Set in current time

I was outside, and so was the team. McG and I playing horseshoes, while Dalton, Amir, and Preach are discussing something. After three years I am glad I have them, they became so much to me. Maybe one more than others.

"Jaz, get your head out of the sky. And throw your horseshoe!" McG yelled at me playfully, standing next to me. I laugh and shove him, "You were going to lose anyway!" I said with a smile.

I look over at Amir, and I turn to McG, " I think Amir has had enough, of you making fun of his secret of being rich." McG turns and looks at me with a shocked expression etched on his face, "Jasmine Khan I am so shocked right now that you are defending Amir, you recently wanted to tear his head off." I shove him, I cannot believe what I just said either, "We all have secrets McG, doesn't mean you can torment people because of them." I start to walk away.

McG walks right up next to me, and soon we are in front of the rest of the team, "What? We all do, have secrets." I say, which grabs everyone's attention. McG stops me, "And what secrets do you have, Khan?" I flinch, and I am sure everyone notices, "That is too classified." I fake a smile, and grab a concerned look from Preach and Dalton. Amir stands, and looks at me, " sounds juicy" he laughs and walks away.

I haven't thought about what had happened to me three years ago, in so long. So far no one knows, only Campbell and myself and I want to keep it that way.

Preach interrupts, "Alright, who is on cooking duty tonight." I thank him with a smile for discontinuing my "secret" talk. McG walks to our building, "I will, I think Amir needs to get a manicure done or something." Amir pushes McG, "Enough already, jeez." He laughs a small laugh.

My mind races, what if they find out about what happened? Would I be forced to leave the team? Would they believe me? I am so carried away with my thoughts I didn't realize everyone has went inside, besides Adam. He walks up to me, "Hey, Jaz. Are you okay.?" I shake my head from my thoughts, "what...? Uh... Yeah... No, I am good." Smooth Jaz. Adam is too smart not to see that something was bothering me, so I change the subject, "Heard anything from DC?"

He looks at me with concern and then answers, "Patricia might have something for us soon, we might need to sync up with another team. But I will most likely hear from her soon." I nod. Adam then puts an arm out to stop me, "Don't be worried about that secret talk. Everyone has them, I am sure McG slept with a teddy bear until he was 15." We both laugh. Adam continues, "I can tell it is something really personal, if you ever need to talk about that or anything, I am a few doors down from you." I put my hand on his arm, "I am good, thank you. And I will keep it in mind." I smile and then we are both inside with the rest of the team.

Dinner is served and I am three beers down, and cannot eat. My mind is racing to what happened to me three years ago. I let my mind go back to that time.

"Sergent Khan!" My CO, Captain James yells. I come into focus as him and other men of my until are all drinking together at a local bar in Baghdad.

"Sir." I reply. Anyone within a mile can tell that all these men were drunk or getting there.

"Clean up our bottles." James yells, and all the other four men are drinking laugh in response. I turn to him from where I was standing, "With all due respect sir, but I am not your maid."

He stops laughing, "You are what I say you are!" He stands up and puts his empty bottle in my hand. "And don't your pretty little face forget it." He then looks at me up and down like a piece of meat, with a disgusting look on his face. I try to step back but he grabs my wrist, "You know if you were a civilian—I "

"Jaz! Jaz!" Adam says loudly, I shake my head to clear it. "Yes, sorry... what?" I say fast, and look around to see everyone with concerned looks on their faces. `"Sorry I am just not hungry, and I have had too many of these so I am going to go to bed." I stand abruptly, and drop my near empty beer in the recycling. "Goodnight, guys."

"Goodnight" Everyone says in Unisom, I feel Adam's eyes on my back until I shut the door. I take a deep breath and head for bed. I stare at my clock, until it says 0100 and then, the three beers and no food, make me fall asleep faster than what I wanted. I am soon great by a monster, Captain James.

"You know if you were a civilian, I would do so much to you." I try to yank my hand away. "Captain James, stop." Saying that made him grab me harder and soon he put his other hand where It should have never gone to. I jerk away with all my weight and strength and rush out of the door, only to hear laughter behind my every step.

"Jaz! Wake up!" I feel someone's hands on my arms, and I spring to action. In less than three seconds I have them pinned, my eyes finally focus and It is Dalton who I pinned. I quickly get off from on top of him, "Top, oh my god! I am so sorry!"

He sits up, "It is okay, you were having a nightmare. I had to wake you up." I sit next to him staring at the wall. "Thank you" I say. I hear him sigh and I could see and feel that he wants to ask me something. Before he had the chance to, I stand and walk towards my opened door, "I am going to get a glass of water."

I turn towards the door and hear Adam stand and walk towards me, "Captain James, you were telling him to stop. You said it multiple times." My heart stops and then sinks to the floor like an anchor hitting the ocean floor. "He was your last CO?" Adam asked and I nod. "I've heard about him, he is a son of a bitch, especially to women. What happened?"

I open my mouth to say what I have wanted to tell him about what happened three years ago, but I couldn't. "Just an asshole. I am good. Thank you for waking me up." I say fast and walk out my door into the kitchen. I see that it is 0500, "It is almost dawn I am going to get a run in." I take a sip of water and head to get my shoes, I hear Adam behind me, "Jaz... Are you sur—" I spin around, "Of course, thank you. I am fine." I smiled a big smile to fake what I was really feeling.

I was just about to head out the door when I heard Adam's laptop video feed go off. I turn to see him walk to his desk and sit down, to be greeted by Patricia.

"Adam, sorry for the early morning call." Patricia says over the line. Adam yawns, "It is alright, I have already been up."

"The mission we were talking about a few days ago is a green light, you will be syncing up with an Army unit, in Baghdad. We will need your team there in a few hours." Patricia says.

"Alright, debrief us when we land." Adam says as he stands.

"Adam, wake Khan up first. I need a word with her." Patricia says. Adam waves me over, "Actually she is already up also, I'll go wake up the guys." I walk over to Dalton and sit down to be greeted by another concerned face, "ma'am."

"Jaz, I am sorry to tell you this. But the team you are rendezvousing with is under the command of Captain James." I panic, "Nobody knows what happened right? Top doesn't know?" Patricia sighs, "No he doesn't, but I think it is time to tell him."

I nod, "I will do it."

I close his computer and I know that Dalton heard me. This can't be happening, James is not my CO anymore, I thought I would never have to see this monster before. Not since he...