The General's Wife

"Jack, I'm sorry you had to see that. I was hoping to tell you in a better way than this." Jack could feel his anger building so he began the process of reining in his emotions, otherwise he would be tempted to kill the smirking asshole that was slowly getting dressed next to his wife. He had the large build of a football lineman that had not seen the inside of a gym in several years. Fat over layers of muscle. And body hair. A lot of body hair. "Danny, wait for me in the car. I'll be along in a minute."

"Are you sure, Babe? I can wait for you right here." He continued to smirk at Jack with an insolent grin.

Kathy smiled at him, "I'll be okay. Jack won't cause any problems. Will you?" Kathy glared at Jack.

Jack looked at his wife with revulsion. "Yeah, no worries there. I wouldn't touch her. As far as I'm concerned you can take her with you. I never want to see you two again."

A hint of anger flashed across Kathy's face. "Really Jack? After twenty years of marriage that's the respect you show me?"

Jack looked at Kathy with a neutral expression and ignored her idiotic question. "I'm not even going to ask why or how long. I just want you out of this house. Pack your things and get out."

Kathy nodded. "That's our plan. I was hoping to break this to you more gently. I'm leaving you for Danny. He's going to give me a much better life than I could have with you." Kathy grabbed a couple of suitcases out of her closet and began filling them with clothes.

"I thought you had so much potential. I thought you were going places. I thought you would get a third or fourth star. Then Congress or the Senate. I was going to be someone in DC. Then you capped out at Brigadier, retired and got a job teaching school" Kathy shook her head in bewilderment. "How could you expect me to settle for that? I put up with twenty years of being an army wife and this is my payoff?" She waved her hand in the air as if pointing out the modest house than until five minutes ago had been their home. "I need better than this. I need better than you." Kathy continued to stuff clothes into her suitcase.

"I'm not going to have this conversation with you. Just leave. I'll have my attorney contact you about the divorce."

Kathy sighed. "Fine. You'll probably try to embarrass me or shame me. I get it. But I'm leaving you for a much bigger and better opportunity. He's Danny "DaBull" Bullard. He played in the NFL. He owns the largest Chevy dealership in Texas. He's going to give me the sort of life you could never give me. It may not be as glamorous as being a senator's wife in DC but I'll manage. I don't expect you to be happy for me, but don't be such an angry little boy. It doesn't suit you."

Jack looked at her with the sort of flat look that he would give prisoners of war in the theater of operations. She was now the enemy. He turned his back on his soon to be ex-wife and walked out of the bedroom and to the bar. He poured himself a couple of fingers of bourbon and exhaled slowly. He turned around and noticed his wife's boyfriend sitting in Jacks' chair. His fucking chair.

"Get the fuck out of my house you miserable piece of shit."

Danny stood up and laughed without any signs of mirth. "Hey, I get it. You find out that you're a cuckold and have been eating my cum out of your wife's pussy for months. It's gotta be a shock to the system." He chuckled again. "I'll leave when I'm good and goddammed ready and not a minute sooner."

Jack took three quick steps putting himself in front of Danny. Danny's eyes opened wide in fear. What he saw in the face of Jack McLeod was a peek at his own mortality. He held up his hands and backed quickly away.

Kathy ran into the living room. Jack was calmly drinking a bourbon while Danny stood with his back against the wall, face pale and heart beating wildly.

"Dammit Jack! Act like an adult and not a child who had his toy taken away from him!"

"I told him to get out and now I'm telling you the same thing. Go. Now."

"We're going. Danny, go get my bags. This could have gone easy Jack. But you want to do it the hard way. Fine. We'll do it the hard way."

Danny walked out of the bedroom carrying Kathy's suitcases and smirking at Jack, his courage back now that he had Kathy to run interference for him. "Don't feel bad; the better man won."

Jack looked at him. "Congratulations. You won the prize. And what a prize she is. A cheating wife." He shook his head in disgust.

Danny looked first at Jack then at Kathy, his swagger less noticeable than before. He walked out without another word.

Kathy looked at Jack, anger written across her face. "You'll pay for that you asshole! I'll get the rest of my things later!" She slammed the front door behind her.

Jack took a sip of bourbon and wondered to himself how a day that began on such a high note had gone so horribly wrong. He sighed, and reached for his cell phone. Time to call his daughter Kelsey and let her know that her parents were divorcing.

+++

Jonathan (Jack) McLeod had never been the typical army officer. Both of Jack's parents had died while he was in high school and he had spent the last two years of his high school career being raised by his maternal grandfather, Lonnie Boudreaux, a Cajun oil refinery worker that had never met a law that he was not willing to break. Lonnie was a usually a nice guy, but he could go from zero to son-of-a-bitch with that one extra drink. The problem was, you never knew when that drink was going to hit him. Once Jack graduated from high school and knowing that he was not ready for college, he had enlisted the day he turned 18. Jack entered service as an E1 private with an MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) of 11B (infantry rifleman, also known in military speak as 'target; pop-up, non-electric.') Based on his test scores and performance in basic training, he had been approved for jump school and then Ranger school. By the time he had received orders for his permanent duty station at Fort Bragg, he had been promoted to Private First Class (E3) and sported both jump wings and a Ranger tab on his uniform. Shortly after arriving at Fort Bragg, he had enrolled as a part-time student at Fayetteville State University. FSU's student body in both the undergraduate and graduate department was comprised of a large number of active-duty officers and enlisted men and women. They were equipped for both on-campus and distance learning so Jack was able to attend classes while on base, or by correspondence when on temporary duty (TDY) elsewhere or when he had a change of duty stations. By the end of July, 1990, Jack had settled into a groove of training and school. And then on August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait.

During operation Desert Storm, Jack was shipped to Kuwait and then on to Iraq for that short-lived scuffle. He had shaken his head at some of the decisions made by his superiors. It was there he received his first bronze star and first purple heart. The bronze star was for being at the wrong place at the right time and was also why he was awarded a purple heart. The incident was so minor that Jack never spoke of it and was almost embarrassed to wear the award. Getting shot in the butt by a frightened twelve-year old was nothing to brag about. He was shipped back to Fort Benning a week after receiving the awards. As he stood on the tarmac waiting to board the C130 taking him back to Benning, he looked around the airport and thought to himself that this would not be the last time he played in this sandbox.

Between classes, correspondence courses and CLEP tests, Jack was able to receive a BA in history in six years, two years longer than time it ordinarily took. By now Jack was a Sergeant (E5) and had decided that although he liked the Army, he would enjoy it more as an officer. Jack applied for Officer Candidate School and after going before a three-person board, was accepted for OCS.

OCS was a cakewalk for Jack. As a junior non-commissioned officer, he had a thorough understanding of military protocol and procedures. The senior NCOs in his unit had all noted his calm, collected demeanor and his natural leadership abilities. They all felt that when the shit hit the fan or a situation went tits up, Jack McLeod was the type of soldier you wanted with you. After the twelve-week class at Fort Benning ended, Jack was promoted to 2^nd Lieutenant and had his gold bars pinned by his instructor since he had no wife and no family. Upon receiving his commission Jack was placed on orders for Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty) for his first assignment as a platoon leader with the 82nd Airborne.

Jack had been in the army for eight years and had been promoted to 1^st Lieutenant when he met Katherine (Kathy) Bascombe. Kathy was working as a bartender at an Irish style pub in Fayetteville when Jack strolled in with a couple of other platoon leaders assigned to the 82^nd. The Lion's Den was not a particularly popular choice among the soldiers of Fort Bragg; this was its appeal to Jack. Between the Celtic music and food selections Jack and his friends knew that they could have a quiet evening. All three were immediately entranced by the brunette beauty that was their server. Around 5'8" and 130 pounds with brunette hair worn in a ponytail, she possessed the classic beauty that is often seen on the covers of fashion magazines. The three junior officers were rendered tongue-tied and awestruck. For her part, Kathy was ready to dismiss the trio until she looked into the gray eyes of the tallest of the three. Whipcord lean, with a buzz cut and eyes that seemed they were looking into the depths of her soul. Kathy found herself tongue-tied for the first time around another man. And this one a Lieutenant for Christ's sake! She had dated majors and colonels and even a general. But this 1st Lieutenant had her completely frazzled! They made a date for the next night and were soon joined at the hip when not working.

Jack continued to do well in the Army. He had completed his Master's degree in American history and had begun work on his PhD. He was not sure what he was going to do with a doctorate, but he enjoyed academia and felt that teaching was a possibility after retirement.

On September 11^th, 2001 Jack was a Major (O4) and commanded a company within the 82^nd. Within hours they knew that they were being mobilized. Within weeks Jack's company was on patrol in the mountains of Afghanistan.

This was war unlike any type of war that military leaders had experience with. Everyone could be considered an enemy. Or a friend. Or both. There was a reason that the decades long British-Russo rivalry in Afghanistan had been called 'The Great Game.'

It was for actions on patrol along the Unai Pass in the Maidan Wardak province that Jack received the Distinguished Service Cross.

Jack's DSC had actually started as a recommendation for the Medal of Honor. Senior officials were reluctant to hand out too many medals too early in the conflict. One of the lessons learned during Desert Storm was that if too many people receive medals for bravery, then the medals become worthless. Several instances that were truly deserving of a Medal of Honor were downgraded to either the DSC or a Silver Star during the early days of the Afghani conflict.

Bravery is often just looking at a situation calmly and thinking to yourself, 'today is good day to die.' His platoon was pinned down by an enfilade, that is to say a line of fire along the length of the platoon column. Since Jack was at the head of the column, and the enfilade fire was being directed away from the head, he did the only thing that he could think of; he charged the enfilade. Running along the length of the attacking force, Jack was able to kill six Afghani fighters and severely wound four others. This broke the will of the other Afghanis and they bolted. The entire action had been witnessed by an embedded journalist with the New York Times and for a short time, Jack was famous. A situation which he despised and Kathy loved. She would attach links to news stories about him in her weekly emails. Links that he did not read or acknowledge in any way. Jack's moment in the sun was soon over.

Upon his return stateside, the first thing Jack did was ask Kathy to marry him. She agreed and they were quietly married in a post chapel by the battalion chaplain,

Jack would serve two tours in Iraq. During his first tour, he was awarded a silver star for bravery. During his second tour, he was awarded his second bronze star. He also received his second purple heart for wounds sustained in firefight with Republican Guards.

Upon his return to the world, (or the land of the big PX as the old timers called it) Jack's life picked up where he had left off. He continued working on his PhD and he and Kathy began working on their family. Their daughter Kelsey was born nine months almost to the day after Jack's return from his first Iraqi tour. Kathy loved her daughter but wished she had more of her traits. She had her father's blonde hair and gray eyes. People would say she had her mother's nose, but what did that even mean? Everyone had a nose.

By the time Jack turned 43, he had twenty-five years of service and was a Lieutenant Colonel commanding a battalion. He had completed his doctoral dissertation entitled Texas Statehood as a Reflection of the Success of the Bonham-McLeod-Garcia Law Firm. His dissertation was an examination of how a particular law firm had shaped the fortunes of Texas and vice versa. Jack was distantly related to the founders of the law firm and during a three-year posting at Fort Hood Texas had been given unfettered access to the vast treasure trove of historical documents that the law firm maintained.

Jack was giving thought to retiring when he was made aware that he was on the promotion list for Colonel. Being on the list was not unusual in and of itself, but Jack was given word that his name was at the top of the list. This was unexpected. A back-channel source had advised him that his name going to the top of the promotion list was a silent acknowledgment that his DSC should have been the Medal of Honor. Jack decided not to retire and upon being promoted was offered a teaching position at the United States Military Academy, West Point.

The time at West Point proved to Jack that he loved teaching. He thrived in an academic environment and loved the interaction with students. Kathy loved the time at West Point because it brought her into contact with many well-known politicians and media type people. Although first and foremost a college, West Point by its nature sees a lot of dignitaries and famous people traverse its halls. Kathy met politicians, foreign dignitaries, and the President of the United States. She ate it up with a spoon.

After three years at West Point, Jack's name was on the list for Brigadier General. He was promoted with orders to take over a brigade at Fort Benning. Jack was well aware that the US Army was the most political organization in the United States, if not the world. The backstabbing, undercutting and general fuckery at the general officer level was embarrassing and Jack quickly became sick of it. He decided to retire and do something else with his life.

After completing his dissertation, he had the germ of an idea about how to turn his thesis into a novel. His tenure at West Point gave him the time to do it and so his first novel. "The Lawyers' was completed during this time. It was accepted by a small imprint of an Austin publisher. The novel was never going to be a best seller, but it did provide Jack with the calling card that every university wanted: a published author on staff. Central Texas State University jumped at the opportunity to hire a retired US Army general with a PhD who had a published novel to his name.

Kathy was beyond furious. Moving to Texas. The loss of prestige. The loss of the future she envisioned in DC. And so, the seeds were sown.

+++

"You have got to be kidding me!" Kelsey exclaimed. "Mom was cheating on you? In your own bed?" Jack could hear the heartbreak in his daughter's voice. "Are you going to divorce? Can you forgive her?"

Jack sighed. "She wants the divorce as badly as I do. She's moving to Dallas and moving in with her boyfriend. I'll be serving her with papers in the next few days."

"I know Mom can be a real bitch at times, but I never expected her to be this evil. You know I'm here for you Dad? I'm on Team McLeod. She can be Team Bascombe or Team Bullard or whatever she wants but I'm on your side. Always and forever."

"I know baby, and I am so happy and proud to have you as my daughter. I don't expect you to cut your mother out of your life. She is your mother after all. I'm not going to try to alienate the two of you."

"She was an okay mom, but she was never a great mom. She was always kind of selfish and self-centered. I can't believe she's with that used car salesman. I've seen his commercials. He's gross! He's a fat slob who used to play football and now sells cars. What the fuck is she thinking dad?"

"I don't know Kels. But she's his problem now."

Jack spoke a few more minutes with his daughter, mostly about how school was going. Kelsey was in her freshman year at West Point. She had decided to follow in her father's footsteps and become an army officer. This decision had further infuriated Kathy. Now, not only would she be living in Texas, but her daughter was moving out to go to college across the country.

Life for Jack moved on, as it does for most people if they are lucky. Jack filed for divorce on the basis of adultery and Kathy countersued on the basis of mental cruelty and abuse. Kathy was forced to admit that there was no evidence of mental cruelty or abuse. She claimed that Jack had no evidence of adultery. Jack produced a sealed plastic back containing bed sheets from the day he caught her with "the used car salesman." Although a no-fault state, proof of adultery did have a bearing on support. There was none granted for her. Kathy had asked for half of Jack's army pension. Although Jack had been in the army for thirty years, he had only been married to Kathy for twenty of it. This would ordinarily have entitled Kathy to up to one-third of his pension at the judge's discretion. Due to the evidence of adultery, this was reduced to ten-percent. This further enraged Kathy. In short order the divorce was granted and Kathy was completely removed from Jack's life. Kelsey refused to have any contact with her mother. She blocked her mother on every social media site, email and phone. She did not bother to respond to her mother's wedding invitation. This further enraged Kathy against Jack.

But the thing that would upset Kathy the most; the thing that would drive her nearly insane with anger and jealousy, was a train that had not even left the station yet.

The Straight Flush Ranch

125 miles west of Austin, TX

"It's a real honor to meet you, General McLeod." Tyler Sherman extended his hand to greet his guests. General McLeod was accompanied by his attorney/agent, Alex Cordell. Alex headed the entertainment law division of Bonham, McLeod, Garcia, LLP, more commonly known as B-Mc-G.

"Please, call me Jack. I've been looking forward to meeting you as well." Jack shook hands with Tyler and they quickly sized each other up. They were both tall and lean with rugged good looks that while not conventionally handsome, still made women turn their heads and look. Both Texans, but both with experience in living in other parts of the country. Tyler had dark hair with a sprinkling of gray and wore designer stubble.

Since his divorce, Jack McLeod and changed. Gone was the buzz cut and clean-shaven look that he had worn for almost forty years. Instead, he had let his blonde hair grow out so that it was now on his collar. He had once read an author that called it "country singer long" which was about as accurate a description as he could think of. There was a bit of gray mixed in with the blonde but you had to look for it. He had also grown a mustache which had come in dark blonde with no trace of gray. He looked at least ten years younger than his actual age of fifty-two. In his army career he had seen so many soldiers that looked older than their years that he was genuinely shocked that growing out his hair and mustache had taken years off his appearance.