Page 6 of Twins for the Secret Prince (Even More Babies #8)
EVA
O ne step forward, two steps back.
Eva knew that this was often the way for women in the military — and sometimes it was three or more steps back. Nonetheless, she cursed under her breath.
Her meeting with Lieutenant Marshall had started well when she’d made her case for taking her squad on wilderness survival training earlier than she would usually do.
She’d explained that these recruits, with the exception of Private Sully, were more advanced than previous squads, and they were ready for it.
What she didn’t tell Lieutenant Marshall was that she wanted to get away from the constant competition she and Sergeant Billings were in.
She’d had enough of their endless scrabble to outdo each other, and she needed some time to regroup and focus on her goal of promotion.
So when Lieutenant Marshall approved her request but announced that Sergeant Billings’ squad would join hers, Eva had been powerless to refuse.
She’d tried, of course, to make a case for the importance of bonding and teamwork within her squad, but Lieutenant Marshall had answered simply that all of the new recruits should have the same opportunity at the same time.
Although Eva had been hoping for a blissful five days away from Pete Billings, the reality was that she was about to spend five days with him in even closer quarters.
To make it worse, First Lieutenant Armstrong was coming with them, ostensibly as an extra safety measure given the prolonged spell of unseasonably bad weather.
But Eva knew the real reason had to do with Private Sully’s accident and her commanding officer’s belief that she and Sergeant Billings needed an extra pair of eyes as well as hands on site.
She tried to look on the bright side. She loved wilderness training.
Surviving in the wilds of Alaska showed each and every new recruit what they were made of.
And, as an Alaskan born and bred, Eva believed with her whole heart that to be out in the wild was to be close to a higher force that showed you every minute of the day that life was a rich and rare treasure, and one to be cherished.
Being in the wilderness exhilarated her and filled her with a joy and sense of peace, the like of which she’d never known anywhere else. To be in the wild was to be alive.
An hour after meeting with Lieutenant Marshall, Eva, accompanied by Sergeant Billings and First Lieutenant Armstrong, led both squads away from the base on a hike into the wilderness that would be their home for the next few days.
At the three-mile mark, Eva announced to the recruits that this was where they’d be setting up camp.
She began her explanation of the three types of shelters they could build, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Eva explained to the recruits that they must carefully consider how much protection each shelter would offer from the elements and from wildlife predators.
The wind had picked up in velocity considerably since they’d set out from base, and the rain, although light, had not let up.
Eva ordered the recruits to inspect the terrain for animal prints, knowing that they would find wolf and bear tracks.
She knew because she had spotted several just off the main hiking trail.
At this point in the training exercise, she waited to see which new recruit had the courage to suggest she was wrong in choosing this site to set up camp.
“You’re not really serious about camping here, are you?” Sergeant Billings asked, not making an effort to keep his voice down.
“What’s wrong with it?” Eva asked, annoyed by the arrogant look on his face.
“I’ve never been fond of the idea of being bear or wolf kibble,” he said smugly.
“Keep your voice down,” Eva hissed. “Let’s let the recruits decide how safe it is.”
Billings nodded as though he’d known the whole time what Eva’s plan was. She rolled her eyes and went back to watching the recruits inspect the ground.
“Permission to speak, Sergeant Bailey?” Private O’Malley asked.
“Permission granted, private.”
“I don’t mean to question your judgment, but I think it would be safer if we camped somewhere else.”
“You are questioning my judgment, Private O’Malley. That’s clear. And it’s insubordination.”
“Sorry, sergeant. It won’t happen again.”
“Recruits, I want you to listen to me very carefully. There’s insubordination, and then there’s smart thinking that could save your life and the lives of everyone around you.
That’s what Private O’Malley has just demonstrated.
This is not a safe place to camp, which you would know if you’d noticed the animal tracks. Let’s keep moving.”
They hiked for two more miles, stopped again, and Eva ordered the recruits to check the site for tracks.
When it was deemed safe, she once again described the three types of shelters they could build, which would be their only cover for the next few days.
Although the rain was still light as they started to build the shelters, the sky to the east was slate gray, and it was clear that heavy rain was headed their way.
Eva located some of the wooden poles that had been used on previous wilderness training exercises and asked for another pair of hands while she demonstrated how to build a basic A-frame for the leaf hut, the type of shelter that offered the most protection from the elements.
As she demonstrated the steps involved, Billings positioned himself right next to her and then began to unhelpfully add to her demonstration.
“Notice that these ribs are far enough apart to let water or wind in, even when they’re covered by layers of leaves,” he said. “Make sure you put yours closer together, or you’ll get soaked.”
Eva saw red but told herself to count to five before speaking.
She didn’t want the recruits to see her arguing with her fellow sergeant.
“My advice is to build the frame first, and then once you have a basic foundation, check to see how wind and water-tight it is. It’s always possible that you won’t be able to find enough poles to build your perfect shelter. ”
“Although that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make every effort to do so,” Billings added, self-righteously.
Eva showed the recruits how to add layers of leaves and other green forest matter to make the roof, while Billings continued to add his own level of interpretation and critique. Although she was silently fuming, Eva was relieved at least that Lieutenant Armstrong was staying quiet.
When it was time for the squads to build their shelters, Eva made a concerted effort to stay as far away from Billings as possible.
Not only did she not want to talk to him, but she didn’t trust herself to hold her tongue.
In fact, she wanted to tell him exactly what she’d thought of his interference during her building demonstration.
But, a few minutes into the exercise, he sidled up to her. “At least none of them chose to build a lean-to. Not even your lazy boy over there,” Billings said, gesturing towards where Private Sully stood with his group, letting them do all of the work.
“Private Sully, if you’re just going to stand there and let the rest of your group build the shelter, you can stand outside tonight when everyone else beds down,” Eva said coolly.
The young man gave her a sullen look before making a show of going to search for some long branches to serve as poles.
Most groups were building leaf huts, but a few were well towards finishing their wiki-ups. Covered in at least a couple of layers of vegetation, the wiki-up would keep out rain and serve as a warm shelter when the winds lashed throughout the night, as they were forecast to do.
Forty-five minutes later, Eva and the other officers were inspecting the completed shelters, offering feedback about the strengths of the builds and any areas that needed to be fixed to ensure the recruits stayed dry and safe while they slept.
The heavy rain had indeed arrived, blowing almost sideways in the strong winds, testing the quality of the shelters that had just been built.
“Good effort,” Eva told the recruits. “You’ll know just how good when you’re trying to sleep tonight. Now, what are the two things we need to do next?”
Although Eva could have sworn she heard someone — Private Sully, no doubt — mutter, “Sit down and have a rest,” she couldn’t be sure where it came from, given the ferocity of the wind.
The squads correctly identified that they needed to find water and build a fire.
Eva announced that she would go with the water-sourcing group, which at the very least gave her the chance to get away from Billings and Armstrong for a little while.
She knew that the nearest fresh spring was about a mile away, and the group was slowed down considerably by the muddy, treacherous trail and wind that threatened to blow them off their feet.
Although in calmer weather Eva would have encouraged the recruits to listen for the sound of running water, the storm made such teaching points useless. Instead, she walked the group straight to the water source.
Eva had deliberately not brought any equipment for the water to be carried back to camp because she wanted the recruits to work out how they could transport water if there was no available vessel.
The group didn’t let her down; they found hollowed-out chunks of logs by the water’s edge, working in pairs to carry the heaviest ones and spilling very little water in the process.
When they got back to camp, they were rewarded with the sight of a roaring fire.
Even with Billings standing over it, looking at Eva like he’d just discovered fire, it was a very welcome sight.
She was soaked through to the skin and had started feeling the type of chill that was an early sign of risk.
After the water was poured into large pots for boiling, Armstrong approached Eva.
“Are we going to take them hunting tonight or cook tins of beans?” he asked.
Eva had started to shiver, her body’s way of trying to elevate her core temperature.
If she was that cold, she knew at least some of the recruits would be too.
Hypothermia was the last thing they needed to deal with on the first day in the wilderness.
“Tins of beans,” she answered. “I think we need to keep them close to the fire. And feed them quickly.”
“I’m going to have to disagree,” Billings said, interrupting the conversation.
“This is exactly the right time to push them, to test their mettle. Cooking over the campfire at this stage is like inviting them to a slumber party. I was under the impression this is wilderness training. We need to prepare them for the fact that they might not have any food to warm up over the fire.”
“My main concern is this storm, but you might be right,” Armstrong said.
“I disagree strongly,” Eva said, shooting Billings her most withering look. “Lieutenant Marshall reminded us before we left that the safety of the recruits is paramount. Sending them out hunting with guns in this weather, and when they’re hungry and tired, isn’t safe.”
“These are exactly the kind of conditions they can expect to encounter. Hostile climates, desperate situations,” Billings said.
“We can take advantage of these weather conditions and give them the chance to rise to the occasion, or we can let them take the easy way out and slurp down a bowl full of wieners and beans.”
Eva was so angry she wanted to shout at Billings right there and then that what he was suggesting was dangerous and wrong. She couldn’t believe that Armstrong wasn’t shutting him down.
And then Billings went and made it worse.
“Recruits, listen up. We are going to give you the option of going out and hunting your dinner tonight, or staying here and eating campfire beans. Those who want to hunt for tonight’s dinner should come with me.
I’ll issue weapons and will give you basic instructions on how to use them.
Those who don’t want to hunt can stay here with Sergeant Bailey. ”
Eva saw red. “Recruits, you are to disregard Sergeant Billings’ orders. As the more experienced wilderness training officer here, I will not allow anyone to be put in danger in this weather. Everyone will stay here at camp tonight.”
“Although Sergeant Bailey no doubt has your safety in mind, I need to be very clear about this — these are the kind of conditions you can expect to encounter. Many times, you’ll be facing this weather and enemy fire.
This training is meant to prepare you for the worse eventualities.
Those who want to come hunting with me, raise your hands. ”
Eva ignored the dozen or more hands that shot up in the air. “Stand down, Sergeant Billings. There will be no hunting tonight. That’s an order.”
“Sergeants, a word!” Armstrong said sharply, gesturing for Eva and Billings to step away from the camp and follow him.
The three officers stood under the canopy of a large cedar tree. The first lieutenant looked at both of them, his eyes flashing, and then said, “What has gotten into the pair of you? This kind of antagonistic behavior will not stand. Do I make myself clear?”
“But surely you can see that he’s being completely unreasonable?” Eva said.
“Surely you can see that she’s being—” Billings countered before Armstrong interrupted.
“Enough! You are both in danger of insubordination. And just stop and think for a minute about the image you’re projecting to your squads.
You’re the very model of indiscipline! This ends now.
Your behavior — and I’m talking to both of you — is inexcusable.
Now, sort out your differences once and for all.
When you come back to camp, you’re going to be the picture of professional harmony. Understood?”
“Sir, yes, sir,” Eva and Pete said in unison, about as unconvincingly as it was possible to be.
“I’ll accept an apology from you,” Eva said through gritted teeth. “But I’ll not stand for a repeat performance of what you just did in front of my squad. Ever .”
“An apology? What, for stepping in and preventing you from letting these weak, lazy, overindulged recruits get away with sitting in front of the campfire all night?”
“Listen, you throbbing lump of testosterone,” Eva spat.
“I’m tired of you acting as though you know best all of the time.
I’m tired of you, and I’m sick and tired of having to pretend that your white male privilege is just something I have to put up with, and dodge, to get by in this world. I’m tired of—”
Eva didn’t get the chance to continue telling Billings what she thought of him because at that very moment, the air all around them began to bellow, the likes of which she’d never heard before.
She barely had time to realize it was the sound of the earth above them giving way before it engulfed both of them and carried them down the mountain in a rush of mud and rain.