Area Bird by Susan I. Spieth

Author:Susan I. Spieth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: new adult coming of age, military justice, military fiction, books about young adults, young adult novel for girls, coming of age books for girls, books with strong women, strong women books, female heroine
Publisher: Susan I. Spieth
Published: 2015-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

EIGHTEEN

“UPON THE CONDUCT OF each depends the fate of all.” (Alexander the Great)

DECEMBER 10, 1982, 1100 hours

She felt everyone giving her the evil eye during her walk between classes and on the way back to the barracks. She held her head up, staring straight ahead, knowing she had to at least pretend to be immune to their judgment. Heggenbach was waiting for her when she returned to her room.

“Let’s go,” he barked.

“Okay, lemme just put my books down,” she said, purposely sauntering to her desk. She wanted her body language to communicate confidence. She reached into her desk drawer, pulling out a tin of mints. “Want one?” she asked holding the container toward him.

“No, thanks.”

She popped two mints in her mouth and placed the tin back in her desk. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Cadet Philip Strangelowe, the CO, told Jan to take a seat. He was sitting at his desk chair. His roommate, the XO, was sitting in the other desk chair. That left the beds. Jan sat on Philip’s. Heggenbach stood with his back to the closed door.

“I suppose you’ve read the article this morning,” the CO said.

“Yes,” she replied.

“And everyone thinks you and Cadet McCarron are the ones who provided the information to the newspaper.”

“Everyone?”

“Everyone I have heard from. If not everyone, then almost everyone.”

Jan began chewing her top lip.

Philip continued, “So are you involved?”

“Yes.” She figured it was futile to deny it.

“What information did you provide, exactly?”

“All of it,” she answered truthfully. All hell is going to rain down on me now.

“Where’d you get the information?” the CO asked.

She hesitated. He asked the question again.

“I’m not going to tell you. I’m not going to tell anyone. So you may as well save your breath, I won’t answer that question.”

Philip Strangelowe looked at his XO, Cadet Guy Hernandez, then back at Jan. “John,” he looked toward Heggenbach by the door, “what do you think about that?”

This time Heggenbach hesitated. “We already know what we need to know. It doesn’t concern us where or how she got the information.”

Guy chimed in, “I agree.”

Philip stood up and walked over to Jan. He stopped directly in front of her. She didn’t like him looking down on her, so she began to stand. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Stay seated,” he said.

Then he placed one hand on the top of her head while keeping the other on her left shoulder. “Dear God...”

What the hell?

“Please put your protection around Jan. Watch over her and keep her safe. Let no hurt, harm or danger come to her.”

Christ! Is he praying? Jan glanced up and saw his eyes were closed.

“I witness before you here and now, dear Lord, that along with my brothers in this room, we will do everything we can to protect Jan from danger. Be with us in this endeavor.”

Jan turned her head and saw Guy’s eyes were closed. She looked toward the door and even John’s eyes were closed. Jaysus.

“We ask this in your great name, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.” The other two men echoed the last word.

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