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“At some point you’re going to have to spill,” Jenou says.

“What? Spill what? The bottle?”

“The straight dope. The inside scoop. You have now had . . . interludes . . . with two different males. It’s time for detailed comparisons, Rio.”

Rio glances guiltily toward Jack, who is dusting Suarez off and getting Geer’s helmet, which Suarez had knocked off.

“Let’s just pretend it was only one . . . interlude,” Rio says. “Strand is the one. Jack is . . . He’s a fellow soldier.”

“Right. You think I’m going to let you get away with that? There are a lot of boats and trucks and long walks ahead of us, Rio. You will tell all. Oh yes, you will tell all.”

Rio has a sudden, overpowering desire to hug Jenou, so she contents herself with patting Jenou’s back. “You and me, right?”

Jenou turns and notices tears in her friend’s eyes. “Of course you and me, honey. All the way through.”

After a while Rio says, “You know what I wish I had right now?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jenou answers, “Sure. Same thing I want. A big basket of fries and a milk shake.”

Rio gasps and then shakes her head ruefully. “I was going to say a big plate of fries and a Coke. But close enough. You know me too well, Jen. I don’t even need to tell you anything.”

Jenou gives Rio a playful shove and says, “Nice try. But you will tell all. I will absolutely resort to torture.” Then Jenou’s focus shifts to someone beyond Rio. “Well, hello, who is that?”

Rio glances over her shoulder and sees a young lieutenant in a torn and dirty uniform carrying an M-1 like an enlisted man. He could use a shave, but he’s not bad looking despite that. He’s trading salutes with Sergeant Garaman.

“Law of averages says it’s someone with orders for us to go off and do something stupid,” Rio speculates.

“That’s a coincidence, because I just happen to have something stupid in mind,” Jenou says.

>

Rainy Schulterman is brought to the nearest thing this dusty, chaotic assembly area has for an S2. Captain Jon Joad demands to know what the hell she thinks she’s doing out here, separated from her unit.

Rainy shows him her orders.

The captain sneers. “Yeah, and how did that go for you, little lady?”

“Pretty well, sir.”

“Well?” He throws the orders at her; she fumbles the catch and has to pick the page up out of the dirt.

“Yes, sir, quite well.”

“The hell are you talking about, lady?”

“Sir, we were able to intercept a supply column and destroy it just before a German tank column rendezvoused. That’s why there are those German trucks parked out there. And, sir, I have a request.”

“A request?”

“Yes, sir, I have a prisoner I need to get back to Maktar. I need a jeep and a driver, and an MP to keep an eye on the prisoner, if you have any MPs, otherwise any soldier you can spare.”

“What, some beat-up sergeant surrender to you?”

“Sir, I have a Waffen SS colonel as my prisoner, and I request—pursuant to the orders I’ve just shown you—to have appropriate means made available for transport so he can be interrogated ASAP by Colonel Clay.”

She is given a jeep, a driver, and a corporal to ride shotgun.

The corporal is the gloomy Hark Millican, volunteered by Sergeant Cole, who taps Stick to step up into that role.