The Cadet Corporal (16 page)

Stephen arrived and began telling jokes. The story of the Hutchie Men's latest exploit was retailed and the atmosphere improved. Sgt Grenfell arrived and CUO Masters left. Stephen gestured into the night. “Let's go and see what is happening at the other platoons,” he said.

This was agreed to and half a dozen people stood up, including Graham and Kirsty. With Stephen and Roger beside him and Barbara, Gwen and Pat following they strolled off into the darkness. Stephen suggested they see how Peter was getting on so they detoured to HQ. HQ did not have a fire but they found the CP manned and Peter sitting there with Cpl Parnell.

“Whatcha doin' Pete?” Stephen asked.

“Radio piquet,” Peter replied.

“Why?”

“Because we have an OP down near the highway and the Hutchie Men are still out,” Peter replied.

That led to another description of the Hutchie Men's latest exploit. Peter nodded. “I know. They told us that they have struck again since then. They reckon they just chased a group of Heatley girls who were walking to the dunny.”

The group burst into laughter and, after talking for a few more minutes, wandered on to where 1 Platoon was camped. All the way Kirsty kept bumping against Graham, keeping him aroused. 1 Platoon campfire was even sadder than 2's. Sgt Sherry was there with half a dozen cadets but there were no jokes or acts so the visitors only stayed a few minutes before wandering back the other way along the vehicle track towards 3 Platoon where it sounded like there was more life.

On the way they met a group coming the other way. It was Harriet and Fiona and a couple of other junior cadets. The two groups stopped to yarn and Graham stood behind Kirsty. To his delight she moved back so that she pressed against his front. That got him very excited and he glanced anxiously around to make sure no-one else could see. Even though it was dark it wasn't that dark.

When the group continued walking she leaned over and whispered, “I wish we could get away on our own.”

“I might get out of control then,” he whispered back.

“Good,” she replied in a husky voice that set his pulses racing even more. ‘I might be in luck here!' he thought with delight. The idea of actually being alone with Kirsty set him on fire, but also increased his anxiety enormously.

Fears of all the things that could go wrong began crowding into his mind: thrown out of cadets in disgrace, or if they went too far- Kirsty pregnant, or him catching some horrible rotting disease, or going to jail because she was under age.

‘We will just play a bit,' he decided, hoping he could control both himself and the situation should the opportunity arise.

It didn't. To his annoyance Barbara came and walked on his other side. The group arrived at 3 Platoon's fire to find an act in progress. Jokes followed. To Graham's relief Barbara and Gwen were drawn into another group with Lofty and some cadets from HQ. CUO Masters arrived and began talking to Barbara. CUO MacAlistair and Sgt White also arrived, then more cadets. Pat joined another group. ‘Now, if Steve and Roger will just leave us for a few minutes we can get away on our own,' Graham thought.

Over on the other side of the campfire there was a commotion and then a shout went up: “The Hutchie Men!”

Graham saw the three Hutchie Men come walking into the firelight, their camouflage pulled clear of their grinning faces. All the cadets present began cheering and calling out. “Hutchie Men! Hutchie Men!”

The Hutchie Men gave victory salutes and bowed to the applause. They then trekked on towards the 4 Platoon fire. More cadets arrived to see what the commotion was. The group followed them into the darkness. Along the way they met Magda and Stephen at once proceeded to flirt with her. At some of his suggestive comments Graham scorched with embarrassment. He also knew he was being a total hypocrite as he wanted to do exactly the same thing with Kirsty. Having Kirsty pressing against him did not help and he was aware that he was now very aroused.

Magda then nudged Stephen and said, “Come on Steve. They don't want us here.”

Stephen leered and replied, “Graham doesn't mind.”

That caused Graham to blush even more fiercely. To his relief Stephen and Magda walked off into the night. ‘I hope Steve isn't going to be silly,' he thought. But he was in the grip of lust himself. Kirsty snuggled against him and said, “What about us?”

Graham felt his desire surge and knew he was in danger of losing control. But she was there and willing! Anxiously he looked around, wondering where Roger was. Seeing no sign of him and knowing they were now alone he took Kirsty's hand. Without a word they set off into the dark bush.

CHAPTER 16

HEATED

As he and Kirsty walked hand in hand into the darkness, Graham was torn by strong emotions. He sensed that he was facing one of those crisis points that could affect his whole life and he wanted, with a feeling of quiet desperation, to get it right. The strongest force was sheer physical lust. Here was a girl who apparently wanted him to give it to her. Against that were all the fears, and his now tormented conscience.

That raised the whole issue of his promise to Capt Conkey. The dilemma filled him with misery which went a long way towards dampening his heated condition. But then Kirsty stoked the fires again by stopping and embracing him. Her mouth sought his and her body pressed eagerly against his own. Oh it felt so good! And he wanted to do it so badly!

Unable to help himself he responded. All the while his mind raced, trying to find a way out that kept Kirsty happy, and which eased his conscience. She then increased the pressure and forced him into a mental corner.

“Where will we go?” she murmured.

At that Graham eased himself back and swallowed. He was now so upset he felt like he wanted to throw up. “Back to the campfire,” he managed to croak. It was such an effort that he found his heart was racing and his breath came in rapid gasps.

“Oh! Spoil sport! I am just starting to enjoy myself,” Kirsty said. Even in the starlight he could see she was pouting.

Graham gulped and said, “We shouldn't even be here doing this. We promised not to misbehave.”

“Oh don't be such a scaredy cat! No-one is going to find out. I won't tell,” Kirsty replied, petulance and frustration now clear in her voice.

“That's not the point. I promised. After camp I will do anything you want, but not now,” Graham replied. Now he had said no he found it much easier.

They separated, still holding hands. Graham felt his lust draining away as the misery seeped in. ‘I've spoilt it now,' he thought.

“Don't you like me?” Kirsty asked, her voice quavering with emotion.

“I like you enormously. That's why I don't want us to do the wrong thing at the wrong time. Love should be wonderful and special, not dirty and sneaky,” he replied.

“Oh well!” she cried, plainly exasperated. For a minute they stood in silence and Graham feared she was going to tell him to go to the devil.

He was saved from that by the beam of a powerful torch. CSM Cleland's voice called out, “What are you two doing over there?”

Transfixed by the light Graham was stunned into silence for a moment. Then he mastered the shock. He released Kirsty's hands. “Just talking sir,” he called back. ‘Thank God we weren't kissing!' he thought. It had been a very close call.

“Go back to one of the campfires and talk there,” CSM Cleland called, “And don't go sneaking off into the dark.”

That burned at Graham's self-respect and he at once started walking. To his relief Kirsty moved with him. “That was close!” she said with a giggle as the torch was switched off.

“Too bloody close! No more of that Kirsty,” he replied.

“Not even a little kiss and cuddle?” Kirsty asked. She seemed to have recovered and accepted the situation. ‘If she really wants to she can find plenty of willing partners in 4 Platoon,' he mused.

They were now walking past the top of the gully leading to the 3 Platoon male latrine and were heading towards 4 Platoon's camp. Graham did not really want to go there and he had just begun to turn left when a peculiar, strangled cry sounded out in the darkness to his right. He stopped. “What was that?” he asked.

“What?” Kirsty said, also stopping.

The cry came again, a muffled groan and plea. Suspicion flooded Graham's mind. He started walking quickly that way. As he did the groans came again, then the sound of hitting.

“No! Please!” gasped a voice.

‘Carnes!' Graham thought. Instantly he broke into a run.

Fifty paces away he saw a group of figures struggling in the dark. Carnes pleaded again and again Graham heard blows and then a sharp cry of pain.

“Hoy! Stop that!” Graham shouted as he raced towards them. By then he could see that there were at least four people. Three were struggling to hold down the fourth. At Graham's shout the group dissolved. Two fled and one sprang up and lunged at Graham. As he did Graham noted that all three wore black balaclavas. Before Graham realised his own danger the person had cannoned hard into him, using his shoulder and a stiff-arm to strike at him.

The blows hurt and he went down hard, clutching at the person as he did. He managed to grab a sleeve but the person grunted savagely and lashed out with a boot, knocking Graham flat. Another punched him and then raised his boot to kick at him. Another figure arrived at the run and crashed into the kicker, knocking him over.

It was Roger. He immediately turned on Graham's first attacker. The attacker then turned and fled into the night. A torch beam briefly illuminated his running figure before it vanished into the nearest gully. Graham rolled over and got to his feet, momentarily undecided which way to go.

Groans and wails of pain from Carnes decided him. Carnes was doubled up on the ground and whimpered loudly, “Oh it hurts! It stings! It hurts!”

Graham went to him as other people came running through the dark. First to arrive was Kirsty, followed closely by Roger. Then CSM Cleland arrived, his torch lighting up the scene. In its light Graham saw that Carnes' shirt had been ripped open and his trousers and jocks had been reefed down to his boots. The boy was lying on his side clutching his genitals and crying in pain.

“What the hell is going on?” CSM Cleland demanded to know, sweeping the beam of his torch across Carnes, then up onto Graham and Kirsty.

“Someone has greased Carnes,” Graham replied. “Three blokes. They scattered.” He pointed into the darkness.

CSM Cleland at once swung his torch beam around. “Right, you two stay here and keep other people away. Lance Corporal Dunning, get one of the officers, quickly!”

Kirsty had moved to kneel beside Carnes but Graham moved to her. “Go back Kirsty. He will only be more embarrassed.”

“What have they done?” she asked, plainly upset by Carnes' cries.

“Put something on his private parts that stings,” Graham replied, “Now go back.”

From the smell Graham suspected the concoction used to grease Carnes included boot polish and insect repellent. The insect repellent, he knew from experience, had a ferocious sting on tender skin, and testicles definitely fell into the tender category. He knelt and patted Carnes' shoulder. “I know it hurts,” he said. “Just hang in there. The officers are coming.” He could feel Carnes shuddering with agony as he touched him and it was obvious it was no act. The boy was in real pain.

CSM Cleland and Kirsty had meanwhile stemmed the rush of the curious and sent them back to their campfires. Graham heard a vehicle start up and a few seconds later headlights came on. The Land Cruiser came rushing across to them. It was Lt Hamilton and Lt Standish. “What happened?” Lt Standish asked. She had a First Aid kit.

Graham quickly explained what he knew, then added, “I reckon soap and water might help Miss.”

“Right. Get a washbasin and jerry can,” Lt Standish ordered. Graham raced down to the 3 Platoon male latrine and snatched up the washbasin, soap and jerry can there and hurried back with them. By the time he got there Capt Conkey and Lt Maclaren had also arrived. By then Carnes was nearly hysterical with pain and was shivering with violent spasms.

Lt Standish at once set to work with the soap and water, easing Carnes' hands away and soothing his trembling and agonized cries. By then Graham was feeling quite upset himself. Capt Conkey concentrated on attending to Carnes. After the initial washing Carnes began to calm down, his body still twitching as he sobbed uncontrollably.

“Hospital for him,” Capt Conkey ordered. “Get him in the vehicle and get going. I will phone and warn them.”

Graham was ordered, along with Roger, to help lift Carnes into the back seat of the vehicle. In the process they tried to cover him as well as they could with his clothes. Lt Standish then climbed in and held him while Lt Hamilton sprang into the driver's seat. Within a minute the vehicle was moving. As it drove off Capt Conkey used his mobile phone to call the hospital, then rang the army camp to tell the staff major of the incident. Graham could tell that he was furiously angry.

Capt Conkey snapped his phone shut and snapped at the group, “Well? What happened? Who did this?”

CSM Cleland answered. “Cpl Kirk was first here sir.”

“Kirk eh? Well Cpl Kirk, what happened?” Capt Conkey demanded.

‘He suspects I was involved!' Graham thought with dismay. He swallowed and said, “We heard screams and I ran over to find three blokes in balaclavas greasing Carnes. They ran away when I arrived.”

“You weren't involved? You've got some of the grease on your hands,” Capt Conkey said.

CSM Cleland's torch was shone on him. Graham glanced at his hands in sick surprise. There was black muck smeared on both. “I didn't do it sir.I grappled with one of them and he knocked me down. Then I helped Carnes. I must have gotten it on me then.”

“Oh yeah? What were you doing out here in the darkness?” Capt Conkey demanded to know.

Graham's heart seemed to stop and give a sickening lurch. ‘No point lying,' he thought. ‘CSM Cleland saw Kirsty and me.' He said, “I was trying to get Kirsty to give me a kiss sir.”

At that Kirsty let out a cry and said, “Oh sir! That's not true! It was my fault. I asked Graham to walk with me in the dark. I wanted the kiss.”

Capt Conkey shook his head. “I don't care who wanted a kiss! I will deal with that later. I want to know who greased Cadet Carnes. CSM, what did you see?”

“Sir, it wasn't Cpl Kirk or Cadet Weldon. They were further away and just talking. I told them to go back to the campfire and they were on their way when we heard the cries,” CSM Cleland replied.

At that Graham felt a huge wave of relief. Capt Conkey then questioned him minutely about the three attackers. All Graham could say was that they were big male cadets wearing black balaclavas. None had spoken a word and he could not identify any of them positively. He also pulled up his shirt to show the livid bruise that had now formed where he had been kicked. By then Lt Maclaren had arrived and confirmed that the prime suspects: the Hutchie Men, and Pigsy's gang, all had strong alibis.

“I was talking to the Hutchie Men when it happened,” Lt Maclaren said.

“What about Cadet Pike and his friends?” Capt Conkey asked.

Graham was sure it hadn't been any of the three bullies- or at least not Pigsy himself. Besides he had seen Pigsy and Co only minutes before so he said, “No sir. I saw Pigsy over at Three Platoon.” But now his mind was working. If it wasn't Pigsy, or the Hutchie Men then Carnes obviously had some secret enemy who really wanted to hurt him, but who?

Capt Conkey was very worried. “This becomes criminal assault if Carnes makes an official complaint. That will make it a matter for the civil police. Oh blast! Just what we don't need in the middle of a camp!”

Hearing that made Graham feel sorry for the captain and officers. He silently vowed to try to find out who had done it. Capt Conkey turned to the group and said, “You cadets had better come back to HQ and we will get some written statements just in case this has to be formally investigated.”

CSM Cleland shone his torch on the jerry can, soap and washbasin. “Cpl Kirk, you and LCpl Dunning take these back to the latrine on the way please.”

Graham and Roger did as they were told, then set off for HQ. As they walked up the slope from the latrine Graham asked the question that had been nagging at him. “Where were you Roger?”

“About to stop you being silly,” Roger replied. That sent a rush of shame through Graham, but he was also peeved. “You don't have to be a Peeping Tom you know!”

“Maybe not, but I thought you might have needed a bit of help to stay on the straight and narrow,” Roger replied.

“You mean with Kirsty?” Graham asked, appalled that his intentions were so transparently obvious.

“And with any other nice little bit that takes your fancy,” Roger replied.

“Thanks very much!” Graham cried indignantly. “But I don't need you to be my conscience. Anyway, we were only talking.”

“Funny way of talking,” Roger replied equably. “So I thought I'd better save you from yourself.”

“Mind your own bloody business!” Graham cried in outrage.

“No. I will not. I am your friend, and I know your weaknesses, so I will help look out for you,” Roger replied calmly.

Roger's good intentions and strong sense of purpose quite deflated Graham's anger. “Is it that obvious?” he asked.

“You may as well carry a bloody sign,” Roger replied.

‘Strewth! I'd better be much more circumspect in future,' Graham thought with dismay. He then felt a real rush of affection for his friend. “Thanks mate,” he muttered.

By then they had arrived at the officer's fire. CUO Masters was there as well. Capt Conkey ordered them to sit separately, then began questioning them one at a time, writing down their answers. It took over an hour to do and by then Graham's bruises were throbbing. Headlights appeared along the track but the vehicle was an army staff car. The staff major responsible for all cadets in North Queensland came over to the fire.

Capt Conkey turned to the cadets. “You people can go back to your areas now. Thanks for your help.”

The group walked back to 2 Platoon's camp in relative silence.

“A cup of coffee is what I need now,” Roger said. To this Graham agreed, so he and Roger collected their webbing when they reached their hutchie. The campfire there was still going but only a couple of people were sitting around it. The friends seated themselves and set about heating water. Kirsty came and sat beside Graham and then Stephen and Gwen appeared and wanted to know what had happened.