Right now with the recent change by the Department of Defense, women in combat is again a hot topic. I am not going into the political and such ramifications of this but do want to feature a book that shows some of the issues that could arise!
Now you may think that a war zone is about as unromantic as you can get and also recall that fraternization or social interaction within units especially across rank lines is a real big no-no even today. But what can be more romantic that a person making an all out effort to bring someone back from major injuries and try to heal the wounds of spirit and soul that are even worse than the physical ones? That’s a pivotal part of this story! Enjoy this excerpt.
Andy vs The Colonel by Gwynn Morgan ISBN 1-58749-160-5 (E) 1-58749-305-5 (P) www.gwynnmorgan.com
This book is currently published by Mundania in their Awe-Struck division but it’s easiest to go through my website to find it.
Blurb: Captain Andrea “Andy” Hollis resolves to be a soldier first and a woman second. For Andy, militarily correct is the only way to go. The arrival of Colonel Cory Costain, new unit commander, puts her principles and perspective to test.
An easy-going extrovert who prefers to treat his subordinates as friends, Cory is far too attractive for Andy’s peace of mind. He’s determined to get his stiff and starchy Executive Officer to unbend, re-join the human race and be all the woman he knows she can be.
Thrown together in the torrid tropics when war breaks out in Central America, Andy and Cory learn all is fair in love and war. But which is it to be? Cory’s weapons of choice are tender words, lingering glances, and gentle touches. It’s a hard-fought struggle while Cory battles Andy and the shadow of her domineering father to convince her she has every right to win.
Excerpt: I think this gives a good flavor for Cory’s (Col Costain’s) character and the kind of man he is. It takes Andy a long time to appreciate it though!
Outside the Brigade office, Andy paused, steeling herself for the ordeal of reportinga success marred by the bitterest possible failure. True, the antenna was installed and operating, but at a price she hated to pay.
“Come in, Captain Hollis.”
Cory himself opened the door and stood silhouetted in the stream of light. He stepped aside to let her pass.
“Yes, sir.” Andy stepped in and came to attention in front of him. “Captain Hollis reporting, sir.” The hand she lifted to salute him trembled.
Cory looked at her and smiled, as if her formality had become a private joke they shared. “Mission accomplished, I know that much.”
His smile faded as if he read something stark and painful in her face. “We didn’tthink it would be easy, Andy. Maybe you’d better fill me in. And sit down, before you drop.”
Somehow, her legs functioned, moving her the necessary three steps before they gave out totally. She sank onto one of the folding chairs, stared blankly at the rough plank floor for a moment and finally began to speak.
“The road up to the village was barely that. We blew three tires going up, but wemade it Monday, before dark. Next day, we rented some burros at the village. I was fortunate to have a couple of troops who knew at least a little about livestock and packing.”
She sighed, and went on, feeling the colonel’s gaze on her.
“We made it to the top on Tuesday, late, without any major problems, but the next day I had a Corporal suffering from what I thought was altitude sickness, so I sent him back down with the burros. Specialist Conroy did the honors. I understand they got here all right.”
Cory reassured her quickly. “They did, and your diagnosis was correct. I heard Corporal Hawkins will be back on light duty tomorrow. Go on, Andy.”
“We got the tower up in two days — that would be Thursday, I guess. And the dish installed on Friday. But that’s when the storm hit. Let me back up. Wednesday I detailed four of the troops to build a bunker while the rest of us erected the tower. They d id a great job. Shelter makes the place bearable. The wind howls around up there like a banshee. Drives you crazy if you let it. Perkins handled that detail and he did really well. It’s kind of a rock igloo, I guess. Anyway, it works.”
When Andy paused for breath and seemed to gather herself, Cory felt the first chilling shiver of dread. The bad part was coming, now.
“Well, Friday afternoon, that storm hit. I couldn’t estimate what the wind gusted to,tops, but I’m sure it was over a hundred miles per hour. We took shelter in the hut and let it go by. The wind died down about sunset, in the eye of the storm. That’s when we heard a noise and found the dish had almost been torn off. The bolts had pulled right through one of the beams. To save it, we had to act fast. We used some of the pallet wood to reinforce it, and I think it will hold. When the relief goes up tomorrow, I’ll send more beams. They aren’t heavy, just kind of clumsy.”
Andy paused again. Cory’s dread increased. He knew she wasn’t deliberately dragging it out, but it felt that way. He wanted to yell at her to hurry, to go on and give him the bad part, but he didn’t.
“Anyway, about the time we got done, the second half of the storm hit, and there was a thunderstorm. Of course that peak draws lightning like picnics draw flies. One of the guys had gone up without harness to grab the dish and he didn’t make it down. We think lightning got him before the fall, but there’s no way to be sure. We brought him back with us. Lieutenant Webster is taking the truck by the morgue. I’ll do a full report, of course.”
Andy rose from the chair, turning toward Cory, her face strained with anguish.
“Damn it, Sir, there wasn’t a stupid thing we could do. Vic…Master Sergeant Ortega– was going to go up the tower and help him down. Even though Sergeant Jones was afraid of heights, he climbed up there without harness and held onto the dish, used some rope to tie it until we could get the beam fixed. But then he froze and couldn’t climb back down. Oh hell, I should have done something. There had to be someway…”
He saw her gulp, making a visible effort to steady her voice and maintain control.
“I heard him scream, saw him fall. I guess it’s technically impossible, but I swear I did. It shouldn’t have happened…it just…I just…Why? Just tell me why?”
Cory stood and came around his desk to intercept Andy as she began to pace the small room. The blank inward-looking misery of her eyes disturbed him deeply, as did the edge of hysteria he heard in her voice. He caught her shoulders and gave her asharp shake.
“Andy, stop it. Stop it now.” His voice cracked like a slap.
She looked up at him. Her eyes cleared for an instant before her face crumpled as tears, too long denied, finally broke free.
To hell with protocol and propriety. With his hands on her shoulders, it took almost no effort to bring her closer. A half step brought her against him, into his embrace. He dropped one arm to encircle her body and with the other he alternately patted her heaving back and stroked the sleek seal-brown cap of her hair.
Andy burrowed her face into his shoulder, clearly oblivious to the rough texture ofhis BDU jacket against her face. She clutched at him, her hands grabbing and crumpling handfuls of the heavy fabric as deep sobs wracked her. Control briefly gone,she wept without restraint.
Cory lost all sense of time. It might have been five minutes or five hours before she finally raised her dirty, tear-streaked face and drew back.
“I’m sorry, falling apart like that. It isn’t professional and it damn well isn’t soldierly. Maybe they’re right, maybe women have no business in combat or even near it. Nobody was even shooting at us, and look what I allowed to happen.”
Cory felt an illogical mixture of anger and sympathy. He kept his hold on her, but loosened it.
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Andy. I’ve wept for good men I lost, and not just once. It’s not an easy thing, being a commander. I sent home a lot of bodies and quite a few empty caskets from Vietnam, times the Army never told the families there wasn’t enough left to pick up. It doesn’t get any easier. I won’t lie and say you’ll forget. You won’t, but gradually the hurt gets less. It becomes bearable, after a time.”
She scrubbed her face with one sleeve, smearing tears and dust. To Cory, she’d never been lovelier, pain and a slight dawn of hope in her eyes, lashes wetly drawn into star points and a faint tremor still on her lips. He shook his heard, trying to dismiss the images that had no business appearing in his mind.
“It’s a damn poor commander who won’t…who can’t cry, Andy. The troops you lead are family, your family. It hurts to fail them or to have one of them fail you. It hurts when accidents happen, especially stupid, senseless, wasteful accidents, but they still do.Try as we may, they still do. From what you’ve told me, I don’t see how you could have prevented it, what you possibly could have done.”
“Really? You aren’t just…well, saying that to make me feel better, to calm me down?”
Andy’s eyes had cleared, and her suspicious tone told him the worst of her first flare of grief was past.
“Hell no! I wouldn’t lie to soothe anyone’s feelings or stroke their ego or even ease their conscience. You should know me that well by now.”
Andy drew away then, stepping back and stiffening her spine.
“I want to start the relief crew on their way first thing tomorrow. The four who stayed went through it all, too. They need to get back. And no duty ’til at least Tuesday for the ones who returned with me.”
Cory nodded, agreeing with her decisions. “I’ll see to it. Don’t worry about anything. Right now, you need rest yourself. I don’t want to see you anywhere except maybe the mess hall before Tuesday. Will you be able to sleep? Because if not, I’ll roust out amedic to give you something.”
“I’ll be all right, sir. Maybe a good stiff drink if I’m not asleep before I get my boots off.”
Cory could tell she was regretting her loss of control, trying to pretend it away. He’d let her keep her pride, for now.
“Tuesday will be soon enough to write your report. I think between me and Webster, we can keep Wireless going. And I’m sure Hasty has a list of who went, who else volunteered and all. He can help get the next team on the road.”
Andy looked up and met his gaze. He fought the urge to reach out to her again.She looked, for the moment, very young and lost and alone, the brisk, business-like officer obscured by a dirty-faced waif.
“Go on,” he said, his voice becoming a little ragged. “And don’t worry, Andy. You did a great job. That antenna is already helping, saving millions of dollars and precious lives up there in the Escondido. One for many — I think Sergeant Jones would have volunteered for that, don’t you?”
“He was a good troop.” Andy lowered her gaze to the rough wooden floor. “A good man — I just wish…” She stopped, gnawing at her lower lip and struggling again for composure.
“It’s not given us to bargain, Andy. Down here they say it ‘Qué sera,sera.’ We say ‘When your number comes up’.”
“Yes, sir. ‘C’est la guerre,’ right?” Her smile looked crooked and forced, but it was a smile.
“Go,” he said again. “Now.” Another instant, he’d be grabbing her, tasting the salt and dirt on her face, trying to kiss away the pain and horror, the worst of the memories.
But that went much too far beyond the bounds of protocol and propriety, war time or not. She was not only a woman but an officer of the United States Army, by her own choice. That meant there were things she had to face and deal with — on her own.
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