Reporter in The Mog

She allowed herself a few more moments before turning off the water and drying herself off and redressing. She stepped back into the closet bedroom and sat on the bunk. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and clicked on her recorder, recounting her tour and initial meeting with General Garrison. As she did so she drew on the clean white pages inside her pad and found herself drawing eyes she wanted to colour brown.
As Charlie finished her verbal notes there was a knock at the door and a young Ranger stood there as she opened it, 'Its 17.00 Ma'am, Chowtime. General sent me to get you.' Charlie nodded her head, 'Lead the way.' She followed him to the mess hall and looked around at the dazzling array of Rangers and Deltas in the room. Something smelt and she saw the carcass of the beast that the man with the brown eyes had been carrying.

As she joined the queue she could feel stares aimed at her, she didn't mind and in fact was used to it. She let it pass over her and continued to take in the small events that took place around her. She saw the guy with the brown eyes as he pushed in front of a ranger who seemed to be complaining. He carried on before having an encounter with a handsome blue-eyed stiff shirted type. Ranger leader, ah yes, she mused, probably spit shines his boots every night. As she looked on she moved further down the line having something slapped onto a tray that could have been food once. She saw one of the others approach the confrontation and try and diffuse it. Then it occurred to her one lot was Ranger and the other Delta. Conflicts between different types perhaps.

She sat at the end of a long metal table filled with chattering voices and swallowed the glob as quickly as possible extremely thankful for a cast iron stomach. As she scanned around the room she was joined by a tall tanned brown hair man. 'Hello,' he said with a grin, 'The names Cliff Walcott but my friends call me Elvis. You must be the reporter.' Charlie smiled, 'I am indeed Mr Walcott. Charlie Willis.' Walcott’s smile seem to grow larger, 'Call me Elvis.' She grinned in return. 'Call me Charlie.' He looked around the room, 'Rangers, D-Boys and Nightstalkers. The best of the best.' Charlie looked about, 'Course you wouldn't think so right now, bunch of hooligans.' He said this good naturedly, 'Is Limo in the dictionary?' Charlie looked and pulled a little face, 'No I don’t think so.' Walcott slapped his fork down in mock dispear, 'Damn I'm gonna get spanked now.'

Charlie was glad of the company and they were soon joined by the chopper pilot who had brought her here, 'Mike Durrant meet Charlie Willis, she’s on your side.' Mike looked at her, 'We met,' before stretching out his hand to shake hers. 'But pleased to meet you again.' Charlie gripped it firmly, 'Likewise.' They sat for a time and Elvis and Mike told her stories about different characters, then at last she found the face she had been seeking, 'What about him? What’s his story?'
Elvis looked round at the figure she was pointing to, ‘Oh,’ he said a little amused, ‘That’s Hoot.’ ‘Hoot,’ she said raising her eyebrows. ‘Indeed.’ Walcott replied. Durrant said nothing just smiled, apparently the name seemed to say it all. Charlie looked at them both and shook her head, ‘So that’s his story then,’ ‘Wouldn’t be the one to say,’ she gave up but at least she had a name to put to the face, ‘So how are you boys enjoying the Mog?’ As she spoke a large man came and sat alongside Walcott, ‘Chief,’ he said before nodding to her and starting to eat, ‘This is Bull my co-pilot. Bull show us your manners this is Charlie Willis, the reporter.’ He said the last bit as a stage whisper and she laughed, ‘Pleased to meet you Ma’am as he held out a huge paw like hand for her to shake. It was covered in grime but she didn’t mind. ‘Likewise.’ She sat talking a little more with the Nightstalkers enjoying their company. ‘As for the Mog, it’s hot dirty and smelly but we get to fly and we are the Nightstalkers.’ She raised an eyebrow, these pilots were fun and certainly unique amongst those she had met.
By the time they had finished eating Walcott had decided to take her on an unofficial tour of the large hanger the D-boys, Rangers and Nightstalkers all shared. It was crowded and separated by little more than a couple of bits of fabric or some plastic sheeting here and there. Much to her delight she got to see some of them walking around with nothing but a towel, she was still a red blooded woman after all. Walcott introduced her to some of the Rangers, including the blue-eyed Ranger Captain who spoke with a drawl that was almost out of place with his face. He was polite enough but she found him a little cold and lacking in humour. Then they moved onto a couple of the Deltas. She was a little in awe of them after hearing many rumours about them. They had taken her over to meet Jeff Sanderson one of the men who had gotten off Walcott’s chopper earlier in the day. He smiled and his whole face seemed to smile with it, she felt a little more relaxed and he talked to her for a while without really saying much about what they did. He took her around the section the Deltas seemed to have commandeered for their own personal use and whilst it was hot and smelly it was an insight in to them she not expected. One guy was writing a children’s book, he was even doing the illustrations, he happily showed her the book and chatted to her for a few moments before Sanderson whisked her off to the next guy. And on it went, a few moments here and there but no Hoot, she wondered why she was so fixated on him and then she saw him. Sanderson was moving her over towards him,
Her heart seemed to leap a little and then she came back as Sanderson gave Hoot a friendly smack on the arm, ‘Hey man, Hoot meet Charlie Willis, reporter extraordinaire.’ Hoot looked at her and almost grunted at her. Sanderson gave him a little glare, ‘Come on man, shes not that bad really.’ Charlie held out her hand almost as she were trying to make peace for something she had not done. Hoot looked at her hand and then gripped it firmly, shaking it, ‘Charlie,’ he said not even bothering to check it was alright he use her name, ‘Hoot,’ she answered back returning the grip. He nodded as if satisfied. She was about to talk a little when the Ranger Captain made his way over, ‘Captain Steele,’ Jeff said, ‘Time for you to be leaving now Miss Willis,’ he said without acknowledging the Delta who had spoken, ‘I’ll walk you back to your quarters, wouldn’t want you to get lost now.’ He said it almost as if he wanted her too, Sanderson and Hoot gave him a look of contempt, ‘No need for that I’ll walk her,’ Hoot said. Captain Steele grimaced at him, he did not like Deltas that was clear. ‘Well just make sure you do,’ he said in answer. 'Carry on.' And with an imperious nod of his head walked away. As if in tune Sanderson and Hoot looked at him, 'Asshole.'