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I nodded。 〃Sometimes I think the infantry was better。 The bad guys were never one of your own。 This crap is different。〃
〃Bad guys are bad guys；〃 Kent informed me。 〃The Army is the Army。 Orders are orders。〃
〃Yup。〃 And therein lies the essence of military mentality。 Ours is not to reason why； and there is no excuse for failure。 This works pretty well in bat and most other military…type situations； but not in the CID。 In the CID you must actually disobey orders； think for yourself； ignore the brass； and； above all； discover the truth。 This does not always sit well in the military； which thinks of itself as a big family； where people still like to believe that 〃all the brothers are valiant； and all the sisters virtuous。〃
As though reading my thoughts； Colonel Kent said； 〃I know this could be a real messy case。 But maybe not。 Maybe it was mitted by a civilian。 Maybe it can be wrapped up right away。〃
〃Oh； I'm sure it can； Bill。 And you and I will get letters of mendation inserted into our permanent files； and General Campbell will invite us for cocktails。〃
Kent looked very troubled。 He said； 〃Well； my ass is on the line here； frankly。 This is my post； my beat。 You can beg off if you want and they'll send another homicide guy。 But you happen to be here and you happen to be special unit； and we've worked together before； and I'd like your name next to mine on the prelim report。〃
〃And you didn't even bring me a cup of coffee。〃
He smiled grimly。 〃Coffee？ Hell； I need a drink。〃 He added； 〃You can get some rank out of this。〃
〃If you mean a reduction； you're probably right。 If you mean a promotion； I'm topped out。〃
〃Sorry。 I forgot。 Bad system。〃
I asked him； 〃Are you up for a star？〃
〃Maybe。〃 He looked a bit worried； as if the twinkling general's star that he'd seen in his dreams just blinked out。
I asked； 〃Have you notified the local CID yet？〃
〃No。〃
〃Why in the world not？〃
〃Well 。。。 this is not going to be handled by them； anyway 。。。 I mean； Jesus； this is the post mander's daughter； and the CID mander here； Major Bowes； knew her； and so did everyone else here； so we need to show the general that we've gotten top talent from Falls Church…〃
〃The word you're looking for is scapegoat。 But； okay； I'll tell my boss in Falls Church that this is best handled by a special investigator； but I don't know if I'm the guy who wants to do it。〃
〃Let's go see the body； then you can decide。〃
As we started to walk to his car； we heard the post cannon boom…actually a recording of some long…scrapped artillery piece…and we stopped and faced the direction of the sound。 From the loudspeakers mounted on the empty barracks came the recorded bugle sound of reveille； and we saluted； two solitary men standing in the predawn light； reacting to a lifetime of conditioning and centuries of military custom and ceremony。
The ancient bugle call； going back to the Crusades； echoed through the pany streets and the alleyways between the barracks； and over the grassy assembly fields； and somewhere； the flags were being raised。
It's been years since I've been caught outdoors at reveille； but I sort of enjoy the pomp and ceremony once in a while； the munion with the living and the dead； the idea that there is something bigger and more important than I； and that I am part of it。
There is no civilian equivalent of this； unless watching Good Morning America has bee a tradition； and though I'm on the periphery of Army life； I don't know if I'm ready yet to make the transition to civilian life。 But that decision might already be in the making。 Sometimes you sense when the last act has begun。
The final sounds of the bugle died away； and Kent and I continued toward his car。 He remarked to me； 〃Another day begins at Fort Hadley； but one of its soldiers will not see it。〃
CHAPTER THREE
We headed south in Kent's car toward the far reaches of the military reservation。 Colonel Kent began： 〃Captain Ann Campbell and Sergeant Harold St。 John were on duty at Post Headquarters。 She was duty officer； he was duty sergeant。〃
〃Did they know each other？〃
Kent shrugged。 〃Maybe in passing。 They don't work together。 He's in the motor pool。 She's an instructor at the Special Operations School。 They just came down on orders and wound up together。〃
〃What does she teach？〃
〃Psy…ops。〃 He added； 〃She's got…she had a master's in psychology。〃
〃Still has。〃 There's always a question of tenses when referring to the recently dead。 I asked Kent； 〃Do instructors usually pull that sort of duty？〃
〃No； not usually。 But Ann Campbell put her name on several duty rosters she didn't have to be on。〃 He added； 〃She tried to set an example。 General's daughter。〃
〃I see。〃 The Army runs duty rosters for officers； nonmissioned officers； and enlisted men and women。 These are pletely random lists； ensuring that as nearly as possible everyone gets his or her chance at some sort of crap duty。 There was a time when female personnel were not on all lists； such as guard duty； but times change。 What doesn't change is that young ladies walking around alone at night are at some risk。 The hearts of evil men remain the same； the pulsion to stick it in the most available vagina supersedes Army regulations。 I asked； 〃And she was armed？〃
〃Sure。 Had her sidearm。〃
〃Go on。〃
〃Well； at about 0100 hours； Campbell says to St。 John that she is going to take the jeep and check the guard posts…〃
〃Why？ Isn't that something the sergeant of the guard or the officer of the guard should do？ The duty officer should stay with the phones。〃
Kent replied； 〃St。 John said the officer of the guard was some young lieutenant； still pissing water from West Point。 And Campbell； as I've indicated； is gung ho and she wants to go out there and check things for herself。 She knew the sign and countersign； so off she goes。〃 Kent turned onto Rifle Range Road。 He continued； 〃At about 0300 hours； St。 John says he got a little concerned…〃
〃Why concerned？〃
〃I don't know 。。。 You know； it's a woman and…well； maybe he was annoyed because he thought she was goofing off somewhere and maybe he wanted to go to the latrine and didn't want to leave the phones。〃
〃How old is this guy？〃 I asked。
〃Fifty something。 Married。 Good record。〃
〃Where is he now？〃
〃Back at the provost building catching some cot time。 I told him to stay put。〃
We had passed rifle ranges one； two； three； and four； all of which lie to the right of the road； huge expanses of flat； open terrain； backed by a continuous earthen berm。 I hadn't been out here in over twenty years； but I remembered the place。
Colonel Kent continued； 〃So St。 John calls the guardhouse； but Captain Campbell is not there。 He asks the sergeant of the guard to call the guard posts and see if Campbell has e by。 The sergeant of the guard calls back a while later and reports negative。 So St。 John asks the sergeant of the guard to send a responsible person to headquarters to watch the phones； and when one of the guards shows up； St。 John gets in his POV and heads out。 He starts checking the posts in order…NCO Club； Officers' Club； and so on…but not one of the guards has seen Captain Campbell。 So； at about 0400 hours； he goes out toward the last guard post； which is an ammo storage shed； and on the way； at rifle range six； he sees her jeep 。。。 in fact； there it is。〃
Up ahead； off to the right on the narrow road； was the humvee； which we old guys still refer to as a jeep； in which； presumably； Ann Campbell had driven to her rendezvous with death； if you will。 Near the humvee was someone's POV…a red Mustang。 I asked Kent； 〃Where is the guard post and the guard？〃
〃The ammo shed is another klick up the road。 The guard； a PFC Robbins； heard nothing； but saw headlights。〃
〃You questioned him？〃
〃Her。 Mary Robbins。〃 Kent smiled for the first time。 〃PFC is a gender…neutral term； Paul。〃
〃Thank you。 Where is PFC Robbins now？〃
〃On a cot in the provost building。〃
〃Crowded in there。 But good thinking。〃
Kent stopped the car near the humvee and the red Mustang。 It was nearly light now； and I could see the six MPs…four men； two women…standing at various spots around the area。 All of the rifle ranges had open bleacher seats off to the left side of the road facing the ranges； where the troops received classroom instruction before proceeding to the firing line。 In the nearby bleachers to my left sat a woman in jeans and windbreaker； writing on a pad。 Kent and I got out of the car； and he said to me； 〃That is Ms。 Sunhill。 She's a woman。〃
I knew that。 I asked Kent； 〃Why is she here？〃
〃I called her。〃
〃Why？〃
〃She's a rape counselor。〃
〃The victim doesn't need counseling。 She's dead。〃
〃Yes；〃 Kent agreed； 〃but Ms。 Sunhill is also a rape investigator。〃
〃Is that a fact？ What is she doing at Hadley？〃
〃That female nurse； Lieutenant Neely。 You know about that？〃
〃Only what I read in the papers。 Could there be a connection between these cases？〃
〃No。 An arrest was made yesterday。〃
〃What time yesterday？〃
〃About four P。M。 Ms。 Sunhill made the arrest and by five P。M。 we had a confession。〃
I nodded。 And at six P。M。 Ms。 Sunhill was having a drink in the O Club； quietly celebrating her success； and Ann Campbell； I was about to discover； was alive and having dinner there； and I was at the bar watching Cynthia and trying to get up the courage to say hello or make a strategic withdrawal。
Kent added； 〃Sunhill was supposed to go off to another assignment today。 But she says she'll stay for this。〃
〃How lucky we are。〃
〃Yes； it's good to have a woman on these kinds of things。 And she's good。 I saw her work。〃
〃Indeed。〃 I noticed that the red Mustang； which was probably Cynthia's car； had Virginia license plates； like my own POV； suggesting that she was working out of Falls Church； as I was。 But fate had not caused our paths to cross at the home office but had put us here under these circumstances。 It was inevitable； anyway。
I looked out over the rifle range； on which sat a morning mist。 In front of the berm stood pop…up targets； at different ranges； dozens of nasty…looking fiberboard men with rifles。 These lifelike targets have replaced the old black silhouette targets； the point being； I suppose； that if you're being trained to kill men； then the targets should look you in the eye。 However； from past experience； I can tell you that nothing prepares you for killing men except killing men。 In any case； birds were perched on many of the mock men； which sort of ruined the effect； at least until the first platoon of the day fired。
When I went through infantry training； the firing ranges were bare of vegetation； great expanses of sterile soil unlike any battlefield condition you were likely to encounter； except perhaps the desert。 Now； many firing ranges； like this one； were planted with various types of vegetation to partially obscure the fields of fire。 About fifty meters opposite of where I was standing on the road there was a pop…up silhouette partially hidden by tall grass and evergreen bushes。 Standing around this target and vegetation were two MPs； a man and a woman。 At the base of the silhouette； I could make out something on the ground that didn't belong there。
Colonel Kent said； 〃This guy was a sick puppy。〃 He added； as if I didn't get it； 〃I mean； he did it to her right there on the rifle range； with that pop…up guy sort of looking down at her。〃
If only the pop…up guy could talk。 I turned and looked around the area。 Some distance behind the bleachers and the fire control towers was a tree line in which I could see latrine sheds。 I said to Colonel Kent； 〃Have you searched the area for any other possible victims？〃
〃No 。。。 well 。。。 we didn't want to disturb evidence。〃
〃But someone else may also be dead； or alive and in need of assistance。 Evidence is secondary to aiding victims。 Says so in the manual。〃
〃Right 。。。〃 He looked around and called to an MP sergeant。 〃Get on the horn and have Lieutenant Fullham's platoon get down here with the dogs。〃
Before the sergeant could respond； a voice from the top of the bleachers said； 〃I already did that。〃
I looked up at Ms。 Sunhill。 〃Thank you。〃
〃You're wele。〃
I wanted to ignore her； but I knew this wasn't going to be possible。 I turned and walked ont