Thank you for all of the feedback. I very much appreciate it. This next chapter is a flashback which should fill in some gaps. The next chapter will be much longer.
Chapter 4
November 2018
Royal Crescent
Bath, United Kingdom
"Captain McClyde, thank you for taking the time to visit," A tall, grey-haired gentleman in his late sixties greeted Bones before motioning him into the foyer of his Georgian, terraced home.
"Sir."
"I hear your rehabilitation at Standford Hall went exceedingly well, and that you'll be back with The Regiment at the beginning of the year."
"That's correct, Sir."
"Very good," the older gentleman nodded. "I know you must be puzzled as to why I requested your visit."
"A few reasons crossed my mind, Sir. Your son being the most probable."
"Please sit," the older gentleman invited once they had reached his study, where various mementos from his illustrious military career were proudly on display, along with his collection of military antiquities.
"I know that you and Charles have not always got on, McClyde, which makes what I would like to say to you all the more important."
'Sir?"
"Jacqueline and I are deeply indebted to you for not once, but twice, saving our eldest son's life. We also must thank you for rescuing our Molly. While she may not be our daughter-in-law as we had hoped, Jacqueline and I love her dearly. This is why I personally requested for you to lead the operation to rescue her. I knew you were the only person I could count on to bring her back alive."
"Sir, there is no need to thank me or feel indebted to me. You know, as I much as I do, that I was merely doing my job."
"A job you do exceedingly well, McClyde. That is why The Regiment is extremely fortunate to have you."
"Sir," Bones acknowledged.
"I also summoned you here because I thought it best, we discuss Bangladesh."
"What about Bangladesh do you wish to discuss, Sir?"
"I first wanted to thank you for your discretion, McClyde. As you witnessed first-hand, Charles was not well, which clearly played a role in some of the tactical errors and poor decision-making skills he demonstrated."
"While your son is by no means a mate of mine, Sir, it was quite obvious when I found him stranded on the riverbank, that he was suffering some type of mental breakdown, likely caused by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I've witnessed my fair share of it to recognize it when I see it."
"I blame myself to some extent," Charles's father confessed. "Molly had come to Jacqueline and I multiple times before the wedding to share her concerns about the changes to his behaviour, but I put it down to his rehab, the stress of the wedding, and his disappointment that Harte was no longer there to share in his happiness. Like you, I too, have witnessed PTSD first-hand, and I know both the signs and symptoms. However, I think like Charles, I was too much in denial that it could happen to him, and refused to acknowledge what was clearly in front of me."
"And how is your son, Sir?"
"I think you'll find him significantly improved from when you last saw him nine months ago. After completing an intensive treatment program for PTSD in Scotland, he has been deemed fit for active duty once again."
"Is he returning to the Black Rats, Sir?" Bones asked, referring to the nickname for Charles's regiment.
"Given all that has occurred, Colonel Beck and I felt an overseas assignment best at this time."
"I see."
"Had it not been for your discretion and that of 2 Section, I'm not sure Charles would be afforded a second chance such as this. Colonel Beck and I were able to secure Charles a 12-month secondment in Brussels with NATO starting in January. We felt it would align with his strengths and enable himself to let some additional time pass so that when he does return to Catterick, enough time will have passed to ensure a fresh start for him.
"He's fortunate to have your support as well as Colonel Beck's, Sir."
"McClyde, I do not want you to think that I'm overlooking my son's behaviour, or that I excuse all of it due to his illness. I do not think Jacqueline and I will ever be able to condone or accept what he did to Molly. That being said, he has worked extremely hard to overcome his PTSD and I am proud of him for enduring what has been a difficult and challenging treatment process for him. Charles also recognizes the consequences his actions have caused and has accepted that he must live with them. For these reasons, Colonel Beck and I believe he deserves another chance."
"It's not my place to judge, Sir. As I indicated earlier, I was merely doing my job. As to your son, I hope he recognizes that he is fortunate to be receiving a second chance and does you and Colonel Beck proud with it."
"Thank you, McClyde, your gallantry is much appreciated. Before you head back to Winchcombe, would you be willing to have a few words with Charles? I know he would like to speak to you."
-X-
"Son?" Charles's father found him seated in the conservatory flipping through a book.
"Father," Charles stood up and acknowledged his father before grimacing at the sight of Bones.
"I believe you wanted a word with Captain McClyde before he returned to Winchcombe?"
"Yes. Thank you, Father." Charles dismissed his father.
"I will join your mother in the drawing room then. Captain McClyde," Charles's father acknowledged one final time.
"Sir," Bones saluted, watching as Charles's father returned the salute before departing the conservatory.
-X-
"I wasn't sure you would come," Charles began, less than thrilled to be seeing his nemesis once again.
"Like refusing the General was ever an option," Bones scoffed. "I have to admit, I actually felt sorry for the General a moment ago. Arse licking does not become him, but I suppose he has his dickhead son to thank for putting him in such an undignified position. Is this where you play the obedient son and carry out Daddy's orders to thank me for saving your sorry arse, not once, but twice, and for keeping your little breakdown in Bangladesh to myself?"
"I wasn't well."
"Believe me, I know. If your barmy arse hadn't been in shambles from PTSD, I would have gladly destroyed both you and your career."
"Why didn't you then?"
"Certainly not for your benefit, tosser. Not when I think you are a disgrace to the uniform."
"For my father then?"
"No, not even for the General."
"Then why?"
"I did it to protect someone else. Someone who has suffered enough at your hands and didn't need to be humiliated once again by having your dirty laundry made public."
"Lane?"
"Are you fucking kidding me? Lane? She's the one bloody person to come out of this mess smelling like a rose. Not only did the twit get to go back to Manchester, she seems to have gotten a promotion. I assume the promotion is all down to the General. Must be nice for him and Beck to always be at your beck and call to fix your latest cock-ups."
"Is this really necessary?"
"What? You don't actually expect me to be civil, do you?"
"If this is about your ACL, I know you are upset, and I truly am sorry…"
"Spare me the load of cobblers, arsemonger. For the record, the next time you decide to make a spectacular cock-up, you're on your own. I'm done being the General's dogsbody and putting my life on the line for you. Lose the plot again, James, and I think you'll find that I can't be arsed to lift a bloody finger to help you. I am sick and tired of every damn thing being sod's law with you, especially when we both know you don't give a fuck about the casualties you leave in your wake."
"That's bollocks, Bones, and you bloody well know it!"
"I think you'll find that Molly disagrees with you on that point."
"Molly? What does she have to do with this?"
"You seriously cannot be that much of a prat, especially when out of all of your casualties Molly is the one who has suffered the most."
"No, that cannot be possible," Charles protested in a stricken voice.
"What do you mean by not possible, knob head? You fucking jilted her on her bloody wedding day for that twit Lane. Then while you were off shagging Lane on your little Bangladeshi adventure, your fiancé, the woman who you were supposed to protect above all others, was having the shit kicked out of her by a drug cartel in Sierra Leone."
"What the fuck are you on about, Bones?"
"Don't play daft, James. You bloody well know what I am talking about."
"I don't, so you better start talking now!"
"Priceless," Bones shook his head in disbelief. "The General didn't tell you, did he?"
"Tell me what?"
"After you ran off with Lane, Molly found it difficult to do her job due to all of the speculation and rumours flooding Queen Elizabeth. She couldn't cope with the embarrassment and shame associated with being jilted by an Officer. Her CO thought that Molly doing a humanitarian operation in Sierra Leone would allow an appropriate amount of time to pass for the gossip to die down. Unbeknownst to Molly, I was in Sierra Leone doing an undercover operation involving a drug cartel providing funding to an ISIS cell. In the midst of providing aid to the locals, Molly inadvertently stumbled upon the cartel and was taken captive, where she was beaten, tortured, and starved for four days. Your father called in several favours which resulted in me going in and rescuing her," Bones explained as Charles became deathly pale, a look of sheer horror crossing his face.
"N-no, please tell me this is some kind of a sick joke."
"It's no joke."
"Christ!" Charles let out an anguished cry. "This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to be fine."
"How the hell was she supposed to be fine when you fucking jilted her, arsehole?" Bones asked in an exasperated voice. "If you hadn't behaved in such an appalling and disgraceful fashion, she never would have gone to Sierra Leone and never would have been taken."
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this! I was doing it to protect her!" Charles protested in agony.
"Protect her? You nearly fucking destroyed her, you bloody bastard!"
"And just how would you know that?"
"It took me three days to get her out of that godforsaken jungle, James. Three nightmarish days where I learned everything I needed to know about her. Three days for me to question why the hell any man in his right mind would run off with Lane when he could have someone like her. Three days where I saw this amazing, brilliant woman who had been emotionally abused by you, beaten, tortured, and starved by complete scum nearly lose her will to live. Yet somehow under the direst of circumstances, I saw this tiny spark of grit and determination in her. I swore to myself there was no fucking way I would let her give up on herself. She's fucking awesome, and you are a bloody fool to not even realize what you were giving up when you betrayed her."
"I know exactly what I was giving up, Bones, and I don't need you to bloody well tell me. I'm the one who has to live with my decision for the rest of my life, not you."
"Consequences you fucking deserve, arsemonger. If you fucking so much as go near Molly or contact her, James, I will hunt you down and destroy you," Bones threatened in a steely voice. "She's only just started to put her life back together, and the last thing she needs is you fucking everything up for her again. Oh, and James, this isn't some threat, it's a fucking promise," Bones declared before storming out of the room. He'd had more than enough of Charles James to last him a lifetime.