He grinned, a twinkle in his eye, “You had me at hello, ma’am.”
Relentless flirt!
Lieutenant Osbourne asked, “Oh, did I come at a bad time?”
“Not at all.He’s just enjoying the excellent narcotics provided to him post-op,” she explained.
Lieutenant Osbourne scoffed.“Should have flown here with him.He was all over me.I am not just a piece of meat, lover-boy.”
Jerry said, “You know what I think?I think my spotter should have been up in that tree with me.That’s right.Right there by my side, tucked in right next to me all lovey and snuggly, right where you belong, Oz.”
Olive rarely saw an interchange like this between a Staff Sergeant and a First Lieutenant.Clearly, Special Forces had its own culture of respect that did not necessarily always conform to the norms and standards of the regular Army.
“Well, I would have been.But then that clown might have shot both of us.”
“Fair.”Jerry conceded.“What’s all that?”
Osbourne looked elaborately surprised as he held up the thick presentation folders and small decorative boxes he carried.“This?Oh, you don’t want any part of this.”
“Is that a medal?”Jerry’s voice sounded suspicious.
“No,” Osbourne said firmly.
“Oh, thank you Lord, thank you Jesus!”Jerry declared.
“It’s actually two medals,” Osbourne announced with malicious delight.
“Oh, then no,” Jerry said.“And also no.”
“Come on, now, hero.Somehow, the President of these United States—well, we’re in Germany, but you know what I mean—our Commander-in-Chief decided you merit a Purple Heart.”
Jerry shook his head.“Not again.”
“Oh, it gets better,” Osbourne said with barely contained glee.“You, my friend, have been honored with the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal from our wonderful friends and fellow patriots at the Department of Homeland Security.”
Jerry gave him a look of unabashed astonishment.“You, sir, are a liar and a scoundrel.”
Osbourne couldn’t contain his laughter now.“You can’t make this up, Jerry.Look.Look here.This is the highest DHS honor for exceptional meritorious service or achievement in a duty of great responsibility, and it can be given to any member of the Armed Forces—across all branches—for actions supporting homeland security missions,” Osbourne had to stop and chuckle, “such as joint operations, or disaster response.Or, you know, when some DHS knucklehead shoots you.”
Olive could not believe what she had just heard.Friendly fire?How could that even happen anymore?Should she have heard that?
Jerry sat back further on the bench.“Ozzy?I hate you.I really do.You know that, don’t you?”
Osbourne slid the medals into his kit bag.“Well, I love you, brother.And I am so thankful to our heavenly father that you still have that arm.Now, let’s make tracks.Whatta ya say?”
“Yeah.”Jerry slowly rose to his feet.
Olive could tell the movement hurt despite the painkillers.“Take it easy, Sergeant.Give that arm time to heal.”
He studied her for a moment before he said, “Keep those eyes closed, ma’am.Never know what life might show you when they’re closed.”
Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
Marie Desalin pressed her back against the wall of the adobe building, praying that her black dress and black head scarf would hide her in the light of the new moon.The Kenyan soldiers strolled by, and she held her breath, keeping perfectly still.They looked neither left nor right.
As soon as she felt safe enough to dart, she ran across the street and tapped the secret signal on the door.It opened to a dark room.Once inside, the door shut behind her, and a flame lit a low lamp, highlighting her brother Jean’s face.The air inside carried the faint, acrid bite of kerosene from the lamp, laced with the earthy damp of rain-soaked adobe.
“News?”
