his eyes away from the ambulance and now glared at the Provost Marshall. “Well?” Brodie demanded through gritted teeth.
The Provost eyed Brodie cautiously and then looked at Kristen. “Excuse me, Lieutenant, but do you believe there was a chance your attacker may have intended to…” he paused and shot a nervous eye at Brodie who looked about ready to go off again.
“I don’t know for certain if he was intent on raping me,” she admitted, no longer afraid that people wouldn’t believe her or that they might use such an incident against her. Brodie and Graves would stand by her. She was certain of it. “Thankfully, this time there was someone around to make certain it never got that far.”
“This time?” the Provost asked.
Kristen could almost feel the beast just below the surface as she continued to grip Brodie’s arm. Graves apparently noticed it too, because he kept his hands firmly on their captain.
“Lieutenant Commander Fitzgerald tried to rape me eighteen months ago when he was my Officer-in-Charge.”
The Provost rocked back on his heels. For a junior officer to accuse a senior officer was a serious matter. But the Navy was working hard to clean up a tarnished legacy when women were not always treated properly. Any such allegation was no longer quietly swept under the rug, and if she persisted with her charges, there would be a full investigation. “Are there any witnesses to this, Lieutenant?”
Kristen knew without any witnesses there was no chance of Fitzgerald being convicted of anything. “Not eighteen months ago,” she admitted. “We were in his car and alone.” She then added, “But there were others.” Kristen explained how there had been other women in the unit, and she believed she wasn’t the only one accosted by Fitzgerald.
“Would you mind coming down to PMO and filling out a report, Lieutenant,” the commander asked.
Kristen glanced at Brodie who responded with a slight nod, “Whatever you want to do, Lieutenant.”
“Absolutely,” Graves agreed earnestly. “Whatever you need, Kristen.”
Kristen welcomed the support of her two senior officers. It was a far cry from what she’d become accustomed to elsewhere. “Thank you, gentlemen.” They were simple words but were said with heartfelt sincerity.
The three of them went with the Provost Marshall to his office in the same building with the base police. Brodie and Graves stayed with her as she filled out the first report about what happened that evening. Then another, reporting what had occurred eighteen months earlier in Corpus Christi. It soon became clear there would be no charges against Brodie, and Kristen breathed a sigh of relief, having feared they might lock him up. The Provost Marshall explained an investigation would be started in Corpus, and she’d eventually have to testify against Fitzgerald, which she was more than willing to do.
“But I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Lieutenant,” the Provost informed her as he walked with the three of them out to a MP van waiting to take them back to the Seawolf.
“Why’s that?” Brodie asked.
“I’ve seen pieces of shit like him before,” the Provost explained as he opened the sliding door for Kristen and Graves to get in. “They look tough on the outside, but they’re just bullies. Once we set them down and make them stare at twenty to thirty years in Leavenworth, they usually piss themselves and beg for a plea deal.” He then shook Brodie’s hand, “Just do me a favor next time.”
“What’s that?”
“Try not to leave so many scars on the bastard’s face, would you?”
The van returned them to the Seawolf where they were met by a rather startled pair of sailors on watch. After all, it wasn’t every day the captain of the boat returned after a night of brawling. The three of them came on board and said goodnight. Kristen returned to her cabin and Brodie, after Graves put his foot down, went to sickbay to have a sleepy Doc Reed
The Provost eyed Brodie cautiously and then looked at Kristen. “Excuse me, Lieutenant, but do you believe there was a chance your attacker may have intended to…” he paused and shot a nervous eye at Brodie who looked about ready to go off again.
“I don’t know for certain if he was intent on raping me,” she admitted, no longer afraid that people wouldn’t believe her or that they might use such an incident against her. Brodie and Graves would stand by her. She was certain of it. “Thankfully, this time there was someone around to make certain it never got that far.”
“This time?” the Provost asked.
Kristen could almost feel the beast just below the surface as she continued to grip Brodie’s arm. Graves apparently noticed it too, because he kept his hands firmly on their captain.
“Lieutenant Commander Fitzgerald tried to rape me eighteen months ago when he was my Officer-in-Charge.”
The Provost rocked back on his heels. For a junior officer to accuse a senior officer was a serious matter. But the Navy was working hard to clean up a tarnished legacy when women were not always treated properly. Any such allegation was no longer quietly swept under the rug, and if she persisted with her charges, there would be a full investigation. “Are there any witnesses to this, Lieutenant?”
Kristen knew without any witnesses there was no chance of Fitzgerald being convicted of anything. “Not eighteen months ago,” she admitted. “We were in his car and alone.” She then added, “But there were others.” Kristen explained how there had been other women in the unit, and she believed she wasn’t the only one accosted by Fitzgerald.
“Would you mind coming down to PMO and filling out a report, Lieutenant,” the commander asked.
Kristen glanced at Brodie who responded with a slight nod, “Whatever you want to do, Lieutenant.”
“Absolutely,” Graves agreed earnestly. “Whatever you need, Kristen.”
Kristen welcomed the support of her two senior officers. It was a far cry from what she’d become accustomed to elsewhere. “Thank you, gentlemen.” They were simple words but were said with heartfelt sincerity.
The three of them went with the Provost Marshall to his office in the same building with the base police. Brodie and Graves stayed with her as she filled out the first report about what happened that evening. Then another, reporting what had occurred eighteen months earlier in Corpus Christi. It soon became clear there would be no charges against Brodie, and Kristen breathed a sigh of relief, having feared they might lock him up. The Provost Marshall explained an investigation would be started in Corpus, and she’d eventually have to testify against Fitzgerald, which she was more than willing to do.
“But I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Lieutenant,” the Provost informed her as he walked with the three of them out to a MP van waiting to take them back to the Seawolf.
“Why’s that?” Brodie asked.
“I’ve seen pieces of shit like him before,” the Provost explained as he opened the sliding door for Kristen and Graves to get in. “They look tough on the outside, but they’re just bullies. Once we set them down and make them stare at twenty to thirty years in Leavenworth, they usually piss themselves and beg for a plea deal.” He then shook Brodie’s hand, “Just do me a favor next time.”
“What’s that?”
“Try not to leave so many scars on the bastard’s face, would you?”
The van returned them to the Seawolf where they were met by a rather startled pair of sailors on watch. After all, it wasn’t every day the captain of the boat returned after a night of brawling. The three of them came on board and said goodnight. Kristen returned to her cabin and Brodie, after Graves put his foot down, went to sickbay to have a sleepy Doc Reed
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