protocol, he held the door for her and followed her in. Once inside, the three-star let Richards do the talking. She came right to the point. “Sir, we’re operating in the blind in the Sudan and getting blindsided. We must be more proactive and need our own eyes and ears on the ground reporting directly back to us. I want to send Major Sharp on a fact finding mission to Malakal.”
Fitzgerald steepled his fingers and thought for a moment. “An excellent suggestion. Make it happen. I want a report back ASAP. After that, I want Major Sharp to stay as the Intelligence officer for the 4440th and keep the reports coming.” Richards thanked the two men and beat a hasty retreat.
Fitzgerald tapped his fingertips. “What do you make of that?”
“The Brigadier wants to call the shots on this one. I don’t know where she’s coming from, but she has her own agenda.”
“I know, Brad. Unfortunately, she’s got political cover.”
“Good luck with that one,” the three star said. “She has potential and I’d hate to lose Richards. But she thinks the Pentagon and Washington are the Air Force. She needs a reality check.”
“Roger on the reality check,” Fitzgerald replied.
Malakal
The heat bore down on Jill as she walked in from the C-130 that had brought her from Addis Ababa, and the air-conditioned office in the big hangar was a welcome relief. She dropped her bag and asked the pudgy looking captain sitting behind the scheduling counter for Lieutenant Colonel Allston. She glanced at the nametag on the captain’s flightsuit. “G.G.?” she asked.
“For Glen Gordon,” G.G. replied. He motioned her towards Allston’s office. He watched her as she walked down the hall, admiring the cut of her ABUs. An image of her lying naked in his bed flashed in front of him. Reluctantly, he focused on the moment. “Welcome to Africa.”
Jill knocked twice on the open door. “Colonel Allston?” she asked. Allston looked up from his laptop where he was hammering away at the never-ending paperwork that went with his job. “Major Gillian Sharp reporting for duty.” She snapped a salute and he waved one back.
“Been expecting you.” He quickly took her measure; Five-foot three with an hourglass figure, hippy and big busted, and incredibly appealing. Her short red hair was cut to frame a lovely face and her big blue eyes immediately captured him. He felt an old urge in the lower parts of his body but quickly suppressed it. Major Gillian Sharp was going to cause a stir among the troops. He had seen it before and it shouldn’t be a problem, if she understood what was going on. However, long experience indicated he would have to wait to see how she handled it. He hoped he didn’t have to explain it to her. He locked the computer in his safe and grabbed his bush hat. “Come on, let’s go.”
She was confused. “Go where, sir?”
“You’ve got an investigation to conduct, right?” She nodded. “Well, Colonel Vermullen and a few of his legionnaires are waiting and I’ve got a C-130 standing by to fly us to Wer Ping.” She followed him out, rushing to keep up with his long strides. “Come on, G.G.,” Allston called.
“Never thought you would ask,” G.G. replied, reaching for his bush hat.
Jill sat at the dinner table in the mess tent and picked at her food. She wasn’t hungry after seeing the village and knowing what had happened there. Allston and Vermullen exchanged glances. They knew what she was going through. “Sorry for the shock treatment,” Allston said. “Nothing can capture the reality of it … the smell, the dogs, the insects …” His voice trailed off.
“The first time is always the hardest,” Vermullen said. He appreciated Jill’s no-nonsense attitude and knew his officers were going to like her. Although he enjoyed the company of intelligent and beautiful women, he would never understand why Americans totally missed a basic truth of combat. When bullets started to fly, and real danger
Fitzgerald steepled his fingers and thought for a moment. “An excellent suggestion. Make it happen. I want a report back ASAP. After that, I want Major Sharp to stay as the Intelligence officer for the 4440th and keep the reports coming.” Richards thanked the two men and beat a hasty retreat.
Fitzgerald tapped his fingertips. “What do you make of that?”
“The Brigadier wants to call the shots on this one. I don’t know where she’s coming from, but she has her own agenda.”
“I know, Brad. Unfortunately, she’s got political cover.”
“Good luck with that one,” the three star said. “She has potential and I’d hate to lose Richards. But she thinks the Pentagon and Washington are the Air Force. She needs a reality check.”
“Roger on the reality check,” Fitzgerald replied.
Malakal
The heat bore down on Jill as she walked in from the C-130 that had brought her from Addis Ababa, and the air-conditioned office in the big hangar was a welcome relief. She dropped her bag and asked the pudgy looking captain sitting behind the scheduling counter for Lieutenant Colonel Allston. She glanced at the nametag on the captain’s flightsuit. “G.G.?” she asked.
“For Glen Gordon,” G.G. replied. He motioned her towards Allston’s office. He watched her as she walked down the hall, admiring the cut of her ABUs. An image of her lying naked in his bed flashed in front of him. Reluctantly, he focused on the moment. “Welcome to Africa.”
Jill knocked twice on the open door. “Colonel Allston?” she asked. Allston looked up from his laptop where he was hammering away at the never-ending paperwork that went with his job. “Major Gillian Sharp reporting for duty.” She snapped a salute and he waved one back.
“Been expecting you.” He quickly took her measure; Five-foot three with an hourglass figure, hippy and big busted, and incredibly appealing. Her short red hair was cut to frame a lovely face and her big blue eyes immediately captured him. He felt an old urge in the lower parts of his body but quickly suppressed it. Major Gillian Sharp was going to cause a stir among the troops. He had seen it before and it shouldn’t be a problem, if she understood what was going on. However, long experience indicated he would have to wait to see how she handled it. He hoped he didn’t have to explain it to her. He locked the computer in his safe and grabbed his bush hat. “Come on, let’s go.”
She was confused. “Go where, sir?”
“You’ve got an investigation to conduct, right?” She nodded. “Well, Colonel Vermullen and a few of his legionnaires are waiting and I’ve got a C-130 standing by to fly us to Wer Ping.” She followed him out, rushing to keep up with his long strides. “Come on, G.G.,” Allston called.
“Never thought you would ask,” G.G. replied, reaching for his bush hat.
Jill sat at the dinner table in the mess tent and picked at her food. She wasn’t hungry after seeing the village and knowing what had happened there. Allston and Vermullen exchanged glances. They knew what she was going through. “Sorry for the shock treatment,” Allston said. “Nothing can capture the reality of it … the smell, the dogs, the insects …” His voice trailed off.
“The first time is always the hardest,” Vermullen said. He appreciated Jill’s no-nonsense attitude and knew his officers were going to like her. Although he enjoyed the company of intelligent and beautiful women, he would never understand why Americans totally missed a basic truth of combat. When bullets started to fly, and real danger
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