Chapter 5
Dr. James Eccleston held Miss. Whitmore’s hand as Thomas and William helped her into the oversized truck. “I put a bag next to your duffel that has everything you need in it and I’ve told Mr. Grayson what he will need to do when you need help. Be careful, Miss. Whitmore.” The aged Doctor kissed her hand and couldn’t help himself from thinking about his late daughter Billie as the trucks drove further and further away to Missouri.
Maggie turned her body to face William to find him already watching her along with the other men in the truck. There were seven people in the vehicle counting Will, Thomas, and Maggie the other four didn’t look like they wanted to get to know her.
“How’s your leg, Whitmore?” Burly, rhino like, Gabriel Johnson demanded. Gabriel was easily spoken to even though he seemed rude. “It’s good, Johnson.”
He nodded and returned to the conversation he’d been having.
The truck came to a halt and everyone jerked forward as the car braked. Will hopped out of the truck as Thomas assisted Maggie down. Three truckloads of soldiers stood outside a rundown diner a few miles out of Indiana.
“Where are we?” Asked a very exhausted Thomas.
General Trask surveyed the crowd to make sure all of his troop were out and awake. “We’re in Charlestown, Illinois.”
Maggie didn’t care where they were, all she knew was that she was further away from her father and that she’d not been left behind. “We’re stopping for a quick refuel and food. Get in and out quickly, no time to waste.”
Everyone looked excited. Finally, junk food! Thomas yelped and ran into the gas station next to the diner that looked just as ran down. “What do you want Maggie?” William was waiting for a response as she zoned back in.
“Oh, um water’s fine.”
“Water? There is all this glorious food and you want water?” Annoyance tainted Will’s words as he questioned her.
She smiled as William’s serious façade fell. “Fine, water and a Hershey’s bar.”
Grayson nodded as though he appreciated her choice in candy bar and paced into the convenient store.
She leant against the truck as she waited for the troop to finish and closed her eyes. A body leant next to her on the truck. “So, Margaret…”
She cracked open one eye to see Private Little smirking at her. “Can I help you?”
“I don’t know, can you help me?” He got threateningly close to her making her stiffen as she glared at him. “I don’t think I can help you, Sir.”
“Oh, I think you can you little vixen.” He pressed himself against her forcing her to remain against the truck.
“Hey Maggie, what kind of Hershey’s bar did you want? I mean there are so many different- What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
William moved extremely fast as he ripped Keagan Little off her. Keagan was shoved against the truck as William questioned him. “What were you doing to her? Did you think I’d let it happen? Tell me!”
“No, no, Grayson you don’t understand me and Maggie were just-“
“Don’t you call her that! How dare you molest a woman? How dare you molest Margaret and try to play it off? If I ever see you-“
“See him what, Grayson?” Commotion had risen as Will threatened Keagan and the rest of the soldiers had become onlookers, including Trask.
“Well General, if I ever see him touch her again I’ll kill him.” Maggie watched Trask survey the scene as she remained rigid.
“There will be no killing within my troop. Dishes for a month, Grayson.” Will shook his head but released Keagan. Rage boiled in Margaret, no way in hell would Will be punished.
“That’s bullshit.” Trask whirled back towards Maggie as she cursed at him.
“Excuse you, Whitmore?” She rolled her eyes, not again with the ‘excuse you, excuse me’.
“That is utter bullshit, General, and you know it.”
“You cause an awful lot of problems for someone so small, Whitmore. Dishes with Grayson.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? He molested me! Send him back home, give him dishes!”
“Two months, Whitmore.”
“Three.”
Eyes were wide as she confronted him and pushed his buttons. Maggie wasn’t about to let William get all the shit. She stared Randall Trask in the eye as he grimaced. “Maggie, let it go.” William pleaded.
“No. I refuse, you defended me. He’s an idiot!”
Trask’s grimace turned into a glare as she called him an idiot. “Get in your trucks men. “ All the men clambered into the trucks as the general and soldier continued to glare.
“Don’t you ever undermine me, Whitmore. Especially not in front of my men. Four months of dishes.”
“I’ll take five if Grayson is let off.” They both glanced at the soldier still stood behind Maggie. Trask nodded as Will breathed a sigh of relief.
“I wish I would’ve left you in Indiana, Whitmore.” She smiled at Will as Trask walked back to his truck. “You’re so stupid Maggie.”
He patted her back as the gas station doors opened and Thomas stumbled out. “What’d I miss?”
