The Billabong - 8. Chapter 8

' . . . but you must sir, I'm falling apart; I need you . . . '

'Don't you dare tell me I ‘must' do something; Corporals don't order Colonels to do anything. I'm really disappointed in you; I thought you were stronger.'

'(Distressed) I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to offend, but this harassment is getting to me. It's hard to explain, it's not the type of harassment, it's the continual pressure I have to live under. (Pause) I've separated the persecution into two areas, those that are trivial by nature, and those that pose a direct threat to my life. As to the latter, I've already been warned and seriously believe my life is in danger. Unless I do something to break this hold they have over me, I consider my life is to be forfeit. What good am I to you if I'm dead?'

'(Sounding reasonable) Yes, I agree. I don't want that; we both don't want that, but what you're asking me to do is dangerous for me personally. Up till now, I've tried to stay out of the matter, but if I agree to your suggestion, I'll find myself smack bang in the middle of an official investigation. I see that as a problem, corporal. And, as to your other request, NO, NO, and NO! I can't call off an official probe that's been properly instigated. (Pause, then sounding reluctant) . . . OK then, I'll help this time but not anymore, and be assured I'll be calling in my marker when I need your services. I don't expect any argument. Understood?'

'I understand sir. I'm really grateful you'll do this for me. It's the only way to relieve the pressure. Yes, I'm yer man, Colonel; just tell me what, where, and who, then consider it done.'

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8.2

' Good to see you Scottie, it's been a coupla days eh? Look, I want to tell you something private, so how's about you get my coffee when you order yours; save me waiting in the queue here. I'll go and find a table.'

'Yeah that's cool Jason, you drink yours black with two sugars, yes?'

Jason found a quiet corner table, and then signalled Scott who was looking around for him. Once seated, and being close friends, they didn't indulge in idle gossip.

'(Taking a small sip) Wow you look happy Jason; y'won the lottery or sumthing?'

'No, but in a way, yes. (a loud whisper) I'm gonna tell you something very, very confidential. (Scott nodded to encourage Jason) I've met someone and believe it's long term because we have strong feelings for each other. The trouble is there may be a problem down the line but for the time being, it's all good.'

'Are you gonna tell me about the problem? If so then you'll have to tell me who this guy is. I can't understand the situation unless I have all the facts.'

'Sure (pause) I've . . . I've hooked up with Kenny Stamins, who is . . .'

(Stunned, then loud) YER SHITTIN' ME! I know who Kenny Stamins is! He's the much-loved son of our illustrious leader Colonel Garth Stamins, and yer telling me that him and you are lovers, that he's gay. Have you taken leave of yer senses? He's only a kid and . . . '

'He's eighteen and calm down, (Scott merely stared back in disbelief) he's very mature for his age. If age is the issue, I'm only four years older than . . . '

'Bloody hell Jason, age isn't the issue, (pausing to choose his words) I mean it's OK to be fuck-buddies, but to even contemplate a relationship is madness. Have you finally flipped? I gather he hasn't told his lordship that he's gay? (Jason nodded) well the old man's gonna find out soon because when people see the two of you hangin' out together, the truth's gonna come out in the nastiest way.'

'And I suppose you having an affair with your boss is a very sensible idea eh? I mean it's a bit rich you goin' heavy on me and calling me stupid when you're also living dangerously. Hell (drinking from his mug) who are you to decry me.'

'(Somewhat mollified) Ok I'm sorry; I wasn't thinking about my situation because I reckon you're in more danger than Mark and I. Y'see we've been together for several months now and no-one's said anything. It's as Mark said, as long as we do our jobs and do them well, no-one can touch us - and he's right. But look at the mess you're in buddy. (Playing idly with his coffee mug) I don't know what the Colonels gonna do when he finds out his favourite son's gay; he certainly won't be ecstatic, but when he finds that a Corporal, in his command, has been corrupting his flesh and blood, he'll be feral.'

Pause. Both men starred down at their coffees, obviously deep in thought.

'Look Jason, I'm sorry if I'm less than enthusiastic about your good news. It's . . . it's just that I can see problems ahead and I'm worried for you. What's this kid all about anyway, why would he want to go into a relationship when he's only eighteen? At that age, I was whoreing meself around shamefully, and the last thing I wanted was to be exclusive. Is there something yer not tellin' me?'

'(Sigh) Yeah thanks for lookin' out fer me, yer a good buddy Scott. The thing is, Kenny's told me things about our leader that aren't nice. Like he's psychopathic, he loves inflicting pain. Kenny and his mum are frightened of him, and that's why he wants to get away as soon as his school finishes. What he wants to do then, he hasn't told me. We've only had one get together, so I don't know what's in his mind. All I want to do now Scott is to enjoy what we've got, and let the future look after itself . . . why are you smiling?'

'I was thinkin' about my first school encounter; it was an older boy called Billy and your situation is a bit like what happened to me. I'll tell you about it some time, but for now, we'd better get back to work.'

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8.3

'Come in Jack, come in . . . ahh, you know Warrant Officer Bart Madden don't you (Jack nodded, smiled and shook hands with the giant American) Look, what we're going to discuss is very important, so how about we adjourn to our Conference Room, where we can talk without interruptions. I'll have the staff get you whatever beverage you want; just tell the corporal on you way out. And a warning Bart, our coffee isn't anywhere as good as yours.'

They only moved several doors down, and on the other side of the corridor, where they entered a smallish room with seating for only eight persons. They arranged themselves with Jack and Bart facing each other and Grant in the middle. The room though small, was tastefully decorated with war-time photos and unusually, a big indoor fern plant adorning a corner. Contrary to most Police rooms, the walls were painted a soft blue and the carpet a deep blue. It was a pleasing contrast. They had just settled themselves in when the door opened, and a young female corporal walked in bringing their drinks, and some edibles on a plate.

Grant started talking,

'I've asked the three of you here because what I have to say involves each of you. (Clearing his throat) Yesterday I received a visit from our friend Kreek, with what to him constitutes important evidence. (Both Bart and Jack leaned forward with surprised expressions). In a nutshell, he's given me documented and attested evidence as to his whereabouts on the nights the crimes were committed. The evidence consists of a signed statement that Corporal Bert Kreek was away performing services for Colonel Garth Stamins . . .'

'What! (from Jack) What!. Our leader, our own Colonel has given this creep an alibi for the nights he murdered those poor souls. I'm finding that hard to believe; no, I don't believe it!'

'I'm amazed (from Bart) that a senior serving officer would give a statement like that in a capital case. If, I’m sure we all agree, the statement is bullshit, why would a colonel put himself so far out as to jeopardize his career?'.

'Frankly Bart, I just don't know. I was flabbergasted when I viewed the document - this document.'

With that, he pushed copies of the purported evidence to the others. In essence, it said that ‘on (naming dates) Corporal Bert Kreek was performing specialized duties for the undersigned (Colonel Garth Stamins) and for security reasons the details of such activities have to be withheld'. The document was signed, dated, and witnessed by the Colonel's adjutant. Bart Madden was the first to recover,

'Grant, as I said before, this is bullshit. I hope you don't give this any credibility, certainly not to the extent it exonerates Kreek? I mean to me, the issue isn't letting Kreek off the hook, because we all know he's guilty; the bigger question is why an officer of Stamins ranking would perjure himself by attesting to this crap!.'

'(Jack Angrily) Yes that's my question too Bart. We all know Stamins can be a bit wacky, but to perjure himself to this extent is inexplicable. (Pause and taking a quick sip) .Something else is going on here, and I hope, as the policing arm of service, you guys are gonna investigate thoroughly. I must also admit to being highly embarrassed. I don't know what you must think about us Bart, when one of our senior officers behaves in such an appalling manner. I'm disgusted!'

'Hey, you guys shouldn't worry as I know you're both dedicated and staunch warriors. Like you Jack, I would be completely disgusted with any leader who diminishes himself to this extent. The only question is why?'

'And it's a bloody good question Bart. What about you Jack, in your dealings with Stamins, have you observed anything about him that gives a clue to any character flaws?'

'(Thoughtfully) No, not really, but then again what about that stupid Press Conference he called about gays in the service. That was weird; I mean he went against all that Brigade was commending as official policy on the mater. As a matter of fact, my captain was on his staff then, and he told me the whole staff was appalled at his stance. (Grant looked uncomfortable and shuffled his papers around .) He gave no advance notice, nor did he try to explain afterwards why he took such an uncompromising stand on the subject of Gays serving. In a word, he was arrogant.'

(Bart jumped in) I reckon arrogant is a good description;' I mean giving of this kinda false evidence smacks of arrogance - or perhaps something worse. The point now is what we do about it. From my aspect, I say we do nothing. T'me the statement is bullshit, and the only action you guys should take is concentrate on yer Colonel to find out what is his agenda.'

'What about the harassment program Bart? Should Grant keep this up?'

'Oh absolutely, I mean it's working isn't it? Just the fact that he's gone to this extent, even involving his own Colonel, tells me we're on the right track. No, keep it going; In fact I'd recommend you escalate the program.'

'Yep I agree Bart; I'll consult with Jack and my staff to up the pressure. There's a lot more we can do to coerce him. That's easy; what isn’t so easy is investigating a senior officer. That's gonna require a great deal of finesse. Anyway, that's my problem. Now (pause) there's something else that you and I have to address Jack, and it's very unpleasant. (Jack leaned forward looking concerned) Kreek has . . .'

'If this only concerns you and Jack, perhaps I should exclude meself?'

'No Bart, please stay; what I'm about to say still involves you. It's just that it's even more concerning to Jack and I.'

'For god's sake Grant, get on with it.'

'Ok, Kreek has dropped a bombshell. He's threatening to expose a fragrant violation of the army's anti-fraternization rules, and Jack, it involves your boss,. It's about the affair between Captain Mark Peters and Corporal Scott Garnett who have entered into a gay relationship, and have been doing so for the last two months. Kreek . . .'

'You've got to be kidding! In the American services, fraternization between enlisted and serving officers is verboten - forbidden, and stiff penalties apply. What's the cretin threatening?'

'To expose the whole affair and boot it up to Minister level. He's prepared to go to the newspapers if we don't stop harassing him. That's it in a nutshell! Oh, and I believe he's serious because we've cornered him, and you know what damage a wounded animal can create when it's trapped. C'mon Jack, you must've known about it; what have you got to say?'

'(Guiltily) Oh It's my bad. Yes, I know about them. (sadly) At first, I thought it would blow over quickly, but it hasn't, quite the reverse, they seem to be genuinely smitten with each other. I've watched with growing dread, because neither one has shown any inclination to come to their senses. (pause) Coupla weeks back, I asked Garnett's best mate to warn him about the dangers they're facing; I was dismayed when Corporal Meadows reported that the warning had no effect. He's a good lad is Meadows, and I'm sure he was forceful in confronting Garnett. (leaning forward and thumping the table) Oh shit, shit and shit! Those idiots! Now they're not only putting their army careers in jeopardy, but also making the army look weak in not being able to enforce discipline. Not to mention the most important factor - the case against Kreek. Geeze I'm sorry guys, really sorry. If it'd help I could resign, but that ain't gonna solve anything.'

(Forcefully) No, it ain't Jack, you done as much as you could. Look, I've come up against this problem in our Services, and there ain't no simple solution. Yer dealing with feelings and not rational thinking. Yeah, I've been there too Jack, and if it's any consolation you did right. The problem now is how we deal with it; I guess we can't call his bluff, eh?'

'No Bart, that's not an option. Look the only solution I can put forward is for you Jack to confront the Corporal, and I, because we're Military Police, will confront the Captain.'

'And say what Grant? I think I know what yer gonna say but I want to hear it from you.'

'(Bart Interrupting) As an interested party, the only solution I see is to demand both these idiots to break off the affair and do it quickly - or else!'

There was a strained silence in the room as they each considered what had been proposed. No one was deluded about the difficulty and pain involved, but in terms of serving justice , it was extremely and immediately necessary.

'Oh god Jack, how the hell are we gonna do this? I mean we've got to be careful we don't raise the issue of discrimination. It can go sour very quickly.'

(Bart again interjected) No! I'll tell you how yer gonna do this (pause) by bein' extremely angry. I mean furious type anger. You don't have to allude to the Kreek matter, it's none of their business. You've got the army's strict rules to uphold and that's that! In other words, go on the offensive.'

'(Relieved) Yeah that makes sense (Jack nodded). What do you think Bart, should we talk to the Captain and let him talk to the corporal, or talk to them both independently and simultaneously?'

'Oh definitely, the latter. You don't want the Captain giving any false hope or twisting what Grant is gonna say to him. No apart and absolutely at the same time. It'll take a bit of organization but it's doable.'

'OK, when's the best time Jack; when can we assume they'll both be free?'

'Oh I reckon about 4 this arvo. Why don't you arrange to meet the Captain at the Officers Mess at 4 pm, and at the same time, I'll talk to Garnett. We're in the same room, so organizing the matter won't be a problem. I take it that Peters (the captain) won't be able to refuse meeting you Grant?'

'No, if anything he'll be curious. I mean a request to meet with a Military Policeman is not to be taken lightly. No, he'll be there; probably ahead of time.'

There was an apprehensive silence in the room. They had reached a point, a crossroads, where their actions could be misunderstood as discriminating against gay servicemen. It was going to take some careful dialogue to avoid this.

. Grant broke the silence,

'I'm not gonna allow this to wait, (picking up his phone, searching for a number then dialling). Hello, umm Captain . . . its WO Grant Williams here from the MP compound . . . yes, fine thanks and you . . . that's great. Look the reason I'm calling is to set up a meeting with you on a serious matter at 4 pm today . . . no, I don't want to say anything over the phone; I'd rather talk in person, if that's ok? . . . Look, I'm sorry if I've made you anxious, that wasn't my intention. I can well understand that a request like this, coming outta the blue might seem sinister, but it's not. (sounding reasonable) All I can say that I need your help on a project I'm currently working on . . . yes . . . yes . . . fine, I'll see you at 4 then. Goodbye Captain.'

(reluctantly) So now that's settled, what do we do about Kreek? Any thoughts Bart?'

'Firstly, you handled that well Grant. I reckon asking him for help was spot-on; I must remember to do that next time I've got a shitty chore to take care of. About Kreek? Nothing until you've talked to the two culprits. Maybe, ask him to come see you tomorrow morning, and then give him a broadside. Let him know that we still only want a confession . . . well, you know, what we talked about before.'

(Turning to Jack) Mate, here's what I'm proposing to say to the Captain. Let's kick it around so we're both on the same page. Bart, any thoughts would be appreciated.'

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