Chapter 3

Edna Winchester gathered the supplies and strapped the holstered pistol and belt around her middle. She placed the weapon to the front and on the left side thus resting on the lower left side of the belly just under her leather jacket. She was supplied with a surplus steel helmet, rations and water in a rucksack along with a first aid kit that Charles put together himself.

Klinger changed into a green flower patterned dress with white high heel shoes. He sported the green army helmet on his head and carried the issued rifle. He then got behind the wheel of the jeep to drive with Charles, Hawkeye and B.J. in audience to see them off.

Eddy cocked her head upon looking at his feet. "You want me to drive? I know driving in high heels is kind of difficult."

"Boy, I'll say driving in high heels is difficult." Klinger agreed. "If you insist, Captain." He climbed out of the jeep and then walked around the vehicle to climb into the passenger's seat.

B.J. whispered to Hawkeye, "How would Eddy know that driving in high heels is difficult?"

Hawkeye shrugged wondering that himself.

To B.J. the mystery about Eddy was growing deeper. Eddy knew the designer of the purse Klinger carried, knew driving in high heels was not an easy task and seemed to like Klinger a lot to his estimation. Most officers found Klinger irritating in general. Eddy seemed to adore him and find his outfits amusing and even complimented him on the green flower pattern prior. It's was as if the officer not only liked Klinger's outfits but also encouraged it.

Eddy climbed behind the wheel and started the jeep.

Charles pleaded, "Please be careful out there, Eddy."

"I will." she assured him. "We should be back by night fall."

"I'll be waiting for you." Charles told her worried.

She reach over and squeezed his hand. "I'll be fine." She then placed her hand on the wheel and her other hand on the shifter. She placed the jeep in gear and soon she and Klinger were off on the mission to retrieve the parts.

All Charles could do was pray for her safety and well being and hope against all odds the mission is a success and they get to the motor pool that held the parts needed to repair the chopper.

Hawkeye understood Charles was worried for his sibling. He stated, "Eddy will be alright. He's a fighter ace. He's seen action."

Charles gulped, "That really doesn't help, Pierce. Eddy nearly died on the last bomber mission."

"What happened?" he asked him as they began to walk towards the swamp.

"The bomber was crippled by flak. They lost both pilots when flak exploded right above the cockpit. Ripped a whole in the bomber. Eddy was the navigator. He managed to get control of the plane but was hit by shrapnel as the whole in the cockpit lift it wide open. He landed the plane and then was rushed to surgery. The shrapnel was lodge in the lung between the ribs." he reported.

B.J. figured, "Eddy has a purple heart for that."

"Never got a purple heart or any medals." Charles shook his head more worried than ever.

"Why not?" B.J. wondered.

"Was forced to decline it." he reported. "After that Eddy came home and recovered. The war ended and…he…went back to racing planes with our uncle." he summarized. He nearly slipped and called Eddy and she.

Hawkeye stated, "Kid deserved a purple heart for that."

Charles huffed, "Eddy deserves the Distinguished Flying Cross but will never get it. The RAF owes Eddy for that service." He grumbled, "Instead of brushing it all under the rug like that." He walked into the tent and went to the still. He poured himself a glass of hard moonshine and drank it down much to Hawkeye and B.J.'s surprise. The two doctors grew concerned for Charles was very upset about Eddy leaving to get the parts and they could not understand why.

"Easy Charles." B.J. soothed.

Hawkeye asked, "What are you two keeping from us? You and Eddy are not telling us something. The RAF, the bomber. No medals. Swept under the rug. What's going on between you two?"

The booze loosened Charles a bit. His shoulders slunk as he figured eventually his tent mates would find out the truth. "Have a seat. I will tell a story." He poured another glass of moonshine for himself which was highly unusual and very alarming for the two doctors.

B.J. assured, "Whatever is bothering you, Charles. You can tell us. You can trust me and Hawkeye with it."

"You cannot let this information leave this tent." he declared.

Hawkeye made a motioned and stated, "My lips are sealed."

Charles took a seat on the edge of his cot. He began to recall the story. "I was in medical school at the time. Eddy was a pilot ferrying planes in Britain for the ATA." He paused and rubbed his face, "What you do not know is that Eddy is not my brother. Eddy is short for Edna. Eddy is my sister."

The two men came attention. They traded glances and then looked bewildered at Charles.

B.J. confessed, "I was beginning to think Eddy was a homosexual."

"Me too." Hawkeye agreed.

"Edna is not a homosexual." Charles told them. "She was flying for the ATA ferrying planes. She was already well known in aviation due to her racing planes with our uncle Fred. It was in the middle of the blitz and Britain was about to fall. They were desperate for pilots. They recruited her to fly in battle. She flew for well over a year defending London. She lost a lot of friends, including one boy she took under her wing and was under her command. She told me about him. When we entered the war the RAF swept it all under the rug and discharged her. She took her RAF file and went to the Army Air Corps. She wanted to show the British up for discharging her. She tried to get placed in a fighter squadron but she was too short to be a pilot in the Army. So, she was made a navigator. My sister has a photographic memory. She can fly across the country without a map. It's all in her head. She completed fifteen missions and then she was left to land a crippled plan on that last mission that killed both pilots. Once the Army found out she snuck in our Uncle Fred and Father had to pull strings to get her sent home and not face a court martial. The army declared Edward Winchester dead and closed the file. No awards were ever given. Not even the purple heart. I thought she had left all that behind her. She was flying for the circuit last I knew. Uncle Fred got the British to give them a Spitfire to fly in the races as compensation for her service. Then, out of the blue she shows up here, dressed as a man and with a fake mustache that she glued on and apparently she cannot get off."

B.J. cocked an eyebrow, "The mustache is fake."

"She said it was supposed to have been a joke." Charles told him. "I don't find it very funny to be honest."

Hawke figured, "So Eddy is your sister and she's out there with Klinger."

Charles nodded rather somberly. "Yes, she is."

"And you being her big brother are trying to protect her." he figured.

"Obviously!" he agreed. "If she gets caught, I do know if our father can get her out of it again. It took him and our uncle to get her home safe the first time."

B.J. stated, "Just tell us what we need to do to help you and Eddy."

"Make sure no one finds out the truth." he begged.

Hawkeye promised, "We are not telling anyone."

Head Quarters

Colonel Sherman Potter walked into the office. He spied Radar sitting at his desk filling out more paper work. He stated, "Radar, get my General Frederick Winchester on the horn. He's Army Air Corps."

Radar stated, "Yes sir." as he went to the radio.

Sherman Potter walked into his office to take the call and speak to the General. It didn't take long for the call to come through as Radar called from the radio.

"General Winchester is on the horn, sir." the boy loudly called.

Colonel Potter picked up the receiver and held it to his ear, "General Winchester."

The voice came over the radio. "Colonel Potter. Why, I have not heard from you in some time. How are things, Sherman?"

"Just fine…for a war. I have a question about your niece, Edna." he started.

"Eddy?" he asked surprised. "Is she okay?"

"Does she have a twin brother?" he wondered.

"No," he replied. "She has an older brother, Charles. My nephew."

At that point Sherman realized that he knew Charles was the General's nephew. "Charles Emerson Winchester the Third."

"That's him. My brother told me he was drafted and is a working in a MASH unit." the General informed.

"He's working in my MASH unit. The 4077th. Where is Edna working?" he pressed.

"She's flying contract out that way. She's one of the few pilots who can fly a chopper. She's also working on designed improvements which is why I wanted her flying one. She doing medical transports."

"So, she didn't sneak in a second time?" he figured and wondered why Charles and her had such a ruse going.

"Sneak in? Why would she do that when we recruited her?" He laughed. "Thank you for operating on her back during the war. You save her life when she wounded on that bomber." he gratefully stated.

"Your welcome. I'm glad I could help and was on hand at the time. Eddy flew a chopper here to the 4077th. I think she came to visit her brother. I recognized her but she didn't recognize me as her surgeon. She's wearing an officer's cap, has Captain's bars and a fake mustache." he explained. "Charles introduced her as his brother, Edward. For a moment I wounded if Edna had a twin brother."

There was a pause on the radio for a moment. "Let me get back to you, Sherman. I'll get a hold of her C.O. Major Hardy. Tom, he's courting her. He even had me pick up the engagement ring. He wants to marry her. Don't say anything to her. He hasn't asked her yet." he explained.

"I'll be waiting for your call. Another thing. Eddy has left the camp to go to another motor pool to get some parts to fix the chopper she came in on. It took sniper fire. That sniper is still out there. I sent only man with her. Should I send another jeep with some enlisted to escort her?" he wondered a bit worried.

General Winchester stated, "Eddy can take care of herself. I raised her like was she's my own son. Taught her everything I know. She can handle herself. She was even shot down behind enemy lines when she was flying for the RAF and got back on her own with a broken ankle." He then concluded, "Her brother could never do that. He's too delicate."

Sherman had to agree, "Major Winchester would be the more delicate one."

The General stated. "I'll get a hold of Tom and find out what she is up to this time. Keep me posted when she gets back."

"Will do General." Sherman agreed.

Meanwhile

Klinger kept his eyes peeled for the sniper but in short time he grew rather bored. He tried to strike up some conversation as he let Eddy drive the jeep. He noticed she had smaller hands and feet. Yet, she could drive and shift the clutch better than he could. "You are real good working that clutch, Captain." he mentioned. "I bet you have been driving since you were a wee one."

She agreed, "The chauffer used to let me drive father's car when I was a kid."

"You and Charles drove your father's care as kids?" he asked. Charles didn't seem like a man who was mechanically inclined.

"Just me. Charles always had to have a driver. It was undignified to drive when you had spent money on a chauffer." she explained.

"Must been interesting growing up with Major Winchester as your brother." he smirked.

She nodded, "I was the rough one. I was always falling out of trees, getting in trouble. He was always watching out for me or fixing my boo-boos. He kind of mothered me and Horonia a bit. I guess that's what big brother's do."

A shot rang out from the nearby trees. They were soon in the sniper's sights and needed to get to cover. Another shot rang out and Klinger put his head low trying to figure out where the shot was coming from as Edna drove the jeep to behind a fallen tree. Klinger scrambled out the jeep and got behind the tree trunk with Eddy right behind him. He held the rifle tight in his arms and soon realized the high heel shoes made running more difficult.

Eddy drew her pistol and scanned for signs of the sniper.

Klinger pointed, "He's over there! In that tree."

The sniper opened fire on the pair, hitting the jeep repeatedly. She looked to Klinger, "Any ideas?"

"You outrank me, Captain." he told her.

She quickly came up with a plan. "I'll draw his fire. You go around and come up behind him. If we can get him alive we can interrogate him. Find out if there are more snipers out here."

"Right." he gave a heavy nod. "Go around." He looked at the rocky path and then at his high heels.

"Okay," Eddy soon figured Klinger's outfit would hold him back. "You draw his fire and I will go around."

"Right Captain." he agreed. He then stated, "I don't want to accidentally shoot you."

"Aim high. Just keep him focused on you." she instructed. She then left the cover from behind the tree and soon made her way back and around the area.

Klinger hated firing the rifle. On guard duty, he never had to actually fire the weapon. He aimed high and squeezed off a round. The sniper fired back and he had to duck to avoid being hit.

Meanwhile, Eddy made her way to the tree undetected. She found the sniper was just few feet above her. She could have opened fire and shot him in the back but she choose not to. She leveled the pistol on him and called out.

"Meomchda." she told him to stop. "Hangbog." she demanded his surrender.

The young solider carefully and slowly lowered his rifle. He turned slightly so see who has captured him. His brown eyes landed on the young American with a funny looking mustache. Eddy was such an odd sight he debated if he was looking at a male of female.

"Alaee." she demanded he come down.

"You speak Korean?" he asked her with near perfect English.

She then realized her prisoner was rather educated. She stated, "A little. You speak English?"

"A little." he told her amused.

"Drop the rifle and come down." she demanded.

He complied as he didn't wish to get shot at close range by the strange looking American.

She gathered his rifle and motioned, "March."

With his hands up he replied, "Okay!" He began to walk ahead of Eddy and out to the open road. His eyes then landed on Klinger. He began to wonder just who or what had captured him as neither Eddy nor Klinger looked like an normal American solider.