Beauty and the Brains

“At ease, soldiers.” Sophia stood in Staff Sergeant Cormack’s tent, back ram-rod straight, hand up in salute. At his words, she and the other four soldiers lowered their hands behind their backs, but never lowered their heads or slouched their posture. They’d been trained better than that. “You’ve been gathered here because you are some of our best minds on base.”

Tell me something I don’t know.

The sergeant’s eyes seemed to look at every soldier besides Sophia. Honestly, she was used to it by now, four years into her service. Four years of being ignored by higher ups. Four years of having to prove herself to every egotistical trainer, every man in her engineering classes, every minute of every day. Besides Sophia, the team was made up three young men, all with their hair in the traditional buzz cut, all of them looking like they would fit in at any college fraternity party, and one other woman, slightly taller than Sophia, with auburn hair and freckles splattered across her nose. Do they just see a pretty face when they look at you, too? She wondered.

“You are the best, and for this mission, we need only the best.”

Sophia’s pulse quickened. A mission. An important mission. Finally, some fucking respect…

“Private Vasquez, did you have something to add?”

The sergeant’s eyes were suddenly on her. She hadn’t realized that last part had accidentally slipped out… out loud. Shit.

“Sir, no sir.” She snapped, eyes glued straight ahead of her.

“As I was saying,” the sergeant continued his pace up and down the row of soldiers, “you were called here because you are the best. Two days ago, a shipment of weapons and communication devices was stranded out in the desert on route to this base. These devices were meant to be placed along what we believe are well-travelled enemy supply lines to help us gather intel on enemy movement. We need those devices, and we need them in working order. You are being sent out to find, retrieve, repair, and place these devices. For protection and additional man-power, we will be working with a specialized team from the marine corp, chosen to escort you to your target and provide coverage for your mission. Since we anticipate some kind of conflict, you’ll also be receiving some additional training with said team. You will report for drill at 0600 hours. Are there any questions?”

They all knew that was a rhetorical statement. No one questioned orders.

“Very well then. You are dismissed. Be ready at 0600 hours.”

Sophia had just turned to follow her teammates out of the tent when the sergeant called, "Private Vasquez, a word?"

You're in for it now... Sophia turned back to face him, her eyes staring blankly ahead, her hands pressed flat against her back.

The sergeant took a moment to size Sophia up before speaking. "Is there any discontent I should be made aware of, Private?"

Sophia kept her eyes unfocused as she responded. "Sir, no sir."

The sergeant took a step towards her. "Are you sure? Seemed like there was something going on that you just couldn't wait to talk about."

She swallowed, trying her best to keep her voice even. "Sir, I am grateful for this opportunity and meant no disrespect. My excitement got the best of me for a moment, that's all."

"Excitement, huh?" The sergeant chuckled. "There are few soldiers I know that would be excited to go on a possibly deadly mission like this."

"Excitement at the opportunity to prove myself, sir." Sophia clarified, meeting his eyes for the first time. He reminded her of an old science teacher she'd had in high school. That teacher had terrified her, too.

The sergeant nodded, and Sophia could see the thoughts running through his brain. "Private, I do not often compliment members of my regiment like this, but I will make an exception today. Never, at any point, have I or my fellow commanding officers been doubtful of your competence. If anything, we held you back because we knew how valuable an asset you were."

Sophia's jaw dropped. For one of the first times in her life, she was speechless.

"Which is why I also wanted to give you a word of warning, Private. We need your brains for more than just this mission. Be careful out there. Don't be so eager to prove yourself that we waste a valuable asset." The look on the sergeant's face told Sophia that there was more to what he was saying than just compliments. There was real fear in his eyes.

"Yes, sir." She barely whispered.

With that, she was dismissed out of tent. The sun was out, beating down on the Iraqi desert like an oven. Heat waves glimmered off the tan tents littered across the base. The moment Sophia stepped into the sun, beads of sweat started forming on her forehead. It was moments like this when she missed the shade in New York. And the food, and air conditioning...

She was wondering back to her barracks, not even 50 feet from the comfort of her own cot, lost in her usual mental checklist of things needing to be packed for the mission, when a hauntingly familiar laugh stopped her in her tracks. It can't be...

It was. She was staring at the back of Billy Russo's head, 20 feet in front of her. He was surrounded by a few other soldiers, all large men dressed in their marine garb. Shit, shit, shit. She ducked behind the nearest tent, earning her a few sideways glances from passing soldiers.

He didn't see me. Hell, maybe he doesn't even remember me... Okay, he saw me naked, maybe that's a long shot. Maybe he'll keep walking and I won't have to run into him. She peaked out from behind the tent. His group of soldiers was still parked in the middle of the walkway. He was standing right in front of her tent, when she needed to get in there and start packing. Think, Soph, think. Another group of soldiers was coming up behind her, all tall and wide shouldered. Maybe I can sneak by if I just hide myself...

If there was one thing Sophia had learned in her four years of service, it was that her size often caused her to be overlooked. How many times had her commanding officers ignored her during trainings, thought her accomplishments were someone else's, all because they didn't look down five inches to see her there? Billy will be just the same...

She wormed her way into the group of men, keeping her body tucked behind their silhouettes, her head down. She held her breath as they passed Billy, hoping their boisterous laughter wouldn't draw his attention. They were telling some story about a man she didn't know, and from the content of their jokes, she wouldn't want to. Do guys always have to be such crude, disgusting...

"Sophia?"

... Fuck.

...

"Men, you are needed for protection and possible combat to retrieve equipment and intelligence crucial to our presence here in Iraq." The sergeant marched in front of Billy's regiment. "We suspect that during this mission there will be an attempt of sabotage or other hostile behavior. Your job is to make sure our Army brethren complete this mission, no matter the cost. I cannot stress the importance of what you are about to do. At 0600, you will report for drill and combat training with the team you are escorting. You are to instruct and assist them in hand to hand combat and firearm target training. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Billy barked back with the rest of his crew.

He wasn’t the biggest fan of playing babysitter to some army brats, but he was a good soldier. He did as he was commanded. It’s how he’d moved up the ranks so fast, how he’d been promoted to lieutenant within the four years he'd been serving. Doing what he was told and never questioning orders.

"Lieutenant Russo will be leading you on this mission. What he says goes. Understood?"

The rest of the squadron barked another "Sir, yes sir!" while Billy smiled to himself. It was the first time he'd ever run a mission, and he was itching to be let loose.

Once they were dismissed, the team loaded into the back of an armored truck and made the trek to their new, temporary home. It wasn't much different than the base they'd just left, all tan tents scattered in the middle of a sandy desert. Upon arrival, they were instructed to stow their belongings in a makeshift barracks that had been erected for their stay, and make their way over to the regular army barracks to meet the team they'd be escorting.

"Hey, Russo," one his his teammates- Rick? Ryan? Billy was so bad with names- called to him from the back of the group.

"What's up," Billy snuck a peak at his name embroidered over the left side of his chest, "Ray?"

He had always made it a priority of addressing his fellow soldiers by their first name. Not just because if he didn't he would completely forget what their name was, but because he knew what it was like when know one knew your name. The people running the group home had never remembered his... Too many kids going in and out for them to care to remember all their names.

Ray and a couple of others stopped just outside the barracks tent as Billy turned to them. Billy nodded at the rest to go ahead in and make themselves comfortable. "Back there... what they said about expecting something to happen, you think it's true?" There was a hint of fear showing in Ray's eyes. The eyes of his friends, too, as they glanced back and forth from Billy to Ray.

Billy didn't want to add to that fear. "C'mon, you guys, you know we always have to expect something to happen. The second we don't is the second we get our asses handed to us." His words soothed a little of the worry he saw in Ray, but didn't take it away completely, so he had to ask, "What's got you so worked up about it?"

Ray, a man who looked like he could easily be a linebacker and a few inches taller than Billy, actually looked sheepish at the question. "Well, sir, I.. I just got some news the other day that makes me think twice about what all I'm doing over here. I.. I'm gonna be a dad." A smile a mile wide broke out over the soldier's face.

Billy clapped him on the shoulder while reaching to give him a handshake. "Congratulations, Ray," Billy gave him his most genuine smile. "When's the little bundle of joy expected to get here?"

"The Mrs. just found out. Won't be here till next March. I'm gonna try for leave so I can be there for her, if I can get it." The way Ray beamed made Billy's heart squeeze with jealousy. His dad probably hadn't been so excited to find out about him, if his crackhead of a mother even bothered to tell him about his existence in the first place.

"Well, soldier, I can promise you I will do everything in my power to make sure you're there for that little one's introduction to the world." Billy's words rang hollow in his ears, but the other soldiers didn't hear it. They were all so excited for Ray. "Just don't go doing anything stupid and making me save your ass."

"Thank you, sir." Ray chuckled. "Trust me, Sam already gave me the same speech. Said if I had the audacity to die over here, she'd find a way to bring me back just so she could kick my ass for being dumb."

A real laugh escaped Billy's mouth, one he didn't find himself using much these days, unless he was around Frank. But Frank hadn't been assigned this mission, leaving Billy to try to make new friends.

"She sounds like a keeper," Billy clapped Ray's shoulder again, and was just turning around to head into the barracks when a small figure caught his eye.

Dark hair, shiny and healthy even in the the regulation bun, that olive skin, an ass that even a military uniform couldn't hide. She looked just the same as the last time he'd seen her. Well, except now she was very obviously trying to walk without being noticed.

Her name was out of his mouth before he could even think. "Sophia?" She stopped in her tracks. "Sophia Vasquez?" Billy asked again when she didn't turn around, surprising even himself when he remembered her whole name. A name he hadn't thought of in years. 

She finally turned, a pained expression splattered across her face. Not happy to see me, then. "Billy Russo." She greeted him with all the warmth of the first snow in New York. He'd been sweating bullets out here in the desert sun, but the look she flashed him turned his veins into ice. Yup, definitely not happy to see me.

Ray and the other soldiers around him took their cue to head to the barracks, leaving Billy and Sophia alone. Or as alone as one could be on base.

He'd forgotten how much joy he got from making her angry, but seeing that look on her face brought it all back. He plastered his old smirk across his face, his whole posture shifting as he studied her for the first time in four years. She'd put on more muscle since high school, but her face looked the same. Those same dark eyes, thick lashes, lips that instantly put sinful thoughts in his head. Did we actually hate each other all that much? Maybe it was just some playful teasing for her. Why did I even hate her in the first place, she's so damn attractive, I mean look at her...

"I thought I told you not to acknowledge me ever again." Sophia spat.

There it is.

"Nice to see you, too, brainiac." The old nickname slipped from his mouth as sweet as honey, his smirk still in place. "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

"Real funny, Russo. What're you doing on an army base?" As soon as the words left her lips, Billy could see something click into place. Her eyes widened, her face paled. "No. No no no no..."

Only one thing could make her react like that. The pieces fell into place for Billy only a second later. His smirk was replaced by a fully feral smile. "Looks like we get to work together on another project, brainiac. Just like old times."