Love On The Line
By Dimples
Disclaimers:
The characters in this story are all mine and the story is all mine. The characters may look like two of our favorite actresses that are not mine, but that's where the similarity ends.
Love/Sex/Language:
Yes to all of the above. This story depicts an explicit loving relationship between adult women. If you're under-aged or live in a place that this isn't allowed or this isn't your cup of tea, I suggest you move along and look for something else to occupy your free time.
Violence:
This story deals with war hence it will have scenes that depict violence, sometimes quite explicitly. I'll try my best to make them as tasteful as possible but if this offends you, I suggest you skip them.
Thanks:
To my beta-reader AC D'amato for everything. For reading, correcting my stories and doing a great job of it and for coming to my rescue just in the nick of time! AC, you rule babe!
To my wonderful, amazing friend, Stormy. Thank you for everything. I hope you know how much I care and appreciate you.
To all the readers that took the time to write to me and tell me what they thought, you encouraged me to keep on writing.
And to all the great bards around and their amazing stories that I loved reading and gave me the inspiration to start writing my own.
Author's comments and Feedback: This is an uber novel, much the same as my previous ones and I hope you'll like it. Unfortunately, the story is yet to be finished because I'm quite busy in my day to day life at the moment so I apologize ahead for the delays in my posting of the parts. I promise to try and write as fast as I possibly can. I hope you decide on reading it anyhow...
The same as my other stories, everything in this story is meant purely for fun and I hope you find it funny (in places it was meant to be funny), dramatic (the same) and so on. I would really appreciate knowing what you think of my stories. Tell me if I'm doin' alright or if I royally suck. Some plot ideas would be very much appreciated also. Actually, come to think of it, any comment would be very much appreciated :) mailto:Dimples_2000_fr@yahoo.com
Copyright © Dimples Jan 2003. All rights reserved.
Part Four
“How did this happen?”
Riley was furious, she had enough on her hands as it was,
the last thing she needed was something like this. The situation was already
extremely fragile and even the smallest thing could bring the whole situation
to an inevitable explosion.
“I don’t know, captain.
They were guarding the truck, but…” Rick left the sentence unfinished. He just
didn’t know how to complete it in a way that he would believe it himself. He
had absolutely no idea how the girl had managed to slip into the truck
unnoticed.
Riley took a deep
breath and ran her hands nervously through her long, dark hair. “Alright, it’s
done and there’s nothing we can do about it now.” After a slight pause, she
continued, “A reporter, huh?” She asked Rick, a frown marring her features.
“Yes ma’am, that’s
what she says.”
“Okay, tie her hands
and bring her to me.” Said Riley, smirking.
“Yes ma’am.”
After Rick left the room, Riley muttered angrily, “A damn reporter…”
“I’m a reporter, damn
it! My press pass is in my bag, just let me go get it.” Said
Ashley angrily. She didn’t appreciate being tied up.
“If you don’t shut up
we’ll gag you as well.” Said one of the soldiers.
Ashley fumed at the
words but only growled in silence, since she knew he would realize his threat.
After a minute, Ashley looked up at the soldiers holding her captive and
wondered at their sudden rigid stance. That was when lieu. Sorenson and sgt. Hudson approached them. “The
captain wants to see her, bring her over to the situation tent.”
“Finally! Maybe your captain isn’t so dense!” Ashley
continued her tirade.
The soldiers
apparently, had had enough. They picked up a piece of cloth and ripped it into
strips, then used one to gag a wildly protesting reporter.
Ashley was so furious
that steam was coming out of her ears. She had never in her life been more
humiliated…She started saying to herself, but then thought better as many of
her past endeavors flashed through her mind.
The soldiers pulled
her into the situation tent and practically threw her to the floor. The soldier
that had gagged her stepped forward to take off the gag. When his hand reached
her mouth, he took hold of the cloth and quickly stumbled backwards as his hand
was almost bitten, pulling the cloth out along with him.
“Gag me again and I
will bite you. And I have rabies as well…” She added for good measure after a
moment’s breath.
The soldier mumbled
something under his breath as he made his way out of the small tent.
“Get your hands off of
me!” Growled Ashley at the soldier, who tried to untie her hands
a minute later.
“Leave her hands tied, it seems she’s enjoying it.” Said another soldier.
Sgt. Hudson then
walked into the small tent. “Thank you, gentlemen. Dismissed.”
The soldiers filed out
of the room, leaving Ashley alone with only one guarding soldier and the
sergeant. “Ms. Grayson, I presume?” Asked Dean.
“It seems you know who
I am while I have no idea who you are.”
“Well, that’s the best
way to keep things, I believe.” Said Dean, smiling internally
at the angered frown forming on Ashley’s brow. Before Ashley could get a
chance to respond, Dean turned and walked out of the room. Ashley mumbled
angrily to herself and tried to squirm her hands out
of the biting hold of the rope.
“Would you like me to
cut them off?” Asked the young soldier guarding her.
Ashley turned her gaze
to the soldier and smiled softly at the innocent face staring back at her.
“Yes, that would be really great, thanks.”
Private Benson walked
behind Ashley and using a pocketknife, he cut through the tight ropes. When the
rope fell to the ground, Ashley moaned slightly in pain, letting the blood flow
into her numb fingers. She rubbed her sore wrists and looked at the soldier.
“I’m Ashley Grayson, by the way.” She said as she offered her hand in greeting.
The soldier blushed slightly and shook Ashley’s hand. Ashley waited a few more
minutes and when no response came forth, she asked, “Aren’t you going to
introduce yourself as well?”
The soldier coughed at
the predicament the reporter had put him in, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t.”
Ashley narrowed her
eyes, “You can’t? What do you mean you can’t?”
“I’m not even supposed
to talk to you, ma’am.”
The reporter bit her
bottom lip in thought and said, “But it’s only a name…I don’t see where there
would be any problem with that. Instead of having me call you ‘soldier’, I’ll
just know your name. Won’t that be easier? At least, more
civil?”
The private mimicked
Ashley’s gesture and bit his lip, looking around the tent as if searching for
something, someone. “Well, I guess there won’t be any harm in that…It’s
Bradley, Bradley Benson.”
Ashley smiled and
said, “Thank you, now was that so hard, Bradley?”
Bradley blushed and
shook his head, “No ma’am.”
“I can’t help but
notice that you are extremely young. Why would someone your age join the army
so young just to go fight off in some war?”
“I’m an orphan, ma’am.
It was the best choice I had.”
“I’m so sorry to hear
that, Bradley.”
“It’s okay, ma’am. It happened
a long time ago.”
“Say, did
reinforcements get here about two weeks ago?”
“Ma’am, I can’t talk
about that. Why are you interested to know anyhow?”
Ashley blushed
charmingly, “Well, I was just wondering because my boyfriend was supposed to
get here.”
“Oh, well in that case, yeah…They got here two
weeks ago. I’m sure he was a part of them if he was supposed to come over.”
“Why do you think they
needed reinforcements? I mean, all we heard on TV back in the
Ashley looked Riley
from top to bottom and frowned, “On the contrary, I had a sudden urge to feel
the heat of the
Riley’s
jaw clenched almost painfully as she gritted her teeth. She didn’t like the little reporter. She
didn’t like her at all. “I’m Captain Riley Watkins and you, are an intruder in
my base.”
Ashley’s jaw dropped a
bit from the revelation and she blinked silently for a few moments. A slow
smile started forming on her lips as one piece of the puzzle clicked into
place. “You’re a captain. You’re the commander of this base?” She asked
incredulously.
“As reluctant as I am
to continue this conversation, I guess you’ll find out eventually. Yes, I’m the
commander of this base and as of this moment, you are under my command.”
Ashley couldn’t keep
her amusement from Riley’s comment and the laughter that had been building up
inside burst in gales. “Oh that was just hilarious. So, this is one of the
secrets the government is keeping from the public. Now I wonder what the other,
bigger secret is. I mean, they couldn’t have sent you here with no reason.”
“That’s enough, Ms.
Grayson. You got enough information out of Private Benson as it is.” Said Riley, noticing a grimace cross over Bradley’s face.
“Captain, what should
we do with her?” Asked Lieutenant Sorenson once he stepped into the tent.
“I’m assuming we can’t
take her back to town…” Offered Riley, almost pleadingly.
“No ma’am. The area is
too dangerous. That’s why we only go out for supplies once a month.”
“You’re right of
course. I wouldn’t intentionally endanger my soldiers just to get this little
brat back into town.” Said Riley, sending a menacing glare
towards Ashley. Ashley scrunched up her face and flipped Riley, “Bite
me, cappy.”
Riley growled deep in
her throat and turned to leave the tent. “Throw her in one of the reserve tents
and gag her if need be!” Said Riley before storming off.
After Riley left,
Ashley couldn’t help but ask, “Is she always this charming or was it for my
benefit only?” The soldiers that had come to take her to her new quarters just
shrugged and grinned crookedly.
The tent they led
Ashley into, was originally used as a recovery room for the injured, out of the
infirmary. “This is your tent. You can settle in but don’t leave the tent’s
premises. The captain will be back to talk to you.”
“What if I need to go
to the bathroom?” Asked Ashley cheekily.
“Private Benson will
remain right here and will show you to whatever it is that you may need.” Said the dark haired soldier and left.
“I’ll be right
outside, ma’am.” Bradley was just about to leave when Ashley called him back.
“Yes ma’am?”
“Could you stop
calling me that? My name’s Ashley.”
“Alright ma…umm, I
mean, Ashley.” He said and blushed boyishly.
“I could really use a shower…I don’t think I
have ever smelled this bad in my whole life…” She said pleadingly.
“Umm…I’m not sure…”
Bradley stammered and looked around, seemingly thinking about Ashley’s request.
He gazed at his wristwatch and finally nodded in acceptance. Ashley grinned
widely and thanked him. She walked over to her cot and gazed at it for a few
moments in uncertainty. Walking to one of its corners, she pushed down on the
mattress a few times, cringing at the sound of its rusty springs. “Well, it’s
not exactly a 5 star hotel but it’ll do.” She pulled her suitcase on the bed
and started rummaging through it for a change of clothes. Pulling out a light
green, low cut tank top and a pair of black cut offs, she announced she was
ready.
Bradley nodded and led
her to the showers. “I believe the showers should be empty at this hour, so
you’ll have some privacy.”
“Thank you, Bradley.”
Ashley said, sincerely.
On the way to the showers,
which were on the other side of base, Ashley looked around, familiarizing
herself with her new surroundings. Many of the soldiers were working out,
either by playing basketball or using the assortment of machines standing on a
small concrete-made platform. Others were either talking or playing card games.
However, she didn’t notice any of the officers. Shrugging, she averted her gaze
back to where she was heading and entered the showers. “Thank you for the
escort, but I believe I can take it from here…” Ashley said to the blushing
soldier.
“O-Of
course, ma’am.” He
stammered and went to stand guard at the door. “Stupid, stupid…God, can’t you
even talk to the girl like a normal human being?” Bradley mumbled to himself as
he stomped his foot angrily.
In the meantime,
Ashley looked for a good place to rest her belongings while she took her
shower. She put her things on a wooden bench near the stalls and went to
inspect the shower stall’s condition. When she got close enough, she scrunched
up her nose and grimaced, “Oh God, I hope I don’t get some kind of skin
disease…” With little grace, she undressed and stepped into the shower on her
tiptoes. As quickly as possible, she showered and washed her hair. Turning the
water off, which had turned cold a while ago, she stepped out of the small,
filthy semi cubicle. Trying her best not to touch the floor fully with the
soles of her feet, she quickly got dressed and slipped into a pair of slippers.
Sighing contentedly, she went to Bradley. As she stood at the door watching her
environment, feeling waves of heat warming her cheeks, caressing her partially
exposed body, she smiled. There was no trace of the dire situation they were
in, of the raging war around them, only peace. Peace and
quiet.
This sense of peace
was very fickle, she knew. Things could change in a moment’s time and shatter
this peaceful mirage.
Her smile had faltered
at her grim, yet very real thoughts, then as a whiff
of her shampoo scented hair reached her nose, her smile resurfaced. It only
took as much to make that smile reappear.
At her sigh, Bradley
turned around from his watching post. All conscious thought left his brain and
he simply stood gaping at Ashley’s scantily clad body. He gulped loudly,
squinting as if he was looking at the sun and then quickly averted his gaze.
“I’m all done.” Said Ashley, smiling at the boy’s expression.
“Uh-huh, sure…umm, of
course, right…Well, let’s get you back to your tent then. The captain will
probably want to speak with you.” Without looking back, he led Ashley back to
her tent.
Ashley was walking
alongside Bradley, smiling at the soldiers they passed. Every single soldier
had stopped his previous activity to watch Ashley as she sauntered her way back
to her tent. One of the guys that were playing basketball hadn’t noticed the
reason for everyone’s lose of focus and once he had, it was too late. He was
dribbling the basketball down the makeshift court and when he glanced in
Ashley’s direction, he slammed into the basketball poll head on. Ashley cringed
at the loud banging sound and frowned, hoping he hadn’t been hurt.
Riley had been
standing near the situation tent’s entrance, talking with the other two
officers when Ashley came out of the showers. Rick and Dean’s eyebrows rose
into their hairlines while their mouths hung open. Riley’s eyes, however,
narrowed in anger and frustration. She stood still, fuming quietly until she
noticed that Ashley had literally gained her entire base’s attention. Riley had
foreseen the poor soldier’s collision but didn’t feel the least bit sorry for
the headache he was sure to have. Her hands formed into fists and she started
in Ashley’s direction. “Close your mouths, gentlemen.” She said to the two
officers without turning back, her intent clear on her face.
The soldiers of the
base grew to know their captain and learn her facial expressions. It was one of
the first things they had learned to do the moment she had introduced
herself. When they saw her heading in
Ashley’s direction, everyone hurriedly scrambled back to their own business,
keeping away from Ashley as though she was contagious. Ashley frowned at the
change she saw in the soldiers and tuned around, finding herself standing toe
to toe with the tall, intimidating captain. Ashley looked up into Riley’s smoldering
gaze and smiled crookedly, saying, “Hey there, cappy.”
Riley growled deep in
her throat and grabbed her arm, “Don’t call me that!” She held onto her arm as
she dragged her to her tent.
Ashley squirmed in Riley’s
strong hold and tried to pull free, “You’re hurting me..”
Riley immediately let
go of her arm, even though her angry scowl hadn’t left her face.
“What do you think
this is, huh? A freaking fashion show? Put some
clothes on, you’re distracting my whole base!”
Riley was starting to
play on Ashley's nerves as well and she could feel her anger slowly bubbling up
as she answered with as much venom lacing her words, “I’m sure that’s not
something that has ever happened to you! If you hadn’t noticed, I do have
clothes on and besides, I didn’t hear any complaint from your soldiers. Maybe
the real problem is that I’m distracting you!”
“Why you little…”
Riley could barely contain herself from throttling the young blonde. She took a
deep, calming breath and turned her back to Ashley. She had never met someone
that could rattle her the way the reporter did; that could make her lose
control. “Please put something less revealing on, you are in an army base and I
can’t keep my eye on you at all times.” Riley figured she had nothing to lose
and decided to try a different, more caring approach.
Ashley smirked as she
watched the broad shoulders lift in a deep sigh, “Aww,
you’re just worried about me cappy. How sweet…” She
teased.
Riley curled her lip
in anger but refused to turn around. She didn’t want to play straight into her
hands, as she had done before. She realized the young woman enjoyed baiting her
and she wouldn’t give her that satisfaction again if it were up to her.
Ashley simply smirked
before walking to her suitcase and looking for something else to put on. Riley
turned to look at Ashley for a moment when she didn’t get any answer and
clenched her teeth painfully at the sight of a half naked blonde. Ashley had
her back turned to Riley and was in the midst of pulling a new shirt over her
head. Riley quickly turned her back to her in order to give her some privacy,
thankful the small woman had relented so easily. Riley jumped when she felt a
small, soft hand touch her back, “It seems chivalry has yet to die.” Ashley
said softly, no trace of humor or teasing in her voice. Riley was once again
rattled by the ever-changing reporter. Before she could get too attached to the
current version of Ashley, she changed yet again, “Am I making you
uncomfortable, cappy?” She asked teasingly.
Riley shook her head
at the rapid change, trying to accustom herself and turned to glare at her,
“You’d be the last person on earth to do that and stop calling me that!”
Ashley simply smirked.
“Now, what did you
want to talk to me about?” Ashley asked, flopping herself on the small cot and
crossing her legs on top of the thin, green mattress.
Riley grabbed a wooden
crate from a corner of the tent and sat down in front of Ashley. “Why are you
here? You said yourself that back home the war isn’t much spoken about?”
“I’m a reporter, I
have my sources and I have my instincts.”
“And who exactly are
those sources and how did they trigger your so called instincts?” Riley asked, irritation clear in her tone.
Ashley smiled prettily,
“No decent, honest reporter gives away his sources.”
Riley snorted,
“Decent? Honest? Don’t make me laugh. No decent, honest person would do what
you did.”
Ashley shrugged,
“Maybe not, but a good reporter would.”
Riley took a deep, long
breath and exhaled it slowly through her mouth. “This is getting nowhere. You
won’t tell me what you heard?”
“Look cappy, I
already know that the government has been hiding something from us, meaning
you. The only thing I have left to find out is the rest of the story, the
why.”
“I’ll take that as a
no then…” Riley said eventually. Tapping her fingers on the wooden crate in a
nervous pattern, she beat her fist against it once and got up. “This is it for
now, I guess. Seeing as you are already here, I’m sure you’ll eventually find a
way to get all the information you need. Two things though, stay out of
trouble, which means away from my soldiers and most importantly, out of my
way.”
When Ashley saw the
dejected look on Riley’s face as she was getting up to leave, she was swarmed
by an unusual feeling. She somehow felt sorry for the strong captain and seeing
her that way made something twitch deep down in her heart. Before she had the
chance to leave the tent, Ashley spoke up, “Alright cappy,
no being in your way…” She mock saluted and continued, “By the way, I got a
clue when my boyfriend told me he was leaving for war.”
Riley’s
eyebrow raised in interest, “Your boyfriend?”
“Yeah,
Guy Robins. You know where
I can find him?”
Riley smirked both in
amusement and in anger, “Yeah, back at home.” Riley nearly laughed out loud at
Ashley’s expression.
“Home? What do you mean, home?”
“Well, you see, your
boyfriend defied a direct order from me. It actually seems he defied me twice.
He called you after I had told them not to tell anyone. Actually, I’m not all
that surprised that he’s your boyfriend…”
Ashley was shocked at
the news. She was fully expecting to find an angry Guy waiting to interrogate
her at any moment. She bit her lip as she smiled internally, thinking, This
is good, this is very good…One less problem to handle…She shook her head
and then frowned when she recalled Riley’s last words, “What do you mean you’re
not surprised that he’s my boyfriend?”
Riley smirked
crookedly and left the tent without answering.
“Ugh!” Ashley
exclaimed, “I don’t think I have ever met someone as infuriating as her!” She
continued to herself.
“I have!” Yelled Riley, right from outside the entrance to the tent.
Ashley growled and beat
her fists on the cot, making it creak loudly in protest, yet still not drowning
the low, throaty chuckles coming from Riley’s retreating form.
Ashley just sat on the
cot for a few minutes, unmoving, thinking, trying to piece what little she knew
together. "Why would they risk so much as to send
her here? I bet she's good at what she does, that's a given, but even so, what
could have been so terrible that they would take such a chance? They must have
thought they had nothing left to lose…" Shaking her head, she smiled as
she thought about the sweet, young Bradley. Somehow, she just couldn't make him
fit in the picture. He was just too young, too…innocent. "Let's see if I
can find him…"
She got up from the
cot and went to look around. She knew he was probably the right person to go
to, since she felt he might have a small crush on her. She hated using him that
way but she also knew this would probably be her only shot at learning anything
about what was going on. Riley would be the last person to help her out…Ashley
thought, snorting in amusement. 'I gotta admit
though, she's kinda fun to tease…hehe…She's
quite cute when she gets frustrated…' Ashley stopped in mid-step and
gasped, "Where the hell did that come from?" She quietly said to
herself. Shaking her head, she continued towards where she had located Bradley.
Bradley was perched up
on the hood of an army truck along with two other soldiers. Reaching the
trucks, she looked up and smiled, greeting the three, "Hey there. Is this
a closed party or can anyone join?"
"Hey
yourself." Said the blonde soldier. He didn't look a day over 18, but
Ashley figured he must be in his early twenties. He had shortly cropped blonde
hair, sparkling blue eyes and an all-over tan, giving him a surfer look. He seemed
charming enough and very eager to converse with her. "I'm Jason. This here is Mike and I
believe you already know Bradley."
The guy Jason
introduced as Mike looked a bit older, around his late twenties, with brown
hair and black eyes, a dark complexion and a charming smile. Both Jason and
Mike were tall and nicely built, but not overly bulky. Bradley seemed to be the
youngest of the small group. He had shiny black hair and bright blue eyes that
looked far older than his young years.
"It's very nice
to meet you guys. I'm Ashley Grayson." She moved closer to the trucks and
shook hands with all three.
"Why don't you
join us, Ms. Grayson?" Said Jason, flashing a bright
smile.
"Don't mind if I
do." And without further encouragement, she hopped onto the hood of the
truck, next to Bradley.
"So, how long
have you guys been here?" Ashley started.
Mike bit his lip and
said softly, "Umm, we can't really talk about that, Ms. Grayson."
Ashley frowned and let
a small pout form on her lips, "First please, call me Ashley."
Mike smiled and
nodded, "Alright Ashley."
There was a long pause, everyone seemed to be gathering their bearings and
thoughts. Ashley was the first to break the silence, "Come on, you guys. The
last thing I want is to get anyone in trouble, but I'm already here. There's
not much either of us can do about that and I will find out the truth
eventually, it's just a matter of time. Even your captain acknowledged the
facts." She took a deep breath and made eye contact with all three before
continuing, "I just want to know what happened, what I had gotten myself
into here…" She chuckled dryly and let the sentence hang.
Being a good reporter
required being a good actor. In some small, deeply hidden part of her heart,
Ashley felt guilty for deceiving the soldiers . It's
not exactly deceiving per se…She told herself.
Yeah, you keep
telling yourself that. Retorted her inner-voice.
"Oh, shut
up." She mumbled aloud.
Mike frowned and gazed
at her strangely, "Excuse me?"
Ashley's eyes grew
large and she blushed hotly, "Nothing. So, how about it? Would you share
your stories with me?" She quickly changed the subject. She was becoming a
master in that craft as well.
Bradley looked down,
his expression changed. His eyes grew darker, his face now fallen. Ashley's
words had triggered a vow he had made a while ago. A tear formed in the corner
of his eye as the sight of his fallen friends thundered through his mind. He
could still hear the silence, feel the stillness. He shivered.
Ashley noticed the
change almost immediately. When she saw him shiver, she grew concerned. Laying
a soft, caring hand on his knee, she tried to capture his elusive eyes.
"Bradley?"
Bradley shook his
head, snapping out of his hellish déjà vu and looked into
Ashley's caring eyes. He knew then that she was the person he'd been looking
for. She would be the one to carry on his friends' stories, their legacy.
"I've been here for two months." He finally said.
Ashley smiled gently,
encouraging him to keep going.
Jason and Mike just
looked worriedly at each other, however kept silent.
Ashley slowly took out
a small pad of paper and a pen and looked questioningly at Bradley, "Is
this okay?"
Bradley shrugged and
nodded. "We were the very first to arrive. They left us wondering, hadn't
told us anything about this place or what was going on. They did tell us,
however, that it should be over real soon and that we'll be back with our
families in just a few days. I guess at the time, they actually believed that
and so they only sent two companies, about 100 men and four officers. You've
met two of the officers."
"Where are the
other two?" Asked Ashley innocently. A sudden,
burning feeling crept into her stomach, making her nauseous. Bradley's eyes
were drilling a hole into her. They were filled with so much pain and anguish, she could almost feel it burn her as well. His face
was dull and weary and his voice was simply, dead. He was reliving his worst
nightmare and Ashley was almost too scared to let him go on. Almost…
"The
other two? Their dead." He said, matter-of-factly.
All four were so
deeply enthralled in Bradley's words that they hadn't noticed Riley's furious
strides eating up ground. "What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?
You think this is some sort of summer camp? Get back to work!" Yelled Riley, as soon as she reached the trucks.
All four jumped at the
scream, nearly falling off the trucks. Neither had yet to
move. Mike was looking at Jason, while Jason was watching Bradley, who
still had his eyes locked with Ashley's. Riley was seeing red by then. When she
gave an order, she expected it to be fulfilled immediately.
"You think I was
talking to the damn trucks? Go! Now!"
The three soldiers
immediately jumped into action this time and pushed themselves off the hood of
the trucks. Scrambling quickly to stand in front of Riley and salute her, they
scattered to do their respective work. The moment the soldiers left, Riley turned
her narrowed eyes at Ashley. Her blue eyes looked like two piercing ice chips,
which could cut through you at any given time for every wrong move. "I
gave you permission to walk around, but not to bother and distract my soldiers.
Yet again!"
Riley's mood and
attitude weren't frightening Ashley. She was starting to get used to the tall
captain and she mostly amused her. "Would you relax, cappy?
Sheesh, some timing you have…" Ashley exclaimed
angrily. She was just about to find out more details of what had happened when
Riley showed up and stepped in. "One more minute…one stinkin'
little minute…" She kept grumbling under her breath, never noticing that
Riley's glare turned softer. It was more amused then angry at that point. Riley
had to wonder at that. She had never known a person who could make her so angry
one minute and then make her laugh, the next.
Riley smirked when she
saw the frustrated look on Ashley's face, "What's the matter? Was it a bad
time? I'll make sure to ask you first before I approach my soldiers next
time." She said sarcastically.
Ashley looked into
Riley's eyes and growled. She tucked her pad and pen into her back pocket and
pushed herself off the hood, landing right in front of the captain.
Riley had lost all the
venom from her voice and eyes, and she was actually starting to almost enjoy
the verbal sparing. Almost…
She smirked as a cocky
smile lifted the corner of her lips in a lopsided grin, and watched as Ashley
turned her back to her and left.
"Was it something
I said?" Riley yelled after her. Her half smile turning into a full one.
She chuckled deep in her throat when she heard some of the mumbled words the
small blonde was uttering on the way back to her tent. They could have made
even a sailor blush.