Chapter 3

Captain James sat at his desk and rested his head in his hands. The situation in the village had gone from bad to worse, the Afghan army weren't able to maintain control and the extremists had managed to work their way back in and had re-established themselves. It felt like all the hard work they had put in over the past few months had gone to waste and he was feeling the pressure. He sighed audibly.
Plus there was that one person that would not stop going round and round in his head, he wished the evening on the roof had been different. His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of boots outside the tent.
"Sir?"
"Corporal Kinders."
"Your needed in the OPS tent."
"On my way."
The Captain and his Corporal doubled over and entered the tent, the whole of 2 Section were gathered around the central table. "Sir?"
"The Taliban have recaptured the village. We are going to issue orders to mount an offensive. But 2 Section will be asked to stand down on this one."
"Sir?" Captain James looked shocked.
"But Sir we worked so hard to take it, we can't leave the job half done."
"You've done what you can Captain. It's time to let the specialist teams get in and do this one by the book."
"But Sir?"
"I said stand down Captain. That's an order."
Captain James stared at the other Officer incredulously. He snapped out of it suddenly. "Yes Sir."
2 Section were given their orders to dismiss and followed Captain James out of the OPS tent. Molly raced to catch up with him.
"We have to do something, we can't let them rush in there all guns blazin'. What about the kids, they were startin' to go to school, even the girls!"
James put up a hand to silence her. "Orders. We don't argue with them."
"But it's... "Not fair I know. We don't argue, we carry on. I'm sorry Molly."
Molly stood there ashen-faced.
"Fuck it."
She turned on her heel and marched off in the other direction.
"Molls?" He quickly corrected himself. "Dawes."
"Private Dawes, double here now."
She kept walking in the other direction.
"Private Dawes! That's an order."
She stopped dead and turned to face him slowly. He spotted an unfamiliar mischievous glint in her eye, before he knew what was happening he had closed the gap between them and they were face to face. His heavy breathing was the only thing interrupting the silence. She slid her hand into his slowly, indiscreetly, and moved away leading him back in through the open canvas of his tent. They stood there, for what seemed like hours, just taking each other in. Until Captain James couldn't wait any longer, he moved closer and took her head in his hand brushing aside a stray lock of her hair. Their lips touched briefly, she upped the pace quickly and moved in for a deeper kiss. Before he had time to think Molly had removed his MTP trousers and he was halfway through getting her t-shirt off, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer. "We can't do this Molly," he mumbled through the kiss.
"Army regulations...," she cut him off.
"Fuck 'em," she replied. "I need you."
"I'm your section commander Private Dawes, it would be an abuse of my power..."
"God I love it when you pull rank on me, don't stop," she mumbled back.
Despite his words, and his better judgement, he continued to caress her back and quickly remove his own shirt deftly. "I need you too...That's an order Dawes."
She pulled away and smirked.
"Yes Sir."

First light broke at 5:30am and saw 2 Section put on light duties since they had been taken off village patrols. That meant box stacking and fetching and carrying much to the dismay of Captain James. "Fingers, Dangleberries, Mansfield. Your on ammunition, these boxes need to go to the armoury."
"Sir."
"Smurf these rations need to go to the mess tent."
"Sir." Smurf reached down for the box and disappeared off in the direction of the tent. Molly and Captain James had been trying to avoid eye contact all morning. Ever since their little 'escapade' the night before, Molly had not been able to keep her eyes off him. When he pulled his shirt off over his head and his t-shirt had rode up and the sliver of tight abdomen on show sent a shiver down her spine, she kept having flashbacks of her pressed up against that body the night before. He had to blink twice, he could've sworn he saw Molly wink at him. He couldn't concentrate, he had a growing headache. He just couldn't put what happened last night to the back of his mind, god knows he had tried, but she had successfully manage to strip back all the layers, his officers rank, his soldier's mindset, until he was reduced to a man with a desperate need for her.
He came crashing back to reality.
"Sir?"
"Smurf."
"Is there anything else."
He looked over at Molly.
"Urm. Yes actually there is, could you just finish delegating for these last few boxes, thanks."
He handed Smurf the clipboard. He didn't break eye contact with her.
"Paperwork needs finishing."
"Yes Sir."
Captain James walked quickly out of the tent.
Silence descended.
"Mansfield, this ones for the med tent,"
said Smurf pointing at the box at his feet.
"I'm tired of this!" whined Mansfield. He then proceeded to snatch the clipboard from Smurf and wrestled him to the ground while all the lads piled on top. Molly slipped out of the tent doors quietly under cover of the commotion and doubled over to Captain James's tent.
"Sir?"
"God Molly I thought you'd never come."
He snaked his arms round her waist.
She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled into his t-shirt.
He buried his head in her neck and whispered "I need you Molly Dawes, I always have."