Chapter Four - part four

   James stopped in front of his tent as Samuel continued to walk on past. James hadn't said a word to Samuel. He almost regretted that, but if it had bothered Samuel at all, he had never let it show. James ducked inside the tent to find another surprise waiting for him. None of his tent mates were there, but there were three people waiting for him. One was another upperclassman. The other two were what shocked him though. Shanna and Sabella were both grinning at him from his cot where they were both sitting. The upperclassman didn't waste any time at all. He spoke sharply as he stepped past James leaving him alone with the girls. "You get ten minutes, max. I will tap the tent in five minutes or if I need you out sooner. In ten minutes I will expect them to be out. The clock starts now!" That quick he was gone.

    James didn't know what to think or say. Shanna started to laugh and quickly took control of the situation. "Close your mouth before you swallow a bug and get choked. Can't a couple of friends stop by for a visit?" Sabella laughed and stood up. She shook her head in mock disgust as she added to what Shanna had said. "Oh what did you expect Shanna? These big strong hero types can't think beyond charging in to save everyone and we both know he is definitely the hero type." By this time Shanna was standing right beside Sabella and nodding her head in agreement. James still wasn't sure what was going on, but he had little doubt that these two were up to something. There was just way too much sparkle in their eyes and amusement on their faces for it to be just a friendly visit no matter what they said.

    Finally Sabella shook her head and grabbing his arm pulled him further inside and shoved him down on his bunk. Shanna had stepped past him and put her back to the entrance of the tent. Something clicked in his head and James leaped back up. "Are you two nuts? You can't be in here with me. You aren't in my unit. You will get us all brought up before the disciplinary commission. Get out of here!" Sabella just shoved him back down and it wasn't a gentle shove this time. "Oh, just sit your butt down and listen. We would never have come if we hadn't gotten approval first. Look, you may be kind of cute. Maybe even a little gullible and innocent, but you aren't worth me putting my butt in a sling to see." Shanna chimed in. "That goes double for me!" Sabella just grinned and continued. "We are here to let you know that a lot of people have noticed you and not just your cute butt and broad shoulders either. People are talking about the guy that does double duty and gets beat down every day for other Doolies. You are becoming a hero to some and a fool to others."

     Shanna spoke up again. "Stop wasting time. The faster we get out of here the better." Sabella glared at her as she replied. "Easy for you to say, you didn't have to agree to go out with that idiot to get him to escort us here." Turning back to James she smiled. "Getting approval to see you was easy. Getting someone to escort us over and back was anything but easy. You owe me, both of you owe me!" She shot Shanna a quick look. Shanna turned a bit red, but said nothing. Sabella started to talk again only in a softer tone of voice. "We wanted to let you know that you have made a difference. Maybe you don't know it, but you are a hero to a lot of the struggling Doolies. That may sound great, but it is going to cause you a world of trouble. You are going to have to compete in the Ironman run no matter what happens next week. The problem is that you may not be able to compete by the time it actually arrives."

    James gave her a puzzled look, but said nothing. Sabella shook her head again. "You really are blind to all of it aren't you? Some of the cadres intend to break you no matter what it takes. I can almost guarantee you that you will run into more than just the 'required obstacles' when you are running the courses. If they can't break you one way they will another. They plan to try and get you so beat down and if possible injured during the last week's exercises that you won't be able to finish the required courses or the Ironman. I know how tough you are, but I don't think you have any idea of how devious they can be. If you go into next week just expecting the same old crap they will own you. You have to take those rose colored Christian goggles off and start seeing the world the way it really is. If you don't, you will go down and that will just about finish a lot of Doolies that look up to you. You have to stop playing hero and act like you are one, by looking out for yourself until you finish the Ironman. Got it?"

   James was still stunned that they were here. Sabella especially was a shock to him. He had expected her to fall right in with the cadre who made it clear that Christians weren't welcome at the Academy. Instead she was here trying to... trying to do what? It was time to get a few things cleared up in his head before their time was up. James shook his own head and spoke quickly before one of the girls could cut him off again. "Would one of you mind telling me how you know all this and why you think I need to know? Last time I checked, Doolies weren't exactly welcome at cadre meetings." Much to his surprise Sabella turned a brilliant red and Shanna tried to hide a smile as she watched her do it.  Something was all wrong here. James just had no clue as to what it was or how he fit into it. Sabella was clearly very embarrassed, James just didn't know why, at least not until she managed to recover enough to start talking again.

   Sabella's voice was a bit shaky and soft at first, but it quickly became firm and sharp as she talked to him. "You can be a real asshole. I know this stuff because I have been talking to those cadres. You don't have to sit in on their meetings if you are willing to sit on their laps." She flushed even redder before continuing. "Look, I know because I wanted to know and that is all you need to know about it. You will just have to trust me on this. I absolutely refuse to explain myself to you. Sometimes I don't even know why I went to all the trouble it took to find this stuff out. You are so dense." She turned away from him and Shanna stepped over and squeezed her shoulder. Shanna started to step past her, but Sabella caught her arm and shook her head again. "No, this is on me. We agreed I do the talking." Then Sabella turned back to face James again. She took a deep breath and stepped up close to him before she said anything. When she did she was almost whispering.

    "For someone so smart, you can be so stupid. How can you believe in a God you can't see and not be able to believe in a friend that you can see? I don't know why, but I like you. You need to be careful. Shanna told you once already, hero's die a lot. I don't want you to end up a dead hero. Take those rose colored goggles off and pay attention. They want to hurt you and I do mean really hurt you! If they can't break your spirit then they will break your body. You have to get it figured out. You may play fair and forgive those who wrong you, but they just play to win and they never forgive or forget. You are in real danger unless you start paying attention to the real world. Jesus may have saved your soul, but your body is still breakable and they intend to break it." She was standing just inches from him now. He couldn't help noticing that she still smelled good, even out here living in tents for three weeks. As he looked down at her she actually blushed again and then did something that made him blush.

    He had no warning at all. She just raised herself up and planted a long kiss right on his lips while she hung onto him as if she were never going to let go. Then it was over. Before he could react she turned and ducked past Shanna. She had said something, but he hadn't caught what it was. Shanna was just standing there smiling. James knew he must look like an idiot, but he couldn't help it. Shanna stepped over towards him until she was as close as Sabella had been. Was she going to kiss him next? James took a quick step back as that thought came to him. Shanna just laughed softly and caught his shirt in her hands. She stepped right up against him and grinned up at him as she spoke. "Don't worry. If I ever decide I want a kiss... I will make you give it to me!" Then she released his shirt, but she didn't step back. "You need to listen to her. She is your friend and you have no idea what she has put up with to... well you just have no idea. Be careful and watch out or you will get hurt this week." Then she turned and was gone too.

    The cadre stuck his head in the tent a moment later. He was glaring at James when he spoke. "Maybe you are too stupid to know it, but you have friends here. Don't screw things up for them too. Get your head on straight and pay attention. I don't know what they see in you, but whatever it is you should appreciate friends like those two." Just that quick he was gone again. James dropped onto his cot and sat there trying to soak it all in. If he wasn't mistaken Sabella had just told him she had played some of the cadre to get information and warn him of their plans. And Shanna had already taken chances to do the same thing. He wasn't sure why they had done it, but he did know one thing for certain. That cadre was right. They did deserve better from him. Appreciation was the least he owed them. Sabella was definitely right too. He did owe her and he suspected that Shanna did too. When his tent mates showed up it was clear that they had been aware of the girls waiting for him, but they never mentioned it. Even the lone girl in the tent, Karen said nothing. She had explained the first day at camp that most of the girls would be separated and left alone in a tent with just guys. They even expected the girls to shower together with the guys too. James and the others had made it a point to see that Karen got to shower alone, though not all of the girls were so lucky. James tried not to think about that. That was bad enough, but what had Sabella done to get her information?

    James hadn't slept well that night. First Colonel Madison had singled him out. Then Shanna and Sabella had showed up. Finally even his tent mates had commented that they would watch his back during the coming week. James really was beginning to believe he was a target. He did make up his mind about one thing though. He would pay closer attention and he wouldn't be driven out or broken. There were limits to what even the worst of the cadre could get away with. All he had to do was watch out and make sure he didn't let them slip something in that would get him hurt during the regular routine this week. If he could get past this week in one piece then he could and would finish the Ironman run. He might not finish first or even finish in a good time, but he would finish within the time allowed and he would go on to graduate from the Academy.