AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before I start the chapter, which will begin with a segment covering Sarah's selection process, I would like to provide some factual information concerning women in the military. Before October 2018, women could not become members of the SAS. But now, they can become members. I was contemplating beginning this story in 2019. But when I looked at the conflicts available to me, with the Syrian Civil War ending, I saw little overseas mission potential. So I decided instead to push the story back 12 years and have 2007 as the start date (it's also the beginning of Chuck, so that's why 07 appealed also). But because this is fiction, I've had the ban on women lifted in 2006 instead. So I'm not making up a fantasy. Women can now join the SAS. I've just allowed it to happen 12 years earlier.
Mike, I'm sorry to hear about your health problems :( My first grandfather was a tank commander during WW2. My second was in the Royal Navy. My first grandfather lost four brothers in WW2. He was the last surviving.
Who Dares Wins
Chapter Two: A Rookie's Mistake
Tuesday, 2 October, 2007
Stirling Lines
Credenhill
United Kingdom
11:00 hours
Trooper Sarah Walker's heart was pounding as she arrived outside of the briefing room, knowing the upcoming briefing to formally introduce her and Trooper Bryce Larkin was her chance to make a good first impression on the Regiment.
During Sarah's selection, she'd had the misfortune of being partnered with Bryce during their SERE exercises.
She'd discovered from the outset that Bryce Larkin was so full of himself.
His flashy, flamboyant personality was almost their downfall during their escape and evasion mission, as he couldn't stop boasting about his military achievements and flirting with her.
Sarah's dedication and tireless hard work had brought her to where she was today, and she was determined not to blur the lines between her personal and professional lives. Well, at least towards someone with the mindset of a Bryce Larkin.
Bryce wasn't all bad, though. He had unbelievable endurance levels, arguably better than her own. Bryce also gave some useful input during their SERE once Sarah had not so politely reminded him she didn't screw the guys she worked with.
After settling that misunderstanding, they grew to work well together as a pair as they avoided their hunter-force SFSG with nothing more than a WW2 greatcoat. During their exercise, a special hunter force guarded a bridge. To avoid that obstacle, Sarah and Bryce swam downstream to avoid the soldiers.
But for Sarah, before she could even reach that last gruelling phase, selection to join the SAS had first begun almost fourteen months before that. She'd attended a Special Forces Briefing Course that lasted for one week. Because they conducted together all the United Kingdom Special Forces training until the soldier or sailor received the beige beret, two briefing courses took place. The first, and the one that Sarah had attended, was the SFBC, run by 22 SAS, British Army. The purpose of the briefing course was to give ratings and other rank aspirants an insight into the preparation and selection process for UKSF selection and subsequent career progression inside the SAS. The course was the first step in the selection process. The SBS (Special Boat Service), a sister regiment to the SAS, part of the Royal Navy, was the unit that hosted the second briefing course.
During the course, the potential candidates were all briefed on Special Forces employment and the activities that would take place during the actual selection.
Sarah and the rest of the candidates undertook a map and compass test, a swimming test, a first aid test, and a combat fitness test, which included many walks and runs in hilly terrain.
After the course, the course instructors advised the candidates on the likelihood of failure in selection. They also provided Sarah and the rest of the candidates with a robust training program to prepare for the process if they volunteered for selection.
After Sarah's SFBC followed a trip to the Brecon Beacons several months later, where Sarah and the rest of the candidates had to undertake four weeks of extensive fitness tests.
The Brecon Beacons were a mountain range in Wales, the United Kingdom.
The Beacons were renowned for being a challenging environment, which is why British Special Forces used it as its primary fitness training and endurance location.
On the very first day of Sarah's selection, two hundred and fifty potential special forces recruits had applied for selection. But during the first phase of selection, where Sarah had seen one candidate die, and another sent to intensive care in hospital from heat exhaustion, that number sharply dropped.
And by the end of the first phase, twenty-five candidates remained standing.
Over ninety percent of volunteers had all dropped out. It was typical for fifteen to twenty percent of recruits to make it past the first month, so that figure during Sarah's selection was lower than average. Sarah had put it down to the death of the first soldier and the second soldier going into intensive care, which served as a stark reminder that only the grittiest and most determined of candidates would survive the entire nine months of the most challenging training they could ever possibly undertake.
The initial selection process devoted the first three weeks of the first phase to progressive physical training exercises designed to develop physical and navigational ability. Exercise HIGH WALK took place on day six, in which Sarah and the other volunteers marched 23 kilometers over the Brecon Beacons. The purpose of Exercise HIGH WALK was to identify individuals who were not adequately fit enough to continue with the course, of which there were many.
The remaining time after HIGH WALK was to prepare the volunteers for Test Week, which was the fourth and final week of the first phase.
Test Week comprised five timed marches of between 23 and 28km conducted on consecutive days, followed by a final endurance march of 64km known as The Long Drag. If the candidates did not complete The Long Drag within 20 hours, they would fail the course, and their selection progress would be over.
Sarah and the rest of the volunteers were also required to carry bergens (rucksacks) on their backs during Test Week. The weight would increase from 40lb (18kg) to 59 lb (27kg), and as well as their bergens, water, food, and a rifle were mandatory to be carried on all marches. Volunteers were also required to pass numerous equally intensive swimming exercises before the first phase of selection came to a close.
After the first phase of selection, twelve weeks of intensive jungle training, tactics techniques, and protocols training, and finally, weapons and standard operating procedures training followed.
During this, a further ten recruits would also throw in the towel.
Following the jungle for Sarah came fourteen weeks of employment training, which provided Sarah and the other candidates with the tools to serve as special forces soldiers. This period included surveillance and reconnaissance training, army combat survival, special forces parachute training, counter-terrorism course, signals training, and finally, patrol training and squadron induction training.
Once Sarah and the few remaining candidates passed employment training, the final selection phase came. The Survive, Evade, Resist, Extract training phase. This exercise required Sarah, her fellow candidates, and so many candidates before her to undergo an evasion exercise whilst dressed in greatcoats to restrict movement. During the exercise, Sarah and the rest of the candidates had split into small groups, and they had to escape and evade a hunter force from the Special Forces Support Group. Even if the candidates avoided the hunter force, all candidates had to undergo a Resistance to Interrogation stage for thirty-six hours.
And for Sarah, this had been the most challenging part of her entire selection.
Before Sarah received her beige beret, she used to be Lance Corporal Sarah Walker, Royal Green Jackets. But on joining the SAS, the unit stripped and removed your previous rank, forcing you to start anew as the rank of trooper, losing any former rank you held in the British Army.
Sarah had served as a combat medic in the British Army for four years. She had two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and she had been on the frontline on both occasions.
Sarah had always been active throughout her life, even before the army, as she was a very successful amateur runner. She'd run multiple marathons, so her endurance levels were astronomical.
When Sarah learned in 2006 that the ban on women serving in Ground Close Combat roles was no more, she was ecstatic because it was one of her reservations about joining the military.
Before she signed up, she'd debated back and forth about whether she even should, because why should Sarah be treated lesser than her male counterparts?
In the modern-day, and with the advocacy of women's rights worldwide, Sarah had failed to understand why men could fight for their country, but women couldn't. In times of war, it should be the responsibility of every able body to defend their homeland and nation. Why should military conscription only apply to men? If you were treated equally in an everyday nine-to-five with equal pay, you should be in the military too.
So, on learning that all positions were now open to women, Sarah evaluated her status and career in the army. She'd almost instantly decided that being a combat medic in the British Army was no longer enough for her. Almost immediately, she applied to attend the Special Forces Briefing Course. Following that course, she had spent several months preparing herself before applying for selection to join the best unit in the army, the Special Air Service.
Sarah knew it would have been the most challenging test and challenge of her life. However, after years in the military of being looked down upon because of being a female, even as just a medic, Sarah had built up an abundance of grit and determination necessary to pass selection, and she did pass.
Did she pass by the skin of her teeth? Possibly.
She had considered throwing in the towel many times during the long and challenging nine months.
Boy, there were times...
But she had got through it.
And now, here she was, all the doubters that she had ever had throughout her life proved wrong. With her new beret in hand, Sarah moved to take a seat on a chair in the briefing room next to Sergeant Cole Barker. The masculine Sergeant noted her presence and nodded at her.
From there, they shared a warm smile as she moved to sit down next to her new teammate.
Sarah paused for the next few minutes as she awaited her new OC's arrival. She'd met him during her SERE. He'd explained her roles and responsibilities and detailed the present deployment of her new troop, which was counter-terror duties.
A few additional minutes passed until Sarah noticed activity, where she watched as her new OC, Captain Wallace, entered the briefing room and made his way to the front of the room. With the Captain now in place to begin the introduction, he waited to address his recruits until the soldiers who were late gathered.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
With everybody in their seats, the Captain began. "Now that we're all here," he paused, Sarah, observing as her new OC shot a glare at the culprits late to the briefing. "I know Chuck has kindly welcomed you both here-"
"Better him than me!" Trooper Jamie Hughes interjected, which earned laughter from the whole troop, including the OC.
"I'll remember that and have you do the next one, Trooper," Captain Wallace said, earning another chuckle from his men.
"Aw, shite!" Trooper Hughes said, earning further laughter from his comrades.
Trooper Murray turned to look at his friend. "You dropped yourself in it there, fella."
Trooper Hughes nodded.
Captain Wallace continued the briefing. "Now, back on topic. It's customary to have a formal introduction here to the rest of the troop on your first day. So here it is. I'm assuming Corporal Bartowski has had you both collect your gear?"
"Boss," Sarah said with a nod.
Bryce did the same.
"Splendid. So welcome to the Regiment. We have been dreadfully short on personnel since the fateful helicopter crash whilst on exercises a few months ago. Sarah, it's good to have a female finally here, and it's long overdue. You've earned your way here, and you deserve to be here as much as anyone in this room."
Sarah beamed with pride at her accomplishment, buoyed by the officer's words of praise.
She also heard one or two "hear, hear," from some of her new teammates.
"Thank you, boss," Sarah said warmly, her voice sincere.
Captain Wallace turned his attention to Bryce. "Trooper Larkin, I've heard you took a fond interest in explosives during selection?"
Bryce nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, boss. I like to see things go bang."
His comment earned an approving laugh from many of the gathered soldiers.
"Jolly good! You'll take over as the team's primary breacher."
Bryce nodded. "Gladly, boss."
"Good man! It's good to have a proper one. We're growing quite sick of Trooper Murray applying too much pressure to explosives in the Killing House, which keeps busting our ears," the Rupert joked.
"Too bloody right!" a few teammates said.
"Trooper Walker, you'll be taking over as the team's medic," Captain Wallace said.
Sarah nodded.
"Well... Barring any immediate scramble, I think that's about all. Hopefully, Al-Qaeda will give us a few days for you to learn some techniques from the best. Well, that's all. I'll leave Red Team in the company of the Staff Sergeant. I'm sure he has some tasking for you slackers to do today," the OC joked, causing more than half of the room to laugh.
"What about you, boss?" Trooper Daniel Thomas asked.
"I'm heading off to do some slacking of my own," he joked, furthering the laughter of his men.
"It's alright for some," Chuck said humorously, causing the laughter in the briefing room to continue.
"You should have gone to Sandhurst (officer academy) yourself, Corporal. You certainly have the nous to become an officer," Captain Wallace said with sincerity.
"Amen to that!" Sarah heard some immediate shouts from her new teammates. It was clear to Sarah that her new teammate Chuck commanded a lot of respect and that her new teammates and officer alike held him in very high esteem.
"I might just do that and come back to steal your job," Chuck joked, causing more laughter in the briefing room.
"And on that note, I'll now be sleeping with one eye open," Captain Wallace said before he finished the introduction, "dismissed."
As soon as Captain Wallace left the briefing room, the sound of chatter rose among the soldiers as Blue Team started to depart, with the introduction at an end.
Sarah's attention was drawn to Staff Sergeant MacDonald's arrival at the front, catching his glance. Even after a few hours, he still looked just as intimidating as when she first met him during Chuck's introduction. With a stout figure and a gleaming bald head, he seemed to be middle-aged. His rugged appearance and no-nonsense demeanor made it clear he wasn't one to be messed with.
"For the new ones, I'm Staff Sergeant Chris MacDonald and Red Team Leader," the rich timbre of the Staff Sergeant's Scottish voice commanded attention. "You're replacing two damn fine operators, and you have some big boots to fill. If you think you'll get it easy for your first few days, you have another thing coming because you're going to be thrown right in at the deep end. Your selection was just the beginning. You've not made it yet, and everyone in this room is training on a never-ending basis, just like you will be. We have returned hundreds to their unit once getting their beret, so don't get complacent just because you think you've made it, or you'll be out of the door just like them…."
Sarah was still listening to the Staff Sergeant's remarks when Cole leaned into her, causing her to adjust and slant herself to make eye contact with him.
"He accepts nothing less than the best. There's no room for failure under his command," Cole said, before glancing behind him at Bryce seated just behind them.
"Don't worry. Chris is a real cuddly bear once you get to know him and prove your worth to him," Chuck joked, seated next to Bryce.
Sarah held Chuck's glance before looking at John Murray when she saw him nod.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Later that Evening
Following the introduction, Sarah joined her new team and headed to the shooting range.
Whilst she and Bryce zeroed in on their new weapons, Chuck emerged as the victor in a shooting competition among the other Red Team operators.
Following their time at the shooting range, the team fuelled up with dinner before beginning their evening exercises at the Killing House.
As the sun set, Red Team took over the facility from Blue Team who had used it earlier in the day.
Red Team comprised Trooper Walker, Corporal Bartowski, Trooper Larkin, Sergeant Barker, Trooper Murray, Trooper Thomas, Trooper Hughes, and Team Leader Staff Sergeant MacDonald.
Bryce and Sarah—the new team members—found themselves in the Killing House for training. As per tradition, the rookies were chosen to play the role of the hostage. The team's newest members were placed in Room 1C on the ground floor of the Killing House, where they were bound and restrained.
For four minutes, Sarah had stood still, the sound of her heartbeat filling her ears as she tried to prepare herself for what lay ahead.
As she looked over at Bryce, also restrained nearby, he gave her a sly wink.
She let out an annoyed sigh, and her eyebrows furrowed in a scowl.
But before Sarah could respond to Bryce's flirtation, an explosion shattered the silence.
Sarah's ears popped from the sheer pressure of the explosion, and her confusion only increased when a stun grenade was thrown at her and exploded.
As Sarah struggled to overcome her disorientation, she was startled by the sudden appearance of four teammates, decked out in full assault gear, surrounding her.
The room was filled with the staccato bursts of gunfire, each shot ringing in her muffled ears.
Sarah's eyes darted around as her teammates engaged several targets nearby. She watched as two teammates charged toward her and Bryce. With a quick slice, they cut through their bindings before tightly securing them with plasticuffs.
As soon as Sarah was bound, an attacker grappled her and dragged her away.
When she looked behind her, she saw another assaulter hauling Bryce out of the room, while two others moved towards a nearby sofa.
As she watched, the acrid smell of gunpowder filled her nostrils as the two assaulters fired off a rapid burst onto the two neutralised targets on the couch to ensure they were deceased and no further threat.
Her teammate dragged her out of Room 1C, where she could feel the rough texture of the hallway as they moved down the hallway to exit into the night sky.
At that point, he threw her onto the grass with such force that she lost her balance and tumbled to the floor.
Despite being outside of the Killing House, Sarah's disorientation from the blast and stun grenades still lingered as she landed on the lawn.
She watched on as a second assaulter threw Bryce onto the grass next to her.
From their position on the floor, she stole a glance at him, and he greeted her with a smile.
It was clear he was revelling in every moment and savouring the experience.
Truth be told, she was the same.
Because this was why she signed up.
When Sarah signed up to join the army over five years ago, she didn't imagine she would ever join the SAS. If you had told her she would now be a member of the Regiment five years later, she wouldn't have imagined it in her wildest dreams, and she would have called you insane.
Sarah's desires and aspirations were to one day be at least allowed into the infantry, but here she was now the best of the best, the first female in the Regiment.
Sarah's attention diverted as two of her teammates, dressed in black assault gear and wearing gas masks, approached her and Bryce.
As they approached the recruits, the sound of metal blades being unsheathed filled the air as each member took out their combat knives to cut away the plasticuffs and upper binds placed on them in the Killing House.
After they took off the bindings, they helped Sarah and Bryce stand up.
Standing there, Sarah could see the sweat on the faces of the assaulters and teammates as they removed their masks and helmets.
"Are you ok?!" John Murray, the trooper who had helped Sarah to her feet, shouted because he could see the disorientation still present on her face.
"My ears are ringing! I can't hear shit!" Sarah's complaint was accompanied by an increase in volume.
Trooper Murray and several other members of her team laughed in approval.
"Sorry, love! My fault! Must have overdone the explosives! That's what they brought Bryce for!" he joked, looking at Bryce.
Bryce nodded, joining the rest of the team in laughter.
"And not a moment too soon, either! The bastard has done it to me too, many times!" Chuck, the one who helped Bryce up to his feet, chimed into the discussion.
Trooper Murray continued to chuckle in approval at his friend's declaration.
Sarah, Bryce, Chuck, and John soon walked over to link up with and join their four other teammates standing at the Killing House entrance.
"The exercise took twenty seconds to complete," Captain Wallace suddenly informed the team over their communications channel.
"Oh, bollocks! We can do a hell of a lot better than that!" Cole said in frustration off the air, glancing at his teammates.
Most of the operators started nodding in firm agreement. Red Team, just like every other SAS unit, set immense standards for themselves to adhere to.
Big Dan started frowning. "Too right, fella! It's because it's the first exercise after dinner. We're getting fucking sloppy!"
"What's an acceptable time?" Sarah asked in a quieter voice as she was overcoming her disorientation from the blast and the stun grenade.
Chuck shared a glance with Sarah. "Fifteen seconds. Eighteen max. We've achieved thirteen once, but everything went perfectly then. We've not achieved it again, and we've tried dozens of times, believe me."
Every seasoned operator nodded in agreement whilst Bryce, a newbie to the team like her, just laughed.
"At least our commands and communications were good, though," Jamie Hughes said.
The team conceded to Jamie's declaration...
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
A short while later
Sarah and Bryce returned to normal from their disorientation, now dressed in full assault gear as it was their turn to assault the Killing House. They could not use Room 1C until the support personnel of 22 Reg could remake it for further use, so Room 2B was the chosen target this time around, which was on the facility's upper floor.
The plan of attack was for the crack SAS team to storm in through the ground floor, rush upstairs, and eliminate targets along the way. Numerous explosions would occur as decoys in both the upper and lower hallways and a feint assault through one of the two windows in room 2B. The actual attack, however, would come from Bryce breaching room 2B with a Remington 870 shotgun using Hatton breaching rounds. This type of breaching would always occur whenever possible to minimize the risk of harming any Yankees (hostages) inside the location.
The small elite team was now in position outside the Killing House, and the Team Leader, Staff Sergeant MacDonald, was going through the last instructions with the team's newest recruits.
"You've both had our standard operating procedures instilled in you during selection, and you have extensively learned our tactics. You know what the team expects of you. This exercise isn't a game; it's the real thing. Live firing: life and death. If one of ours goes down, man down corridor one, and that's it, you move on. If you linger to help him, you've removed yourself from the engagement. And instead of engaging the X-ray (the terrorist) when you could have had them in your sights, your two other mates get it, and one dead becomes three."
Sarah and Bryce nodded at their team leader's instructions and commands.
"Let's do this," Staff Sergeant MacDonald said as he turned away from the team and entered the Killing House, leaving the unit outside...
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
A few seconds later
The elite SAS assault team stood stationary outside the Killing House to begin the assault.
Chuck would be the first assaulter inside. Sarah would follow up behind, followed by Cole, Big Dan, and finally Bryce with the breaching shotgun.
Sarah paused in wait when she heard activity on the team's communication channel, and Staff Sergeant MacDonald came on the air. "Standby, standby, execute!"
With the command to begin the assault, Chuck was inside the Killing House in an instant whilst also lobbing in a flashbang. Sarah followed her teammate inside, and she caught up to him as she walked parallel to him, where they engaged the same target, each firing off numerous rounds.
Advancing further into the facility, the entrance corridor ended, and Chuck turned left while Sarah turned right into the main hallway on the ground floor.
Sarah scanned her new surroundings with the flashlight attached to her MP5 until her sights trained on her Team Leader, Staff Sergeant MacDonald, who was in an exposed position. He was standing in the middle of the corridor, waving at her and grinning. Sarah dismissed him as a threat to her, and she doubled back to her team.
The team was advancing and engaging targets on the large stairwell, heading up to the first floor. Chuck had the lead of the assault, followed by Bryce, then Big Dan, then Sarah, and finally Cole. The team continued to engage two targets up on the first floor from the stairway when suddenly, Chuck collapsed and fell down the stairway, and her wounded teammate screamed in agony.
Time quickly stood still. Sarah watched as Bryce moved ahead of Chuck. She watched as he turned around to look at Chuck. Still, he canceled it out after a second and continued whilst Big Dan ignored his fallen friend completely as he ascended the stairwell to assault the target location. Once Sarah arrived in Chuck's vicinity, she quickly panicked as her fallen teammate seemed to be in immense agony. After serving as a medic for four years, her first thought was to treat her fallen comrade, so she rushed to his aid and she began looking for any sign of wound or injury to her new comrade.
Chuck's screams echoed through the Killing House as gunfire continued to erupt.
He removed his mask before he grabbed hold of Sarah.
"Gotcha!" he shouted, like a ghostly whisper in the dark.
Sarah's head spun as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing.
Her teammate, who moments ago was injured in agony, was now restored to normal.
Chuck was no longer screaming in immense agony when suddenly she was being grappled and manhandled from behind by Cole Barker, the fifth assaulter.
"You don't stop! For fuck's sake, you never stop!" he shouted at her, pushing her up the stairs.
Sarah, now knowing she'd been tricked and that her teammate wasn't injured, but rather, she had fucked up the exercise.
She quickly continued to link up with Bryce and Trooper Thomas as they assaulted room 2B and secured the hostages.
With Trooper Murray and Trooper Hughes now secured, the team of four rushed them back outside of the Killing House.
Sarah stormed away from the vicinity, yanked her helmet and gas mask from her head, and threw it to the floor in immense frustration from her cock up she would almost certainly now face stern criticism for.
FUCK! FUCKING GODDAMNIT!
A few seconds passed, and Sarah couldn't bear to turn around to look at her teammates in utter shame and dread when suddenly, the Staff Sergeant came storming out of the Killing House, and he charged right up into Sarah's face.
"YOU DON'T STOP FOR A FUCKING MAN DOWN!" the SSgt screamed aggressively into Sarah's face, but she couldn't bear to look at her team leader in shame.
And by now, Sarah and the SSgt had been joined by the rest of the team.
"Where the fuck do they find these fucking amateurs?!" the SSgt fumed as he glanced around his team, and he furiously shook his head in a pissed-off state of mind.
Chuck, seeing Sarah's deep shame, intervened. "Back off, Chris. She already knows she fucked up."
Sarah watched on as the SSgt turned his attention towards Chuck instead.
"And don't you get fucking soft on us 'cause she's a female, and you want to get your leg over!" the SSgt fumed into Chuck's face.
Sarah could do nothing but continue to observe in shame as tensions flared, and she watched as her new teammate didn't even flinch.
Chuck got right back into the face of Staff Sergeant MacDonald, pushing him back forcefully, causing the rugged Staff Sergeant to tumble back several yards before he quickly returned to Chuck's immediate proximity.
By now, the rest of Sarah's teammates prepared to separate her two team members if fists started getting thrown, all because of her mistake.
"You can fuck right off with that fucking bullshit, Chris!" Chuck shouted aggressively, taking a forward stance as he squared up into the SSgt's face on being accused of something so ludicrous. "It's an honest day one rookie mistake, and the training will iron it out of her in the coming days..."
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
A short while later
It had been a brief cooling-off period, and tempers had finally calmed down after Sarah's rookie mistake.
Sarah was standing in the company of Chuck and Cole.
The rest of their team were gathered around in discussion whilst the three new teammates engaged in their own one.
"I fucked up," Sarah admitted in shame, finding it hard to look at her two teammates facing her.
Cole gave her a reassuring glance. "Don't sweat over it. We all, myself included, made some mistakes on our first days."
Chuck nodded.
"At least you own your mistakes. You'll get better. Your initial executions were good. I went down because we always practice as if it's real. It's just dynamic training. No hard feelings," Chuck said as he offered out his hand to her while sporting a friendly smile.
Sarah took a moment to register his words before she nodded in agreement. Moving to take his hand, she returned the smile. "Yeah, no hard feelings."
"Gear up, you three. We're going to do it again and again and again and be here all night if we have to until Walker has learned our operating procedure…." Staff Sergeant MacDonald said.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
The next day
Today was Sarah's second day as a Mobility Troop, G Squadron member, and she didn't sleep well last night. After the screw-up inside the Killing House and having had her Team Leader down her throat until her teammate Chuck offered her some respite, which she did not deserve, she hadn't messed up their tactics again.
From her perspective, it was just so hard for her to walk away from and leave a teammate of hers injured on the floor after being a combat medic in the Royal Green Jackets for four years.
Sarah wasn't questioning or second-guessing the operating procedure. It was a sound policy. MacDonald was indeed correct in that if she lingered on Chuck, it was very possible that Bryce and Cole, as well as herself, may have been lit up by an assailant on the stairwell.
But she was just so pissed off with herself for making a mistake on her first day with her new team. She was already getting sly glances and looks on base because she was a female. And now, yesterday's incident would only cement it further, as she was sure that she was the talk of the base right now.
Bryce, meanwhile, had already fitted in.
He looked as if he had been one of the team for years.
Sighing to herself, she entered the cafeteria, once more receiving glances from a group of the squadron.
They all stopped talking, and they glanced in her direction.
She was sure that they were speaking about her in that current conversation.
Sarah collected some lunch and moved to sit on one of the benches. She started eating with little appetite caused by her dread when Chuck joined her. He stood opposite her, and he moved to sit facing her.
"You don't need to sit with me just because I'm the new girl," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
He nodded. "No, I don't. But I'm here to sit with you because you're my new teammate, not the new girl. I don't give a fuck about your gender. Don't let it get under your skin."
"I feel like they don't want me here. Bryce has already fitted in, and the team and the squadron love him already," Sarah said, glancing over to where Bryce was seated, and he was laughing and joking away with six members of G Squadron.
He held her glance. "Sarah, it's a fresh experience for all of us. You're the first female in the Regiment, it's true. And you're also gorgeous, by the way. So I'm sure some guys aren't too comfortable around you for that reason alone. But you deserve to be here. You went through the same selection as all of us. Don't let anyone take that away from you. You did the same training as all of us."
Sarah smiled. "I won't let anybody take that away from me."
He shrugged his shoulders, detecting the conviction behind her words, still holding her gaze. "Then what's the problem?"
Sarah broke eye contact with her teammate as she sighed for a long moment. Raising her gaze to meet his once more, she said, "I've worked my ass off for this, Chuck. I've been on trial every day for my entire five years in the army. You don't know how hard it is as a female in the military for people to take you seriously."
He nodded while taking the time to give her a warm smile. "You're right. I don't know what it's like to receive the unfair bullshit I know you've faced. But you'll prove your worth to the Regiment, Sarah, trust me. On my first day, I was second-guessing if I belonged here myself. Seeing all the guys I saw, I didn't feel like I was their equal. I felt like an outsider. Exactly how you are feeling right now. But look at me now. I'm still an ugly bastard, but I'll run through hell for every one of these lads. They know it, and they know I mean it. I'm sure you will do the same for them."
Sarah suppressed a smile at the absurdity of her new teammate's derogatory comments about his appearance, knowing they couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, she found her new teammate very pleasing to the eye. "I'm not so sure I agree with you on you being an ugly bastard, Chuck. As for everything else, I will go through hell for my teammates. That's why I helped you in the Killing House… I thought you were injured and wanted to help you."
Chuck smiled. "I'll let you in on a secret that I'd not told anyone before…I made the same mistake when I joined."
As she took in his words, a smile spread across her face, and they shared a lingering gaze that lasted much longer than either of them expected.
Breaking the moment, Chuck said, "So suck it up and take it on your chin. Prove your worth to the team, and in a short while, you'll feel your value to the rest of the guys. Trust me…"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The next chapter involves Sarah proving that bespoken worth to the team on their first mission. Read on to find out how :)
FOOTNOTES: Please leave your feedback. It's crucial to my confidence to tell the story when I see people engage with my work :)