The Journal: Raging Tide: (The Journal Book 4) (14 page)

The steaks were rare and juicy and the
morels delicate. We opened a second bottle of wine and watched the
stars into the night.

“I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve
never seen the stars look like this,” Jim said.

“It’s the absence of ambient light. Most
places are plagued with what’s called ‘light pollution’, which
makes it impossible to see the night sky as it truly is. It’s one
of the reasons I moved up here twenty years ago.” I sighed,
remembering my first days in the Upper Peninsula woods. “Beautiful,
isn’t it?”

During the night I was awakened by strange
sounds outside the tent. I reached over to nudge Jim, and found his
bedroll empty. He was already up and I could feel his presence near
the door.

“Any idea what’s out there?” I whispered, a
bit nervous. Most animals didn’t bother me, not even bears. Wolves,
on the other hand, I know can be vicious.

“Just some raccoons after the meat fat that
dripped on the fire pit rocks,” he said, closing and securing the
tent flap. He doused the flashlight and I heard him zip his
sleeping bag. I had seen the flash of his Beretta before the light
went out and felt reassured.

April 24

The morning
sky hung heavy and gray with impending rain. We broke camp quickly
to get our gear and the tent packed before it could get wet.

I heated some soup on the camp stove and
served it in our coffee mugs. “Not exactly the breakfast of
champions, but it’s hot and should last us until lunch.”

“It’s still more than I’ve had some
mornings,” Jim commented.

“You seem distracted, Jim. Is there anything
wrong? Anything I should know about or that I can help with?”

“Nothing is wrong, trust me. I’ve got some
major decisions coming up in the next few days, is all, and I need
to concentrate on them. As for anything you can help with,” he
hesitated, “we’ll discuss that after we leave the Soo. While we’re
there, please be careful, and if you need me, I’ll be easy to
find.”

*

We drove in silence for another hour before
coming to the outskirts of Sault St. Marie. Not much further was
our destination, a large two-story office complex.

“That doesn’t look much like a military
base,” I remarked.

“It wasn’t, but it is now,” Jim said. “When
the troops showed up, they took over this empty building as
housing, mess hall, and command center all in one place. From what
I saw during the few hours I was here, it seems to be fairly
efficient, if a bit disorganized.” He parked near the entrance, and
we showed our IDs to the guard.

“Ah, lights! Must be generator time,” Jim
said. When I looked confused, he said, “Much like Moose Creek, the
base generator is running only a few hours a day to conserve fuel.
At least we’ll have the elevator for you to get to the second floor
without having to use the stairs.” My feet throbbed at the thought
of climbing a flight of concrete steps and my claustrophobia woke
up at the thought of getting in the elevator with questionable
power. I was torn.

The doors slid open on the second floor and
I breathed easier. Jim led me down a hall to a desk manned by a
Corporal Donna Cook.

“Colonel Andrews!” She stood and saluted.
“We didn’t expect you back so soon. Major Hogan will be pleased.”
Corporal Cook lifted her phone to announce his arrival. “Please go
right in,” she said with an unasked question in her eyes as I
limped past, following Jim.

Major Daniel Hogan was a large man, slightly
shorter than Jim and a bit overweight. With jet black hair and dark
blue eyes, he was an attractive man and had an air of command about
him.

“Colonel Andrews, it’s good to see you
again.” The major stood and shook Jim’s hand. “I take it the rescue
mission was a success?”

“Yes it was, Dan. Your men performed
admirably,” Jim replied. “I’d like to introduce you to First
Lieutenant Allex Smeth.”

I saluted.

The major was stunned. “I thought Lt. Smeth
was a man, Jim.” He saluted me back. “I can’t say I’m disappointed
though.” He gave me a warm smile. “Please, have a seat.” We both
sat in the comfortable wing chairs across from the major. The
former business office was spacious and decorated with fine
furniture.

“My name is actually Allexa, Sir, however I
go by Allex,” I said, returning his warm smile.

“What’s your AOC, Lieutenant?”

“Public Affairs, Sir, with a specialty in
civilian Emergency Management.” I knew this would come up at some
point and I had practiced my response. If I was asked to work, I
would at least know what I was doing.

“Is there a spare office I can use for a few
days, Dan?” Jim asked. “I need to formally issue Sgt. Pitchner’s
new orders and do some debriefing before we head back to Sawyer.
And we’ll both need temporary quarters.”

“Certainly. With all the space we have here,
most offices come with quarters attached. Female quarters are
located on the main level, as well as all male enlisted personnel,”
the major said.

“Where is the EOC located, Major?” I asked.
When he looked confused, I clarified, “The Emergency Operations
Center?”

“Well, it was down the hall. Without anyone
to run it, we closed it down.”

“Then it needs to be re-opened while we’re
here and the adjoining quarters given to Lt. Smeth,” Jim said.

“That office doesn’t have quarters.”

“Then find an office that does, Major
Hogan,” Jim insisted. “Lt. Smeth was just rescued from being
tortured by a psychopath, who took sadistic pleasure in breaking
her toes one at a time. She can barely walk and I will not have her
subjected to traversing flights of stairs. Is that clear?”

*

“You were a bit hard on him, Jim,” I said
when we were alone.

“Not really. Besides, rank has its
privileges, and even though this is his command, I still outrank
him. A little push now and then reminds everyone of that.”

“Well, thank you. I wasn’t looking forward
to the walk. Plus I didn’t like the thought of being so far away
from you.” When I realized what I had just said, I looked away,
feeling a blush coming on.

“Do you really want to reactivate the EOC?”
Jim asked.

“Why not? It’ll give me something to do
while you’re busy and I might as well do something useful.”

We had been assigned offices on the same
floor, at opposite ends of the hall. Two privates had brought up
our duffels and set them in the corridor outside the rooms.

“I think the first thing I’m going to do is
find the laundry facilities and wash all of my clothes. My jacket
still has river mud in the seams and it’s itchy,” I said to Jim. I
left him in his rooms and made my way to Corporal Cook’s desk to
make friends.

“Corporal Cook, hello, I’m Lt. Smeth.”

She looked at my outstretched hand in shock,
and then shook it. “
You’re
Lt. Smeth? We thought you were a
man.”

“So I gathered,” I laughed. “I was hoping
you could help me with a few things. May I call you Donna?” She
nodded. “Thanks. Where is the laundry, Donna? I really need to
clean my clothes.”

I had checked the power schedule and saw I
still had a couple of hours. I dragged my duffel to the elevator
and descended to the first floor, and following Donna’s directions,
found the facilities. I loaded two washers, then slipped into the
restroom and changed into a sweater and jeans, putting the clothes
I had been wearing into the wash. I sat in one of the metal chairs,
propped my feet up on another, and leaned my head back, closing my
eyes. It had been an exhausting day and it was only early
afternoon.

“Hey!” someone shouted at me, slapping my
feet off the chair. I almost passed out from the pain. “Are you a
civilian or are you out of uniform? And keep your feet off the
furniture!” the angry voice continued.

I stood on my good foot and looked at the
soldier in front of me. I checked his chevrons and then his name
tag. “Sergeant,” I said, putting my hat back on so the rank was
clearly visible.

He had the decency to look embarrassed. “My
apologies, ma’am! I didn’t know we had guests.”

“I’m here with Colonel Andrews, Sgt…
Wilkes,” I said, glancing again at his tag.

“
You’re
Lt. Smeth?” he said in awe.
“We all thought you were a guy.”

“I keep hearing that.”

“Is there anything I can do for you, ma’am?”
he asked with a complete reversal of attitude.

“As soon as I finish folding my uniforms,
I’m going up to my office. I’m reopening the EOC and I’ll need to
staff it. Do you have access to the service records?” I hobbled
over to the dryers.

“Oh, yes, ma’am!” he stared. “You’re
limping. Did I hurt you?” I heard the concern in his voice;
technically, he had assaulted an officer.

“No, Sergeant, I was already injured.” I
stuffed my folded clothes into the duffel, leaving out one set.
“Why don’t you meet me in my office, 11B, in forty-five minutes,
with some of those service files?” He scurried out the door, and I
stepped into the restroom to change.

*

After hanging my few clothes in the closet,
I opened the adjoining door to my new office. What a disaster!
There were two desks and only one chair, which looked very
uncomfortable. The one file cabinet had a drawer missing and there
were papers on the floor and dust on everything else. And not one
computer.

Sgt. Wilkes knocked and entered. “Wow, this
is a mess,” he said looking around.

“It sure is!” I agreed. “Any suggestions?
Like a broom and a few trash cans?”

He set the files he was carrying on one of
the desks, and said “I’ll be right back.”

I picked up a few of the papers off the
floor and looked through them. Apparently they were all from the
office’s previous tenant and nothing military. I continued to pick
them off the floor and stack them on the desk. A few minutes later
Wilkes was back with two privates, a trashcan, several rare plastic
bags, a broom, a bucket, and some dust cloths. How he got all that
in such short time, I didn’t ask. We set to work.

Inside of an hour the place was clean, all
the trash had been removed, and I had a new chair.

“Let’s take a walk, Wilkes, down to the old
EOC and see what was left there,” I said to my new right hand.

“I can’t believe I smacked your injured
foot, Lieutenant,” he mumbled.

“Don’t worry about it, just don’t do it
again. I may hit you back!” I said. I opened the door down the hall
that was closed as the EOC three months ago. There sat three silent
computers. “Why aren’t these in use?"

“Maybe because there’s no internet,” Wilkes
responded.

“They’re still good as word processors.” I
turned them on, one at a time. “They all have the latest operating
systems. Can you get them moved to the new office?”

*

I sat with one computer on, the monitor
blipped with balls bouncing as the screen saver. Wilkes had also
retrieved two printers and some paper. I started going through the
files he had left and made notes on who might be likely candidates
for a new job. I was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jim opened
it and stepped in.

“Looks like you’re settling in,” he
said.

“Not really, only cleaned up a mess and
moved the computers down. How’s it going on your side?”

“Paperwork, paperwork, and more damned
paperwork,” he said, sitting in the other chair. “Dinner is in
fifteen minutes in the officers’ mess. Care for a cocktail?” He
produced our liquor bottles and two glasses.

“Are officers allowed that, or should you
lock the door?” I asked.

“We’re allowed. Besides, if I locked the
door someone might think….you know.”

“Is the major over the shock that I’m not a
man?” I asked with a chuckle. “And why is it everyone here thinks
I’m a guy?”

“That’s my fault, sorry. When I was
organizing the rescue I referred to you as Allex, and that’s more a
masculine name,” he informed me. “I must admit that since we showed
up,
you
are the hot topic of the entire base.” I frowned at
him, sipping my drink. He leaned on the desk. “Allex, everyone
knows what you’ve been through, and they are all amazed at your
resilience. Quite frankly, so am I.” He looked at me for a bit then
looked away.

“These drinks need ice,” I said, clearing my
throat. “I think tomorrow I’m asking Wilkes if he can find a small
fridge for my room. I’m finding he’s the ‘Radar’ of this base.” I
smiled thinking of the TV series
M*A*S*H
.

“Wilkes! He is so enamored with you he would
steal it from Dan’s office for you,” Jim chuckled. “Come on,
Lieutenant, let’s go to dinner, then we’ll come back here for our
evening cribbage game.”

JOURNAL ENTRY: April 25

I set aside five files that looked promising. Wilkes
had agreed to meet with me at 10:00 after his usual rounds to help
me with the selection. Major Hogan, Jim, and I had a pleasant,
leisurely breakfast earlier of ham and eggs. Real ham… I wonder
where they got it.

~~~

“Good morning, Lt. Smeth,” Sgt. Wilkes said,
announcing his arrival in my new office. “Did you find the mess
hall alright this morning?”

“Good morning to you, Wilkes, and yes, I
dined with Major Hogan and Colonel Andrews. It’s been a long time
since I’ve had ham that wasn’t canned.”

“Rank definitely has its privileges,” he
replied without any rancor. “So what do you have for me today,
ma’am?”

“I was hoping you could help me narrow down
these possibilities,” I said, sliding the file folders in his
direction.

He picked up the first one. “Lost in
battle,” he said and set it aside. “He was with the rescue
mission,” he said of the second and set that one aside as well. He
took the remaining three and sat, flipping through the pages. “Pvt.
Toth… now there is one strange dude. He seems really smart,
however, he does dumb things that get him in trouble and demoted. I
don’t know Cpl. Ki very well. She sticks to herself, not much of a
team player. And this one,” he said, picking up the final file, “is
bad news. He’s in the brig right now.” He dropped it in the first
pile.