*Knocking at the door* Belle got up from her crouched position, she was laying against the door exhausted. The knocking startled her and just as soon as her eyes opened she was looking at the screen on her door showing her who was outside. It was Captain Buchannan. She didn’t reply. *Knock Knock* “Belle! We need to talk. You need to come to formation.” An uncomfortable silence ensued, Belle was thinking about it and there was no way she was leaving the room until she had a plan. *Knocking* Belle, you have to come to work.* still no reply. “Belle, If I don’t hear from you I may have to come back and enter your room to check on your well-being.* Belle was about to speak when she thought about her epiphany. She had something in mind. She wasn’t going to let this man in her room. *Knocking* “That’s fine. I’ll come back later then” She watched a frustrated captain storm off down the hall.
Belle walked over to her closet and opened it, she began packing a bag with a few tops, a pair of pants, and she threw some panties in the bag, grabbed a pair of shorts and sunglasses, a bra, and took the bag into the kitchen. Belle gathered a few snacks and a water bottle, a bottle of peanut butter, and shoved it into the bag. She wore her Marine Corps colored camouflage uniform and coyote tan boots. She did her makeup and hair in the bathroom for the next thirty minutes and then there was a knock at the door.
*Knock* “Belle, are you in there?” It was the captain again. “This is a direct order from a commanding officer, you are to report to formation immediately or face the consequences.” Belle wasn’t scarred. Belle was looking at her lips as she applied a shade of light red to her lips. Pursing them together and making that *pop* sound, she walked into the kitchen and took a sip from her tea. Belle was ready. *Knocking* “Now you listen to me, I gave you a direct order. You will obey my commands or I will report you for your alcoholism and damage to government property.” Belle was silent, “Man I want a cigarette.” She thought. “And I don’t even smoke.” She giggled to herself. *Knocking* we hit port tomorrow, if I don’t see you in my quarters tonight I’m going to be forced to court martial you.” Captain Buchannan had let a personality show from himself that she had never suspected him of having. Belle smiled... “Bring it on.” She spoke softly to herself.
The next day she looked out the window and seen land. Soon after she felt the ship getting close to docking at port, and heard sounds and ruckus in the hallway. Belle hadn’t left her room in close to a week now. She was certainly in trouble. Belle grabbed her backpack and pulled her hat down, a pretty smile on her face. She picked up her shades and sighed, “Am I ready for this?” she looked at them a moment before putting them on. “Oh daddy. I wish you were here to help me.” Belle looked at the ground for a second, she put her shades on and looked at the door. “Here we go!”
Belle opened the door and had her hands on her backpack straps. She was smiling, she looked beautiful. Even in uniform you could tell she cared about her body, and her long blonde hair was up in a perfect bun, her makeup was ever so slight but complimented her beautiful face perfectly. Belle was determined, she was walking past people as they stared at her with odd looks. It was likely everyone on the ship knew what was going on. If her plan was to work she had to move quickly. Belle exited the hallways and winding corridors to come to the deck of the ship where the exit was. She walked down the hall and saw a huge line of people waiting, Belle made use of that pretty smile by saying “Sorry!”... “Excuse me!” and she forced herself to the front of the line where they were checking digital ID’s before you got off the ship.
Belle smiled and pulled hers out, showing them. “Have a good day Almonetta!” They said to her, and she walked out briskly, pulling her hat down further. What Belle didn’t know was that when they scanned her ID they also read the chip in her wrist, which conflicted the digital ID she had shown for her twin Almonetta. Belle was about twenty seconds down the path before they noticed. Belle didn’t notice them approaching as she was walking with her hat pulled down, focusing on the ground as she walked briskly away from the ship. She wasn’t making eye contact with anyone and was slipping into the crowd as two men came up and gripped her by the arm. “Your presence is requested by the Admiral. You aren’t to leave the ship.” Belle paused with her face looking forward.
She hadn’t turned to face them or look at them. Belle was thinking about trying to run away but she knew it wouldn’t work out in her favor. Belle looked at one of the men in the face and frowned, her pouty lips sparking a sense of humanity back into him. “If you’ll come with us.” He motioned. Belle recognized him as an MP, it wouldn’t be smart to run at this point. She followed him back on to the ship, skipping the processing station and proceeding to the admiral’s quarters. “Have a seat here.” One man told her as he went inside the room next to her chair. Belle was only in the chair for a moment or two before the door opened. “Ms. Kayer, come on in.”
Belle stood up, straightened up her uniform and walked in proudly, snapping to parade rest in the middle of this tiny conference room. In the front of the room was a raised podium with the Admiral on it, to either side of him was the Captain and a Major. To the each side of her were various flags, and in front of those flags on her right was Almonetta, Mataldo, and another female from her unit. They were all in their Class A uniforms, the ones reserved for formal events.
The Admiral spoke “Attention!” Belle shifted her position to attention and he continued “Petty officer first class Ms. Belle Kayer, you are summoned to my office for two things. One of which, I regret to inform you that your husband had been killed in action.” Belle was at attention, she wasn’t allowed to move until directed otherwise. But the tears came rolling down her cheeks nonetheless. Belle tilted her head ever so slightly down so they could not see her eyes.
The Admiral paused “Second of which your commander has informed me that you have committed a series of grave offenses the likes of which cannot be overlooked, regardless of the situation you may be going through this is not accepted. The charges as are follows. Consumption of Alcohol on board a US Navy Vessel without authorization. Provision of intoxicants, Providing intoxicants to minors, consumption of intoxicants, breaking and entering the housing unit of a ranking officer, battery on two counts, accessory to an attempted murder aboard the USS Minerva, desertion of a US Navy vessel, impersonating a US Navy Officer and failure to report to work for more than two working days.
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Additional unauthorized area or desertion charge. At this point Ms. Kayer, how do you plead to the aforementioned charges?” All the eyes in the room were on her now. Belle had been void of any emotion, and in this moment she felt triumphant. She had a rebuttal in mind “Not guilty.” The admiral looked up from his stack of papers and said “Do you have a rebuttal against these charges, or wish to submit one in writing at this time?” Belle looked up, meeting his eyes with her fierce gaze. She moved into the “parade rest” position.
Tears drying on her cheek she spoke confidently “If I am not being charged with purchasing the alcohol then how could I have consumed or provided it? There are no stores on the ship and no proof of purchase. In addition I was never breathalyzed. There is no record of myself breaking into a ranking officers quarters, as a key code has to be used to enter those doors. I do not have access do this key code, so I could not have used it. I do not remember being involved in a fight or altercation, and I was not involved in any attempted murder. There was a fight in the dining hall but I was violently yelled at and left the area before I knew anything of the situation. If there was an attempt made on someone’s life I was not present or knowledgeable of it. Finally, sir.” She took a deep breath “When exiting the ship I was never informed I was not allowed, and I returned immediately upon being contacted by the MP’s you sent for me.” She motioned towards them, at which they looked down avoiding her gaze. Belle focused intensely upon the Admiral, who waved the Captain over and had a word with him.
The captain and he spoke for a moment and then he said “We will have a recess to review your rebuttal, and I will call you back in shortly. Ms. Kayer you are dismissed at this time.” Belle snapped back to attention and exited the room accordingly. She took a deep breath as she sat back down into the chair she had used earlier. Belle was confident she had hit everything on the mark, she didn’t even mention the full story about the captain and her best friend trying to take advantage of her.
There was no time to think about her husband right now, she had to remain strong through this. They were most definitely trying to hang her and she could not face the consequences from these charges. Belle knew what happened in the prisons now days, they had done away with most military brigs and if the crimes didn’t merit it you were just forced out of your military contract with a dishonorable discharge and charged with time in a civilian prison. She didn’t belong in prison, she wasn’t a bad person. Belle was shaking from excitement reviewing everything she had said to them. “Fuck her.” She thought about Almonetta. Belle had been waiting there for some time and was starting to get restless.
Wondering about what was to come, she looked up at the clock and watched the hand tick. There were a few important people of rank in offices in front of her, but they wouldn’t talk. She just watched them as they worked on the computer. Some time later, she was attempting to stay awake in the chair, her posture perfect and her hands on her knees
. Just then, the far door opened, and in came members of her platoon. She knew these guys, Foreman, Serve, Ochoa, Kyle, Grimes, they were all walking in with the Captain leading them. Belle looked up at them and felt empowered, she knew these guys would have her back. They were all marched into the conference room and the door shut. Her anxiety grew, she was going over the events in her head repeatedly. Trying to figure out if she could say anything else in her defense. They would never believe the truth but there was still ways of talking your way out of trouble if you knew the policies right. The door opened. Belle looked to her left and was ushered in, again she walked in. Again she presented herself with fire and fury, ready to take on whatever rank was in front of her. In this moment she cared about nothing more than defeating these opponents set before her. She was emotionally void of anything except her burning desire to walk out of here a free woman.
The members of her platoon were crowded in on the right side of her with exception of Almonetta, Mataldo, and the other female. The captain and major were next to the admiral, and the MP’s were by the door. It was certainly getting hot in here, she thought. The admiral spoke “Petty Officer Kayer, the evidence has been taken into consideration and the charges remain the same.
In the charge of Consumption of Alcohol aboard a US Navy Vessel how do you plead?” He looked up through his glasses, meeting her gaze once more. Belle defiantly spoke “Not guilty.” He continued “In the charge of provision of intoxicants how do you plead?” Belle replied “Not guilty.”... He continued “In the charge of providing alcohol to other personnel aboard a US Navy Vessel how do you plead?” Belle spoke again, her voice cracking “Not guilty.” The admiral adjusted in his seat “In the charge of consuming intoxicants how do you plead?” Belle replied “Not guilty.” The admiral made some notes on his notepad “In the charge of breaking and entering into a ranking officers quarters how do you plead?” she replied “Not guilty.” He continued “In the two counts of battery, how do you plead?” she spoke, taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Not Guilty.” The Admiral again spoke “In the count of accessory to attempted murder, we have found your claims to be substantiated and have dismissed the charge.
In the charge of Impersonating a US Navy Officer, Failure to report to work resulting in Absent Without Leave (AWOL), and leaving the boarding vessel USS Minerva without authorization resulting in an additional AWOL count. How do you plead?” Belle spoke finally “Not guilty, on all counts.” The Admiral adjusted his glasses going over some notes on his podium. “Ms. Kayer at this time I am going to note that I am not adding Lying to your Fleet Rear Admiral as a final charge, but merely that it will be on your packet in the civilian correctional center” Belle was bewildered, she cocked her head in question at this statement.
The admiral looked at her with an almost worried expression on his face, “Furthermore, the prosecution has evidence proving more than one of these charges to be proven guilty. If you wish to see the evidence, I have here witnesses of your platoon and peers that may witness the evidence also, on behalf of your defense.” Belle nodded, “Okay.” The Admiral pointed at his major, who pressed a button what appeared to be in thin air. A projection popped up with a picture of Belle in the captain’s bed wearing only a thong, with a bottle of alcohol on her hand. “Does the defendant wish to see more evidence of either Lying to a commanding officer or any of the aforementioned charges?” Belle was defeated, shocked, amazed, and broken.
She took in deep breaths as the tears took over, and the gracious major turned off that single picture that destroyed her mind. The military police came over and she was weeping on the floor as the Admiral read his verdict “Petty Officer Belle Kayer you are sanctioned by loss of rank to seaman, suspension of pay, suspension of your contract of 3 years and 157 days, we will discharge you from the US Navy and hold the rest of your 53 year sentence to a civilian case, resulting in the maximum sentence of 10 years in Camp Leito correctional camp. May you find your peace there Miss Kayer, the trouble you have brought upon the ranks of my officers and seamen will not be tolerated, you are a disgrace to your country and I hope you never see the light of day again. With this, we are adjourned. Take her out of here.”
