The Last Command
Chapter 4
by
Tygerzeye
Author's Note: The story takes place in Germany during the last days of World War Two. I may have taken some liberties with places and dates but I've tried to stay as accurate as I can.
November 15th 1945
Lieutenant Hibbert stood at the window of the Officers Mess and gazed out at the scene outside. Beyond the gates to the Parade Ground a small crowd had gathered in the winter sunshine to greet the soldiers who were due to be demobbed that morning. They were all women. He counted about twenty in all; young, pretty, their hair and make-up immaculate, all wearing their best dresses, despite the cold. All, but one anyway. A single woman stood apart from the rest, occasionally stamping her feet against the chill as she waited patiently for her man. It had been nearly six months since Hibbert had last seen Hannah. There had been tears in her eyes then, as she had said goodbye to them on that windblown French airstrip, but now there was nothing but joy in her expression as she lifted her face to the morning sunshine, her auburn hair blowing freely around her shoulders. She was dressed, unusually, in a pair of men's dungarees and a thick cream sweater. A long brown Burberry coat protected her further from the cold air and on her feet she wore a pair of leather hiking boots. Hibbert smiled. As a soldier, and a bachelor, the Lieutenant prided himself on his eye for the ladies, but pretty dresses and lipstick were no match in his mind for the beauty that came from strength. Out of all the men who would be going home today, it was the one that Hannah was waiting for that he envied the most.
Logan sat on his bunk, lost in thought whilst the other men hurried around him, getting ready to leave. He was already packed and had been since the night before. Hannah would be waiting outside for him and he was desperate to see her again, to hold her in his arms and feel her breath on his cheek as he had done when they had said goodbye. He looked at the clock above the door. Five more minutes. It seemed like an eternity. From the moment he had boarded the plane home he had wanted to be with her again, unable to fight the strange instinct that told him he wasn't meant to leave her behind. When her first letter had arrived, barely six weeks after the end of the war, he knew he had to get her back. The words were etched on his memory so clearly he didn't even need to read them to remind himself of what they said. Suddenly, after so long as a loner, he had something to look forward to, a future that he could share with someone else. That knowledge had made their separation all the more unbearable. Now at least, it was nearly over.
"Jesus Logan, for the luckiest man I know, you look as miserable as sin."
The sound of someone speaking his name brought him to his senses. Lieutenant Hibbert stood at the end of his bunk, grinning broadly. Logan sighed.
"Just eager to get outta here Sir." He said. "No offence."
"None taken." Hibbert laughed. "I'm assuming your eagerness has something to do with the vision in denim waiting for you outside."
Logan felt a thrill of excitement course through his body.
"Hannah?"
"Well I should hope you're not expecting any other beautiful women." The Lieutenant feigned indignance. "I don't know how you did it Logan. God knows what she sees in you."
Logan smiled and got to his feet, slinging his rucksack over his shoulder.
"Guess I bowled her over with my charm." He replied.
Hibbert snorted.
"Judgin' from the look of her you bowled her over with something but it wasn't your charm."
Logan laughed, his eyes straying once more to the clock. Two more minutes before they were officially allowed to leave.
"Oh for Christ's sake." Hibbert snapped unable to bear the tension any longer. "Will you get out of here."
"Yessir." Logan grinned and headed for the door.
"And you make sure to look after her right."
"I'll treat her like a china doll." Logan replied.
Hibbert laughed and shouted.
"Knowing that woman, she'd take extreme offence at that kind of sentiment."
But Logan had already vanished through the bunkhouse doors.
Hannah huddled into her coat as best as she could but it didn't fit very well and she couldn't fasten the buttons properly. Still, at least the Canadian winter wasn't as bad as the wind-lashed weather of the Mid-Atlantic. In the fourteen days it had taken to cross the Ocean, Hannah had resolved never to set foot on a ship again; the constant bouts of sickness coupled with the bitter weather had confined her to her cabin for most of the trip. Pulling back her cuff she checked her watch. Just a few more minutes and the men would be officially dismissed. She stamped her feet against the cold, her legs were tired and her back was aching. She had driven through the night and had only managed a few hours sleep before her alarm clock had gone off. Nuzzling into the collar of her coat, she felt her eyelids beginning to droop but then the sound of the barrack gates sliding open and the excited murmuring of the other women snapped her back to life. Brushing her hair from her face she glanced up and found herself looking straight into Logan's eyes. He was stood on the pavement only a few yards away, dressed in civilian clothes; jeans and a leather jacket, looking at her nervously as if he didn't know quite what to say. Hannah smiled. She had spent hours on the road, mulling over what she would say to him when this moment arrived but now, standing there gazing at him, she found her mind had gone completely blank too. Feeling slightly foolish, she took a step towards him, but then he was running over to her, throwing his rucksack onto the ground as he picked her up in his arms and crushed her to his chest smothering her cheeks with frantic kisses.
"Not so tight Logan." She laughed.
"Sorry darlin'" he loosened his grip slightly; letting his hands move inside her coat as he bent down to kiss her lips. His skin was warm and soft against hers, his tongue exploring her mouth with sensuous caresses. She felt his hands slide over the warm swell of her belly, a low growl of desire rumbling in his throat.
"Perhaps we should continue this in private." She whispered, a wicked smile lighting up her face.
"Hmm." He replied, nuzzling against her cheek. "But you look tired."
"A little." She conceded. "It was a long drive, but I got a room at a motel down the street."
He gazed at her; his eyes filled with concern as his powerful hands gently caressed her face. He seemed to be about to say something and she waited expectantly, trying to understand what was running through his mind, but the moment passed in silence. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and with a quiet sigh, embraced her once more. The warmth of his body enticed a rosy flush to the surface of her skin and she snuggled against him to protect her face from the cold air. The tiredness was beginning to seep into her mind and she was suddenly longing for sleep. The last six months had seemed like a lifetime. Every day she had thought of nothing else but being with Logan again, hearing his voice, smelling the musky scent of his body as she explored his rigid muscles with her fingertips. The memories of that morning in the forest had sustained her whilst they were apart; they would keep her going for another few hours. Lifting her head slightly, she planted a soft kiss on the bronzed skin of his temple.
"Logan." She whispered. "Let's go home."
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