Navy recruits humiliate a quiet servicewoman at breakfast—then one sailor recognizes the yellow-and-black patch on her sleeve
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Chapter 8 / 27
Chapter 8 - The recruit nobody talked about The fourth recruit at Jake’s table was Owen Price.
Twenty-one.
He had laughed.
Then disappeared into the evacuation formation.
When interviewed, he started with:
“I didn’t touch anybody.”
True.
Then:
“I didn’t know Jake would do that.”
Maybe.
Then:
“He does stuff.”
“What stuff?”
Owen looked uncomfortable.
“Messing with people.”
Examples?
Taking food.
Hiding covers.
Dumping laundry bags.
Making younger recruits repeat embarrassing phrases before sitting at a table.
Nothing individually cinematic.
Together:
A pattern.
“Did instructors know?”
Owen hesitated.
“One did.”
Name?
May you like
Petty Officer First Class Travis Cole.
That changed the investigation.
Related Stories
Chapter 9 - Petty Officer Cole Cole was thirty-six.
Chapter 10 - My own history At nineteen, I was not calm.
Chapter 11 - Jake’s fatherJake’s father was not an admiral.
Chapter 12 - My mistake with Noah Noah found me outside the training building two days later.
Chapter 13 - The fire report The breakfast-hall fire had nothing to do with Jake.
Chapter 14 - Noah’s patch knowledge I finally asked Noah:
