A Soldier’s Passion

by Jon Cunningham

  “Thank you, love,” I murmured kissing Vincent’s temple. “You take good care of us.”

  “Don’t you forget it,” Vincent replied.

  “Like you’d let us,” Bobby replied. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yes, you may do all the dishes,” Vincent said magnanimously.

  “Seriously, dork.”

  “Go ahead,” I interjected.

  “If I were to enlist,” Bobby began. “Would I still get to come home on weekends?”

  Vincent’s face froze for a second. Then, he sighed heavily, but he didn’t look away.

  “No,” Vincent replied. “Not for a long while.”

  “Why?” Bobby asked. “I thought you stayed at the base, because Mom and Dad were gone.”

  “No...the procedure is difficult. There is always a chance of complications,” I said. “For the length of the process, the Altered is in quarantine. If there are other Alterds going through the process, you have company. Otherwise, you’re alone.”

  “I was,” Vincent said.

  “As I was,” I added. “We may be able to visit, because we’ll be researching the process. We can even bring food.”

  “Damned right,” Vincent muttered.

  “Once you enter basic training, you’re with your new squad for eight weeks,” I said. “It’s best not to visit then either, because you need to bond with them and build trust with your squad leader.”

  “You’ll have some leave between basic and special forces training,” Vincent said. “We would see you during the special forces training because we’re going to be part of it.”

  “But we can’t play favorites,” I cautioned. “In fact, your connection could cause you some grief. You’ll have to prove you’re one of the squad more than a few times.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “You have a lot of information your squad won’t have because you’ve been listening to us,” Vincent said. “Don’t share that.”

  “Don’t be a know-it-all,” Bobby said. “Got it.”

  “And take the shit jobs with the rest of them,” Vincent said. “Never let the squad leaders give you special treatment.”

  “Take the disciplinary hit they get ticked off,” I said. “But don’t take any abuse. If you’re not sure what’s what, you can come to us.”

  “Not to contradict you, but I never came to you when I was being hassled,” Vincent said.

  “You didn’t have to. I could read you well enough to know someone was bothering you and usually who it was,” I replied with a smug smile. “But I won’t be around all the time for Bobby.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, if I decide to do it,” Bobby said. “Thanks for talking about this. I know you don’t want to.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Vincent said. “We want you to be prepared, so we’ll tell you anything you want to know. I just wanted you to have it easier than I did.”

  “I know there isn’t much chance of getting shot at or blown up in college and in civilian life, but I don’t think it will be that easy,” Bobby said thoughtfully. “Most of my school- mates are getting ulcers over what college to attend or having enough activities to make it into the right company or something. And I’ve met some of the graduates who have great careers. They don’t all seem happy.”

  “And we do?” Vincent said. “You know what we’ve been facing just this week.”

  “You are happy with what you’ve accomplished,” he countered simply. “You are proud of your skills. After the skirmish at the pub, I could feel how much serving meant to you and the other soldiers.”

  I looked at Vincent and shrugged. “He’s very astute.”

  “Yeah...okay, Mr. Astute. Let’s do the dishes,” Vincent said. “And I’ll actually help.”

  My cell phone rang as I moved back to the sofa. I was planning on writing some letters, but the number flashing onscreen changed my mind.

  “Good evening, General,” I said.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting another meal,” Braun said.

  “We’ve just finished.”

  “Good. I must apologize for my behavior earlier. You took me by surprise,” he explained. “Were you given a tip about Mueller and the Market incident?”

  “No. Actually Bobby Greven thought it up,” I replied. “It seemed like a plausible theory.”

  “He’s very clever,” Braun admitted. “We had to follow the money down a lot of alleys to get to the same place.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I know he is a good friend.”

  “Thank you, but it’s not necessary,” Braun said. “We’ll have him brought up on charges Monday before the Tribunal.”

  “Thank you for keeping me informed,” I said. “And now I have a request.”

  “Oh?”

  “We’d like you to come to dinner on Wednesday,” I said. “I’ll be inviting Dr. Auerbach and Eloise Kramer along with two from my squad.”

  “Is she doing a story on the dinner?”

  “No, it’s a way of getting to know the players in the Foundation in an informal way,” I said. “The food will be great.”

  “That’s what I’ve heard. Can I bring anything?”

  “We always need good wine. Let’s say 1900 hours?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  I turned on the TV just in time to catch the weather. A really nasty nor’easter was on the forecast complete with sleet and hail. The storm was a slow mover, so it could last into Monday. We needed to bring in wood from the shed for the livingroom hearth and the wood stoves in the bedrooms. I was really glad we’d had the new shutters put in and that we had a brand new generator as part of the security system. Vincent had been right to stock up on food.

  “I’m going to the shed to get some wood,” I called toward the kitchen.

  “Okay...”

  I pulled on a sweater then headed outside. There was a sharp bite in the air, and I could smell rain coming. By the second armload, Vincent was at the door.

  “Put these in Bobby’s room,” I said. We filled the bins in our room and the livingroom with enough for a few days.

  “What’s with all the wood?” Vincent asked as I locked the door and set the alarms.

  “Big storm is coming,” I replied. “There’ll be heavy rain, sleet and a lot of wind.”

  “Do we have enough wood?”

  “’Till Tuesday, easily,” I said. “We warm the bedrooms in the early evening and it’ll be fine all night. And we can huddle close.”

  “Sounds good to me. Who called?” Vincent asked as we settled on the sofa under the throw blanket with our cognacs.

  “General Braun called to tell us that Bobby was right about Mueller,” I replied as I eased our bodies together. “He goes before the Tribunal on Monday to face serious charges. And he’ll bring wine on Wednesday.”

  “Mueller is a whack job, but I wonder if putting him away will end this,” Vincent muttered. “I think I’ll make stew again. That feeds a crowd.”

  “Tastes good, too,” I added.

  “Maybe I’ll make a dessert,” Vincent mused. “Do you think the storm will pass by Tuesday?”

  “It should,” I replied. “Don’t worry. We’ll get everything in time.”

  “We’d better,” he retorted playfully as he nuzzled me.

  “Where’s Bobby – chained to the sink?”

  “He’s e-mailing his teachers for his assignments,” Vincent replied, swatting me upside my head. I squeezed him in response then kissed his temple.

  The weather report repeated a few moments later followed by a preview of Ms. Kramer next report. Bobby was suddenly in the room at the sound of her voice.

  “This week, my series of reports on the lives and service of the Military’s Altered Forces took me to a field exercise against elite conventional forces. I had an unprecedented look at how the units fight and interact and unfortunately, how they mourn a loss of their own.”

  Of course the main image they used was the flying tank. I was shie
lding us both while sending a surge of power through Vincent allowing him to deflect the truck with one foot.

  “Wow! How did you do that?” Bobby exclaimed. “That was awesome!”

  “Body chemistry,” I replied. “We still don’t know how it works.”

  “I don’t think it matters,” Vincent declared languidly. “It just is. I hope we never know.”

  “So no one can try to make it happen?” I asked.

  “Yeah...no one could force this to work,” Vincent murmured cuddling close. “Did you get your assignments?”

  “Sure. I got them for the week, but how long will I be cooped up?”

  “General Mueller will be brought before the tribunal on Monday,” I said. “I think you should stay out of school for the week, but we can go out on workouts after Wednesday.”

  “I’ll need your help with the dinner party. We’re having Ms. Kramer over, you know,” Vincent said.

  “I know you’re using me as free labor,” Bobby muttered.

  “I’m teaching you a valuable skill,” Vincent countered. “Someday, you’ll want to make a meal for a date.”

  Bobby considered that for a few moments.

  “Okay...okay,” Bobby said.

  I wasn’t sure about containing all that energy in a small house for a week, but I knew it wouldn’t be dull.

  ***

  The storm blew in sometime in the middle of the night. The air was charged with electricity. It wasn’t unusual for me to wake for a moment or two before acclimating to the new energy levels. But something tugged at my senses beyond the storm and the alarm’s perimeter. Vincent woke as well.

  “You feel it, too,” Vincent whispered.

  “Someone is testing the system,” I said.

  “Do you want to fight them?”

  “No. I have an idea...let’s go to the livingroom.”

  We pulled on our robes then crept into the chilly, dark room.

  “This should be easy with all the energy in the air,” I said. “Power up.”

  In seconds, energy was crackling between us.

  “Channel it out from the house through the floor,” I said.

  We smacked out hands to the floor and sent a shockwave that covered ground out to the road. There were very loud yelps from the end of the driveway. Seconds later, we heard a vehicle screech off.

  “The beauty is that they’ll think it’s the alarm system,” I said with a grin.

  Vincent grunted something before lunging at me to take a searing, claiming kiss. I groaned loudly into his mouth before catching him up in my arms. The energy between us was crackling along our nerves in an electrified foreplay. I managed to carry him into the room, shut the door and get to bed without tripping or making much noise beyond the gasps and moans.

  We were frenzied with each other, stripping off our robes while refusing to break the kiss. Vincent writhed against me, begging to be taken immediately. I held him down even as he arched against me, reigning in what was left of my control to carefully prep him. My lover was still incredibly tight. As much as I wanted to just shove inside him, I couldn’t if it meant causing pain. When I finally sheathed myself in his heat, the glow returned. We didn’t last long at that level of intensity. Our climax caused another shock wave.

  I was still inside Vincent trying to catch my breath when there was a tentative knock at the door.

  “You guys feel that? You okay?” Bobby asked in a groggy voice.

  “We’re okay,” Vincent managed to say. “It’s just the storm.”

  “Oh...okay...goodnight.”

  “Goodnight,” Vincent replied breathlessly.

  I gently pulled out of my lover with just enough energy to cover our bodies and clutch him close. We didn’t so much fall asleep as abruptly succumb to it.

  Rain was falling down in sheets the next morning. The water sizzled and popped against the electrified alarm barrier. The room was chilly. Vincent was plastered all over me for warmth.

  “We can’t go at each other like that on the battlefield or while training cadets,” I said softly. I couldn’t hide the amusement in my voice.

  He laughed.

  “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. We usually expend all the energy in our bodies in a fight or a spar,” he replied in a muffled voice.

  “True,” I said. “That was incredible. But, my beautiful thrill seeker, is that the only way you’ll want me?”

  One amber eye peered at me through disheveled blond hair.

  “I’ll blame your idiocy on lack of coffee,” Vincent mumbled before leveraging up my body.

  He pressed against me, giving me a good feel of his erection.

  “Do you feel that?” Vincent whispered against my lips.

  “Yes... please...”

  He kissed me before I could finish pleading. Then, I forgot what I was going to say. I lost myself in a long kiss as I carded my fingers through his hair. Vincent made love to me with barely controlled hunger. He didn’t hurt me, but it was clear that he was not interested in foreplay. I was given no time to think as he bent my body so he could kiss me while he pumped into me. Afterward, Vincent wrapped his body around mine possessively while his lips tugged at my earlobe.

  “What were you saying?” he asked. I could still feel him throbbing in me.

  “I’m an idiot?” I offered.

  “Let’s get some coffee in you.”

  The day was a strangely productive one for all the misery outside. The storm howled outside dumping rain and then sleet on the soggy ground. No one was out on the roads save for official vehicles. We were fortunate not to have lost power.

  I didn’t bother reporting the attempted incursion. It was doubtful that there would be another attempt before the storm ended. I also didn’t want Remak or anyone else trying to get over here in all that bad weather. Nor did I want someone guarding us in a cold damp car when we had all those amps between an intruder and us.

  We lit the fires in the hearths and helped Vincent heat food that made the house smell wonderful. In between meals, we all read in the livingroom under blankets. Vincent and I had a lot of material to review for the Foundation, and Bobby had his assignments. Of course, there were moments when my eyelids grew heavy and I would drop off for a few moments. After lunch, I gave in to the urge, buried my nose in Vincent’s hair and went to sleep.

  It was only 1600 hours when I woke, but it looked a lot later. Vincent was still reading wrapped in my embrace.

  “Sorry to fall out like that,” I said sheepishly. “I’m acting like an old man.”

  “Yeah, right,” Vincent muttered. “You were young enough last night and this morning. Besides, look...”

  I followed Vincent’s pointing finger to see Bobby snoring softly in the easy chair. His book was spread across his chest.

  “It’s that kind of day,” Vincent said.

  By the time the news story ran, all three of us were upright and relatively focused. I hoped the report would be interesting enough to fight the turkey leftovers we were stuffed with. Ms. Kramer was very business-like as she appeared in front of a solemn black backdrop.

  “Being an Altered soldier in combat is extremely dangerous,” she began. “Even a training exercise has the potential to be lethal.”

  The report detailed the set-up for the skirmish. Ms. Kramer interviewed with Colonel Halpern, my counterpart in Conventional Special forces. General Braun spoke for me in my absence that morning. Ms. Kramer explained our being missing as a battle tactic. There was a great deal of surprise in the bunker when Vincent and I appeared. There was shock amongst the brass present at how we fought, particularly the energy exchange involved in deflecting the tank. The cameras only activated by expended energy from a weapon or from an Altered. That was why the confrontation with Raden began with his attack, not the verbal spar just before. The boulder’s explosion and subsequent flying shrapnel were the first images. The camera stayed on us as we reacted and cut off as I fell to my knees.

  “Every decisi
on an Altered soldier makes is split second. Every decision is life or death,” Ms. Kramer continued. General Braun and Dr. Auerbach theorized that Raden did not know whom he was attacking because of the morning mist and smoke from the weapons, nor did he pay attention to the counter-attack. The speculation was that he was already moving to his next target when he was hit by our return salvo. It was a very plausible explanation that laid blame on no one.