Gray Girl by Susan I. Spieth Page B

Wright either!”  
    “Thanks, but it was no contest
really.   I kind of gave up.”
    “Well, I was cheering for you!”  
    “I thought I heard one fan in the
crowd!”   Jan smiled at him.
    “You didn’t do any worse than some
others.”   Hambin said.
    “Thanks, I’m just glad it’s over.”
    “That makes two of us!”

 
    Andrew Hambin ,
called Drew by friends and family, grew up on a farm in Oklahoma.   Beautiful would be an understatement for
Drew Hambin .   He was model gorgeous, stunning actually, at about five feet eight
inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes.   Jan mostly noticed his long
fingers.   She wondered how he could
be both gorgeous and nice.   Those
qualities usually didn’t go together in most men, Jan believed.   But there they were in Drew Hambin , an enormously handsome AND kind young man.   He even agreed that Dogety and Jackson seemed to take a particular interest in hazing Jan.   Then she knew that it wasn’t all in her head.

 
    The Land Navigation Course was the
final challenge of Lake Frederick week.   Armed with a compass and a map, the new cadets had to find ten stamps
matching the ones on their checklist.   At least fifty different stamps had been set across the thousand or so
acres of wilderness surrounding Lake Frederick.   Once all ten stamps were found, the new
cadet could then proceed to the finish point.   Cadets had two hours to complete this
challenge.
    Jan found herself alone for the first
time in seven weeks.   She slowed
down to enjoy the quiet of the forest and the precious moments of solitude.
    “What do you think you’re doing, Wishart ?   This
isn’t some nature walk!!”   Jackson
seemed to sneak up on her, again.
    Where’d
he come from?   “Yes, Sir.”
    “Have you found all your stamps yet?”
    “No, Sir.”
    “Then why are you bird-watching?   Do you think the stamps will find you?”
    “No, Sir.”
    “ Wishart ,
did you think you could just blow off this last challenge?”
    “No, Sir.”
    “Then get your ass moving and find
the rest of your stamps, Wishart !   I want you double-timing this course!”
    “Yes, Sir.”   Jan began jogging in boots, helmet,
rucksack and rifle.  
    Not satisfied, Jackson ran behind her
and screamed, “PICK UP THE PACE, WISHART!”   She felt him on her heels right before he shoved her forward.   The force of his push knocked her onto
the ground.   The M-16 flew a few
feet ahead while her helmet dropped down over her eyes.   
    Jan assessed the situation: she was
on her knees in the middle of the woods with Jackson standing over her.   Shit.   But this time, she didn’t feel
afraid.   She wasn’t the least bit
scared.   Nope.   Only pissed off.   Goddamn angry.
    She stood up slowly.   Even more slowly and dramatically, she
turned around to face Jackson.   If
he thought she was about to lose it, he would have made a good assumption.   She stared at him for a few long
seconds, gathering her rage, reining it in.   Then calmly, with complete control, she
said, “Jackson, if you ever touch me again, I will make sure you regret it for
a very, very long time.”
    Jackson stood still.   He seemed unsure of what to do.   Then, as if clearing an image, he shook
his head and seethed, “If you ever try to humiliate me again, Wishart , YOU will regret it.   I promise you that!”
    Neither one moved.   They were locked in a staring trance for
another long moment until Jan bent down and picked up her M-16.   Then turning her back on Jackson, she
walked away, realizing the power of anger.

 
 
 
    11

 
    Friday,
May 7, 1982
    0800 Hours

 
    Cadet Trane held the door for Jan as
they entered room 413 of Mahan Hall.   When’s the last time THAT
happened??   She wondered if she
would ever meet another man like Trane and secretly hoped he would fail his final exams.   Maybe
then he’ll have to repeat firstie year and I could
snag him while Cadet Williams is stationed in