Free Learning to Stand by Claudia Hall Christian Page B

country?”
    “ No, Major. I joined to work
for you. My uncle… was…” Larry looked away from her. “He’s not
really my uncle. He’s my uncle’s best-friend from elementary
school. His parents lived next door to us. My uncle is only five
years older than me. I spent a lot of time with him and his friend
when I was growing up. His friend joined the Army when I was in
high school. He was… held… in… Siberia. You probably don’t remember
him but he lost a foot to frost bite?”
    “ Lieutenant Colonel Fred
Hossa,” Alex said.
    “ He said he will never
forget seeing your team, the Fey Special Forces Team, cross country
skiing across the horizon. He said he never had been more proud to
be an American. He knew he was safe when you, a beautiful woman,
pushed your hood off and laughed at something a team member said.
That was probably Jesse, right?”
    “ Jesse made a couple jokes
about Mexicans in the snow,” Alex nodded. “Jesse was born in
Mexico. He hated the cold.”
    “ I thought, ‘That’s what I
want to do.’ I want to save people who are held hostage. They
opened direct entry to Special Forces for college graduates when I
was almost done with Harvard. I finished up and applied. My parents
were furious but there wasn’t much they could do.”
    “ If you went through all of
this to work for me, why did you fuck it up?”
    Larry shrugged.
    “ What happens now?” Larry
asked.
    “ The doctors will come to
check you out. If you’re all right, you’ll come with us. Drunk,
hung over and sick, you’ll work today. You need to apologize to the
men and Colonel Gordon. You must deal with the legal ramifications
of your actions, whatever they are. No excuses.”
    “ Yes sir,” he
said.
    “ When we get to base, we’ll
speak about your other allegations with the men. Teams work things
out among themselves.”
    “ I won’t let you down,
Major.”
    Larry’s eyes and tone were so sincere that
Alex almost laughed.
    “ You better not.”
    Larry nodded.
    “ Oh, one more thing,” Alex
said.
    “ Yes, Major?”
    “ If I ever see you take even
one sip of alcohol in my presence, I will kick your ass. The doctor
will tell you this, but the only way you could get that drunk is if
you have a genetic propensity for alcohol. Drink and you’ll become
an alcoholic. I will not tolerate an alcoholic in my
life.”
    “ I swear I will never drink
again,” Larry said. “I know I can become an alcoholic. There are
lots of them in my family.”
    Alex scowled her sincerity at Larry then
tapped on the door. White Boy opened the door.
    “ The doctor is here,” White
Boy said
    Alex nodded
    Looking past Alex, White Boy said, “You all
right, kid? She wasn’t too mean?”
    Larry shook his head.
    “ Where’s Trece?” Alex
asked.
    White Boy shrugged. After seeing the doctor,
checking in with the Denver Police, they were on their way to the
car before Trece reappeared. He didn’t offer an explanation for
where he had been. Noting the anger on Alex’s face, he continued
his jovial commentary the entire drive back to base.
    Arriving at her office, she was met by her
Sergeant at the door. But even with her Sergeant’s intervention, it
was clear. The men hadn’t worked while she was gone. Trailing her
Sergeant, Trece and White Boy, she marched to her group work area.
Standing in the doorway, she watched them play Nerf football. Her
Sergeant cleared his throat and the men turned to look at them.
    Without saying a word, Alex turned in place.
She walked back to her office, closed then locked the door. She
could hear the men try to get around her Sergeant. They called her
telephone. She received IM and email. None of which she
answered.
    Instead, she placed a telephone call to the
Admiral in charge of Special Forces. She waited only a few moments
before he took her call. A half hour later, Colonel Gordon knocked
on her door. While he tried to persuade her, he eventually
acquiesced to her request. She followed him out of the