impressed. I know Betty, she's flirted with me a few times, but since the beginning of the academic year, for some reason I've been backing off on my playing. It's not like I'm losing interest in girls. But for a reason I won’t even admit to myself, I’ve stopped being a player.

  I don't know if I'd want Betty on the squad. She's a great athlete, but she's a fucking rock in the water, she barely scraped through Plebe swimming if I remember right. Looks great in a swimsuit, but that suit ends up on the bottom of the damn pool far too easily. “If you think, Mike. You know her better than I do. But head to head, I'd put my money on Carlyle. Those two ever throw down, I think Carlyle'd scrap harder than Betty.”

  “That's fine, man. We'll talk about it as the training progresses. First we've got to get them on the team. You don't mind though, I've got a paper to knock out , and then me and the boys are going to go down to the day room, watch wrestling. You game?”

  I shake my head, not all that interested. According to what some old grads told us back in September, the Monday Night Wrestling Crew stretches back twenty years or more. I like traditions, but still, not my scene. “Nah, man. Thanks though.”

  “Okay, so quick one minute review,” Major Campos, our TAC officer, asks, looking around at the collection of Plebes in the day room. “Price, gimmie the Honor Code.”

  Price, who's perhaps the shyest Plebe I've ever known, speaks up. She's the complete opposite of Mike Price, sharing only a last name even if they aren't related. “Sir, a cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do.”

  “Exactly,” Major Campos says, looking around. “Now, so far this year, we've covered the basics. Not a problem to figure out what a basic lie is, you all have known that since you were about four or five years old.”

  There's a little laugh around the Plebes, which I'm glad for. Despite the stuffy image and the intimidation that the Honor Committee has, I want them to relax and really feel it. We're not the Spanish Inquisition.

  “Good. But there's areas that we're going to get into over the next three years that gets more difficult. I'll turn it over to Cadet Lancaster now. Simon?”

  I give the Major a nod, waiting for him to take a seat in the back of the day room. “Okay everyone, let's talk cheating. Here in the Academy, what constitutes cheating?”

  The answers are predictable, and boring. Yes, sneaking notes into a class, copying someone else's paper, intentionally not citing your stuff properly, all pretty clear, and all of them covered months before. “Okay, all good answers, and all things that'll get you in the hack here at USMA. But I want to ask you all something. Is there a time when cheating is not only allowed, but perhaps encouraged?”

  The Plebes sit for a while, thinking, then Carlyle of all people raises her hand. “Sir.... what about in war?”

  “How so?” I ask, encouraged.

  “Well sir, the whole point of war is to take advantage of your enemy,” Carlyle says. “We use technology all the time. Better radar, night vision, better... well, just better stuff to beat our enemy. We even intentionally lie and use unfairness in our war tactics. Some could call that cheating.”

  I nod, impressed. “Good point. Where else? Even here in the Academy, where is being unfair not cheating?”

  It's a good discussion, and as the hour goes on, the Plebes are looking thoughtful, which is what I want. They're growing past the 'monkey see, monkey do' stage of the cadet experience, and I like seeing them thinking. “To wrap up, let's review. There are some inherently unfair things that the Honor Code does not see as cheating. Just because Galloway is six foot four and Justino is five foot nothin', doesn't mean Galloway's cheating if they play basketball. And yes, if you have an advantage within the rules that you can exploit in a sport or other competition, you use it. Okay, I know you all have finals next week, I'll let you get to studying. Dismissed. Carlyle, wait up a moment.”

  There's a few jokes for Carlyle as she sits back down, and Major Campos holds fast too. He's big into Sandhurst, and he probably knows what I'm going to talk with Carlyle about. “Relax, Carlyle. I just wanted to ask you about something.”

  “Sir?” Carlyle replies, and I can see it in the way she looks at me, not intimidated or freaked out, but just measuring. She's the person I want on the team, she won't crack. There’s something else there, and the forbidden little whisper in my head repeats itself. She’s more than cute, and I’ve had a challenge being professional with her as her squad leader.

  “I don't know if you are aware, but I'm the lead Cow for the Sandhurst team,” I tell her, giving her a smile. Normally around unrecognized Plebes my straight laced side comes out, but Carlyle is different. “What do you know about it?”

  “Military competition sir, between the companies in the Corps and some outside teams. Gavin did it back when he was here,” she says, and Major Campos sits up, interested.

  “Excuse me, Carlyle. I don't mean to interrupt, I noticed the name before. But... Gavin Carlyle, was he in G-3 as a Firstie?”

  Carlyle turns, surprised. “Sir? You knew Gavin?”

  “I was in G-3 my Plebe and Yuk years. I heard about his accident... my condolences. He was a good man, Ashley.”

  Carlyle swallows and nods gratefully. “Thank you, sir. But, Cadet Lancaster, why me for Sandhurst?”

  “Because we need two women to step up,” I tell her honestly. “Cadet Price's going to talk to Lawton, but I don't think she'll keep up when the mud hits the boots. Yeah, she's got a better APFT than you, but you've... you've shown me grit. And you shoot really well, something that can make the difference in the comp
etition. It'll qualify as your Intramural credit for second semester, but it also takes up a lot of your military days too. So it's not easy, but it's worth it. What do you say?”

  Carlyle thinks about it for a moment, then nods. “I'm game, sir. When do we start?”

  “Formal practice will start during Winter Intercession, but I'd advise you to get workouts in starting ASAP. The Sandhurst is four hours long. When do you have gymnastics for DPE?”

  “Next cycle, sir. Is it helpful?”

  I nod. “Put it this way, everything we'll do in Sandhurst, you'll do in gymnastics. Don't sweat it now, but come January we'll get some extra work in on it all. I'm not guaranteeing you a slot on the team, but you'll be squared away for summer, I can guarantee you that.”

  Carlyle gives me a smile, and again I'm struck by just how pretty this girl can be when she smiles. She might have major RBF, but when she smiles, she makes my blood run a lot warmer than I’ve felt in a while. Still, she's an unrecognized Plebe, and one who is in my squad to boot. I can’t do a thing. “Okay, sir. I'll get the workouts in starting tomorrow. Can I get workout tips?”

  “Sure. I'll send you an e-mail with a training plan tonight. For now, go get some dinner,” I tell her, and Carlyle gets up, heading out of the day room. After she leaves, I look over at Major Campos, who's giving the now empty door an interesting look. “Any thoughts, sir?”

  The Major nods. He's not much of a talker, he's more of a hard charging kick ass type, and he's in his last year as a TAC officer. “I wasn't sure, and to be honest I didn't check because I didn't want to be unfair to her or the other Plebes. But... she's a lot like her brother. You're extraordinarily fortunate to have her as one of your Plebes, Simon.”

  “Thank you, sir. What was her brother like?” I ask, and the Major laughs before growing serious and contemplative.

  “Funny. Intense, too. He was the sort of dedicated fool that'd sacrifice his life giving his poncho and gear to the other guys in his patrol, so that they can live while he freezes to death in a Florida swamp,” the Major says softly, shaking his head. “Never, ever doubt that Ashley Carlyle doesn't come from a strong background. And I suspect that come Sandhurst, you're right, she'll be the female on the team while Lawton cheers on from the sidelines.”

  Ashley

  I'm rushing up the stairs, sweating lightly even though it's below freezing outside. The problem is that my second period class is Psychology, which is on the second floor of Thayer Hall, while my third period class is all the way up on the fifth floor of Washington Hall. That’s a long way apart.

  I get into class with seconds to spare. We start class quickly, with the instructor, a visiting Captain in the French Army going off most of the time in liquid French that's about twenty percent faster than anything we listened to last semester.

  “So, zhe key is to focus on your subject,” the instructor says in one of his few bursts of English. Unfortunately, I think I'd prefer if he stayed in French, because his accent is so thick I can barely understand a damn thing he's saying. “And remember zat zhe conjugation flows from your subject.”

  I struggle to keep up, but I know about halfway through the class that the only way can is if I bust my ass studying at night. Well, at least there's plenty of resources to help me practice. Hell, if anything I can talk with Cadet Lancaster, he's a foreign language major.

  After class, I'm heading down the hall when I hear someone call my name. “Yo, Carlyle, wait up.”

  I turn around and it's a Cow from class. We sat on opposite sides of the room, but up close I can't help but think he’s handsome-ish. About six feet tall, with a body that's obviously seen the good side of a weight room pretty often, he's got sandy blond hair and a handsome face, kinda looking like a young Brad Pitt. “Sir?”

  “Cade Edwards,” he says, waving off the sir. “I saw the way you looked in class. Let me guess, you're feeling like you just got chucked into the deep end of the pool?”

  “How'd you guess, sir?” I reply, smiling. Okay, maybe it's a bit of a stretching of the rules, but I haven't had a guy do more than yell at me or call me by my last name since July. Well, there’s Cadet Lancaster, but he was my squad leader… I can’t think of him as a guy. Cade’s obviously flirting with me, and to be honest, I've missed it. “Was it the sign on my forehead that said I have no damn clue what the instructor said?”

  Cade laughs, nodding. “Something like that. Listen, I was wondering... well, French isn't my main language, that's Chinese, but maybe we can help each other out. I saw the roster, you're in I-1, right?”

  “Right, sir,” I say, before Cade shakes his head. “What?”

  “Drop the sir act in the class area with me,” he says, shrugging. “I hated that my entire time as a Plebe. I did a year and some change active duty before I got in here. Seriously, Central Area do what you need to do to avoid fire, but up here, chill out.”

  “O… okay,” I say, realizing after all this time it's harder than I thought. I guess some of that cadet act soaks into you after all. “How did you find it?”

  Cade shrugs and gives me a mischievous smile. “Not too bad. But, I was thinking... well, how about you come by my room tonight, we can review what Captain Le Peu spewed today? Say, after nineteen thirty?”

  I can't help it, I lick my lips a little, it's a habit I've had since I was a kid, and it's held me pretty well when guys try and hit on me. “Uh... sure. Where do you live?”

  “Bradley, room 224,” Cade says with a smile. “And come in your PTs, it'd be easier on you. You can relax in my room, just be on the bounce outside of it, okay?”

  “Okay,” I reply, and he smiles. It's wolfish, a little daring, and I gotta admit it's flattering. “I'll see you there.”

  Cade nods and turns. “Okay. As for me, off to Chinese. Trust me when I say that sucks. See you tonight.”

  I have fourth period off, which is nice since that means I'm totally prepared for lunch formation. I get back to my room and set my books down, yawning a little. My shoes for lunch are already shined, so I take out my history book for my after lunch class period and start reading. I'm surprised when Tamara knocks on my door about halfway through the hour, she and I aren't rooming this semester. “Hey, Ash?”

  Tamara's the only person in the entire company who calls me by my first name, and I like her, even if she is painfully shy with everyone else. I know she's already having problems with her current roommate, and I feel bad for her. “Come on in, Tammy. You have fourth period off too?”

  Tamara nods, and sits down on my footlocker. “Yeah, I just hate going back to my room without needing too. Not quite as much fun as last semester.”

  “I gotcha,” I tell her, closing my book. “You and Breisling not getting along still?”

  “Nope. Total Cold War ever since we caught two hours punishment apiece for that mess in the sink,” Tamara says, sighing. “She's barely talking to me at all since then.”

  I shake my head, knowing about the incident. I think a little blame could go to both girls, I mean Tammy was in a rush when she shouldn't have been and didn't wipe out her mess from brushing her teeth, but I suspect that Breisling screwed up in not checking the sink before she left the room too. Either way, it was only two hours. “Damn. Well, you can hang here for a while. Aren't you calling minutes this week?”

  Tammy nods, blushing. “They put me outside Cadet King's room. She says that me having quiet minutes is a good thing, she hates it being too loud. She's actually really nice in her own way, she came out and talked to me yesterday.”

  “You mean she's nice in a butch way?” I ask, broaching the subject. Tammy blushes, and I decide it's time to have the talk that I've been meaning to have with her since about two weeks into last semester. Getting up, I close my door. “Let's talk, Tammy. You and me, we were roomies since R-day, right?”

  “Yeah,” Tammy admits. “You spent a lot of time in Beast and last semester saving my ass. Why is that?”

  I sit down in my chair and l
ean back, letting my elbows relax on the arm rests. “Tammy, did you know that back in Beast, I thought I'd end up the first half with only one roomie, that you'd be one of those that would quit? You didn't, and I saw something that most of these idiots around here haven't seen, maybe because most of the Corps came here straight from the stupidity of high school drama. Where are you from again?”

  “Idaho,” Tammy says, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Ketchum, Idaho.”

  “Population?”

  “Two thousand, eight hundred, and twenty three,” Tammy replies.

  I hum, nodding. “So I'm guessing that growing up, there weren't too many girls like you around?”

  Tammy looks up at me, half scared. “What do you mean, girls like me?”

  I cock an eyebrow and smirk. “Tammy, my college in Washington has a freshman class bigger than Ketchum, Idaho. You don't think I met a few girls who were at least bisexual if not full out lesbians? I even got hit on by a girl in my dorm, and more than one girl in the dorm ended up doing a little experimenting. So chill, I'm not worried about it.”

  Tammy bites her lip, then sighs. “Thanks. I guess I'm just worried that the word would get out. And I'm not totally lez, I've been with a guy. I guess you could call me... well, I don't know what to call myself. Just....”

  “Just you've been crushing on me for a little while,” I interrupt her gently. “And I'll be honest, it's flattering even if I’m not vibing the same way. You've got a lot to offer a guy or girl you're into, Tammy.”

  Tammy blushes, then looks at me out of the side of her eyes. “So you don't mind that I want to hang out with you a lot?”

  I shake my head, relaxing and smiling. “Nope. Everyone needs a friend, and I am happy to be yours. Long as we recognize that friends is all we are going to be. I'm not going to lead you on, and I won't play you either.”

  Tammy smiles again, then nods. “I can live with that. Besides, my crush is kinda fading.”

  “Oh really?” I tease, raising an eyebrow. “And you wouldn't be thinking of a pretty muscular studette of a former first sergeant now, are you?”