Perfect Soldier: The Complete Story (5-Part BBW Military Romance Novel) (15 page)

Chapter
Seven

Catherine

When I got out of my second exam, I was absolutely
exhausted. It had started at 3:30 PM, so I’d had a bit of a break after my
first exam to get some last minute studying in. I felt well-prepared as I sat
down to the test, but that didn’t change the fact that it had been an
absolutely grueling several hours to sit through.

Once we were finished, a couple people from the
class invited me out to drinks. It was my first impulse to decline, tired as I
was. Then I realized I deserved to have a little fun. I did have my last exam,
Intermediate Bio, the following day, but I knew that there was no chance I’d be
studying at all tonight after six hours of exams today.

“Sure, why not?” I said, and walked with the group
to a bar downtown.

As we all sat around a table cradling drinks, talk
inevitably turned to the exam we’d just taken. Everyone agreed that it was
insanely hard, but people were hoping that meant there would be a pretty steep
curve.

I smiled to myself as I sipped my drink and listened
to everyone talk. Secretly, I didn’t think the exam was that bad. Sure, it was
super long and difficult to get through, but I came out feeling like I’d aced
it. Of course, I didn’t want to say that in front of everyone and look
arrogant, so I just ordered a drink and jumped in on the conversation as soon
as it went in another direction.

A little while later someone suggested appetizers
and I decided to stick around and have dinner with everyone. It was nice. I
didn’t know many of these people from class, so it was cool to actually sit
down with them and talk for a bit. It was funny how much we could relate to
each other simply in virtue of having just sat through the same exam.

Eventually, people started to ask for the check and
make for the door. A lot of them, like me, had exams tomorrow, and people
weren’t trying to stay out too late. Going home sounded like a good idea at
this point; I was starting to get a bit tipsy and that made me feel sleepy.

As we got up, I decided it was probably best to call
a cab, but then one of the guys from class offered me a ride home. He’d only
had two drinks and seemed sober, so I decided to take him up on it.

Once we were out on the road, he started asking me a
lot of questions about myself. He said he’d seen me in class and had always
wanted to talk to me. It was flattering, I suppose, but I started to get the
impression he had ulterior motives for offering me a ride.

When we pulled up to my apartment complex, I got out
and thanked him outside my building. After closing the door, he rolled down the
window and asked if I wanted to hang out.

“Maybe I could come up for a bit. We could have one
more drink or something.”

I smirked.

“Sorry, cowboy. I’m taken. You’ll just have to go
pick up someone else tonight.”

“Ha, alright,” he said, clearly annoyed.

I laughed and went inside. The poor boy; did he
really think he had a shot?

On my way up to the apartment I stopped to get my
mail and found something that absolutely made my day. It had been such a long
time since I’d heard anything from colt. Seeing that letter in my mailbox made
me feel so damn good. I rushed into my apartment and sat down to open it.

***

Dear Cat,

I hope you get this letter, but based on
what happened today I know that’s certainly not a guarantee. When I came in
from patrol earlier, I found a stack of letters from you that had apparently
been held up somewhere along the line. I immediately read them all and I’m glad
to hear that things are still going well.

Things are just fine here. Our operation
was a huge success and right now life has been relatively low-key. I spend most
of my days patrolling peaceful streets and also providing security at the large
market bazaar at the center of the town. Now that things have been secured here
there is some talk that some of us will be heading to a different area for
another mission, but my lieutenant is wary of that proposition. He’s convinced
that once we leave the area the security situation will deteriorate
dramatically, so everything is still very much up in the air.

I’ve been missing you like crazy, all
the more so when I think about the dinners we used to sit down to every night.
You are such a damn good cook and the way you spoiled me back home has
absolutely ruined me for the MREs I’m forced to eat back at the base. One
thing, which I know you’ll find funny given the Texas boy that I am, my new
favorite meal here is stewed goat. Yes, you read that right: GOAT. There’s a
man out at the bazaar that cooks it up really nicely – but damn, if that
doesn’t tell you how dire my food situation is, I don’t know what will, haha.

But it’s not just your cooking I miss,
it’s everything from our life together back home: the conversations, stopping
by the bar when you’re at work, nearly constant sex. I’m sorry to be so blunt
with that last part, but dammit it’s been so long since I’ve touched you. I
just want to pick you up in my arms and carry you back to bed. I could go crazy
out here just thinking about you.

It dawned on my today that you’re
probably coming up on exams soon, so I wanted to wish you luck even though I
know you don’t need it. You’re going to do well and truthfully I wouldn’t
expect anything less. Let me know how they go. Hopefully you get to read this
letter before they’re over!

Love,

Colt

***

Catherine

After reading that letter, I pulled it against my
chest, hugging my arms tightly around myself and trying to imagine Colt was
here with me. I was grateful to hear from him and know that even though we were
apart our lives were still inevitably intertwined.

But it was then that I realized I was crying.
Reading his words made him seem so close yet so far. I knew the tears were
partially a product of the drinks I’d had tonight, but that didn’t make my
sadness any less real.

I thought about penning him a letter right then and
there but instead decided to have a glass of water and head to bed. I’d write
him a good long letter tomorrow after my last exam of the semester letting him
know how it went.

Chapter
Eight

Colton

A few weeks later I got a letter from Cat telling me
she’d received my last letter on the night before her last final exam. The last
exam was for Intermediate Bio, a class I knew she’d been reluctant to take. She
told me that my words had encouraged her and that she’d come out of the exam
feeling like she’d totally nailed it. Reading that made me smile, made me feel
close to her despite the spatial distance between us.

Within three weeks I received another letter, this
one containing a printout of her grades for the semester.

Intro to Anatomy: A

Intro to Physiology: A

Intermediate Biology: A-

I shouted out loud when I read that.
Hell yeah,
that’s my girl!
I wished I could hug her right then, take her out to dinner
and buy her the most expensive bottle of champagne imaginable. But that,
clearly, was not possible. So instead I sat down and wrote her a letter in
response.

***

The following morning I got up early. Percy and I
were heading out on foot patrol again. I was looking forward to it. Percy was
teaching me some Pashto and I liked getting a chance to practice it with some
of the native Afghans. I was also craving more goat. Weird, I know, but being
out here will do that to a man.

But later as we walked through the bazaar something
unexpected happened. A man ran up to us frantically, speaking rapidly and
pointing over his shoulder. Seconds later we heard a blast and crowds of people
came running behind him and sprinted past us in fear.

People screamed and ran into buildings seeking
cover. I could see smoke rising up ahead of us. Percy and I looked at each
other and moved close to the walls of the buildings on the right side of us. I
gave him cover as he made his way to an alley and posted up against the back of
the wall. After surveying the scene, I made a mad dash and following him.

Once I was there, we stayed posted up close to the
wall. I looked high while he looked low as we tried to establish the position
of the enemy. While peeking out from behind the well, we saw armed gunmen
walking through the now empty streets, their faces covered and identities
obscured. Their ragged clothes and assault weapons told me they were
insurgents.

Percy wanted to take them out immediately, but I
knew he couldn’t get a clean shot from the alley. Besides, if there were more
of them we could get pinned in and then we’d both be finished. I noticed a car
parked about twenty feet from the alley, just close enough for Percy to get to
before drawing attention. I looked over at Percy and nodded in the direction of
the car.

“If you can make it to that car, I’ll cover you. Can
you get off a clean shot?”

Percy nodded.

“Alright,” I whispered quietly. “Go on three.”

Within seconds Percy was out sprinting and I posted
up against the wall offering him cover. I heard shots go off, with bullets striking
the walls of the building a few feet over my head as I ducked back into the
alley crouching low.

Then I heard the recognizable sound of Percy’s gun
firing in rapid bursts. I heard a man scream and then another gun returning
fire. I looked out behind the wall as Percy fired back, hitting the second man
who collapsed to the ground. I watched as Percy ducked back behind the engine
block of the car.

The coast looked to be clear, but as I emerged from
the alley another round of fire came from an unknown location. A bullet caught
Percy in the bicep and I heard him yell and drop his gun and his opposite hand
instinctively went to his arm.

I rushed out with my head on a swivel.

“Get under the car,” I yelled at him as I tried to
ascertain the location of the gunman.

There was another round of fire and I could see a
head hovering just above the balcony of a building on the far side of the road,
just a little ways down the street. I whipped my gun around and sent a flash of
fury his way, the bullets chipping away at the stone of the balcony.

The head ducked back for cover and I ran over to
help Percy. When the head emerged again a second later I was ready and sent
another round his way. Mostly I hit stone, causing dust and debris to rain
down, but this time when the man’s head disappeared I knew it was because I’d
hit him fatally.

I ran to Percy and took a look at the wound on his
arm. It was bad, but he’d live. I picked him up by his arm pits and told him to
run for the alley as I covered him. I followed closely, my hand on his back as
I looked all around me.

Suddenly another round of fire burst out and I
pushed Percy as hard as I could into the alley.

“Get down!” I yelled, as I spun in the direction of
the fire.

Percy crawled into the alley as I returned fire. After
I’d let out a spray of bullets I ran into the alley after him, but right as I
dove around the corner I heard shots ring out and felt an acute, shooting pain
in the back of my thigh, hot and sharp. I’d never been shot before, but somehow
the sensation was unmistakable. This was exactly the type of feeling I would
expect from a bullet.

Inside the alley, I struggled up from the ground.
Percy grabbed my arm and slung it over his good shoulder, helping me along. We
found a doorway and Percy kicked it in so we could take cover inside.

I pulled out my radio and called for backup.

“We just got in a firefight,” I yelled into the
receiver. “Three dead on their end. Unknown amount still live, at least one.
Two of our men have sustained injuries, one in the leg, one in the arm. We need
back-up immediately.”

Percy and I sat there in the dark against the wall
of the building we’d forced our way into. I hoped we should be safe for the
time it took for back-up to get here. My leg hurt, but fortunately I could tell
that neither of our injuries were fatal.

Percy looked over at me with a cynical smile on his
face.

“Son of a bitch, man. Son of a bitch.”

Chapter
Nine

Colton

Back-up was there within fifteen minutes and once
the area had been cleared of threats we were carted out in the backseat of a
Humvee. The injuries weren’t fatal, but they were more than the doctors at our
small base could handle, so we were put on a helicopter to Kabul where we
boarded a plane for a hospital in Dubai.

As I boarded the plane I found myself mildly
troubled as it dawned on me that I’d never mailed Cat the last letter I’d
written. Was I crazy to be thinking about that at a time like this? I laughed
to myself. Maybe I was crazy.

Treatment went well. The doctors and the hospital
staff were extreme efficient and talented. Both Percy and I were forced to
undergo minor surgery. The good news: we’d fully recover. The bad news: we’d be
immobile for at least a month.

Our doctors recommended physical therapy, but said
it wasn’t entirely necessary as long as we followed orders not to strain
ourselves before we were fully healed. Reluctantly, we obliged.

All things considered, we were both lucky. I’d
caught a bullet in the back of my leg, the fleshy part. Even though it hurt at
the time, I knew it could have been much worse. Fortunately, the bullet hadn’t
hit any bone or major arteries.

Percy had been a bit worse off. He’d lost more blood
than I had at the time he’d sustained the shot, so he’d been severely weakened
by the time we arrived in Dubai. But he’d since recovered remarkably.

One nice thing was that we’d each be given a short
leave of absence because of our injuries. I had planned on taking mine in early
October, but given the new opportunity, I decided I should go now. I was
useless in the field anyways, so why not go on leave and return later when I
could be more useful to the mission?

Besides, ever since I realized I could take a short
leave a thought had entered my mind that was impossible for me to let go of. I
wrote a short letter to Cat letting her know that I was OK. Of course, I didn’t
mention anything about the firefight, that would have been too much for her
troubled mind. And after I sent that letter, I started making special
arrangements for my leave of absence.

***

Dear Cat,

Just wanted to let you know I’m doing
well. Congratulations on those grades – I knew you could do it. Things have
been interesting here of late. One of our guys was shot recently, but it looks
like he’ll make a full recovery.

All in all, there’s not too much to say.
I miss you and hope you’re relaxing a bit now that the semester is over. I’ll
write again with more detail sometime soon.

Love,

Colt

***

Catherine

As I sat there looking at the letter in front of me
I found myself disappointed. It had been weeks since I’d heard from Colt and
all he could write were a few lousy paragraphs? But then I reminded myself not
to be so harsh on him. He was away fighting. Being a soldier isn’t some 9-to-5
gig. He was in action all the time. Who was I to blame him for not writing a
more detailed letter?

Yet, I craved contact with him and these letters
were all I had. I was relaxed now that the semester was over. I even picked up
more shifts at work since I had so much free time. But the free time was also
killing me; without school to distract me, I kept thinking about Colt, which
ended up making me feel lonelier than ever.

Oh well, I told myself. I guess I’ll just have to
wait for the next letter.

But then a few days later I was awoken from my sleep
my cell phone ringing. It was 2:17 AM and I almost just turned it off so I
could go back to sleep, but I was curious to see who was calling. It was weird
number that looked foreign. My heart beat rapidly in my chest and my mind
raced. It might be news about Colton. I said a quick prayer that there wouldn’t
be bad news greeting me on the other end of the line.

I slid my finger across the screen and brought the
phone up to my ear.

“Hello?” I said, my voice sounding a bit tired
despite my anxiousness.

“Good morning, beautiful,” said a deep voice on the
other end.

“Oh my – I cannot believe I’m hearing your voice
right now,” I said in astonishment.

“How do I sound? Handsome?”

“Yes, unbelievably so. I can’t believe this. How are
you?”

There was the slightest pause on the other end of
the phone.

“I’m great,” said Colt. “Listen I have some big
news. Sorry to rush the conversation, but it costs a fortune calling from over
here.”

“No problem,” I said. “What’s the news? Are you
coming home?”

“Not exactly, but they’ve given me a short leave.
It’s pretty typical. I wasn’t due for one until around October, but they bumped
me up so I figured now was as good a time as any.”

“That’s amazing news, Colt!” I said excitedly. “How
long will you be back?”

“Well, the leave is only six days. If I fly all the
way back to Oklahoma, I’ll lose most of my time off to travel. And obviously,
you wouldn’t come over here, either.”

“Oh,” I said, my voice registering a note of
disappointment, of high hopes falling anticlimactically to the ground.

“So, I was thinking… what if we met somewhere in the
middle?”

“What exactly are you suggesting?” I asked, not sure
what he was getting at.

“I don’t know. Paris sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m really not. Actually, the airplane tickets
have already been purchased. Our hotel room is reserved. We leave in two weeks.
I’ll make sure you get all the details.”

“I still can’t tell whether or not you’re serious,”
I said into the phone, slightly flabbergasted.

“I’m serious.”

“Colton, that must have cost an insane amount of
money. You can’t spend it like this.”

“Why not?”

“It’s irresponsible.”

“Several thousand dollars seems like a small price
to pay for seeing the woman I love,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Several
thousand
? Where are you getting this
money from?”

“The Vegas money, honey,” he said, laughing at his
own stupid rhyme.

“You’re a class act,” I said, laughing to myself on
the other end of the phone.

It was funny how his lame jokes had kind of rubbed
off on me.

“So, you’ll be there?”

“I guess if you’ve already paid, it’d be a waste not
to take advantage of it.”

“Good. Listen, I gotta run. See you soon.”

“I’m glad you can say that last part and actually
mean it.”

“Me too.”

“Love you.”

“Love you.”

Colt hung up and I stayed there sitting up in bed
for a while. There was no way I was going to be getting back to sleep after
that conversation. Truthfully, I didn’t know how I’d manage to sleep at all
over the course of the next couple weeks. I was brimming with excitement,
feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve.

I pinched myself just to make sure I was awake and
this wasn’t just some evanescent dream.