Chapter 9
Snake Eyes wasn't the only person to leave the camp that day. McMurray surprised everyone, including Beach Head, by quitting with only one week to go. Apparently he couldn't stand the thought of one more trip up the mountain to end the day's training, so he left. Now there were nine.
The rain that had threatened all day finally came pouring down as the greenshirts were finishing their run. The whole group showed up at the mess hall soaking wet, tired, and hungry. The mood was down after McMurray's departure, but they all seemed to be feeling the end of training was near. After dinner they all retired to their tents, changed into dry clothes, and settled in for a rainy night. Most sat in Alvarez's tent playing cards, but a few of them stayed by themselves. Brown was sitting alone in his tent (Mitchell was losing at cards) reading a Clive Barker novel, when he heard the rain stop pounding a rhythm on the roof. He marked his place and went to the flap to see if it had truly stopped or just slowed down. The rain had quit for the moment, so he decided to take a walk.
The night was just setting in, and it seemed the unusually high temperatures that had dominated the week would finally break. The early night was still and calm, the humidity very high, but not too uncomfortable. He began to walk aimlessly across the field, lost in his own thoughts. He looked to the sky as the clouds separated for a moment, and the hazy moon peeked through at him. "Hold it, Greenshirt," a voice called from behind him. His body tensed at the sudden sound, but he didn't turn around. He already knew who it was, and a slight smile crossed his face.
Scarlett knew that she had surprised him, but he didn't turn around to greet her. She suddenly felt very anxious that she couldn't see his face and read his expression. She worried that he was angry at her for avoiding him all week. She tried to think of something witty to say, but only came up with, "waiting for the mother ship to land?"
He turned to her, and was barely able to keep his cool when he saw her. She was wearing shorts that were just a bit too short for regulations, and a blue, hooded sweatshirt that managed to cling to her in all the right places. Her long red hair framed the creamy white skin of her face, and fell about her shoulders. He hadn't seen it out of its standard ponytail since the day he met her. It was nice. He managed a grin and prayed that his voice didn't falter, "what a surprise to meet you out here…alone…in the dark…out of screaming distance."
There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn't settle on anything. She giggled and noted, "it's not dark yet."
"Details, details," he responded.
She desperately wanted to avoid silence, so she decided to comment on his week with Snake Eyes. "You showed a lot of good moves during training this week. How did you get started in the martial arts?"
He took a few moments to prepare his thoughts, and eventually decided that his life story was the best method. "I was a really shy kid. There were days when I wouldn't say a word to anyone, and this is at five or six years old when you can't get a kid to shut up for five seconds. My parents thought it would be a good idea to enroll me in a Karate class to hopefully build my confidence and self esteem. Turns out I was pretty good, and managed to catch on quickly. Every couple of years my teachers would pass me on to someone else because they claimed they had nothing left to teach me, and I learned a couple of different styles. By the time I was sixteen, I had forgotten all about what martial arts stood for, and was only using it to release my aggression. But luckily I met up with a man who was able to center me again, and teach me the spirituality of the arts. He helped me to focus my energies and not react to every situation with violence."
As he was speaking, he resumed his walk, and Scarlett followed. "Do you still see him?"
"No," Jester replied, "the summer after I graduated high school he said that I had learned all I needed. Now I should take my knowledge into the world."
"He sounds wise," she offered. "He realized that the only way you were going to truly understand the things he taught you was through experience."
"Yeah, I eventually figured that out," he replied. "At first I just felt like I was being thrown away again."
Scarlett thought for a moment and asked, "this week wasn't very enlightening for you, was it?"
"Actually it was. I haven't learned anything new about martial arts in years," he said. "Snake Eyes really gave me a lot of good lessons."
"Do you wish he would have stayed," she questioned.
"Sort of," Jester said. "Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not going to miss getting the shit kicked out of me every day, but I would like to study with him again at some point."
She wanted to apologize to him. Explain that it was her fault he was being abused on a daily basis. She instead took a hold of his hand. He stopped and turned to look at her. She was normally a couple of inches shorter than him, but the thick soled boots she wore made them more or less equal. They stared into each other's eyes. The sky was still light enough that they could clearly see each other in the grey.
She grasped his other hand and asked him another question, "why do they call you Jester?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "I guess I'm just the biggest fool in the kingdom."
Her eyes never left his as she whispered, "maybe not the biggest." She pulled him toward her and their lips briefly met. She pulled away and smiled at him.
"Besides, it sounds a lot better than Twinkletoes," he continued as if nothing had happened.
She laughed and pulled him into another kiss, tentatively at first, but each of them quickly increased their intensity. His right hand freed itself from her grip and reached up to caress her cheek, then slid down her neck and ran through her hair. Their tongues began to explore each other's mouths as he pulled her closer. She had both hands behind his head, and both of his were positioned on the small of her back. A soft moan escaped her as she felt his manhood press against her. She felt all her uncertainties fall away, and she honestly didn't care if she was court marshaled for fraternization.
Suddenly a loud clap of thunder echoed across the mountains, and an instant later the rain was pouring down upon them. At the noise Scarlett had jumped and broken their kiss. Now as the lightning flashed across the sky she was able to see deep into his eyes. "He's so nervous," she thought as another roll of thunder sounded. She tried to ease his fears by kissing him again, but he pulled away.
"We've got to get out of here," he said as he took her hand and began running toward the tree line. Another white flash lit up the sky, and the thunder boomed through the night instantaneously.
Once they had reached the woods and found safety underneath the boughs of a young hemlock tree, Scarlett reasoned with him, "I thought you weren't supposed to hide under a tree during a thunder storm?"
"You're not," he said, "but it's better than being out in that field where we're the only thing around to attract the lightning." Just then a bright light flashed in the woods twenty yards to their left, and a sound like a cannon firing surrounded them. Scarlett screamed and huddled as close as she could to Jester. Jester ducked for cover and held on to Scarlett for dear life. He watched and listened and when he was sure that no trees were coming down he reassured her, "it's ok. Everything is ok." There was a brief moment of silence as they both looked around. "Holy shit," he chuckled, "that was close." Scarlett began to laugh and when their eyes finally met they remembered what they had been doing minutes ago. He lifted her head, and with a mischievous grin he quipped, "now, where were we?"
Scarlett smiled and leaned in to accept his advances. He pulled away for a moment, and sat back against the trunk of the tree. The soft ground was covered in a bed of pine needles and rich, black soil. She kneeled down over his lap and took his head into both of her hands, enjoying the way he was looking up into her eyes. Smiling, she leaned in, but he cautiously pulled away. "Don't be afraid of this," she said, still holding his head firmly, "you won't get in trouble." She planted a strong kiss on him and their tongues picked up where they had left off earlier. He put his hands on her hips and gave her a sharp pull, scooting her forward so that he held her against him. This time she broke the kiss and smiled at him as she sat down on his lap so that they were more or less eye to eye. Her smile broadened when she felt how aroused he was, and his smile widened when he felt her warmth on his lap. They were both soaked to the skin and the rain continued to drip on them through the trees, but they were completely focused on each other. Their smiles faded and a serious look of desire hit each of them. Their hands began to take liberties with each other's bodies. He let his roam over the curves of her hips and down her thighs. Hers slid down his arms and traced over his biceps. He started to kiss her neck as his hands reversed direction and slipped around to her bottom. She started to run hers across his chest, and then lifted his lips to hers. She felt his right hand stay on her waist as his left crept underneath her sweatshirt. His hand cupped her right breast and she gasped as his thumb brushed across her already hardened nipple. A flash of pleasure surged through her body like an electric shock. She began to unbutton his shirt as his right hand joined his left in caressing her breasts. She reached both hands into his open shirt and followed the lines of his pectoral muscles down to his navel, and back up again. She broke their kiss when both of his hands went behind her back and undid the clasp of her bra. His hands immediately returned to her now naked breasts, and she resumed kissing him with fervor.
"I have to touch you," he whispered in her ear as his hands moved down her flat stomach to the waistband of her shorts. She moaned her approval as he undid the snap and pulled down her zipper. She rose to her knees again as his fingers roamed across her wetness. She bit her lip and stifled a cry when his finger slipped inside the leg of her panties. He took his time exploring her womanhood. She wanted to reciprocate the pleasure she felt, but he was touching her in exactly the right places, and her forearms were planted on his shoulders for support. Her body rocked back and forth against his touch and her orgasm built swiftly. Before she could try and hold off and prolong the sensation, a wave of pleasure and satisfaction crashed through her. She was laughing as she kissed him again, and she could feel his intense desire to have her completely. She sat down on his lap again and Jester felt the familiar warming sensation once more. She had begun to undo his pants, going very slowly, teasing him every step of the way. She was just about to free him from his boxers when he quickly pulled away.
"No," he said suddenly, with an anguished look on his face.
"What," she started to ask, but he held up his hand to quiet her.
"No," he yelled in an exasperated tone as he pushed her off of him and hurried to his feet. "I swear the whole fucking world's against me!"
"Jester, what's wrong?" Her eyes pleaded with him to explain. She felt on the verge of tears.
"Listen," he told her and gestured in the direction of the camp. It was now that she heard the siren Beach Head used to summon the greenshirts to assemble for training.
"No," she said, unable to believe this was happening.
"I gotta go," he said to her. He turned to run, but stopped and came back to her, bending down to heartily kiss her. "I'm really sorry, but I gotta…"
"Go," she said and smiled at him. He took off out of the woods and sprinted across the field toward the farm house, buttoning his shirt as he ran. Scarlett began to slowly rearrange her clothing into a presentable state. She decided to walk away from the farm house in order to avoid being noticed. She crossed the field quickly, and stayed to the low ground, circling around to the front of the house and creeping in unnoticed. She hurried up to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, finally allowing herself to breathe. She turned on the shower and waited for the water to sufficiently warm. As she undressed she looked in the mirror and smiled as she saw the places that Jester's hands had so recently been. She was still smiling as she got into the shower and let the warm water cascade over her. She thought back to the way he had made her feel and expelled a very contented and blissful sigh.
Jester skidded to a stop among the ranks of his fellow greenshirts, and felt a pang of guilt that they were all doing push ups on his account. Beach Head immediately got in his face and questioned his absence, "you better have a damn good reason for postponing my training, recruit!"
"I was taking a walk in the field and came running as soon as I heard the siren, Sergeant," Jester explained.
"Do you realize that your teammates have been pushing for nearly three minutes because of you," he questioned. Before Jester could respond he laid into him again, "and where is your helmet? You know better than to show up here without your cover!"
"I wanted to get here as soon as possible, Sergeant," he explained. "That's why I didn't stop at my tent and gather my things."
"Well I suggest you go and get it fast, Twinkletoes, because your friends are gonna keep pushing until you get back here and are suitably prepared for training," Beach Head yelled. Jester ran as fast as he could to his tent, grabbed his pack, stuffed his helmet onto his head, and hurried back. When he returned Beach Head ordered the rest of the greenshirts to their feet. "After all the whining and complaining I heard this week about the heat, I figured you pus buckets would enjoy training in the nice, cool rain!" He smiled when they grumbled. "I was going to run you through the obstacle course, but since Twinkletoes couldn't seem to make it on time, I think we'll run it five times. Once for every minute he made you wait. Now let's move it!"
The greenshirts ran over to the obstacle course and prepared themselves for the tortures ahead. The course was roughly a quarter mile long, but the trenches, walls and special surprises that always lurked in the bushes made it extremely challenging. Also, Beach Head put a nearly impossible time of one minute, forty-five seconds to complete it. He had a rule that every greenshirt must complete the course under time for it to count, so running the course successfully once, usually meant running it three or four times. To run the course five times meant they would be here most of the night.
Beach Head's voice called over the din of rain and thunder, "Brown, I believe you owe your friends some push ups! When you aren't running this course, I want your nose hitting the dirt!"
"Yes, Sergeant," he replied, and immediately dropped to the ground as Beach Head started two of the greenshirts through the course.
Scarlett stood on the screened in porch of the farm house, sipping a cup of coffee, and watching the greenshirts slug their way through Beach Head's Obstacle Course from Hell. They had been running for over three hours without stopping, and it was really taking its toll on the group. She especially noticed that when Jester wasn't on the course, he was doing push ups. God only knew how many he had done by now. It was amazing he could even complete the course. The rain had stopped again, and the flood lights that lined the course were brightly cutting the Appalachian darkness. She heard Beach Head yell that their collective effort wasn't good enough, and they had to do it again. As they sluggishly dragged themselves back to the start she heard Beach holler, 'only one more to go!' The team started its way through, and Brown did pushups while he waited for his turn. Scarlett watched and crossed her fingers as Jester and Richardson were the last to tackle the course. She thought they would make it through, but Richardson got stuck halfway up the wall climb. Scarlett watched in wonder as Jester backed down the wall, grabbed Richardson's collar and all but threw him the rest of the way up the wall. He stayed with Richardson the rest of the way, pushing him to go faster. She breathed a sigh of relief when they both sprinted across the finish line.
"Very good," Beach Head drawled, "one minute, forty-four point seven seconds. Looks like you all passed." A relieved cheer went up from the greenshirts and Jester dropped to continue his pushups. "However," he stated as the cheers were cut short, "Richardson needed some help to finish, and normally that's a five second penalty."
Scarlett's heart sank along with the greenshirt's and she cursed Beach Head, "you lousy bastard."
Beach Head looked at the group, and then at Brown and announced he decision, "Seeing as how Twinkletoes could have left him back there to fail for certain, but instead did exactly what I've been teaching you guys for the last month and looked out for his teammate…I think we can let it slide." A mighty roar went up from the crowd. "On your feet, Brown," Beach Head turned his attention to the recruit. "How are you feeling after all of those push ups?"
Jester could barely lift his head. He was dead tired, and had difficulty keeping his feet to stay upright, but he gave a proud response, "buff and muscular, Sergeant. I think I need a bigger shirt."
Beach Head actually smiled, although no one saw it hiding under his baklava. This kid was a fighter. He had to give him that. "Are you ever going to be late again?"
"Never again, Sergeant," Jester said with a slight chuckle.
Beach Head turned and addressed the entire group, "that's it for tonight. Get some sleep and rest up for tomorrow. Dismissed!" The greenshirts broke into a slow jog and headed back to their tents.
Scarlett checked her watch and saw that it was almost 0100. She watched from the porch as Mitchell grabbed a hold of Jester's elbow and led him into their tent. Then she went inside, headed upstairs and readied herself for bed. She paused at her window and looked out before pulling the shade and lying down. Her mind was reeling with the thoughts of tonight's encounter, and she couldn't wait to see him again. She calmed herself and mentally reminded herself that what happened was completely against regulations, and was a very serious offense. "Who cares," she smiled, feeling like a school girl with a crush, "it was worth it."
