The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison: Call Sign Reaper

by Thomas Wright

“Get up Reaper, it’s time to go,” the major said. “Let’s get your sorry ass cleaned up and fed. All your adoring fans are waiting to see you.”

  “And what about you two?” he said, not moving. “Are you two of my adoring fans?” The major said no, and the captain said yes at the same time. They looked at each other.

  “I don’t know, Major,” the captain said. “Anyone who gives the director of Military Intelligence a hard time is a star in my book.”

  “Or just stupid,” the major responded sourly to the captain’s infatuation with Reaper.

  “I’m a fan,” Lorelei said from her chair.

  “Thank you Lorelei,” Reaper said kindly to her. The major just looked at her and the captain smiled.

  “So this is where the party moved to,” Emily said, walking into the brig. She saw the captain, major, Lorelei and Reaper, who was still lying on Lorelei’s bed.

  “Making yourself at home, aren’t you, champ?” she said with her hands on her hips. Reaper knew the tone and the look. He had seen it ever since they were children.

  “Emily will be staying with us for a undetermined period of time, Reaper,” the captain told him.

  “Great,” he said. “I am sure the ship, team and mission will benefit from having her along.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Emily said with a little heat.

  “I thought it was a compliment,” he replied.

  “Sounded like one to me,” Lorelei said.

  “Whatever,” the major said, throwing in her thoughts on the conversation.

  Reaper sat up. “Ladies, do you mind if I have a few words in private with Ms. Brous before I walk through the doors a free man?” Eyes rolled. The major decided she wasn’t waiting around.

  “I am heading to the mess, so when you’re done with your private conference you can find your team there,” she said.

  “Come on, Lorelei, let’s wait outside,” the captain said. Inside she was curious about what was going to happen. She knew the major was jealous. Emily stepped inside the cell as they left of the brig.

  “Okay, you got me in here,” she said. “You going to try and use that mojo you’ve been using on these poor women? I have had training to resist things like that.”

  He laughed. “Is that what you think I have done?”

  “I’ve spent a week with those two women and they are professionals, except when they are around you.”

  “They are still professionals, even around me. We just interact differently,” he replied.

  “I would say so,” Emily said.

  “Well I remember you jumping right in on top of the pile,” he said.

  “It looked like they needed help,” she said, smiling. “So what do you want to talk to me about? How to kiss my boss’s ass and get on her good side now?”

  “Not really, I don’t really care one way or another about your boss,” he answered. “I understand you’re going to be on our ship for a while. I thought I would get to know you.” He stood up and closed the curtain to Lorelei’s cell.

  “Hey buddy, I don’t know what you’re thinking but you are about to make a big mistake,” she said getting nervous.

  “Really,” he said. “Just add it to the long list of mistakes I’ve made all my life.”

  She took a step back from him. He took his gloves off and unsnapped his helmet. He lifted it off his head and tossed it on the bed. She looked at his face for a second, then another. Then the light went on and she recognized him.

  She couldn’t move for a moment. He put his finger to his lips and she nodded, a little of the shock fading. He took her and hugged her tight.

  “We can catch up later, okay?” he said. She nodded, on cloud nine. She had just found her best friend again after so many years apart. She left the cell smiling and happy.

  Emily went through the brig door with rosy cheeks and a big smile on her face. The captain and Lorelei looked at her but didn’t know what to say.

  The two women walked back into the brig and saw the curtain was still half closed. Reaper had put his helmet back on.

  “Whatever you just did for her, we want the same,” Lorelei said.

  Reaper raised the shield on his helmet and looking at them both said, “I just revealed myself to her,” and winked at them. “Gotta go now,” he said and walked out of the brig.

  “He’s a nice guy when he isn’t trying to kill you,” Lorelei said, smiling.

  “He is a nice guy. He has simple rules about life,” the captain replied. “It’s a kind of chivalry. He looks at each individual before he judges. If he thought all pirates were bad and needed killing, then we wouldn’t be here talking. You tried to help Natalia. That’s what saved your life.”

  “He came into my cell when he could have just used the empty one,” Lorelei said.

  “Maybe it was a test of character. I don’t think there was anything you could have done to him and he knew that,” the captain said. “You still have a long road to travel, Lorelei. You’re a pirate. You will probably go to prison or get hard labor on a mining planet.”

  “How long do you think I will be onboard?”

  “I don’t know,” O’Shaughnesy answered. “It will depend on how fast we get another mission. Your friend saved a teammate and rescued a lot of Trillond and Colonial citizens. They are supposed to get commendations from two governments.”

  “Can you give me a job?” Lorelei asked. “I don’t expect anything, I just want to do something useful.”

  “Let me talk to my senior staff and legal officer. If I can assign you a work detail as a prisoner then I will consider it.”

  “Thank you,” Lorelei said, smiling.

  Reaper went to his quarters and found his weapons lying on his bed. He set them on the desk and went to take a shower. He showered, dressed and headed down to the mess. The place was packed and he found his team helping in the kitchen and cleaning tables. He didn’t have his armor on and only a few people recognized him. He thought he might get to sit and eat in peace. He sat next to the major. She just looked at him. It wasn’t the homecoming he was expecting.

  “Are you going to talk to me, or should I just go sit somewhere else?”

  “Do whatever you want,” she said. “You always do.”

  He got up, left his food on the table, walked back to his quarters, locked his door and climbed in bed.

  Tomorrow will be another day, he thought. She will get over it or she won’t.

  He had gone for years with no real female attention. He bled, fought, sweated and buried friends on shit planets for the marines. It was hard to have something real when that is your life. Now he wasn’t going to play psych games with admirals or take bullshit from generals. He was part owner of a ship. He could quit this shit and set up a real company with Nick. The team could finish their enlistment and come work for him. They could haul cargo and passengers or be mercenaries. Maybe E’Aria would want to resign and come along.

  The captain made it to the mess. She thought she would mingle with the people. The crew and the survivors were all sitting around talking. Some were going to make it back to their families, while others weren’t sure what they would do yet. She sat down next to the major. There was a tray of food next to her but no one sitting there.

  “Some of them have lost everything,” she said to the major.

  “Yes, it’s sad,” the major said.

  “They seem to really like your two team members. They can’t stop talking about them,” the captain replied.

  “Yeah, so I hear,” the major said.

  “You’re real talkative tonight,” the captain said, eyebrows raised.

  “Things on my mind, is all.”

  “Is that his food?” the captain asked, gesturing to the empty tray. “He didn’t eat much.”

  “He didn’t eat at all.”

  “You should take it to him.”

  “He knows where the mess is,” the major said. “He can get his own food.”

  “If this is what
he got for a reception then I see why he left,” the captain said. “He has probably missed you the whole time he was gone. Are you going to let some ideal of yours get in your way of doing the right thing?”

  “Thanks for the pep talk. I think I’ll be going,” the major said coldly.

  “Me too,” the captain replied. “I still have work to do.”

  Ben rolled around on his bunk. He couldn’t sleep. He wasn’t sure what he could do to fix things with Andrea. Her biggest problem with him, he thought, was his lack of respect for authority. She represented that authority as well as the other officers. He had to handle things differently. They weren’t going to make it, no matter how they felt, if there was no give and take.

  His door cut through his thoughts. He was surprised to see it was the captain. “Enter,” he said.

  “You’re in bed early.”

  “Yes, just enjoying the peace and quiet.”

  “I wanted your opinion on something,” she told him.

  “Sure, sit down Captain.”

  “Lorelei has asked if I would put her to work on the ship. Do you have any issues with me setting up a prisoner detail and giving her odd jobs?” the captain asked.

  “No, Captain, it sounds like a good idea,” Ben replied. “Rotate her around and give your people some additional down time. I think the shit is going to hit the fan soon. That species which is supporting the Allith is going to make up their minds one day whether to get involved or not. If they do, it will test all of the strength of the Alliance Military. No one system will be able to handle them by themselves.”

  “Yes, I feel the same way.”

  “I saw our team was helping out as well, but I doubt they volunteered. What happened?” Ben asked.

  “They were upset when you went to the brig. Let’s say they protested your imprisonment.”

  “I’ll talk to them,” Ben said with a small chuckle. “They know better. We’re all on the same team.”

  “Except for you, Reaper,” the captain said. “You’re on your own team. You just do what you want and let the chips fall where they may.”

  “Captain, it’s that way by design or I wouldn’t be lying here. If you’ve got something to say, you need to do it. I am holding up my end of the bargain and that’s what matters to me. It may not be the same for some people, though.”

  The captain paused uncomfortably before speaking. “I haven’t known you long,” she said, “and we got off on a sour note the minute you stepped on my ship. But I don’t think there is anyone I would rather have my back than you. You are a natural. You can turn shit into chocolate ice cream. You and your lieutenant stole two ships, and with no crew pulled off a miracle. Then there are all the things I’ve heard you have done in less than two months.”

  “Captain,” he said, “stop and get to the point.”

  “Somehow, in the process of doing all the things you have done, you have managed to alienate the one who needs you most,” she said, looking him straight in the eye.

  “I know that, Captain,” he replied, a little bit crossly. “I was just thinking about what I can do to fix that when you interrupted.”

  “You were, just now?” she said with disbelief.

  “Yes,” he said, “and let me share my thoughts with you. I think when situations happen like the one with the admiral it bothers her. Andrea is military through and through. Whether I am right or wrong is less the issue. Questioning authority and lack of respect for said authority is what bothers her. I think she feels it reflects on her as an officer.”

  “It does, you idiot. If they can’t have a piece of you they will take a piece of her.”

  “Everything about our situation is new, Captain. New feelings, new relationship, new team, new people. There will be growing pains. If she is ready to throw in the towel on half of that then so be it. I’m not. I want to make it all work. Tell her that when you see her. As of a little while ago, we aren’t talking.”

  “That may change in a minute or two, Reaper,” the captain said with a small smile. “I forgot and left my com open to the major’s.”

  “Good night, troublemaker,” Ben said, “and get out of my quarters.”

  The door opened for the captain to leave, and the major was standing there waiting to come in.

  “I softened him up for you, Major, go take care of business,” the captain said, followed by a big smile.

  Andrea nodded and shut the door behind her. She sat down in the chair the captain had vacated.

  “First question,” she said. “Do you want to talk before or after sex?”

  “You and the captain must both take me for an idiot,” he remarked. “After, of course.”

  “A wise choice.”

  She pounced on him fully dressed, kissing his face, his neck and his chest. She didn’t stay that way long. Clothing was all over the room.

  It was a 100 yard dash when they finished making love the first time. The second time was a long walk in the park. She was surprised when they started a third time. He must really not want to talk, she thought. The way he made her feel, she didn’t care if they talked or not.

  They fell asleep holding each other. Everything would keep until the morning.

  She woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. Once her eyes focused, she sat up and saw eggs and toast. He carried the tray over to her.

  “Aww, breakfast in bed?”

  “I was up early and I was hungry,” he said. “I don’t know if you have a list or just a couple of things, but let’s talk about whatever is the most important.”

  “You hit on it yesterday,” she said. “It’s hard for me having you in my unit and not living by the regulations the rest of us have to live by.”

  “I get that it doesn’t look like the picture you painted for yourself,” he replied. “The general sold you on a idea and he took a deal to get me on board that puts you in the proverbial rock and a hard place. You helped me write it along with Nick, you remember that. Did you think I was doing it that way so that I could just sit and take shit from every asshole that wants to dish it out? I wanted to protect myself. I kept thinking you were going to walk away any day.”

  “Ben, I have no intentions of going anywhere. I want us to be together. I hope you can see that.”

  “I will do whatever you need me to,” he told her, “but you may have to help me. What else?”

  “No more taking matters into your own hands,” she told him. “Bring it to me first and we will decide what to do together.”

  “You’re talking about those sailors that the lieutenant took to school.”

  “That’s one of the things. She isn’t like you, Ben. She is in the military and will have to answer for her conduct. So far she has been lucky. She works for me and it’s my job to look out for her and protect her.”

  “You can, Major, while she is hanging around me she will need you to do that for her.” He grinned at her. “I know you are jealous of her as well as a few others, but you need to get a handle on that. That being said, I need to talk to you about Emily Brous. It will explain some of what went on earlier in the conference room.” She nodded understandingly.

  “I have known Emily since I was about four,” Ben started. “When my parents died and I went to live with my grandparents, she lived next door. In a nutshell she was my best friend and first love. I left for the marines and until Hyson I haven’t seen or talked to her. I was not going to reveal myself to her if she was just passing through. I had no idea how she would react. I also didn’t want you to have someone else to get jealous about. So whether you agree or not, it’s part of the reason I didn’t want to take my helmet off. Now I understand she is assigned to us so I met her in the brig and talked to her for a second. I told her I would catch up with her later.”

  Andrea sat shaking her head. “They’re like zombies around you. Just another one I’ll need to fight off before they get their teeth into you.”

  “Anything else you need to talk about?”

 
“Yes there is,” she said. “What time is it?”

  “It’s early, 0530.”

  “Okay, good,” she said in a sultry tone. “Get over here, get under the covers and let me explain a few things to you.”

  Chapter 21: Training

  An hour and a half later they were showered and dressed. They weren’t hungry but they were going to meet the team for breakfast. Everyone made it on time. They were all curious and hadn’t really seen Ben since he got back. He hadn’t seen E’Aria since before the conference.

  “Everybody has been talking about nothing but you two,” Snake said to Reaper and Lieutenant Aok. “Do you see, Major, why we want to work with him, and now you and this team?”

  “I think I understand, Snake,” the major replied. “But even the Grim Reaper takes his orders from a higher power, and so does ours. Our team is whole again and I think it would be a good idea if we start training together in the gym.”

  “Aww. Ma’am, I would much rather watch the lieutenant beat the hell out of sailors than have her beat the hell out of me,” Hillbilly said, getting the whole table laughing. Lieutenant Aok turned a darker shade of green.

  “So who here is going to spar with him?” Snake said. It will take all of us to beat him.”

  “I think I can handle him,” the major said. “I have knocked him down more than a couple of times.”

  “No offense, ma’am, but if you knocked him down then he let you knock him down.” The team agreed with Snake again, and he continued. “This is one I can tell you about without going to jail. We were on planet for some war games and went up against a navy team. It was a friendly game of capture the flag, hand-to-hand, no weapons. Well the navy boys and girls decided to cheat and had extra players hiding waiting to ambush us.”

  “Snake, that’s enough,” Reaper said seriously.

  “Our leader leads us right into the ambush. We all paired up one-on-one, but Reaper took on a whole group waiting to ambush anyone who got away from the first trap. By the time we got our one down, he had six down on the ground yelling at us to get moving. He put the lieutenant in the middle of our group and he led the way after that to the navy flag. I think we were just supposed to lose being the misfits, but we just kicked their ass. So, Major, let’s just say that our money is on him letting you knock him down.”