Countdown

ana barton

This is an original story that’s based on an idea that’s been playing about in my head for a while since a trip of mine some time ago. I’ll be borrowing the characters from my other original story called Illusion. Other characters are based on personal friends of mine. Any resemblance to real life is purely coincidental.

Rated PG-16 for language and content.

Chapter 1

James Benedicto looked up absently from the book he was reading when the door to his room banged open and his roommate entered. Russell Martin had a book in one hand and a small box on the other. Judging from the impish grin on his roommate’s face, James could only deduce that the box contained something decidedly contraband.

“Do I want to know what you’re up to?” he asked from the top bunk.

Russell grinned then dropped the book unceremoniously on his bed before tossing the small box up at him. “You definitely want to.”

James raised an eyebrow. They had just received their appointments some days before – he was the newly minted Brigade Commander and Russell was the Brigade Adjutant. He knew Russell could be a bit loose in interpreting the rules, but would he really carry over his antics onto their last and final year as two of the top officials of the student body?

After a rather suspicious look shot at his decidedly sinisterly “innocently” grinning roommate who was sitting at his desk as if waiting for something, James looked to the white box. It was approximately around 5 inches by 8 inches, maybe. Another glance to his roommate and he opened it. He quickly schooled his features not to reveal anything but knew he was too late; Russell was already guffawing as he swiveled in his chair to face his desk.

“She just came back from a trip with her friend Faye, who also happens to be madly in love with me,” Russell remarked still with his back turned, “but you knew that. They went to another friend’s house in the province for a week.”

James just grunted as he leafed through the pictures. He glanced down quickly and saw that Russell had retreated to the bottom bunk, so he let loose a rare smile as he picked up one picture. There she was, leaning against the famous remnant of a very violent volcano eruption years and years ago with her head slightly inclined to the side, her long blue-black hair in a braid, a half-smile on her lips. She was wearing a jeans skirt with a white long-sleeved top.

“Oi, James?”

“Hn.”

“I’ll take that as you’re listening, which you should…”

James just shook his head. It wasn’t like anything stopped him when he wanted to talk.

“…because it concerns Anna.”

“What happened?” James asked immediately.

Anna Flores actually, she’s Russell’s cousin on his mother’s side. She was also the person he was looking at the picture. It all started last year, when Russell found an old picture of her at her eighteenth birthday party slotted in one of his books. She was wearing a pale pink, almost white, dress, her hair done up in a simple French twist. Russell said the picture had been taken at the end of the party, and that she was really tired. She looked it too; she was sitting on the stairs, her head resting on one side atop her drawn up knees. Her eyes were closed but she was smiling slightly.

James had glimpsed at the picture and had asked to see it, which was a rarity in itself, after which he kept the picture.

“She and Faye are coming up.”

James blinked. “Huh?”

Russell got up and boosted himself over to the top bunk. He smirked; even when going through pictures, James was methodical. There was one pile for solo pictures (and a special pile for Anna’s which he kept for himself), another one for group shots of the three friends, and a miscellaneous pile.

He rummaged through the pile and got one of a pretty girl sitting cross legged on a large bed wearing a sleeveless white shirt and white shorts, holding both her hands up in a peace sign, with a pirate hat on her head. Her long wavy brown hair was all over the place and there was an obvious glint of mischief on her hazel eyes.

“See this?” Russell asked instead, pointing to the girl. “Isn’t my girl wonderful?”

James just shook his head. Russell and this girl, Faye who happened to be Anna’s friend and flatmate, had been exchanging letters almost since the two girls had moved into the same apartment. From what he could gather, they now considered themselves a couple, albeit in a long distance relationship, which was… not so normal, considering Russell’s record with the ladies.

“When are they coming up?”

“Oh geez, Commander Benedicto,” Russell said, slapping him on the back soundly, “no need to be so nervous. This is just my cousin and my girlfriend we’re talking about.”

“I am not nervous.”

“Sure you aren’t,” Russell snorted, “you’ve just been pining for my cousin for the past few months and this’ll be the first time you’ll be seeing her face to face.”

“I do not pine.”

“You like her therefore you pine; it’s universal law.”

James frowned. “Isn’t this a bit strange for you?” This has been something that he couldn’t help but wonder about.

“Huh?” Russell raised an eyebrow. “Me? Why?”

James gestured vaguely with his hand. “We’re talking about your cousin, your family, not just some girl we met outside…”

“Yeah so?”

“What’ll her parents think of this then?”

Russell still looked puzzled but answered gamely enough. “Her Dad’ll be thrilled, Uncle Roman’s been fascinated with the military for the longest time; that’s why she could come up and visit anytime. Her mom though… Aunt Bea will be wanting to meet your family at the soonest possible opportunity.”

James snorted. “Fat chance that’ll happen as they’re all in England.” He had actually opted to stay behind and continue on with his military studies, when they decided that it was time they move countries.

“Why? What’s with the questions all of a sudden? She’s come up to visit me before… though not since you decided you like her.”

“Alright,” James held up his hand, “so I like her, your cousin. Why are you so calm about it?”

Russell’s face was screwed up in a frown. “Shouldn’t I be?” Then his face cleared, realization dawning on him. “You were expecting me to throw a fit and demand that you keep your eyes to yourself and not look at my dear cousin, weren’t you?!”

“That would be the most common reaction any male relative would have, yes.”

Russell grinned and clapped his friend on the back again. “Well, then, you won’t have anything to worry about it then, coz I’m not like that. Though,” he got a serious look on his face, “if she doesn’t like you and you bother her, I’ll have to deck you across the field and throw you off the cliff.”

“Understood,” James replied wryly.

Russell jumped down from the bunk then straightened up, an impish grin on his face again. “Did I mention that they’re coming during our free week before enrollment, and that you’re being invited along to stay with us at her family’s summer house here?”

“What?!”

Day 01

No matter what he might tell Russell, James couldn’t help but feel nervous about the upcoming trip. What if she hates him? What if she doesn’t want him to tag along and was just forced into it by Russell? He wouldn’t put it past the other guy to do that. What if she’s absolutely horrible and different from what and how Russell described her to be?

But there was no help for it right now. Today was the day Anna and Faye were coming to the Academy to pick them up. The plebes’ Incorporation Day yesterday was a success, and Russell mentioned that they were watching from the other side of the Grand Stand. He had wanted to look and go over to them after but he and the rest of the Brigade Staff were required to attend the little get-together the Commandant had arranged for the Guest of Honor.

James glanced at the clock; it was just thirty minutes past three in the morning. They had five more hours before Anna and Faye arrived.

“Will you quit that?” he asked rather severely. Russell had taken to throwing little bits of crumpled paper at him when he wanted to talk or just to be a general pest. He swatted at the pile that was starting to grow atop his bedcovers.

“You’re awake?!”

There was some scrambling from the bottom bunk then Russell stood up and gaped at him sitting on his bed after looking at the clock. “It’s bloody 3:30 in the morning! What’re you doing awake?!”

“I could ask the same of you.” James looked pointedly at the piece of paper his roommate was still clutching in his hands.

“Oh…” Russell immediately threw the paper on his bed. “I uh…”

James jumped down nimbly from the top bunk and opened his closet. “I’m going for an early run,” he said as he pulled on his sweats. “You can come along if you want.”

That was as close as to an invitation as anyone can get from the Brigade Commander, and they were quite rare in the offing, so Russell just nodded and followed suit.

The two of them were soon out on the dark and foggy roads of the Academy, but they knew the route like the backs of their hands. Some of the guards nodded at them as they passed and some of the friendlier ones even saluted.

“Anna said my Dad gave her something for me,” Russell said out of the blue.

James didn’t even miss a step and just continued jogging in an even pace. He didn’t even want to know how he managed to talk to his cousin when they both didn’t own a cell phone and use of the land lines were strictly prohibited except on emergencies and when he hadn’t been given a chance to talk to her yesterday after the Incorporation.

“That’s got me worried,” Russell continued, matching the pace the other had set for them. “You know my parents weren’t exactly thrilled when I entered the Academy…”

The term “weren’t exactly thrilled” would be an understatement. James knew from Russell’s own admission that he didn’t have his parents’ blessings when he entered the Academy, and was only allowed in because he was of legal age and could make his own decisions. He even had to use his own savings to get the necessary papers, exams, and tests. As it was, Russell’s mother almost had a heart attack when they learned of his decision, and he had to run away to get to the Academy; they were threatening to send him to another country.

“…So I’m not too sure I want to know whatever it is that she has for me.”

Russell shrugged absently. “For all I know it could be the papers they’d been threatening me with since the start.”

Russell’s parents had once wrote to him during their second year, threateningto disown him as their son. James had been surprised when that happened; his parents also hadn’t approved of his getting into the Military, but had even offered to send him instead to West Point or any other Military School when he had been adamant that he wanted to serve in the military. But he wanted to stay in the country, and that was that.

“That shouldn’t matter though,” Russell was saying in a rather resigned and thoughtful way that was just not recognizable as being vintage Russell. “This is my last year, and after this, I’ll be getting my assignment, and I won’t need to worry about them anymore.”

James just grunted.

“Well, what about you?” Russell asked. “What’re your plans after graduation?”

“There’s a joint study program that I want to get into, with the British Royal Air Force, for fighter jet pilots,” he replied quietly.

“Oh… I guess that’s a plan.”

“And you?”

“We’re both in the Air Force, dude,” Russell said jovially, “so I guess I’ll be seeing you in the study program.”

James glared at him in annoyance. “Aren’t you going to do something else? How about something different from what I’ll be doing?”

“I was thinking the program with the U.S. Air Force would be alright, but I don’t want to deprive you of my cousin so…”

“Who said you’ll be depriving me of her?”

“So you’re gonna marry her?”

James stopped so abruptly Russell did a double take when he saw he was jogging by himself.

“Oi, you already winded? Dude, it’s not even eight kilometers!”

“What did you say?” James asked in about the same time.

“I said, it’s not even eight—”

James shook his head. “Before that.”

“Oh…” Russell screwed up his face thoughtfully. “You mean the one about marrying Anna? Aren’t you?”

“She hasn’t even met me!” he exclaimed. “She doesn’t know who I am! How in heaven’s name do you expect me to ask her that?!”

Russell just smiled beatifically and resumed running. “You mean you were already planning to do so?” he called out. “Dude, you’re fast!”

James was still ticked off over that earlier exchange, and everyone could see it. Russell was having way too much fun teasing him to notice that the Brigade Commander’s patience was almost at an end. The others in the Brigade Staff and the other firstclassmen noticed, though, and made sure they were quite far away if and when the fuse ran out. They knew of Benedicto’s stand against unnecessary violence against anyone, but they also knew of his proficiency in the martial arts.

“So, cousin-in-law…” Russell greeted him at breakfast and ignored the other’s hand clenching around a fork. The others in their table at the mess hall hurriedly ate through their meals. Even those in the nearby tables took to hurrying up eating.

“Will you please not call me that?” James asked through gritted teeth.

“Nope,” he replied quite cheerily. “I was thinking—”

“That’s a first.”

Russell turned his attention to the only other person at their table not paying attention to James’ simmering anger. David Winston was considered by every female within the Academy, students or otherwise, to be the dark-haired reincarnation of the Greek god Adonis. Russell had it in good authority that the bloke can very well rival him in the ladies’ department.

“Who asked you?” he asked now in annoyance.

“Has James asked his Anna to marry him yet?” David asked instead. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on one’s point of view, he also knew of James infatuation. As James’ childhood friend, he took it upon himself to know what was going on his best friend’s life.

“Not yet, but I’m not betting against him doing so.”

A glass of water banged loudly on the table but neither paid any attention, not even to the glare sent their way. Some of the people in the mess hall were starting to calm down. If Martin and Winston were still standing with Benedicto fairly glaring the life out of them, then they could be safe, right?

“You think so?” David was saying. “I have to tell you though, he’s never had a serious relationship before, so you might want to take that into consideration before you lay out the odds.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.” Russell applied himself to his breakfast. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

“Are you two quite finished discussing my life?” James bit out.

“Just about,” David replied amicably then he turned to Russell. “How come you didn’t invite me along for the week? I could help you out, you know.”

“Sorry man,” he replied, “but Ann said I could only bring one other.” Russell shrugged. “But you can drop by whenever you want; I’ll fix it up with her somehow. Aren’t you going somewhere though?”

David shook his head. “The parental units are away on their fourth honeymoon, and the Terror Twins have already made their own plans, so I’m stuck here babysitting the plebes.”

“Offer’s still open if you want to crash,” Russell said.

“Thanks.” David looked at his watch. “You two better hurry up though, it’s almost eight. Are you two packed?”

James just huffed in annoyance and stood up, Russell chuckling as he followed the irked Commander.

Russell was still chuckling like mad as they exited the barracks, attracting several amused glances their way. It was just way too much fun hassling James, especially when one had the additional support of the man’s best friend. This was looking to be a real fun week.

“C’mon, dude; Ann said they’ll wait for us at the Visitor’s Center.”

“Why there?” James asked as they started walking.

Russell just shrugged. “Faye’s never been here before, and she wanted to get souvenirs.”

They were at the Visitor’s Center soon enough. They entered the establishment and several cadets saluted them. Russell returned the salutes casually while James more or less terrorized the poor lowerclassmen by his mere presence alone.

“There they are!” Russell hurried on to the middle of the Center, where two young women were huddled over the miniature model of the whole Academy compound.

James followed him, studying the two females, well, one of them anyway. He recognized Anna easily enough through the numerous pictures he had of her. Her long blue-black hair was in a braid this time around, and she had a bandanna tied around her head. Her jeans fit her snugly and she had on a leather jacket over a –

She’d turned around when Russell tapped her on the shoulder, and James saw a flash of baby blue shirt before the two cousins hugged, very briefly though.

“Nice reflexes,” James thought as he watched her duck Russell’s punch on the arm. “Great jab, too bad it missed.”

“Rushie!” The young woman with wavy brown hair literally jumped onto Russell’s arms, who staggered just a bit because of the surprise. “I missed you!”

“Faye!”

Several people looked over and some chuckled at the spectacle, while some of the cadets blinked in surprise. James looked over to them and they immediately averted their gazes.

Anna was giggling at them hugging and James just looked at her. He hadn’t exactly been pining after her, no matter whatRussell kept saying. He just found her quite attractive, though admittedly, she wasn’t the kind of beauty that graced magazine covers and won beauty contests. It was that calming aura around her that drew him, that intelligence and just a hint of mischief in her eyes… and it certainly helped that she had a wonderful smile, all quite apparent from her pictures.

“And so,” Russell said quite loudly that James immediately paid attention, “as I was saying while you were staring at my cousin—”

Even James’ most feared glare just seemed to bounce off him. Anna had her eyebrows raised but there was a tinge of red on her cheeks.

“This is my cousin, Anna Flores,” Russell continued blithely while putting a hand on her shoulder, “and this,” he said on while hugging the other woman to him with one arm, “is Faye Perez, my one and only.”

“Ladies, meet my roommate from Hell, James Benedicto,” he said with a grin.

“He’s also the new Brigade Commander this year.”

“Hello, nice to meet you,” Faye said as they shook hands, to which James just nodded.

“James Benedicto,” Anna also held out her hand to him in a handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Her hand’s warm,” he thought as they shook hands.

“Are you both ready to go then?” Anna asked as she looked at them both.

“Oh c’mon, Ann,” Faye complained, “we just got here, and I haven’t exactly seen the whole place. I thought we were going on a tour?”

“I thought you hated walking?” she countered with a pointed glance at her friend’s high-heeled sandals.

“I’ll change; I brought my running shoes with me.”

“So that’s what’s been stinking up the car,” Anna said in an undertone.

“I heard that!”

James couldn’t help but be a spectator in their spur-of-the-moment tour of the compound. Russell was playing tour guide to Faye, while his cousin more often than not went on her own way, sometimes separate from the Dynamic Duo, as he’d come to term them. He didn’t know which of them could talk faster, but they certainly talked faster than then average person. And they also had too much energy that could be considered healthy.

Which is how James found himself walking alongside Anna at a more sedate pace than the other two in front of them. They were walking down the slope, to the right of which was the mountain cadets often used in field exercises and drills.

She’d crossed the road and leaned over the stone railing, looking at the view.

It was a clear day today with just some clouds dotting the horizon.

“It’s often as much a treat for me to come up here as it is for Russell,” Anna said quietly. “I’ve spent most of my life in the lowlands, filled with smog and what-not. Dad knows I can’t handle too much of the pollution, that’s why he encourages me to come here.” She looked at him with some measure of amusement.

“Why are you standing so far away? You’re not my security detail, are you?”

“Just giving you your space,” James replied.

She chuckled. “Quite considerate of you, thank you.” She sat down on one of the numerous seat ledges cut into the railing. “So you’ve known Russell this entire four years?”

“Yeah, we’ve been classmates since first year.”

“Same Company?”

“Yes.”

“And now you two’re roommates.” Anna chuckled. “He’s a terrible roommate, isn’t he?”

“He has his moments,” he replied with a grin.

“What’s this? You’re pulling a Code Red on me? He did say you were his roommate from Hell you know.” She was still smiling. “I’m family, therefore entitled to some inside information about him so I could blackmail him into letting me keep his car. So give.”

“I thought you were already using his SUV?” he asked without thinking.

Her eyebrows went up. “Sometimes I do. How’d you know about that?”

James blinked. “He mentioned something about it; it was more of a rant though, when you wrote him that you’ve been allowed the use of his SUV.” Which was true, up to a point. Russell did rant about it, but he was more concerned about learning as much as he could about her.

“Oh…” She thought on his answer then shrugged. “So he talks about me then?”

“Not too much,” he replied at touch too quickly. “Sometimes he just wants to talk though, and you can’t actually stop him when he wants to talk.”

Anna was looking at the ground when she next spoke. “Has he told you about his situation with his parents?”

“Some…”

She looked up at him. “What exactly has he told you?”

“That his parents didn’t agree with his decision to come here, that they’ve threatened to disown him, that they’re not supportive of him even now…”

“You’re quite honest,” she remarked as she stood up. She waved to Russell and Faye who were coming towards them, followed by another cadet.

“You said it before, you’re family.”

She smiled at him then nodded at the newcomers. “Who’s the other cadet?”

James allowed himself a moment to admire her smile before he looked at the three people coming up to them. He barely concealed a groan when he saw who it was.

“That’s David Winston, another classmate.”

“You know him well then?”

“Unfortunately, he’s a high school friend of mine.” He chuckled somewhat drolly.

“I think he’s attending the Academy just to make my life a living hell.”

“I thought that was Russell’s job?” she joked back.

He sighed, resigned. “They say it’s their calling.”

Russell and David exchanged amused glances when they saw that Anna was actually laughing with James… well, she was laughing, he was grinning. But that was beside the point.

“Know what?” David began as they approached the couple. “I’ll be taking you up on that offer of yours, to crash in her place.”

“I sure hope you do; this is going to be so much fun…!”

Faye coughed. “Do I want to know what you two are up to?” she asked with a pointed look at the two of them.

“Well, you see darling…”

“How do we know we can trust you?” David interjected sharply.

“Try me.”

Russell and David exchanged another glance, then the former shrugged. “We might need a female’s perspective on this.”

“Yeah, I guess we do.” David held out his hand. “You’re in; Russell will fill you in on the necessary details.”

“Excellent.”

They had by this time reached the other two. David was already grinning widely.

“James, I thought you guys would’ve already left.”

“Sure you did,” was the barely audible sarcastic comeback.

But David was already effectively ignoring him and had turned to Anna. “You must be Anna Flores, Russell’s cousin.” He reached for her hand brought it up to his lips. “Pleasure to meet you at last.”

“At last?” Anna asked in an amused tone. “You flatter me, kind sir.”

“I live to serve, milady.”

Anna and Faye looked at each other and both laughed in delight.

“I got the same greeting,” Faye said around a chuckle. “And he is rather cute.”

“Cute?” David said in mock indignation. “I suggest that you two ladies reassess your judgment. For that matter, I suggest you two leave your current escorts and come away with me.”

“The two of us for one of you?” Faye asked coyly, though she did remove her hand from Russell’s hold on her.

“Think you can handle us both, at the same time?” Anna asked in much the same playful tone.

“Ladies,” David grinned at them and held out both elbows for them to take, “I live to please.”

And with that, the trio walked up the slope, quite happily, leaving two disgruntled officers behind.

“We do have the higher ranks, right?” Russell groused. “Heck, you’re the Brigade Commander; make him stop.”

“You were the one who invited him to crash whenever he wanted,” James pointed out.

“I’m rescinding his invite, the bloody git.”

to be continued