Harriet’s Warning

Harriet, taken aback by Elias’s furious tone, stared at him in surprise. ‘Harriet, tell me,’ Elias continued, his voice filled with impatience. ‘What did Dylan do to Callie?’ Harriet had intended to tell him that Dylan had been flirting with Callie, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to provoke Elias’s anger further. While Dylan held a similar rank to Elias, Harriet feared that if she mentioned the word ‘flirting,’ Elias might take it as a challenge and confront Dylan, possibly resulting in violence. Nervously, Harriet stammered, ‘Dylan was just fooling around. You know what he’s like. He wasn’t flirting with Callie. Absolutely not.’ Harriet had entered the military straight after high school, so her combat skills were exceptional, but her social skills were lacking. Her current situation was a prime example. She thought her words would have placated Elias, but he clearly interpreted her statement differently. He was so furious that it triggered another fit of violent coughing. Elias’s