Renegade (Ministry of Paranormal Research & Defence) Read Online Free PDF Page A

doozy of a story,” said Joanne.
    “ Oh, I do, something Bill told me about six months ago. Something I'll bet none of you know.”
    “ Oh, sweetie,” said Paul, “if this is going to be too much for you, just say so.”
    “ No, it's okay,” said Helen, smiling bravely. “I find it easier to focus on the good times. Bill ... Bill wasn't Bill when he died. And Jack set him free.”
    “ Okay, luv,” said Danny with a tenderness that was at odds with his hard appearance. “Just let us know if you need anything.”
    “ Okay, will do,” she said. “You ready for this?”
    She paused for effect, a mischievous grin on her face.
    “Jack and Bill slept together.”
    There was a stunned silence for a few seconds, then an explosion of laughter.
    “Hot damn!” said Dave. “I have to hear the story behind that line!”
    “ Okay, back when they were in the Marines, Jack and Bill were on exercise in the Brecon Beacons.”
    “ Oh,” said Tommy. “This is going to be a hypothermia story, right?”
    “ Well, I thought this was going to be about hot man sex,” said Dave.
    “ Shut up you two,” said Dianna. “Let her finish. I, for one, have no idea what you're talking about, so just let her tell it.”
    “ Thank you, Dianna,” said Helen. “Okay, it started to rain, really heavily. Then the temperature dropped and the rain turned to sleet, then to snow.”
    “ Oh, sounds bad,” I said.
    “ Yeah, wet then cold? That's when hypothermia sets in, and the military has a procedure to sort that out.”
    I gave her a puzzled look.
    “You share body heat,” she explained. “You find somewhere nice and sheltered, get out of your wet clothes, and two guys get in the same sleeping bag.”
    “ Naked?” I said, trying not to laugh.
    “ Of course.”
    “ Bill and Jack? Naked? In one of those little green sleeping bags?” I asked, unable to believe it.
    “ I know, hun,” said Helen, grinning. “The fantasy kept me warm on many nights when Bill was away.”
    “ I never believed that,” said Chris once the laughter had subsided. “I always thought that was just an excuse the Royals used to curl up together.”
    “ That's because you're a fuckin' Para,” said Dave. “And that means you don't have the brains God gave a wet fart.”
    Helen saw the puzzlement on my face.
    “Jack, Bill, Danny, Bobby and Dave were in the Royal Marines. Tommy was in the Parachute regiment. There's been this low-key rivalry between the two units for a very long time.”
    “ It's a guy thing, luv,” said Zoe. “If the two groups stopped hating each other they might both have to face the fact that the other is pretty much the best in the world at what they do.”
    “ Imagine that,” said Joanne. “Imagine how much destruction they'd cause if all the energy they use hating each other was channeled into other areas.”
    “ I pray for the world,” said Danny, completely straight-faced.
    “ Amen,” said Dave, his eyes twinkling.
    I laughed, still trying to swallow the idea of my man and his friend holding each other in the same sleeping bag.
    “Okay, I think I can top that,” said Bobby.
    “ Bill and Jack, naked, in one sleeping bag?” said Joanne. “You better be able to back that claim up.”
    “ How about the time Jack pulled the mature woman?”
    “ Oh! Oh!” said Chris, jumping up and down. “I remember that one. That was hilarious!”
    “ Our troop was sent to some poxy, hole-in-the-ground army base in the arse-end of England. Jack got bored and went out on the lash with me, Chris, Tanker and Strangely Brown.”
    “ Who?” said Dianna. “Strangely Brown?”
    “ Old joke from an old television series. Guy's name was Stanley Brown and he always tried to maintain this golden tan. We called him Stra—look, why does that matter? You listening to the story or not?”
    Dianna stuck her tongue out at him but remained silent.
    “Okay, so we were out, three sheets to the wind, when this older lady just comes up out of