I called my buddy from 1/8 when I got back to my quarters. I explained the situation to him, omitting the fact that I fucked around with both of them, cumming down Glashing's throat and up Highrider's ass.
He said, "Look, there's a reason why they assign lieutenants to some cases and captains and majors to others."
"Go on," I said.
"Well, they assign guys like us to cases that they think are either no brainers, too easy to screw up, or to ones where they can use their rank to intimidate us into the recommendation they want."
I agreed, "Right. In my case, they want an admission from the women and a recommendation for admin sep for both."
"Exactly. Quick and done."
"And not messy. General Buck doesn't want his division embarrassed," I added.
"Yeah. So, what are you going to do?" he asked.
"I don't know. Like I said: I don't think they're lesbians. This was a first time for them and they were both intoxicated and horny, I guess."
He said, "The homosexual thing—that's only the start of your problems, my friend. It's the misconduct reports. They're the killers. They both lied on a formal report. It's brig time for both of them."
"Division will fucking hate that."
He agreed. "It doesn't make the problem go away; it makes it even bigger."
"Shit."
"Look, man, they did the crime. Save your own ass and send them to the brig," he urged.
I looked at my watch—it was late.
I thanked him and hung up, and then I raced to the office.
When I got there, I went to the company clerk's desk and fired up the computer, an old IBM with a disk drive. If computers are cars, the thing was a fucking '58 Ford Edsell. I spent about three hours searching through DOS folders for orders, policies, and regulations before I found what I was looking for. Maybe it was a way through this thing. I printed it off—two copies.
I typed up four documents—two sets of near identical twins—and printed them off, too. The clock was ticking. I raced back to 10th Marines and rapped on Glashing's door first, and then I went in.
She was up and at attention, but looking tired.
"At ease, Glashing. It's me."
"Sir?"
"Sign this," I said, handing her one of the documents I made and a pen.
She read it. "But, sir, it's been..."
"Sign it now. I'm trying to save your ass, Lance Corporal."
"Sir, did Highrider tell the truth?"
"She did."
Glashing blew a sigh of relief and signed it.
"Good girl," I said, and I pulled her to me. We kissed hard with our lips and tongues.
"See you again soon, Glashing." I left for Highrider's room.
When I stepped into her room, she was still sleeping. I stood at the threshold and slammed my palm against the door. She shot out of her rack and stood at attention.
"It's me, Highrider. At ease." She relaxed. "I've got something for you to sign."
"What is it, sir?" She trudged over, rubbing her eyes.
"It's going to help me help you. Sign it."
"Aye, aye, sir," she said, She took the pen and signed it. Then she asked, "What did Glashing tell you, sir?"
"Just what you told me."
She smiled. "Thank you, sir."
I smiled at her. "Come here."
She did, and I grabbed her tit with one hand and cupped her ass with the other. I kissed her neck.
"See you later, Highrider." I left and drove back to the company office. I started writing my report. It was 0400hrs when I went back to my quarters and crashed for two hours.
First thing, I raced back to 10th Marines and went to 1stSgt Wolverton's office.
"How'd it go, sir?"
"Good," I said, handing him the signed documents. "These were given to me last night by both of them."
He took them and read them. "Sir, can they even do this?"
"Yes, there's a time limit, but they can. They were given to me before the clock expired on their reports. Here's the regs." I handed him another printed sheet. "It's under Roman numeral four, subsection C."
He found it and read it. "Damn, sir. You're right." He handed it back to me, and then looked over the two signed documents. He shook his head, "But, sir, they were locked in. How could they have possibly..."
"First Sergeant, I'm trying to make this go away. Help me."
He eyed me momentarily, and then said, formally, "I was in receipt of these two documents at the times mentioned." He signed them both and handed them to me.
"Thanks, First Sergeant."
He got up. "Excuse me, sir, but I have to brief the CO on this."
"Right, but please tell him that nothing changes. The investigation is ongoing, and the Division insists that they remain in their current off-duty status. Colonel Stick's barracks restriction, too."
"Yes, sir." We both left his office, heading separate ways.
I returned to my company office, kicked the clerk off the computer, and continued writing my report. I worked for about an hour before one of the battalion runners, sent by the XO, came looking for me.
"Sir, the Division Adjutant would like to see you right now."
"Shit," I said. "On my way."
Ten minutes later, I was waiting outside the Adjutant's office. He called me in.
I stood at attention and reported.
He did not put me at ease. "Are you fucking this up, Lieutenant?"
So, the First Sergeant told his CO, and then it went all the way up the chain of command to the Division Adjutant. Took a little over an hour. Geez. "No, sir."
"I'm hearing things. They don't give me confidence."
"I've got the ball, sir. I'll put it across the goal line."
"You know I can't ask about this investigation or try to influence you."
"Yes, sir. Trust me, sir. I've got a plan."
"I hope to fuck you do, Lieutenant, because if General Buck doesn't like what he sees, the shit is coming down on your head. My people write orders. I can have you transferred out of your infantry regiment and put you in command of cleaning the fucking heads in the base brig, understand that?"
"Yes, sir."
He looked me over and then said, "At ease."
I relaxed a little.