“Are we debating the pros and cons of women in combat, sir?” She was tired of his evasiveness.
“No, but as one of a very few women chosen to support in this manner, the lens of public opinion cannot be ignored.”
“And you feel I threaten this lens?”
“I feel,” he said, standing to his full height, “your actions with Tech Sergeant Ryker Lyons blackens the reputation of the Air Force and all women who strive to break through the barriers you so easily surpassed.”
Her insides twisted with the confirmation of her fears. The relationship between Ryker and her had been discovered. But who? Who would’ve spilled? Not Forest. Not Skye. Not even Ash. Who else knew? Who else suspected? It was suicide to treat Vane with disrespect, but if he had any proof she had acted inappropriately with Ryker, her career had just reached terminal velocity, and she faced a headlong crash and burn. The destruction of a lifetime of hard work would follow.
“What actions, sir?” It wasn’t career suicide to demand he be direct because his eyes told her everything she needed to know.
He slapped his palm down on his table. The sharpraphad her jumping back. Eyes wide, she curled her lower lip inward and bit down to keep it from quivering and showing a weakness she couldn’t afford.
“Don’t test me,” he said, raising his voice, moments from losing all decorum. “We’re talking fraternization.”
She gave a sniff and said nothing.Do not confirm. Do not deny.Lying now would only make things worse. Besides, the anger simmering in his eyes meant he had far more to say.
“There are reasons people argue against women serving in combat,” he said, “and you’ve given the entire world all the fodder they need to ruin the efforts we’ve been trying to make. It’s enough to debate the physical requirements, but the one thing that keeps coming back around to sabotage the whole effort is inappropriate relations. I don’t need to tell you, fraternization is not tolerated. Idon’t need to explain the consequences.” He ran a hand through his close-cropped military hairstyle.
“No, sir, you do not.”
She knew the consequences, but like a fool, she had chosen hope and denial instead of doing what was right. She and Ryker should never have crossed that line. Her head had known this, but her heart had refused. It wanted a happy ending.
There was a specific Air Force Instruction that detailed everything about fraternization. The Air Force placed high value on professional relationships, fostering them whenever possible. Professional relationships were vital to the functional effectiveness of the Air Force and ultimately the mission, especially when missions involved difficult challenges, hardships, the potential for injury, and even death. It was why her team celebrated kids’ birthdays as a group and celebrated the Fourth of July, Veterans’ Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas together whenever possible. Unit cohesion, morale, and good order and discipline were essential for mission success.
Her relationship with Ryker threatened to undermine the very fabric of her unit. She knew this. Ryker knew this. But not once had they thought to stop things before they began. Now, it was too late.
If substantiated, she could face a court-martial. That could result in a felony conviction within the military legal system. If she were lucky, she’d receive a general discharge instead of an honorable one. It would make it more difficult to find employment and would strip her of most of her benefits as a veteran. Vane’s threat was very real.
He continued, explaining something drilled into every active-duty military member as a part of annual training, “Fraternization between an officer and enlisted is a career-terminating event. And to think”—he shook his head—“we were going to spotlight your accomplishments!” His voice shook with rising anger, and disappointment colored his words. “Do you understand now?”
She gulped but was wise enough not to offer any damning information. This was a situation to fall back on her SERE training—survive, evade, resist, escape.Answer only the question asked. Do not volunteer additional information. Keep secrets close, and speak only the barest of truths.
She hadn’t been taken prisoner, but this sure as hell was war. It was a battle to salvage her career—not that it was likely she’d succeed, but she would sure as hell fight to keep Ryker’s name clear.
“Our team is a close-knit group,” she began. Perhaps she could salvage something of this disaster. To bring her up on Uniformed Code of Military Justice fraternization charges, Vane would have to have indisputable proof. “What others might consider fraternization is often the result of working closely with one another.”
She pegged him with an unwavering stare. It was time for him to shit or get off the pot. That expression had always been a favorite of hers.
“I witnessed your little liaison,” he said. “I think that is proof enough. If a personal relationship affects the functioning of the unit, it ceases to be personal and becomes an official concern.”
“With all due respect, sir, that means shit.”
What had he seen?She needed to tease that information out without giving away too much.
She took herself out of parade rest and crossed her arms over her chest. Like most men, his gaze dropped to her tits, but he caught himself and brought his attention back to meet her stare.
“I get it,” she said. “It’s a man’s world out there. You’re not the first to check out my breasts, nor will you be the last. I get that kind of attention all the damn time out there. I choose not to let it bother me, but I’m not about to bring you up on sexual harassment charges because you can’t keep your eyes off my boobs.”
“You want to accuse me of fraternization,” she said and tried like hell to keep her voice even and calm, “you’d better have proof.”
Her intent wasn’t to threaten him, but he had her scared. Reacting too harshly was going to get her in trouble. It was time to rein it in.
She continued, “If you saw us exiting that hangar and heading away to find a quiet place to talk, any inferences you make past that point are pure speculation.”
“Not speculation,” he asserted. “Supposition based upon the way Sergeant Lyons was adjusting his uniform on his return. You clearly headed out there for a tryst.”
“Speculation, and as for Lyons adjusting his uniform, it was by your order that he play onstage in his BDU bottoms and T-shirt. Lyons mentioned something about representing the Air Force while also blending with the band. Your choice. Not his. And it had nothing to do with me.”
