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Not long after joining the highway, the bus slowed and pulled to the side of the road.
“What’s going on?” Gertie asked.
Ida Belle shrugged.
“We’ve been instructed to stop by the United States Army,” the driver announced to the passengers. “Please stay in your seats.”
Marge turned around to them. “The Army?”
The door of the bus opened. A man stepped inside, wearing an Army dress green uniform. His insignia indicated he was a Colonel.
“That’s Mr. Parker,” Gertie whispered. “He’s a Colonel!”
He showed the driver his ID and then turned to the passengers. “Sorry I’m delaying your bus. There’s been a paperwork snafu, and I’m just here to collect a few of our new recruits so we can settle the matter.” He looked at the driver. “They’ll need their luggage.”
“Oh crap,” Ida Belle whispered.
“We didn’t get away with it after all,” Gertie said. She blinked as tears invaded her eyes.
“The big baby,” Marge said angrily. “Now I wish I had hit him harder.”
He walked toward them. “You, you and you,” he said, pointing to Marge, then Gertie, then Ida Belle. “Come with me, please.”
They followed Col. Parker off the bus and waited as he and the bus driver retrieved their luggage. A Cadillac limousine with a US flag mounted on one side and an Army flag on the other side was parked ahead of the bus by several yards. Someone sat in the driver’s seat.
Gertie started to softly cry, prompting Marge to place her arm around her shoulder in comfort. Ida Belle kicked at a rock in the street, sending it up and into the trunk of the Army limo. Great, thought Ida Belle, now she’ll have to pay to get the dent out.
After placing their luggage into the limo, Col. Parker waved as the bus driver returned to his bus and continued on his way.
“My aunt said you were going to let bygones be bygones,” Marge said.
“That’s not exactly what I said. Please, get in the car.”
“You brought a limo to get us?” Ida Belle asked as she, Marge and Gertie slipped inside the back seat. The driver, wearing a cap, stoically sat behind the wheel, not bothering to say hello.
“It’s a long stretch to Alabama,” said Col. Parker, sliding into the front seat. “I like to be comfortable.”
“He likes to show off is what he likes to do,” the driver said in a voice all three had heard quite a bit growing up.
“Aunt Louanne?”
Louanne turned around and took off her driver’s cap. Her hair tumbled down over her neck.
“What are you doing here?” Gertie asked.
“Let’s just say I had an offer I couldn’t refuse.” She glanced at Col. Parker, whose lips were turning up slightly. “You see, the past ten years I’ve been working as a civilian consultant to the US Army.”
“That’s why you go off on photo trips!” Marge said, pointing to her. “Or are they even photo trips?”
“Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It’s not something I can share at this time. But now they want me to train some young women. Some very talented young women.”
“Us?” Gertie asked.
She nodded.
Gertie leaned forward in the plush seat. “You’re going to be our drill instructor?”
“Not quite.” She nodded to Col. Parker.
“We’re going to take you to basic training at Fort McClellan in Alabama. Once completed, you will be assigned various clerical positions.”
Ida Belle’s face fell. “Clerical?”
Marge and Gertie groaned.
“On paper,” Louanne said. “In reality, you’ll be sent to me.”
“We have some special training we’d like you to go through,” Col. Parker said. “What I saw those two days following you around impressed the heck out of me. Sure, you were a bit rough around the edges—”
“Rough?” Gertie asked. Ida Belle kicked her ankle.
He raised his brows. “When you’re doing makeup to age yourself, you have to remember to age your hands as well. And speaking of hands, never tie someone’s hands in front of them.”
Louanne sighed. “How many times have I told you girls, hands in back?”
Col. Parker gazed at Louanne, his expression one of respect mixed with a huge dose of romantic spark. Ida Belle had been right. Those two were an item.
“Lou and I used to work together on several... projects during World War II,” he said. “She was the best we had.” He winked to her. “Still is.”
“You weren’t a regular WAC, were you?” asked Gertie.
“That’s classified,” she said. “Once you receive clearance, maybe I can tell you about it.”
Marge grinned. “You were a spy.”
Miss Louanne’s face grew serious. “Girls, like I’ve always told you, I was a file clerk for an intelligence officer. But that’s all I did. Filing. Brought him coffee. That type of thing. And that’s what you will tell people you do.”
“Can I put the Leap Frogs down as a yes?” Col. Parker asked.
“Leap Frogs?” Marge asked, grimacing.
He nodded. “A temporary code name I have for you three.”
Ida Belle looked from Marge to Gertie, then back to Col. Parker. “On one condition. You don’t call us Leap Frogs. We have another name we go by. Swamp Team Three.”
Col. Parker looked taken aback by Ida Belle’s brashness.
“Get used to it,” Gertie said. “Ida Belle can be pretty bossy.”
Miss Louanne swung around and started the limo. “Welcome to the United States Army, ladies.”
THE END
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