“That may be but I know there’s something on your mind.” She sat up in the bed. “You’re going to tell me what when I return.”
Kimberly got out the bed and walked to the bathroom. He smiled at her nakedness and how comfortable she was with her body. Before long, she returned to the bed next to him.
“So?” she said.
“I was thinking about how happy I am to have found you.”
“Is that right? You know what happens in training stays in training stuff.”
He looked at her long and hard. “I hope you don’t even believe that. This isn’t some fly by the night thing.”
She kissed him. “It was a joke. I’m sorry, babe. The way you hold and care for me, I know it’s more. It’s just hard for me to believe.”
“You better get used to it. I’m in for the long haul.”
“Oh really?
He nodded.
“Have you ever been with a black woman before?”
She caught him off guard. “No, have you been with a white man?”
“I’ve never had the opportunity. I’ll take any man who treats me with respect and looks at me the way you do.”
Jonathan wrapped her in his arms. Her words made his heart flutter.
“There is something I need to tell you though.” His smile faded.
“Do I want to know?” she frowned.
“Yes. I came to OCS because a drill sergeant sleeping with trainees’ scandal was getting ready to blow up. Over six people were about to be indicted.”
“Oh my God. Were you sleeping with a trainee?” She covered her mouth.
“No. My Sergeant Major didn’t want me involved. There was a girl who tried to come on to me. I was smart enough to report it at the first instance, but another Drill Sergeant did take her up on the offer. If I stayed, it would have been guilt by association. I took the lessor of the evils and left. I had to save my career.”
“I’m so sorry, baby.” She hugged him tight.
“I’m fine. It was time for a change anyway. Besides, I wouldn’t have met you.” He smiled.
“That’s right. So, what exactly does the long haul entail?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” He kissed her neck. “For now, I want some more of your body.”
Jonathan rolled her on top of him. Their kisses became more sensual. She took control and worked her hips on him. Being inside of her sent so many emotions through him. He wanted her to be his and only his.
She tossed her head back and rocked her body back and forth on him. Her movements made him moan with pleasure.
“You like that?” she said.
“Yes.”
“You like how I ride you?”
“Yes.”
Kimberly’s dirty talk was driving him wild. He flipped her over and on her back. His rod slid into her. Kimberly squeezed her vaginal walls and butt cheeks against him and began milking him.
He’d never had anyone work him like that. The sensation was too much.
“I’m going to cum.”
“Cum for me, daddy!
They cried out. She pumped against him until they reached their climax.
He collapsed on top of her and moved to the side. He didn’t want crush her small frame. “What are you trying to do to me?”
“Giving you something to think about while we’re in the field. We better get showered up and head back.” She climbed out of the bed and pulled him out with her.
They made their way into the shower. The reality of returning to base set in. Jonathan kept the shower short by keeping his hands to himself. Finishing up, they prepared to leave the hotel.
“I’m going to have them put the hotel charges on me,” he told her. “You go ahead and call a cab and get back. I’ll see you there soon.”
After giving her one last kiss, he let her out the room. He waited a few moments before heading out himself. The smiling clerk greeted him as he checked out the room. He handed his car to her.
“You have a good weekend?” Harvey walked up behind him.
“Nothing like a little R and R.” Jonathan finished up and put the receipt in his pocket.
“Hold up. We can ride back together.”
Jonathan would have rather not but agreed anyway. He waited for Harvey, and they shared a cab.
“Did you see Woodson any?” he asked.
“I stayed in my room,” Jonathan said.
“It wasn’t my plan, but that’s how it turned out for me too. Once my body felt the bed, it was over for me. I did want to check on her and see how she was doing. She seemed pretty shook up. I don’t blame her. The guy was a jerk.”
Jonathan stared out the window while Harvey went on. He hoped he did enough to relax her and bring her some form of comfort. Going through a divorce can be draining. He knew it firsthand.
The cab pulled up close to their barracks. They paid him and exited. He smiled when he saw Kimberly standing around, talking with the rest of their platoon.
“You have a good weekend?” she asked.
He nodded.
The Student Sergeant Major broke up the mingling. “Woodson, Harvey, the Commander wants you in his office now.”
Jonathan saw Kimberly’s smile replaced with a look a dread. She glanced at him and took off in a jog inside the building. He was overcome with worry for her. Something was wrong.
Chapter Seventeen
Trepidation coursed through her body as Kimberly and Harvey walked down the hall to the Commander’s office. It was hard for her to swallow. She had shortness of breath, and her stomach did summersaults.
They reached the Commander’s door. It was closed. Kimberly knocked three times and stood at parade rest.
“Yes,” came the voice on the other side.
“Candidates Woodson and Harvey reporting as ordered, sir,” she said.
“Enter.”
She turned the knob and pushed open the door. On the other side sat the Commander, Captain Brown, and her husband. Lightheadedness overcame her, but she managed to hold her bearing.
She and Harvey walked directly in front and centered on the Commander’s desk and gave him a salute.
He saluted back. “Sergeant First Class Woodson, is this the other candidate you saw your wife with?”
“Yes, sir, that is him.” Charles cast a glare at Kimberly and Harvey.
“Candidates Woodson and Harvey, it’s come to my attention you were both seen at a hotel together. Is this correct?”
“Yes, sir, but we were not together in that capacity,” she answered. On the inside she was screaming. She fought hard to maintain the position of attention. No matter what she had to hold her bearing.
“So you weren’t seen getting a room together?” The commander raised his eyebrows.
Kimberly’s mouth flew open. She closed it and took a big swallow. “No sir.”
“What exactly where you doing at the hotel together? You do understand the rules of OCS, don’t you? This is a serious charge.”
Am I being punked? Kimberly looked from the Commander, her husband, to Captain Brown. Captain Brown avoided eye contact.
“Sir, I was not at the hotel with Candidate Harvey.”
“Your husband was so concerned about you he decided to use the GPS on your cell phone and tracked you to the hotel. He walked in and caught you red handed.”
“Sir, I did not go to the hotel with Candidate Harvey nor was I meeting him there.”
Dammit Harvey say something! She looked at him, willing him to say something. He’d checked out. There was a blank stare on his face.
The Commander slammed his fist on the desk. “I will not sit here and be lied to. You have already admitted to being at the hotel. Your husband caught you. That fact that you are married makes this inexcusable. Your behavior is not with in line with those of the OCS program and of that of the United States Army. The Battalion Commander has already been notified. He has made his ruling. You are remanded to HHC. Go pack your stuff and get the hell out of
my company. Captain Brown, see to it they are out of here before my formation ends.”
Kimberly heard the words coming out his mouth, but it took a moment to sink in. She had been kicked out the OCS program and was now the custody of HHC. Anger and hurt swept over her. She saluted the Captain. He didn’t return the salute.
Doing an about face, she marched out the office and ran up the stairs to her room. Once there, she burst out crying. She grabbed her bags and packed while wiping away tears.
“You can fight this.” Captain Brown stood at her door.
“Sir?” She kept packing
“I’m not supposed to tell you.” He stepped in the room. “Request a hearing as soon as you get to HHC. They will have to give you a board hearing. You can call witnesses, including cadre. I can vouch for your conduct while under my charge.”
She nodded, but it didn’t stop her from being down. HHC was where all the rejects went.
“The Commander is only following the orders of the Battalion Commander, who is a racist asshole. No minority goes up before him and gets a fair shot. Your husband handed him a gift. One less of us in the program.”
Captain Brown grabbed one of her duffle bags and slung it over his shoulder. She followed him into the hallway and down to Harvey’s room. He was standing by with his bags. They stepped behind Captain Brown and headed down the stairs to the company’s pickup.
“Put the bags in the back. Harvey, you get in the back with the bags and, Woodson, you up front.”
She gave a last glance to Delta Company and climbed into the truck. They road in silence on the short trip over to HHC. She’d turned to a zombie by the time they pulled up. Her body moved involuntary. She went through the motions of going inside the triple-wide trailer and being checked in.
Captain Brown gave her a pat on the back. “First thing in the morning. You hear me?”
She gave him a blank stare. He walked away and left them there. Her chest hurt. She needed to lie down.
Kimberly walked behind the short red-haired HHC Candidate who guided her to the female bay. Inside was a room with about thirty bunk beds stacked wall to wall and down the center.
Back to bootcamp style living.
“What are you in for?” the girl asked.
She remained silent.
The girl looked at her with pity. “Here’s your bunk. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you’re here. Get some rest. You’ll need it.”
Kimberly put her bags in the wall locker assigned to her bunk. Her cell vibrated.
What the hell is going on? Are you really gone? Baby, I’m so sorry! She ignored the three messages from Jonathan, changed into her physical fitness uniform, and climbed under the cover. Overwhelmed with disbelief, she fell asleep, hoping to wake from this nightmare.
“Wake up! Get up!” the lights flicked on as someone shouted.
Kimberly looked at her watch. 0515.
“Uniform of the day: physical fitness shorts and short sleeves, no reflector belts or flashlights,” the same girl shouted.
The room busied with movement. All the females were out their beds fixing their clothes, hair, and beds. She followed suit.
In minutes, they were outside and in formation. All three of the HHC Cadre and their Commander had a scowl on their face. They were led through stretching exercises.
What the hell?
Several of the male candidates rolled tires in their direction—huge truck tires. For the next hour, she and the others had to flip the truck tires down fifty meters and then back. All the pain she’d felt in OCS was nothing compared to the trauma flipping tires put her through.
Afterward, they formed back up and marched to chow. Her heart sank as she had to pass up Delta Company on her way in. She couldn’t bring herself to look at any of them. She was beyond ashamed.
Kimberly forced her food down and rushed out of the dining facility. Once back at HHC, she showered and helped the others to clean the bay area. They finished and held another formation in which details they passed out details. She was assigned to cleaning the Water Leadership Course.
“Meet by the trucks in ten minutes,” the Student in Charge said.
Kimberly perked up. She had enough time to run into the office.
“Staff Sergeant,” she said to the tall, brown-haired cadre.
“What, candidate?” he said, glancing up from his desk.
At least I’m still a candidate.
“I need to put in my request for the board hearing.”
“Oh, so you’re innocent, huh?” He laughed. “You and every other candidate here. You’re in luck. There’s a hearing in three days. Most of the people here are on injured status. Only one other is going to the hearing. I can put you on the list.”
“Thank you, Staff Sergeant Jackson.” She held back her smile.
“Candidate.”
“Yes, Staff Sergeant?”
“Get out my office.”
Kimberly exited and made her way back outside. The trucks were loading up. She spent the next six hours out in the hot sun scrubbing mud and mold off the sides of the course. She and a few candidates scrubbed, and one power sprayed the walls. The course was comprised of five areas, each with different water obstacles. While in Delta Company, she had gone through the course. The goal was to come together as a team and overcome the obstacles together. If one fell in the rest of the squad jumped in to join them. With Harvey on her side, she hit the water several times.
By the end of the day, she wanted to collapse but had to make it to chow. Once again, she avoided eye contact with Delta Company. She ate in silence and returned to the female bay at HHC.
“You can come watch a movie in the day room with us if you like,” a red-headed girl asked. During the course of the day, Kimberly had found out her name was McCoy.
Kimberly waved her off and went to her bunk. Pulling out her phone she saw Jonathan had left her several messages throughout the day. She responded letting him know she was okay. He surprised her by calling back.
“Baby, what the heck is going on? I came in the building and found out you were gone,” he said.
“It was my husband.”
“This can’t be happening,” he said. “Why didn’t you go in front of the Battalion Commander? The Company Commander doesn’t have that authority.”
“The Battalion Commander ruled without seeing me.” She closed her eye and leaned against the pole of the top bunk.
“This is bullshit. He can’t do that.”
“He did.” She pulled off her boots.
“There has to be something that can be done.”
“Captain Brown told me how to fight it. There’s a hearing process.”
“Those can take weeks.”
“There’s one in a three days.”
“But you’ll miss more than forty-eight hours of class. If you’re put back in, that will put you in the class behind us.”
“I know, but it’s the only shot I got.” She held back tears.
“It will work. Stay strong, darling.”
She got off the phone and crawled under her covers, already prepared for morning, when the lights would flick on and the girl screamed to wake them up.
Chapter Eighteen
Two days without Kimberly and Jonathan no longer wanted to be in Delta Company himself. Seeing her going into the chow hall with HHC hurt him to the core. She looked defeated and withdrawn. Her spark was gone. Kimberly no longer looked at him and smiled. He wanted to hug her and tell her it would be okay but couldn’t.
Now he was in the field and couldn’t talk to her. They were sleeping in makeshift tents with no power. Even his backup power source would only get him so far. He sent her a text in the morning and she’d yet to respond. While going through scored Land Navigation Course, he’d checked his phone several times, to no avail.
He and his entire platoon passed, but it did little to lighten his mood. The dynamics had changed. She was no longer around to make them all smile. Instead of making j
okes with each other, they sat around with solemn faces. They all missed her good nature and enthusiasm.
“I know there’s no way she was messing with Harvey. She didn’t care too much for him. Her husband is an idiot,” Craig said as they waited for their turn to practice clearing the building.
Jonathan nodded.
“He’s been trying to force her home since we’ve started class. He’d do anything to see her fail,” she continued.
“I hope he doesn’t succeed. There’s a hearing coming up,” he said.
The other squad came out of the back of the building.
“Looks like it’s my turn.” Craig left him with his squad and took off with hers to the start of the course for clearing the building.
A half hour later, it was his squad’s turn.
“Let’s lock and load,” the Student Squad Leader said.
Jonathan took the point, and everyone followed behind him. Rice kicked open the door, and Jonathan moved in with the rest of the squad close behind, in the ready position. In a sweeping motion, he went to the left, shifting his line of sight and weapon up and down, clearing his section.
“Dead, dead, dead. You’re all dead candidates,” Staff Sergeant Isome shouted.
They were taken out by the cadre, one by one. Jonathan took a shot from the right. There was no one providing cover from the door. With Kimberly gone, all the practicing they did went out the window. Without changing the formation to compensate for a missing person, it left gaps in their coverage. They had walked right into an ambush.
“Regroup and try it again,” Captain Brown said. “I know Woodson isn’t here, but you need to come up with something to cover her sector of fire.”
“Roger that,” the Student Squad Leader said. As they walked off, he spoke to the squad. “Look, guys, I’m not trying to fail this. We’re down two people, one out of both A and B Team. The Diamond Formation is not going to work. We need to switch to the Wedge.”
Jonathan half listened as the Student Squad Leader drew the plan in the dirt. He checked his cell.
Good luck today. I miss you guys. Tell Z to stay out the fatal funnel.
Even when Kimberly was down, she found a way to pick them up.
Soldiers in Heat: Training Session Page 7
