Chapter 4 - THE REACTION OF THE SQUADThe silence in the tavern grew heavier, broken only by the low hum of the neon beer signs on the wall.
The young Marines who had been laughing and clinking glasses just moments before were now sitting rigidly upright, staring down at their hands or casting sideways glances at me. They weren't laughing anymore. In the Marine Corps, respect was earned through blood, sweat, and operational competence—and the realization that they had been mocking a legendary combat major right to her face was sinking in with terrifying clarity.
The corporal who had first spoken stood up completely, snapping to attention and offering a crisp, textbook salute of his own.
"Major," the corporal said firmly. "Apologies for the disrespect, Ma'am. We didn't know."
I raised two fingers in a casual, acknowledging return salute. "At ease, Corporal. You didn't know. Your sergeant here, however, should have known better than to let a junior Marine run his mouth without checking his airspace."
Gunny Vance cracked a brief, grim smile, though he kept his posture rigid. "Lesson learned the hard way, Major. We’ll be conducting remedial situational awareness briefings bright and early tomorrow morning."
Dominic looked like he wanted the wooden floor to open up and swallow him whole. His promotion party—the night he had planned to spend lording his new rank over his "boring civilian sister"—had turned into a public execution of his ego.
"Viv..." Dominic whispered, taking a step toward me, his voice cracking with desperation. "Please. Come outside. Let’s just... let’s talk outside."
I slowly pushed my chair back, the legs sliding against the floor with a clean, deliberate sound. I smoothed down the front of my green blouse, adjusted the delicate gold chain my grandmother had given me, and stood up to my full height.
I might have been shorter than my brother, but standing across from him now, I felt taller than the room itself.
"There's nothing to talk about here, Dominic," I said quietly. "You wanted to show off your new rank to your friends. You wanted them to see how much bigger and more important you were than your older sister."
I walked slowly around the table, stopping just inches away from him.
"Enjoy your party, Corporal. Buy your men a round on me."
May you like
I reached into my handbag, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, and laid it neatly on the center of the table right beside his spilled beer.
"And next time," I added, looking him dead in the eye, "make sure you check who's flying cover before you start throwing around call signs."
