Broken Soldier: A Novel by Clara Frost Read Free Book Online Page A

Serving and leading had been goals and dreams both, and he’d reached them. But now? Now he didn’t know. A leaderless platoon had more direction.
    Paul sat beside him, still stretching and cooling down.
    “So, speaking of jobs,” Rafa said, “I’m due for discharge.”
    “Everything okay?” Paul was aware of the difficulties Rafa had faced after the incident with the shura , but he didn’t know everything. Legally speaking, most of it was still classified and he couldn’t know everything. Not if Rafa didn’t want even more trouble.
    “I could lie and say ‘yes,’ but it wouldn’t strictly be true. I talked to my lawyer, and I’m most likely taking the DoD’s offer and taking the honorable discharge.”
    Paul’s face fell. “I’m sorry, bro. I know how much service means to you.”
    “Yeah, well...” Duty, honor, country. They were more than words for Rafa. They were a way of life, the central pillars of his whole being. And having them stripped away, even if it was with a veneer of honor, it hurt him more than a busted leg or a missing hand ever could. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “So I’m getting out, which means I need to get a job.”
    He could see Paul working through the consequences of that statement. “But not here?”
    “My dad has offered me a position with his consulting firm in DC. One of my professors from West Point has offered to help me get on as a lecturer at The Citadel.”
    “Where’s that?”
    “South Carolina.”
    “Ouch. You talked to Emily about this yet?”
    Rafa looked away. “A little.”
    Rafa expected Paul to bust his balls about it, either indecision or abandonment, but Paul only grunted. Rafa finished his set of crunches and laid back on the mat again, listening to the hiss of the air conditioner and the occasional squeak as Paul shifted positions to stretch a different muscle.
    “I’ve spent my life with orders telling me where to go and what needed to be done,” Rafa said. “I can’t remember another time where I didn’t have a mission. I don’t know what to do about a job or about Emily.”
    “Can you get anything in Colorado? See where things go with Emily.”
    “I don’t even know where to start.”
    Paul chuckled. “Seems weird to suggest it, but you might actually talk to Emily about it. She knows folks at the university. Or what about your army buddies? We have ROTC at a couple schools out here. And there’s always the Air Force dudes down in Colorado Springs.”
    “I don’t think the Air Force Academy is going to want a crippled Army vet.”
    “Don’t know until you ask, do you?” Paul stood up. “Hate to change the subject, but I need to get cleaned up and get on out of here. I’ve got a case that needs my attention.”
    Rafa pushed himself to his feet and followed Paul out of the gym. Talking to Emily was a daunting prospect. He knew how he felt about her, but he still had doubts about how she felt about him.
    Halfway to the locker room, he started laughing.
    “What?” Paul asked.
    “Do you realize how much relationships and warfare have in common? You go into something knowing just enough facts to get yourself in trouble, you do the best you can, and you hope no one gets shot.”
    “Rafa, bro, I’m glad I got you hooked up with Emily. You need a shrink, dude.”
    Rafa slugged him with his good hand. He realized that he’d had a flaw in his reasoning. He did have a mission. He needed to talk to Emily.
    #
    Emily picked at her salad, shifting tomatoes and cucumbers without really intending to eat any of them. Christa sat across from her, a half-finished club sandwich still dripping mayo onto the plate. Sometimes Emily hated her best friend for being thin and able to eat whatever she wanted.
    “How’s work going?” Christa asked.
    “It’s alright. I saw a boy this week that reminds me so much of myself when I was a kid. I feel so bad for him.”
    “Well, that means you can help him, right?” Christa took a