Chapter 15: Secrets of No Secrets
She made her way across the bustling cafeteria, her eyes scanning the sea of faces until she found Maria and Laura, their heads bent together in conversation. As she approached, Maria looked up, her eyes widening in surprise before a wide smile spread across her face.
"There you are, our special force girl!" Maria exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement as she welcomed Lyra to their table. Laura looked up as well, her eyes meeting Lyra's with a friendly smile. "Hey, Lyra," she said, scooting over to make room for her at the table.
Lyra forced a smile, her heart pounding in her chest as she sat down. "Hey, guys," she replied, trying to sound casual despite the nervousness churning in her stomach.
She couldn't shake off the image of Maria's wide-eyed surprise when Captain James had called her 'Bunny'. She knew she had to address it, to clear the air before Maria's curiosity got the better of her.
But she didn't want her friends to know about her role as the Barrack's Bunny. It was a secret she kept hidden beneath her confident exterior, a burden she carried alone.
Laura started the conversation, her voice filled with excitement as she recounted her day. "So, how was your day?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Any exciting things happened?"
Maria answered first, her voice filled with pride as she spoke about her role in the clinic. "Well, I've been taking care of Officer Rashford," she said, her eyes meeting Lyra's briefly before she continued. "He's one of the Wolfpack team members that Lyra is part of now. He's been injured, but he's doing much better now." Maria's eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke, her gaze flicking between Lyra and Laura. "You won't believe who came to check on him today, though. The whole Wolfpack team, including our very own Lyra here!" Maria's voice was filled with admiration as she mentioned the elite team.
Lyra nodded and smiled, her eyes meeting Maria's briefly before she looked away, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. "Yeah, Captain James wanted to see for himself how Officer Rashford was progressing," she said, her voice steady and calm.
"And you won't believe this, but Officer Rashford's body is huge! I mean, he's like a mountain of muscle. He took six bullet wounds, and he's still standing. It's amazing how he survived that." Maria's eyes were wide with disbelief as she recounted the details of Rashford's injuries.
Lyra nodded, a hint of pride in her eyes as she listened to Maria's words. She had seen Rashford's wounds firsthand, had helped tend to them, and she knew just how miraculous his recovery was.
"Yeah, he's a tough one," Lyra agreed, her voice steady and calm. "But he's got a great support system here." She gave Maria a small smile, grateful for her friend's unwavering support.
Laura leaned in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, Lyra, what was it like being part of the Wolfpack team? You must have had an amazing day." Maria's eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked at Lyra. "I mean, being part of the Wolfpack team, checking on Officer Rashford... that's got to be more thrilling than my day at the clinic."
Lyra replied with a small smile, "Not much went through my day, Maria. I was just taking care of Rashford at the clinic, like you were. It's not as exciting as you might think." She took a bite of her sandwich, trying to hide the slight flush that crept up her cheeks at the mention of Rashford. She had seen him in a vulnerable state, and the memory of it still lingered in her mind.
Maria leaned in, her voice low and conspiratorial as she spoke to Laura. "You know, Lyra cleaned up Officer Rashford's body herself." Maria's eyes twinkled with mischief as she spoke, her gaze flicking to Lyra who blushed slightly at the mention of it.
Laura's eyes widened in surprise, her voice filled with curiosity. "Really? That must have been intense." She turned to Lyra, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "How did it feel?
Cleaning up a man like that?" Maria asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Lyra took a deep breath, her mind flashing back to the moment she had seen Rashford's cock for the first time, thick and heavy in her hands as she cleaned it gently. She remembered the warmth of it, the way it had pulsed slightly as she touched it, and the unexpected rush of heat that had coursed through her at the sight of his semen on her fingers. But she couldn't tell Maria and Laura that.
"It was just a professional conduct," Lyra said instead, her voice steady and calm despite the turmoil of emotions within her. "I was just doing my duty."
Maria and Laura exchanged glances, a hint of disappointment in their eyes.
"Oh, come on, Lyra," Maria teased, nudging her playfully. "You can't tell us you didn't feel anything. I mean, the man's a walking, talking sex symbol." Laura giggled, nodding in agreement. Lyra couldn't help but laugh at their antics, shaking her head in mock exasperation.
"Oh, come on, you two. It was nothing more than professional conduct," she said, her voice laced with nervous laughter. She took a sip of her water, trying to hide the slight flush that crept up her cheeks at their insinuations.
Then it hits her, Maria's eyes narrowing as she leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Lyra, what's this about Captain James calling you 'Bunny'?" she asked, her gaze sharp and curious.
Lyra froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she realized that the moment she had been dreading had finally arrived. She had hoped to avoid this conversation, to keep her secret buried deep where no one could find it. But Maria's question hung in the air, a challenge she couldn't ignore.
Lyra's mind raced as she tried to think of a plausible excuse, something that would satisfy Maria's curiosity without revealing her secret. She knew she had to be careful, to tread lightly. She loved Maria like a sister, but she also knew that once this secret was out, there would be no going back.
"Because I love rabbits," Lyra blurted out, her voice steady despite the panic rising within her. She watched Maria's expression carefully, hoping that her friend would accept this explanation without further questions. She knew it was a weak excuse, but it was all she had at the moment.
Maria's eyebrows furrowed, her gaze searching Lyra's face for any sign of deception. "But why would Captain James call you 'Bunny' if you love rabbits?" she asked, her voice laced with skepticism. Lyra could see the gears turning in Maria's mind, the wheels of curiosity spinning faster and faster.
She knew she had to give her friend more than just a flimsy excuse if she wanted to satisfy her curiosity and avoid revealing her secret.
"Well," Lyra began, her voice steady and calm despite the turmoil within her, "you know every Wolfpack member has codename? He said he noticed my love for rabbits, and he thought it would be fitting to call me 'Bunny'." She shrugged, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, trying to downplay the significance of the codename.
Maria's eyes widened in surprise, her gaze flicking between Lyra and Laura. "Wait, so 'Bunny' is your codename?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "That's... that's actually kind of cute, Lyra." Maria's expression softened, a hint of admiration in her eyes as she looked at her friend.
"That's actually kind of sweet, Lyra. I can see why Captain James thought of it." She paused, then laughed, "I mean, it's not like you're some fierce warrior or anything." They both laughed together, the tension broken.
Lyra joined in, grateful for the reprieve. "Yeah, well, I guess I'm just not your typical soldier." She took a sip of her water, her mind racing as she tried to think of a way to change the subject. She didn't want Maria to dig any deeper into her secret.
She had to steer the conversation away from her codename. She took a deep breath and forced a laugh, "Well, you know me, always the rabbit lover." Maria and Laura laughed with her, believing her story.
"Oh, Lyra, you had me worried there for a moment," Maria said, her laughter subsiding. "I thought you were going to tell us something scandalous." She winked at Lyra, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"But I guess you're just our innocent little bunny after all." Lyra forced a smile, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to hide the slight flush that crept up her cheeks. She knew she had to be careful, to keep her secret buried deep where no one could find it.
"Scandalous?" Lyra asked, her voice laced with innocence as she looked between Maria and Laura. "What do you mean by that?" She took a sip of her water, trying to hide the slight tremor in her hands as she waited for Maria's response. "Well, you know, the Barrack's Bunny," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
Lyra's eyes widened, her fake innocence shining through as she asked, "What's that, Maria? I don't think I've heard of it before." She tilted her head slightly, her gaze meeting Maria's with a hint of curiosity.
Maria's eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "Oh, come on, Lyra. You can't tell me you don't know about the Barrack's Bunny. It's the talk of the base." She paused, her gaze searching Lyra's face for any sign of recognition.
Laura felt a pang of sympathy towards Lyra. She knew that Lyra had just finished her academy training and might not be familiar with all the slang and terms used around the base. She turned to Maria, her voice gentle as she explained, "Maria, Lyra just finished her academy training.
She might not be familiar with all the slang and terms used around the base." She paused, her gaze softening as she looked at Lyra. "You know how it is, new recruits often don't know about the Barrack's Bunny." Maria shrugged, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she looked at Lyra. "It's a bit of a legend around here." Laura leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "The Barrack's Bunny, Lyra. It's a female officer who... well, she takes care of certain needs of our male colleagues." She paused, letting the words sink in.
Lyra threw a fake shock, her eyes widening and her hand flying to her chest. "Maria, you can't be serious! That's... that's ridiculous!" she exclaimed, trying to sound convincing. Maria laughed, shaking her head.
"Oh, Lyra, you're so naive! You've only been here for a couple of days. You don't know about the Barrack's Bunny yet." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Sometimes, in my early years here, wounded soldiers would... well, they would fuck the female medics." She paused, waiting for Lyra's reaction.
Lyra's eyes widened in shock, her mouth agape as she tried to process what Maria had just said. "What? That's... that's not possible," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked around the cafeteria, making sure no one else was listening to their conversation.
Satisfied that no one heard their conversation, she leaned in closer to Maria and Laura, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But... but that's just a rumor, right? I mean, it couldn't be true, could it?" she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Maria and Laura exchanged glances, a hint of mischief in their eyes. "Well," Maria began, her voice low and conspiratorial, "it's not just a rumor. It's true. And not just for the wounded soldiers. Some of the female medics here, they... they take care of the needs of the other soldiers too."
Lyra's mind raced, trying to process what Maria was saying.
"You mean... you mean that's actually happening here?" she stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief. Then, with nervous chuckles, she quickly added, "Well, I'm sure it's just a few isolated incidents. Nothing too serious." She glanced at Maria, making sure she wasn't included in this dark tale.
Maria laughed, a sound that was both comforting and unsettling. "Oh, Lyra, always the optimist. It's not just a few isolated incidents. It's... well, it's more than that." She paused, her gaze flicking to Laura before continuing in a low voice. "It's almost like... a tradition here.
It's almost like... a rite of passage." She paused, her gaze flicking to Lyra before continuing in a low voice. Maria's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Sometimes, when a soldier is wounded, they... they have certain needs that only a female medic can fulfill." She leaned in closer to Lyra and Laura, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And sometimes, those needs are... well, they're not just physical." Lyra's eyes widened in shock as she tried to process what Maria was saying. She couldn't believe that such a thing could happen right here, in their own base. "But... but that's not right," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, how can a soldier just... just take advantage of a medic like that?" Maria and Laura exchanged glances, a hint of amusement in their eyes. "Oh, Lyra," Maria said, her voice filled with exasperation. "You're so naive.
You think it's just about physical needs? Sometimes, it's about power too," Maria whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the cafeteria. "The soldiers... they're higher officers. They have power over us. They can do what they want, and we can't refuse."
Lyra's eyes widened in shock.
Maria leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Because they can. That's the reality of it."
Lyra's mind raced as she tried to process what Maria was saying.
"But...
but that's not right," Lyra stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"But... but did it happen to you, Maria? Did you have to...?" she asked, her voice trailing off as she looked at her friend.
Maria laughed, a sound that was both carefree and slightly bitter. "Oh, Lyra. Of course, it happened to me.
It happened to all of us medic at some point," Maria said with a shrug, her eyes distant as she recalled the past. Lyra's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing with questions. "How...
how did it happen?" Lyra asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned in closer to Maria, her eyes wide with shock and curiosity.
Maria paused, her gaze flicking to Lyra before continuing in a low voice. "And sometimes, they don't even wait for the medics to be off duty. They..." Maria said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sometimes, they just... they just take what they want, right there on the medical bed." Lyra's eyes widened in shock, her mind racing with images of such a scene. "But... but that's not right," she stammered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the cafeteria. "The soldiers...
they just take what they want, right there on the medical bed," Lyra whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. Maria nodded solemnly, her gaze distant as she recalled the past. "It's not just the wounded soldiers, Lyra. Sometimes, even when they're not injured, they... they come to us, demanding our services." Maria's voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and resignation.
Lyra's stomach churned at the thought, her mind racing with images of soldiers forcing themselves on the female medics. She looked at Maria, her eyes filled with concern. "Did that happen to you, Maria? Did a soldier... did he...?" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, the horror of it all too much to bear.
Maria nodded, her eyes downcast. "Yes, it did. More than once." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"But that was in the past, Lyra. Things have changed since then. The higher-ups have put a stop to it. Nothing like that has happened again." Maria's voice was firm, her gaze steady as she looked at Lyra. "I promise you, Lyra, that's not how things are now." Lyra let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping as the tension left her body. "Thank goodness," she murmured, her eyes meeting Maria's with gratitude. "I couldn't bear the thought of something like that happening here." Maria smiled at her, her eyes softening. "It won't, Lyra. Not on my watch." She took a sip of her water, her gaze flicking to Laura before continuing.
"But there's one place where it still happens, Lyra. The Brig." Maria's voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and curiosity. "The Brig? What is it?" Lyra asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned in closer to Maria and Laura, her eyes wide with curiosity and concern. Laura's gaze flickered between Lyra and Maria before she spoke, her voice steady and calm despite the gravity of the topic. "The Brig, Lyra. It's a makeshift prison on the southern part of the base where the prisoners of war are held." She paused, her eyes meeting Lyra's briefly before she continued. "The Veridania's insurgency members are kept there for three months for interrogation before they're handed over to the Veridania's legitimate government."
Lyra's eyes widened in shock, her mind racing as she tried to process what Laura was saying.
"You mean where they keep the Veridania's insurgency POWs?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Maria nodded, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and curiosity. "Yes, Lyra. But there's something you should know about it. Something dark." "The soldiers... they go there. To the Brig. They... they do things to the POWs." Lyra's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing with images of what Maria might be implying. "What do you mean, Maria? What kind of things?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the hum of the cafeteria. Maria took a deep breath, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and resignation.
Maria's gaze flicked to Lyra, her eyes filled with a mix of horror and pity. "They... they fuck them, Lyra. The soldiers fuck the female POWs." "I mean, how can they just... just take advantage of them like that?" Maria's expression darkened, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "Because they can, Lyra. They're soldiers. They have power over them.
They can do whatever they want, and no one will stop them. Not even the higher-ups. The POWs are fair game, and everyone knows it. It's a dark secret that hangs over the base like a thick fog, unseen but always present."
Lyra's stomach churned as she thought about the female POWs, held captive in the Brig, at the mercy of the soldiers. She couldn't imagine the horror they must be going through, the violation of their bodies and souls. It was a far cry from the respectful encounters she had heard about between soldiers and female medics or fellow female soldiers. There, consent was implied, even if it was sometimes coerced. But here, in the Brig, it was a power play, a brutal display of dominance.
Maria's voice broke through Lyra's thoughts, pulling her back to the present. "But that's not all, Lyra.
There's more to it than just the soldiers fucking the POWs," Maria continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "The legitimate government deleted their records because of their act of treason. So, they don't 'exist' officially. Some soldiers see it as an opportunity to do whatever they want with them." Her eyes flickered with a mix of fear and disgust.
Lyra's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to process what Maria was saying. "They're still people. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity." Lyra's voice was steady, her gaze meeting Maria's with a quiet determination.
Laura nodded in agreement, her voice calm and measured as she spoke to Lyra. "It's a war, Lyra. The insurgency may do the same thing towards female soldiers who get caught and held captive. We can't let our guard down." She paused, her gaze flicking to Maria before continuing.
"But Lyra, you're different. You're a soldier on the front line. You'll be heading out soon." Maria nodded in agreement, adding, "That's right, Lyra. Laura and I, we're not on the front line. We're support staff. But you, you're a soldier.
You'll be out there, on the front line," Laura said, her voice laced with concern as she looked at Lyra. "You have to be careful, Lyra.
The front line is no place for innocence," Maria warned, her voice laced with concern as she looked at Lyra across the table. "I've seen what happens out there," Laura added, her eyes serious as she leaned in closer to Lyra. "You have to be tough, Lyra. You can't let your heart get in the way." Lyra nodded, her mind racing as she tried to process their words. She knew they were right. She had to be tough, to be strong. She couldn't let her heart get in the way of her duty.
As she looked around the cafeteria, she saw the other female soldiers, their faces etched with determination and resolve. She knew that they were all in this together, that they had to rely on each other to survive the horrors of war.
Maria leaned in, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "As a special forces soldier, Lyra, you're surrounded by very qualified team mates. But for some other female soldiers, they're not so lucky. They're not part of the special forces, and they don't have the same level of training or protection." She paused, her eyes flickering with a mix of fear and determination. "You have to watch out for yourself. Because out there, in the front line, it's every woman for herself." Lyra nodded, her mind racing as she tried to process Maria's words.
She knew that she had to be tough, to be strong if she wanted to survive the horrors of war. She had to be ready for anything that came her way.
"I will train, Maria," Lyra said, her voice steady and determined. "I will train for my best so that I can survive this war.
I won't let my guard down," Lyra said, her voice filled with determination. Maria nodded, a hint of pride in her eyes as she looked at her friend. "That's the spirit, Lyra. You'll do just fine out there." As if on cue, Lyra could see her team mates start to stand, their meals finished, ready to leave the cafeteria. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She stood up, pushing her chair back with a soft scrape against the floor. "Well, Maria, Laura, it looks like it's time for me to go," she said, her voice steady and calm despite the butterflies in her stomach. Maria and Laura stood up as well, their faces filled with concern and affection as they looked at Lyra.
Her heart pounding in her chest as she followed her team mates out of the cafeteria.
As she walked through the bustling corridors of the base, Lyra couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. She knew that Maria and Laura were right. She had to be tough, to be strong if she wanted to survive this war.