A Point of Honor

by C L Rowell

  “Let’s go.”

  “Go where?”

  “Where do you think? Twentynine Palms, California.”

  “It’s late and we’re both tired—”

  “I’m not tired anymore.”

  “Well, I am.”

  “Fine—I’ll go by myself.”

  “Millie, how do you intend to get on base by yourself? Your ID claims you’re someone else and there’s a death certificate declaring you deceased.”

  16

  Millie

  ∞∞∞

  I collapsed to the floor. I felt the burn as my bare knees rubbed across the cheap threadbare carpet, but I didn’t care. My brother could be alive. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Miles could be alive!

  Warm arms wrapped around me, lifting me up off the floor. I pushed away, protesting, “Don’t—your knee…you could injure yourself.”

  “My knee is fine.” He sat on the edge of the bed, cradling me in his arms. Pressing his lips to my forehead, he murmured against my skin, “Let’s get some rest and in the morning, I’ll make some calls. I’ll call in favors and get us to Twentynine Palms faster than we could get there on our own. Deal?”

  I shrugged and nodded, burying my face against his neck to hide my disappointment. “Okay.” But I knew he could feel the hot trickle of my tears against his skin as I cried because he pulled me closer, murmuring nonsensical words of comfort—and it pierced my soul.

  Carefully, as if I were a priceless jewel, he tugged the covers back and tucked me in the bed. He brushed my hair away from my face and stroked my cheek with a gentle finger. “Get some rest. I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m taking Butch for a walk before we turn in for the night.”

  He locked the door behind himself. I didn’t have to wait long for them to come back but, embarrassed by my tantrum, I kept my eyes closed like I was asleep. It must have worked a little too well. When I opened my eyes again it was daylight. My head was nestled against his bare chest, his arm looped around my waist, and our legs intertwined together like vines. His cock tented his pajama bottoms, saluting the day and I had to admit—if only to myself—I was impressed.

  I wondered if he was awake yet. Steady breaths and a lack of movement suggested he might still be asleep. I didn’t want him to wake and find me wrapped around him like a human blanket, staring at his package. Not to mention, Mother Nature was calling—urgently. Moving in tiny increments, I wiggled my way out from beneath his arm, freed my leg from between his, and rolled to my feet without disturbing him.

  Butch padded over to greet me and I pressed a finger to my lips, “Shh.” When I came out Todd’s eyes were open and watching me. His dick was still hard. I grinned, teasing, “Good morning, sleepyhead. Nice flagpole.”

  A mischievous glint twinkled in his honey brown gaze. “Thanks, and good morning to you, too.”

  I held up the empty carafe, “Coffee?”

  “Yes, please—give me a second and I’ll take Butch out while it brews.”

  “Sounds good.” I watched his ass as he padded barefoot through the door to my right, blue jeans in hand, and couldn’t help biting my lip. Brother’s friend or not, it was impossible not to notice how good he looked coming and going. He was amazing with Butch and attentive toward me. My feelings for him were real and growing every day. I feared getting my hopes up but if this lieutenant general was telling the truth about Miles being alive…I exhaled and gripped the edge of the counter. I found myself hoping my brother wouldn’t take issue with me pursuing his friend. I hated to admit it but the more I got to know him the more I wanted to pursue our connection.

  The knob rattled and I straightened, tossing a packet of coffee grounds in the filter and topping off the water. I pushed the power button as he came back into the main area. My eyes flicked to his bare chest, remembering how warm and hard it felt as his heart beat under my ear. I cleared my throat and forced my eyes away. “It should be done, soon.”

  When he paused at the door, I met his eyes, lifting my brows in question.

  “Thought you’d want to know…I made a phone call last night when I look Butch out for his walk. Lieutenant General Miller is authorizing a jet to take us to Ontario, California where a Blackhawk will be waiting to fly us the rest of the way to Twentynine Palms. He’s also pulling in a few favors to have you officially recognized as a member of the topside crew again if that’s what you want.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you can officially be you again. The urn will be removed from the cemetery, the death certificate will disappear, and you can go back to being Millie Masterson.”

  Butch darted out the door before I could say anything else and Todd followed, laughing and calling for him to heel. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the news. I could be me again. I could let the semi-permanent medium brown dye fade back to my natural honey blonde and stop penciling in my brows each day. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sipped it thoughtfully.

  Butch and Todd tumbled back through the door and I topped off Butch’s water bowl and poured Todd a cup of coffee. After a detour through a nearby McDonalds for breakfast, we headed to the airport and he turned the car in at the local Enterprise counter.

  Since we were flying in a military plane, we got to bypass the security regular passengers go through. Instead, we were escorted through the airport terminal to a different area of the tarmac by an unsmiling 1st Lieutenant in an immaculate, un-creased dress uniform. I gulped audibly when I saw our plane. Todd whispered that it was a C20, a military version of the Gulfstream, with seats for twelve people, but it loomed over me like the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk.

  “Are you okay?”

  I angled my eyes to meet his and shook my head, “No.”

  “First time flying?” The quiet officer had a tongue! I nodded, wide-eyed, and he offered me a commiserating smile. “Captain Irving is an excellent pilot and he has a topnotch crew. You’re in great hands.”

  I forced a return smile, hoping it didn’t look as terrified as I still felt. “Thank you.”

  We mounted the steps and entered the interior of the mid-sized jet and all I could think was how much it looked like a giant oversized coffin, long and narrow. Point it at the ground and it could bury itself with no help. Until that moment I’d never realize I was a tiny bit claustrophobic. What a hell of a time to find that out—just as I’m preparing to go racing through the sky in a phallic-shaped object with wings. Oh, joy—and I still had to climb into a helicopter in a few hours, too…assuming I survived the flight. I reminded myself that people fly in planes every single day, but it didn’t help much. I wasn’t on those planes, taking those trips. I was on this one.

  Sensing my distress, Butch hopped up and placed his paws on my chest and licked my face. I hugged him close, burying my nose in his fur and fighting tears. When we took our seats, Todd belted Butch in beside me where he could comfort me and made sure to sit nearby in case I needed him.

  The captain exited the cockpit soon after we boarded and got settled in. Seeing Butch, he came to a halt like someone had applied fast-drying glue to the soles of his shoes. “Animals are stored with the luggage.”

  “Then I guess I’m riding with the luggage, too.” My cheeks burned but I didn’t back down. My dog wasn’t a piece of luggage and he wasn’t going to be treated like one by anyone.

  “People aren’t allowed down there. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Well, if it’s too dangerous for me, Butch sure as hell isn’t riding down there.” I wrapped an arm around my four-legged best friend and stared him down.

  “I can have you removed from the plane…”

  “And you can explain to Lieutenant General Miller why a trip that should take a few hours is going to take us closer to a week when he bitches,” Todd informed him. “He’s the one who authorized Butch to ride along.”

  “And I’m not saying he can’t go—”

  “Look a
t her face. This dog is the only thing standing between her and a full-blown panic attack. Butch stays.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, tapped the screen, and put it up to his ear. Moments later he held it out to the guy, “The Lieutenant General would like a word with you.”

  He put the phone to his ear, “Sir?” His eyes widened and his face blanched. The only color in his face was two rosy circles, one on each cheek, as he jerkily bobbed his head. “Y-yes, sir…understood, sir…that won’t be necessary, sir.” He listened for a few seconds more. “You can count on me, sir.”

  Todd took his phone back, his lips curving into a slight smirk of satisfaction. “What say you, now, Captain Irving?”

  “The dog can stay.” He turned and reentered the cockpit, slamming the door without another word.

  17

  Todd

  ∞∞∞

  “Thank you.”

  I stretched as far as my harness would allow, reached across the aisle, and squeezed her knee. “Don’t mention it. Anyone with eyes could see you’re nervous. If Butch comforts you and can be safely buckled in, why not let him stay? What does it hurt?”

  “Do animals really have to fly with the luggage?” I could tell the thought disturbed her by the way she clutched him closer.

  “It isn’t always enforced. He’s just pouting because he’s used to hauling VIPs around—Presidents of foreign countries, visiting dignitaries, millionaires and billionaires—and today he got stuck with a crippled vet, a civilian, and a dog.”

  “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  “You say crippled like it’s a bad thing.”

  “Isn’t it?” I knew my voice was tinged with bitterness but fuck, what did people expect? I was good at my job—damn good. I had at least ten more years of service in me, too. I could have saved a lot of lives in those ten years. So, to be tossed aside like a broken weapon that had outlived its usefulness merely because of a bum knee? It was a slap in the face.

  “No, it isn’t. You were injured in the line of duty. It happens. Does it make you any less of a person? No.”

  “It makes me unable to do my job, though.” I shifted in my seat and glanced out the window, surprised to realize we were in the air and I hadn’t even noticed the take-off. I opened my mouth to point it out to her but then she knocked the thought right out of my head with her next comment. I had to ask her to repeat it to make sure I heard her correctly. I whipped my head around, “What did you say?”

  “I said if your job is rescuing people then you are still doing your job.” She dropped her head and peeked at me through a curtain of hair. “You rescued me from those bad guys, didn’t you?”

  Suddenly, my heart felt a bit lighter. She was right. I rescued her and I kept her safe and helped her to deliver important information into the right hands, potentially preventing a looming catastrophe. Maybe my life wasn’t over after all. I glanced over at her, fighting a goofy grin as our eyes met. Maybe it was just taking a different direction…one I never could have predicted when I joined the Marine Corps as a wet-behind-the-ears nineteen-year-old fresh out of high school.

  Although it was nearly a four-hour trip, thanks to the time difference, we landed in Ontario, California and it was as if barely an hour had passed, time-wise. So, even though we left around ten AM Eastern time, it was only eleven AM Pacific time when we arrived. I kept her and Butch distracted with that information during the descent, but I knew there wouldn’t be much I could do to distract her in the Blackhawk waiting to deliver us to Twentynine Palms.

  She stood there gaping, wide-eyed, on the tarmac. “I don’t know if I can make myself get in that thing. It reminds me of a bug—a giant scary bug. Can’t we just rent a car?” Butch seemed to agree with her assessment of the situation, judging from the way he peered around her legs with his body hidden behind her.

  “No, we can’t just rent a car. By now, the general knows we’ve landed in California. You’re simply going to have to power through it and put on your big girl panties, sweetheart. And, Butch, you need to grow a set. I know she got your balls clipped but that’s no excuse. The base isn’t that far. The ride will be over before you know it.”

  The look on her face was priceless. Her eyes narrowed to slits and her lips pursed. If looks could kill I’d be looking at a fancy box and a resting place that was six feet beneath the grass.

  Lucky for me, she’s quick to forgive—or maybe she just wanted a hand to hold as she squeezed her eyes shut to avoid seeing what was coming. She squealed when we ducked beneath the lazily rotating blades. She squealed even louder when we lifted straight up into the air, clutching Butch on one side and damn near cutting off the circulation to my arm on the other.

  I noticed the helicopter pilot grinning as he tossed in an extra-flamboyant sweep or over-exaggerated dip into the quick half hour ride just to get a reaction. I shook my head, “Not cool, bro. If either of them tosses cookies, I’m not going to be the one spraying out the inside of this thing.”

  He laughed and winked at her, “All right, I’ll behave. She is turning an interesting shade of green.”

  I saluted him as we landed. “That ride brought back memories. It was fun.”

  She stuck out her tongue. “If you ever tire of the military life, you’d make an excellent carnival ride operator. Disney or Six Flags would kill to have your skill in their arsenal.”

  He laughed, “I’ll keep that in mind, doll.” I glared at him and he sobered fast, standing at attention and swallowing hard. “Sorry, sir.”

  After a slight hesitation, I grinned. “At ease, soldier.” She gave me a dirty look, but I merely shrugged and winked at her. She might not know it yet, but she was mine, and I wasn’t going to have no flyboy putting the moves on her right under my nose.

  We made our way to the lieutenant general’s office, catching a ride in a base taxi that just happened to be cruising by. She smoothed her hair back and straightened her clothes.

  “I wish I had a mirror and a brush.”

  I pulled her close and pressed my lips to her temple. “You know Miles probably isn’t here, right?”

  “Yes, but I’ve never met a general before. Hell, the only one I even remember from school was Custer. How do I even greet a general?”

  “Sir always works for me.”

  “Good idea.”

  After we stopped, I climbed out and offered her a hand. “Ready to go in?”

  “No!”

  A young soldier poked his head out of the door a few minutes later, “Lieutenant General Miller wants to know how long you’re going to stand out here, sir?”

  I read his name tag. “Tell him we’ll be right in, Lance Corporal Moore. Butch is stretching his legs. It was a long flight.”

  “Very good, sir.” He ducked back inside.

  She gawked at every roof eve, tree, nook and cranny. “How does he know we’re here? Does he have a security camera?”

  “Nah, he probably asked to be given a heads-up when we arrived. He doesn’t like to be taken by surprise.”

  She chewed her lower lip. “Is he going to give me shit about Butch like that jet captain did?”

  “Why would he? He’s the one to authorize his presence on the flight.”

  “Good point.” She gripped his leash and tugged on the door. “Let’s go get this over with before I change my mind.”

  “Relax. Everything will be fine.” I guided her down the hall to the lieutenant general’s office with my palm against her back. I could feel the constant pressure of her resistance with each step though I never had to force her to keep moving forward. She pressed on through sheer force of will. The only clue that she was nervous was the rapid pulse visible in the artery on her throat and a light glaze of sweat on her forehead.

  18

  Millie

  ∞∞∞

  “Master Gunnery Sergeant Wolfe,” a genteel older gentleman with a salt-and-pepper buzzcut that was more salt than pepper stood as we came through the door, stepping
around his desk to extend his hand to greet Todd and then me. “It’s good to see you. You’re looking hale and hearty. Ready to come back yet?”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen, sir.” I watched a strained smile crossed his face, “It’s great seeing you again as well, though.” He stepped closer to me and made introductions, “This is Millie Masterson, Miles’ sister. The furry guy sitting on her foot is Butch.”

  “It’s a pleasure, miss,” he cradled my hand between his own and nodded toward Butch. “That’s a fine dog you got there. He’s a boxer, isn’t he? I had one when I was younger. He passed while I was stationed in Korea and I never found another dog that could replace him in my heart. You’re a lucky young lady.”

  “Thank you, sir. My brother gave him to me a couple years ago and I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

  “Your brother is a smart man.”

  “Is?” My heart jumped into my throat. “So, it’s true, then—Miles really is alive?”

  “Indeed, he is, young lady.”

  “But….” I glanced at Todd, then back at the lieutenant general, “I don’t understand. Don’t get me wrong—I’m happy to hear he’s alive but…how did he survive the crash? The article in the paper said his vehicle exploded on impact.”

  A polite knock at the door interrupted us before he could speak and a young woman in a military uniform poked her head in. “Sorry to barge in, sir.”

  “You’re ready for Mr. Wolfe?”

  “We are.”

  Todd met my eyes, “I won’t be very long…”

  “I understand.” I patted Butch’s head, “Butch and I will wait for you. Do what you gotta do.”

  He nodded, hesitated, and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be quick—I promise.”