Chapter 2 - THE FIRST COMPLAINT
Six weeks earlier, Lena had believed paperwork could protect her.
She had been wrong.
The first incident happened in the motor pool.
She was checking maintenance records when Vaughn walked behind her and slapped the clipboard out of her hands.
Papers scattered across the concrete.
Lena stared at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you relax.”
“You just threw my paperwork on the floor.”
Vaughn shrugged.
“Pick it up.”
Two soldiers nearby laughed.
Lena didn’t move.
Vaughn’s smile faded.
“I said pick it up.”
“You knocked it down.”
“So?”
“So you can pick it up.”
The two watching soldiers suddenly became interested in an engine.
Vaughn stepped close.
“You’re new here, Mercer.”
“I’ve been here five months.”
“Exactly.”
He pointed toward the papers.
“Learn how things work.”
Lena held his gaze.
“Is this how they work?”
Vaughn smiled again.
“You ask too many questions.”
He walked away.
That afternoon, Lena filed her first complaint.
She delivered it to Staff Sergeant Randall Keller, the section NCO who handled administrative issues.
Keller barely looked at it.
“This is about the clipboard thing?”
“It’s about a pattern.”
“What pattern?”
“He blocks my work area. Takes equipment I’m signed for. Makes comments in front of people. Tells younger soldiers not to listen to me.”
Keller sighed.
“Mercer, soldiers joke around.”
“That wasn’t a joke.”
“You’re saying he threatened you?”
“I’m saying he’s escalating.”
Keller leaned back.
“Did he hit you?”
“No.”
“Touch you?”
“No.”
“Threaten physical violence?”
“Not directly.”
Keller pushed the form back.
“Then maybe talk to him.”
“I have.”
“And?”
“He told me nobody here would take me seriously.”
Keller’s expression changed for less than a second.
Then he shrugged.
“Sounds like trash talk.”
“I want the complaint filed.”
Keller looked at her for a long moment.
Then he took the paper.
“Fine.”
Lena left.
Three days later she checked on it.
There was no record.
She returned to Keller’s office.
“Where’s my complaint?”
He didn’t look up.
“What complaint?”
Lena thought he was joking.
“The one I gave you Tuesday.”
Keller finally looked at her.
“I don’t remember you giving me anything.”
Her stomach tightened.
“I stood right there.”
“Maybe you intended to give it to me.”
“I watched you put it in your inbox.”
Keller leaned back.
“Careful, Private.”
“About what?”
“Accusing an NCO of losing official paperwork.”
“I’m asking what happened.”
“And I’m telling you I don’t have it.”
The door opened behind Lena.
Vaughn walked in.
He looked from Keller to Lena.
Then smiled.
“Everything okay?”
Lena turned.
“How did you know I filed a complaint?”
Vaughn’s smile grew.
“I didn’t.”
“You just walked in here and asked if everything was okay.”
“So?”
Keller stood.
“That’s enough.”
Lena looked between them.
Something clicked into place.
Vaughn tilted his head.
“Maybe you should stop worrying about paperwork, sweetheart.”
Keller said nothing.
And that was when Lena realized the first complaint had not been lost.
May you like
Someone had buried it.
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