Chapter 8

Honeycutt’s eyes sparkled when he heard the soft knock on the door. “Come in,” he called out as he stood to take a position in front of the desk. He watched as the lieutenant entered, her eyes darting around the room nervously before settling on him. Indicating the chairs in front of him, he forced his best congenial smile. “Please, have a seat.”

The lieutenant sat reluctantly. In the silence she shifted in the chair, again giving the room a once over, as if expecting to find something.

Honeycutt leaned his stout frame back against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest, never taking his eyes off the young woman. He saw the effect that the stress of recent weeks was having upon her. He saw the uncertainty, the nervousness, the fear. Inwardly he smiled at that. Fear was an emotion that he learned was a powerful motivator, perhaps the most powerful of them all. The groundwork had been laid and now it was time to set events in motion. Spring his trap.

Martin was moving too slowly. He was soft, Honeycutt could tell. Oh, his boss talked a big game, but when it came right down to doing whatever was necessary to purge the ranks of the military of these deviants he choked. Hiding behind the excuse of rules and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, he kept them from taking necessary measures. Rights? That’s what Martin was worried about? The rights of these perverts?

Honeycutt was not about to let a little thing like rule of law get in his way. Martin might be pissed, but once it was done what could he say? He wouldn’t be able to risk challenging a successful investigation into rampant homosexuality, because then he might be looked at differently. Yes, despite Martin’s skittishness, Honeycutt had no doubt his plan would work.

Finally, he spoke into the silence.

“Lieutenant, I’m so glad that you realized that coming into talk with me was the right thing to do.” The mask of his face revealed nothing but the false sincerity that he wanted her to buy. “You’ve considered my offer, I take it?”

The lieutenant stared at the investigator wondering how her life and career had come down to this. She sat up straighter, as if that might strengthen her resolve. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, “Yes, I’ll do it.”

He smiled carefully, not wanting to reveal his glee. “I’ve taken the liberty of typing up a statement for you based upon our previous conversation. Read it over and if there’s anything you’re uncomfortable with, we’ll change it.” With that, he slid the paper in front of her.

Julie looked down at the page. It was a statement detailing her knowledge of lesbians at the base, particularly Jillian Gray. The statement noted her prior relationship with Jillian, but made it seem that Julie had been taken advantage of by the more experienced and promiscuous Gray. It also named Devon James as a possible new conquest of Gray’s.

“But, I thought this was going to be about James,” she questioned, “I mean, she’s the reason…Jil—Lieutenant Gray wasn’t—”

“Now, Julia. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is maintaining your own reputation and career, isn’t that right?” He leaned his hip against the desk in front of her. “Let’s not forget that I’m doing this out of respect for your father and brother. General Marks is being considered for a Chiefs of Staff position, I hear. It just wouldn’t do to have a scandal like a gay daughter marring his impeccable reputation, would it?”

He smiled thinly, “Besides, Gray brought this on herself with her indiscretions.”

Julie stopped reading when tears blurred her vision. He was right, her father’s career was at stake in this too. And Jillian? Why couldn’t she understand that what they had was perfect? If she had only given them another chance, things would have turned out differently. They knew what the stakes were and played the game carefully. Not like that dumbass James. She took the offered pen and signed her name witnessing the document.

“You have done well, Julia.” Honeycutt placed a hand on her shoulder that made Julie recoil. Ignoring the reaction, he returned the paper to the top of the desk.

“So, what happens now?” She mumbled, unable to look at the asshole anymore. Her stomach threatened to hurl its contents all over his shoes. She thought back to ROTC when she and Jillian were together. We were happy, weren’t we? And then her mind flipped to last month when they went to Boston. Jillian and Devon had gotten their own room. Separate from the rest of the group. The way Jillian looked at her; as if nobody else existed in the world.

That’s when it really hit her. This wasn’t one of Jillian’s flings, it was far more serious. Did Jillian really think that low life from the wrong side of the tracks was better for her than Julie? She thought if she played along and humored Jillian that whatever it was between them would burn itself out, but so far that hadn’t happened. Fine. If that’s what Jillian wanted, then so be it.

“Now,” Honeycutt responded, “We get you set up in a new assignment, without a security clearance, of course.” Julie winced. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they explain it away as a move for the needs of the Army. You’re doing your country a service.”

He stood and began guiding her to the door, continuing his monologue, “You will go on to have a successful career as an Army officer. Your father will become a member of the Joint Chiefs. Everything is going to work out fine.”

Chapter 9

Once at the Double D’s Burger and Suds, they moved to a booth at the back of the room next to the jukebox, where Jillian felt safe to talk with the music drowning out their conversation. They ordered burgers and fries and a pitcher of beer. Neither of them spoke until the waitress poured two glasses from the pitcher and left the table. Both took a long drink from their glasses and then began to talk simultaneously.

Laughing nervously, they said again together, “You go ahead.”

“You first,” Devon said still smiling uneasily. Jillian nodded and looked around the room, wanting to ensure that she didn’t know anybody in the place. Of course, if they were being followed, she probably wouldn’t recognize the person. She sighed and returned her gaze to the safety of Devon’s blue eyes.

“I got called in tonight by CID.”

“What?” Devon was incredulous. She couldn’t believe that this happened so fast. Julie had just warned her at lunch and she was going to tell Jill tonight, and now it was already too late.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

She nodded that she was fine and took another long draw on her beer, finishing the glass. As Devon poured her another, Jillian, continued, “They asked me about Jules,” she looked at the table shaking her head, “they wanted to know how close we were and mentioned us at ROTC.”

Devon blew out a long breath, “Is that all?”

Jillian shook her head and met Devon’s eyes, “They asked me flat out if Julie goes out with men.”

Devon’s eyes grew large with astonishment. Then it was her turn to drain her beer glass. “What did you say?”

“I told them to ask her.”

Devon realized now that Julie’s warning was not due to hearing about others being questioned as she said at lunch. She had been questioned, and was trying to warn them. Or was she trying to get information out of Devon?

The waitress dropped off their burgers along with a bottle of ketchup. When she asked if they wanted another pitcher, Devon nodded.

Jillian struck the ketchup bottle with the heel of her hand, pouring the red sauce generously on her cheeseburger before drizzling it on her fries. Devon watched her for a minute before speaking, “I saw Julie at lunch today.” Jillian’s eyes flashed with a mixture of uncertainty and fear.

“She told me that CID had been asking around, only she made it seem like other people had been questioned and told her about it.” Jillian listened intently.

“She also made it clear she’s pissed at us.”

The auburn haired woman raised an eyebrow in question as she chewed a bite of the burger. “Us? What did we do?”

“Well apparently, she thinks,” Devon took a bite of her burger, “—and she said others did too—that we have been carelessly flaunting our relationship, and endangering everyone.” Jillian frowned and drank more beer, pondering this information.

“She said we should back off before something bad happens, because then everyone will be out to save their own ass.” Devon finished, pushing a french fry into her mouth. Jillian remained silent.

Devon pushed ahead, “Now that you told me that they asked you only about Julie, my gut says that she may already be saving her own ass. I’d bet they got to her already and they’re trying to use her to get to you maybe.” She studied Jillian’s face carefully, trying to read her thoughts. “I know you have a history with her, but it just seems like too much of a coincidence, Jill.” She decided not to tell her about the way Julie had inferred that Jillian could not be trusted.

Jillian stared past Devon at the other people in the pub laughing, talking, shooting pool or just having a beer without a care in the world. If those guys wanted to pick up a different woman every night, nobody would say a word. She thought about that smug son of a bitch Martin and how he asked if Julie dated men, the implication being of course, that if she wanted to screw a different guy every hour, then he would be fine with that. If her choice of sexual partner were a woman, well then that is unacceptable. She was furious at a society that judged people so harshly for simply being who they were, and then made fugitives of the ones who only wanted to also serve their country. Suddenly she slammed her fist on the table in frustration, causing Devon to jump and push away her food, no longer hungry.

“You know they’re going to haul you in too, it’s just a matter of time, Dev.” Jillian looked at her seriously then studied her hands on the table. She couldn’t bear the thought that she had brought such danger into Devon’s life. Why couldn’t you just leave her alone? The acute sadness that poured over her was almost unbearable and Jillian rubbed her eyes briskly to eliminate the tears that began to overflow the edges of her lashes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

As if reading her mind, Devon replied, “I’m not.” When Jillian’s eyes met Devon’s she saw tears covering a fierce glare. “You didn’t do anything Jill, they are out of line and they’re wrong. They can ask me whatever they want, I won’t lie and I won’t deny you.”

Looking at the woman she loved and seeing the fear in her eyes was almost more than Devon could bear. Suddenly, she could not sit in this place, surrounded by strangers and unable to simply comfort her. She threw money for the check on the table, walked to the payphone and called a taxi. Five minutes later, she directed the taxi driver to the barracks. Running in, she threw together a bag for them and when she returned told the driver to take them into town to a hotel, away from the base and all things military, even if just for the night.

Inside, she wordlessly wrapped her lover in a protective embrace, wanting nothing more than to shield her from the mounting danger around them. In the midst of the fear and uncertainty, they clung to each other. Devon began caressing her back and bottom while kissing her tenderly, and breathing ‘I love you’ repeatedly against her neck, lips and in her ears. Jillian responded to her touch by claiming Devon’s mouth forcefully. Their mouths fused together almost painfully in a ravenous need to feel each other’s passion.

As the heat between them blazed into an inferno Devon ripped the t-shirt over Jillian’s head to expose her breasts. Instantly, the tips hardened like pink stones against the creamy softness surrounding them. Devon seized one with her teeth and the other between her thumb and forefinger, nipping and pulling at the sensitive bulbs simultaneously. Jillian crushed her body more tightly against Devon’s in response as a cry left her throat and wetness pooled between her legs.

Clothing was shed as need replaced desire, their skin aflame under the other’s touch; searing their souls and obliterating all doubt or fear. Blood flowing like lava in their veins, they consumed each other; continuously driving their bodies to ever greater heights of passion until exhausted, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Devon woke around midnight. She stared at the ceiling while absently tracing her fingertips on Jillian’s shoulder. Her head rested on Devon’s chest and she could tell the deep steady breathing that she slept soundly. The comfort of feeling Jillian’s body along the length of hers did little to erase the anger building within her. Devon could feel it churning inside.

She was tired of everyone trying to make her hate herself. Make her change. Hide. First her mother, then her teachers and now the military; it was always the same. She always tried to be a good daughter, she knew she was a good student and a damn good soldier. She was a military officer for Chrissakes, swore an oath to defend this nation willingly.

Devon knew she could do that without question. So what did they care who she loved? Frustrated, she stared into the darkness battling her inner demons and searching for the answers that always seemed to elude her.

Part 5

What's Ya Poison?