The Soldier Who Taught Her to Love

Chapter Nine - Contraband

Chapter Nine – Contraband

With the air feeling like it had evaporated around her and oxygen was in short supply, Kyla continued the punishing climb up the side of the rocky mountain in front of her. Two back backs in place one strapped on her front and the other carried upon her back, she continued to push.  Her feet had gone from sore, to pain, and now to numb, feeling the squelch of blood from the build-up of a multitude of blisters that she knew resided upon her heals and toes.

After the euphoria of completing the leap of faith, the contestants had little time to celebrate before they were separated into teams and a race between team A and Team B ensued, with a promise that two contestants would be withdrawn from the losers.  To make matters worse they were to carry a large heavy log, on the romp up the Scottish hillside, and contestant number 16 had fallen twisting his ankle, so to carry his bergen upon his back and carry the log was a near impossibility. Kyla had taken it upon herself that during the time she was not holding the log she would also carry number 16’s 25 kilo back pack strapped to her front, so that he could move quicker. Driven upwards through the steep rocky terrain at speed, she was unaware if they were first or second in this race to the top.

“Enough” a shrill voice echoed around her, as number 13 unceremoniously dumped down the log, and marched over to Woof, and all but threw her armband at him.

“Move down the mountain” his voice uncaring at her decision.

Kyla was unsurprised at the girl’s actions, Woof had been goading her most of the journey, and she was a weak link in their team, always wanting to put the log down, or falling behind when she was on her rest carrying only her back pack.

Kyla ran slightly, well not really a run more like a quicker walk than before, given her exhaustion and pain she could not really run at all, but it was a close as she was going to get.

“Number 16, I need to take up position on the log, sorry but you will have to take back your kit” Kyla apologised.

“Yes of course, thank you” he responded, grateful for her help. She had been the only one to offer it, and he doubted he would have been able to continue had she not.

“YOU NEED TO PICK UP SPEED, MOVE” Kermit shouted, his voice reverberating through Kyla even in this situation it had the ability to cause butterflies to explode in her stomach.

Kyla being short, moved to the front of the Log, so that the height difference would not cause an issue if she were to be located in the middle. Then together the team picked up the log and placed on their shoulders and began to move.

Kyla’s body shock uncontrollably from the exhaustion as she began to climb the never ending assent. Suddenly her mind wandered back to the events of the morning, and she remembered Kermit singing his heart out in the shower, as the song played on loop in her mind, she found her feet stepping in time with it, causing a rhythm to her walking, and she pushed on, hoping that she was not holding the others back. 

“That’s it! number 11, well done, effort” Woof praised her, his voice laced with something that resembled respect.

Onwards Kyla fought her pain, the ache, the exhaustion and continued singing that song in her head.

As they reached the top of the mountain, the finish line, Kyla breathed a sigh of relief, there was no sign of the other team. Dropping the log, then bag packs, the contestants all but collapsed upon the soft green grass like it was the most comfortable thing they had ever sat upon.  Groans and sighs echoed around her, as Kyla laid back onto the grass, too exhausted to move.

“Number 11, get up” the familiar baritone voice that caused a shiver of delight to run through her tired aching body spoke

Kyla looked at the outstretched hand of Kermit, who pulled her to her feet. As their hands connected the feeling of being hit by a million vaults of pleasure rushed up her arm straight to her core, and she had to supress a man when his hand left hers.

“Keep upright, else you will feel worse” Kermit then moved to the other contestants and gave the same advice dispelling any feeling that she was special before it took root in her mind.

Kermit looked at team B, and he could not help the sense of pride that engulfed him as he gazed momentarily on number 11. She had put her all into the exercise, had pushed through, and even proved she was indeed a team player by taking on the extra weight of an injured teammate.

He had not been able to stop himself from helping her when he saw her laid on the ground, knowing she would feel more pain if she just lay down instantly, he wanted her back on her feet, and cooling down gradually. Once the words were out of his mouth, he had to move to the other team members and repeat the action, he could not and will not show any favouritism.

Standing in front of them, he waited for Tank to arrive, team A were still climbing the other pathway, and he had been informed via there comms link that three of that team had withdrew. Four more gone, but now the guys were catching up on his total of armbands that hung on the nails, so he must up the game to remain in the lead.

The first full day in the course, and already ten contestants had bugged out leaving 12 well, 11 and one mole left in the process.

Tank was hoarse from shouting at his team, they were as he kept repeating pathetic, and he was going to pull number 14 in for interview tonight. This guy’s attitude stunk, he had no regard for those around him, he would have been dismissed now, but he was pushing to his limits, and showing great effort, his only saving grace. Given they had managed to get rid of a number of the contestants now, he would wait till tonight to make a decision on those who remained.

Finally reaching the top, Tank began to psych himself up for the lecture he was about to present to them all. He would be delivering what they liked to call a s**t sandwich. Positive comments followed by a whole host of negative then a further, small amount of positive, would be shouted at them. Not many in today’s world of touchy feelie let’s take offence at everything and cry to mammy when things don’t work out, liked this method, but, it worked, and this process was not for the ‘I am offended at everything’ brigade that seemed to be people in general within Civvy Street.

Tank prowled across the contestants, his eyes boring into there very souls, when he saw they were just on the edge of being unbearably uncomfortable he began.

“Some of you put in the required amount of effort. Most of you did not, if you think for one f*****g minute you can coast around thinking your stronger or better than any member of your team you do not f*****g belong here, and you need to hand in your f*****g armband right now. We do not have time to f*****g carry you along, you either ship up or ship out. Team B you won the task, but given you had more people at the end, it was not by much, so pat yourselves on the back, but realise you need more effort. It is only going to get harder, and you are going to need each other, Number 11, was the only person to put the team before herself, well done, now you have reached the top, leave the logs, get you bergens on and run down the other side to the bottom to the SUV… MOVE”

With that the contestants stood up and began to job down the mountainside, back to what they hoped would be a quiet night. For some it would be, for others they would experience their first interview, number 14 being one of them, and Tank smiled inwardly because he loved this s**t.

Back at the base, Kyla took off her boots, then her socks, and as she suspected her feet were covered in dried blood. As she pealed off her socks, wincing slightly at the pain, she noticed skin stuck to them, so removed it like a sheet of paper from a pad.

“Wow number eleven, that is hard core, you carried my back pack with those feet!” Number sixteen asked in awe of her mental strength.

Kyla offered a small smile, then picked up the talc that number two had given her and doused her feet with it. 

Looking at Number 2 Kyla turned. “Thank you for this, really it is a life saver” she smiled at him

Cigs looked at the girl who was more than just a beautiful pair of eyes, he was impressed, she had all the appearance of being submissive, and one that would crumble, but today she had proved she had the mental strength of galvanised steel, and the intelligence to understand how to win they had to work together. She was beginning to seriously impress him, and whatever her reasons to be here, he suspected were for her to prove something to herself, rather than to get on the telly or prove how fit she was, he really began to root for her, and hoped she would achieve all she set out to when she joined.

Kyla was so thankful that they had let them be this evening, and she took the opportunity to go wash her clothes so that she could have dry clean kit tomorrow. Most of the others were busy relaxing, making the most of some down time. She stood against the trough scrubbing out the dried blood from the socks, whilst giving the rest of her used kit a wash down, when number 6 arrived beside her.

“You were f*****g hard core today number 11” Number 6 smiled at her.

“Thank you, I do not know how the heck I managed it, I thought I would be home” Kyla gave a soft giggle.

“Na, your strong, I can tell, and not an asshole like some, my name is Izzy, nice to meet you” Izzy held out her hand to Kyla and without a second thought Kyla shook it.

“I must admit, I was so pleased you said what you did last night about all of us messing up at some point, you had taken the thoughts straight out of my head, only had the confidence to voice them, and well, I want to have your self-belief by the end of this” Kyla opened up to Izzy.

Izzy offered her a smile and nod, and the pair of them continued to wash their clothes a comfortable silence descending between them.

After mess, the contestants entered the barn, and bunked down for the night. Kyla found her mind playing over the day’s events, she did not know what she was more proud of, talking to Izzy or making that leap of faith, and she smiled inwardly that her apprehension around people was starting to erase. Nobody had mentioned her eyes, nobody seemed to care, and this gave Kyla some confidence that she was not the heinous beast she had felt all her life.  As she turned over in the small cot, her mind then drifted to this morning, and the interaction with Kermit, from his singing in the shower, and she pondered on who the woman was he could not get out of his bed, a small stab of jealousy hit her, and she huffed slightly then remembered how he had called her gorgeous. Number 16 was snoring loudly and mixing it with her mind running a million miles per hour, sleep was not Kyla’s friend.

Kermit sat in his room, after the interview with number 14 that had left the whole team wondering if they should just withdraw him because of his arrogance. He had even the Gaul to interrupt repeatedly, Tank, as he spoke to him, challenging him when he could. Kermit laughed slightly at Tanks response

“Oi, one singer, one song, and right now I am f*****g Pavarotti so shut the f**k up and listen”

It had taken a great degree of strength not to laugh out loud when Tank had shouted that in the face of the kid, and still was making him chuckle slightly.  Jim’s, mind then wandered to the gorgeous number 11, and his breath hitched. Damn she had shown some balls today, and he could not help but be more than a little impressed with her. But f**k, when she had caught him singing in the shower, she had taken the piss out of him, and for some strange unfathomable reason Jim felt this was not something she would normally do, and he wondered what that meant. His mind still overactive, and his body craving something sweet to eat, Jim opened his freezer, and retrieved a pot of Ben and Jerry’s, taking his spoon, he decided to venture out, and find a place outside to eat, and enjoy some peace and quiet in the cool Scottish night air before hitting the sack.

Walking out, Jim sat down propped up against the stone wall of one of the out buildings, and listened to the sound of the crickets, smelling the wood from the log burners, and it brought a sense of peace to his soul.

Suddenly his body froze and went onto high alert, as he heard footsteps approaching.

“Oh, Sorry Staff” number 11’s voice caused his heartbeat to stop for a second.

Jim looked up, and there she was stood, long black PJ’s that were for comfort, yet looked sexy as f**k on her, milk chocolate coloured hair hanging loose down to her waist, in seductive waves, f**k she was stunning.

“Why aren’t you in bed number 11?” his voice raspy as his mind briefly pictured her laid in his bed.

“Oh, I could not sleep so decided to hit reset, and hope number 16 stops snoring like a tank” She giggled slightly.

Fuck that sound drove him wild, and his length pulsed almost painfully against the zip of his MTP combat trousers.

“Am I breaking the rules?” her voice suddenly unsure,

“No, it is fine, you did well today, I thought you were going to hand in your armband at leap of faith” he told her, finding the undeniable need to keep her stood here and have a conversation with her.

“I nearly did, but then when you did the base line to another one bites the dust, I just wasn’t having you win” Kyla smiled.

“hum… so you took what was to scare you and turned it into motivation, good f*****g job” Jim nodded yes, he was proud of her.

Kyla went to leave, but Jim was not ready to let her go, he wanted to know more so much more about her.

“Here, sit down, you can share my contraband for a job well done” he smirked, holding out a spoon full of cookie and cream ice cream.

Kyla stood frozen for a split second, then took a seat leaning against the wall beside Kermit.

“I don’t eat sweet food anymore” she said, whilst longing to take the spoon in her hand and demolish the contents.

Jim looked at her, a small furrow on his brows, and wondered if sweet food had once been an issue for her, and that is why she is under confident. He remembered at the waterside yesterday, how she had covered herself, and this morning, how she had gone out earlier than needed to have a shower, was she avoiding the crowd, was she in some way ashamed of her beautiful body?

“Why?” he asked her, tilting his head to one side as he studied her features, and noted that she lowered her eyes and looked a little uncomfortable.

She took a deep breath, then said

“I have lost over 100 pounds in 18 months” she owned up,

“Number 11, on this course you will burn over 4,000 calories per day, if food is offered take it, your body needs it, you will not put on weight by sharing a pot of ben and jerry’s with me” He spoke gently to her, then extended the spoon once more to her delectable lips, and whilst he looked into her hypnotic eyes, her lips parted, and he placed the spoon into her mouth.

Fuck the moan she made, nearly slayed him dead, his length hardened even more, and he was desperate to readjust himself. Damn, she did not even know how she had slain him, which made him want her even more. He longed to taste her full mouth, he wished to place more than the spoon between her lips, his desire pulsing through him was better than any other adrenaline rush he had experienced.

Before he lost himself completely, Jim turned to her

“Number 11, you should get some rest now, tomorrow is going to be a killer” he whispered.

Nodding Kyla jumped to her feet, and walked away, feeling confusion as to what she had just experienced. But what ever it was left her more breathless than climbing that mountain and a strange yet amazing tingle between her legs that had caused dampness to pool from her lady parts.