Badges

headache, and I could use the peace and quiet out there this shift.”

    “Okay, you got it. Have you taken anything for it?”

    “Yeah, a couple of aspirin, and I brought some extra with me.”

    “Let me know if it gets worse and you need to see the medics.”

    “Sure thing, Sarge, thanks.”

    Having made sure he got the post he wanted, Neal sat down inside the lonely guardhouse. Unlike the other base gates, there was nothing but fields surrounding Gate Two. In reality, it was a very dangerous post, as it would be easy to take out the Airman on duty and move an army onto the base.

    In town, Mark made sure he got the same beat so that he could swing by the base and see if Neal was on duty. He thought he would wait until about eight thirty and bring Neal some coffee once more. The only thing that worried Mark was that it was a busy start of the shift with calls for domestics, which always went up when the weather was hot.

    Neal sat in the gatehouse, looking down the long road that approached his location, hoping to see headlights. Just after nine, when he had begun to give up any hope of seeing Mark, Neal spotted a car off in the distance moving towards him at a high rate of speed. Due to the rate of speed, Neal became nervous and grabbed the M-16 from the gatehouse and prepared to deal with intruders.

    But when the car was within three hundred yards, Neal saw the police emergency lights flash twice, and he realized Mark had finally made it. As Mark pulled up and got out of the cruiser with the coffee, he looked at Neal and then at the M-16.

    “Is that for me?” Mark asked.

    “What? Oh! Well, I wasn’t sure who you were, since you were doing about ninety towards me. I didn’t think it was you.”

    “Yeah, it’s been a busy night. Here, have some coffee,” he said as he handed the cup to Neal. “I was planning on being out here about forty minutes ago, but the calls haven’t stopped. So I wanted to make sure you got your coffee at least,” Mark explained.

    “Thanks, I appreciate it. I’ve been thinking about you a lot since the other night. I had a great time with you, and I was especially thinking about you hard after I went to bed,” Neal said with a grin.

    “You dirty boy! Are you saying you beat off thinking about my fine body?”

    “Yep, that’s what I’m saying, cowboy!”

    “You younguns just have no self-control. I waited until my morning shower to take care of business.”

    “Youngun, my ass, you’ve got mere months on me. When can I see you again?”

    “Well, seeing as how I want to see you again, how about when we both get off duty tomorrow night? We’re working the same shift, so we can spend three hours or so at the bar that’s just opened up.”

    “There’s a new bar?”

    “Cheyenne is opening its first ever gay bar tomorrow. Since Congress finally got rid of that stupid anti-gay policy, I guess a businessman thought that all you gay Airmen would need a bar to call your own. It’s going to be called The Missile, after what you fellas do out here.”

    “Well, I suppose that’s better than ‘Pocket Rocket’ or something,” Neal said with a laugh.

    “Now that would have been cool!” Mark responded.

    “So, it’s opening night, eh?”

    “Yep, and if you like, we’ll check it out.”

    “I like the idea a lot. Pick me up?”

    “Yep, about eleven forty. I need to go home, shower, change, and get out here to get you. You give them my name over at Gate One?”

    “I’ll take care of it.”

    Mark’s radio crackled. “Car twenty-three, report of unknown trouble at Clyde’s Honky-Tonk, better respond priority on this one. I’m also sending in backup.”

    “Damn, gotta go, champ. See you tomorrow night!”

    Neal waved as Mark sped off with the lights on this time. He said a quick prayer that Mark would be all right on the call. He wandered back into the gatehouse, took the lid off his coffee, and saw that it was just the way he liked it.

    The next day dragged on for Neal; the only thing he could think about was his second date with the very cute Cheyenne cop later that night. Since he was working the main gate for this shift, Neal was able to write Mark into the visitors’ log and clear him for access to the base.

    At exactly eleven forty-five, the CPD cruiser pulled up to the barracks, and Neal was inside in a flash.

    “Hello, stud! You look fine tonight,” Mark said.

    “Thanks, guy, you look pretty hot too in those tight jeans and