(Two captains, a dying dog, military red tape, and a stolen truck, all set in Korea.)
Three months into my tour, I meet Pat in the laundry room of our barracks one evening, a few days after she arrives at Suwon. A pilot had alerted me that a new lady captain was on base. Out of 800 airmen, only a few of us are women, and even fewer are officers, and it is expected that we will befriend one another. Pat is leaning against a dryer reading a paperback, rangy and handsome in that definite way of tall brunettes. When I walk in, she looks up and smiles.
“Oh, hello,†she says, as if she were waiting for me, and shuts her book.
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Very tasty beginning. The italicized header sounds like a plot challenge conjured up at the Algonquin between Lawrence Block, Bill Pronzini, Jim Harrison, and Marcia Muller.
These tidbits make me want to read more… when will that be possible? 🙂
I’m sending out the better essays, and will keep trying. I promise to let folks know when I get published.