Chapter 15: Going too far.
30 May 1944, Tuesday around 1100.
I was shaking so badly after landing, that my knees buckled underneath me when I tried to stand. I reached up and grabbed the wing of the Thunderbolt to keep from falling down. That's when I noticed all the bullet holes.
Lee came over quickly and whispered,
"Reena, are you alright?"
"Yeah, just a little shaky, that's all,"
I admitted.
"I was worried. Thank God you're not hurt,"
he whispered in my feminine voice.
"I'm alive, thanks to you,"
I whispered back, kissing his cheek.
Major Locke stomped over. He looked like he was ready to murder someone, most likely me.
"Just what the hell did you two think you were doing?" he asked angrily, focusing on me.
"Sir, Iβ" I began.
Lee elbowed me.
"Silence! You looked like a rookie up there, Captain. You were out of formation, you didn't follow protocol, and you almost got yourself killed. Just what do you have to say for yourself?" the Major fumed.
"Sir Iβ" I began again.
Lee elbowed me again.
"Stow it, Spellman. I don't want to hear it," he yelled and turned to Lee, "And
you
, Miss! You shouldn't have been up there at all! What were you thinking?"
"I'm so sorry, Major. It won't happen again, I promise," Lee said in my soft feminine voice.
The way Lee spoke reminded me of the "pity me" tone I used to use when Mother caught me misbehaving. Hearing it now made my heart reach out to Lee, he sounded so vulnerable. No wonder I got away with so much when I was younger! Lee was clever enough to use that same trick now.
"Well . . . alright. I'll let it go this time. You did better than your brother up there. I don't know what you're going to tell the Colonel, though," Major Locke said, his voice softening considerably.
"Thank you, Major," Lee said. He stepped forward and stood on his toes and gave the Major a kiss on the cheek.
"You'd better go and report to communications. Call me if they give you a hard time. I'll tell them you shot down three Krauts," he said, unfurling his brow and breaking into the closest thing that could be considered a smile for him.
Lee headed for the communications tent. He started marching out and then stopped himself and restarted, swinging his hips attractively. I put my head down to hide my smile.
"And YOU!" the Major glowered at me, but the bluster was already gone. Maybe Lee's kiss on his cheek took it out of him. "Aww, get going. Maybe you were too tired from last night. You still shot down two Nazi pigeons. Just keep to formation next time."
"Yes, sir, Major. Thank you, sir," I replied.
I started to cross the field to go after Lee, but Hackett called me back.
"Sir, don't forget the post-flight checklist," he said deferentially.
We counted 51 bullet holes, mostly on the wings and tail with minor damage to the wiring. I left Hackett to deal with the machine guns as I sprinted across the field to find Lee. We had to find a way to switch back.
When I got to the communications tent, Amanda was chewing Lee out far worse than Major Locke. Lieutenant Fisher and two of the corporals were standing by, smirking, while Amanda worked Lee over.
"What the fuck, Morina? How could you leave me at the radio by myself? And what the hell you were doing up there? You could have been killed. What would I have done then? Thank God Lee was here when that broadcast came through. He was ready to take charge for you!" Amanda admonished.
"I'm sorry, Amanda, I didn't mean to abandon you," Lee said in that same pitiful voice he had used on Major Locke earlier.
Unfortunately, it didn't have the same effect on Amanda.
"I don't want to fucking hear it! There's no excuse for what you did. Wait until I tell the Colonel aboutβ" she began.
I went over and kissed Amanda lightly on the cheek.
"Amanda, can I talk to you in private?"
I whispered quietly.
"Not now, Lee! I'm so fucking mad at your sister," she fumed.
"Especially now, darling. It's important,"
I whispered, I reached behind her and squeezed her rump.
That broke her anger - but barely.
"Fine, we'll step outside," she said. On the way out, she turned to Lee. "I'm not finished with you."
Outside, I led her a dozen yards away from the tent.
"What's so important that you had to see me in the middle of that?" Amanda demanded.
"Amanda, it's me" I said.
"Lee, I know it's you. Why are youβ" she began.
"No, Amanda. I'm not Lee. I'm Morina. Lee and I used the switching spell. That's Lee in my body," I explained.
She looked in my eyes and studied my face. After a few seconds, she started laughing.
"Oh Lee, you had me going for a while! That's a good one!"
"Amanda, I'm serious. We never told Lee about the switching spell. How do you think I know about it? How do I know about the dart game trick you and Agatha pulled at the pub the night you and I switched back into our own bodies?" I asked.
"Holy fuck! Morina, it really is you! And that's Lee in there?" she asked.
I grinned widely and nodded.
"Holy shit! Why did you switch?" she asked.
"Lee was determined to take out Nigel Porter. I couldn't change his mind, so I thought if he was in my body, he'd have the element of surprise and had a better chance of surviving the encounter," I explained.
"That makes sense. Wait a minute
, exactly when
did you switch?" she asked, suspiciously.
"While you were at breakfast."
"Do you mean that was you when I came back from breakfast?"