Kilo-61 (Damned of the 2/19th Book 19)- Ongoing

Naive Memories

Sweat ran down my back. I could see sweat beading up on John's neck.

"GET TO YOUR FUCKING FEET, RECRUIT!" Gunny yelled.

"GET UP, GET UP, GET UP!" The Chief bellowed. I glanced out of the corner of my eye in time to see the Gunny grab Idleson by his lapel and sling him to the deck of the plane.

"Get the fuck up!" Gunny yelled.

The Chief kicked him in the side. "Get up, you greasy wop motherfucker." I could hear the real fury in the two men's voices.

When I looked forward the Army Master Sergeant was in front of me. I almost screamed at his sudden appearance and the raw fury in his eyes. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"

I went still, silent, small.

"I ASKED YOU A GODDAMN QUESTION, YOU POTATO EATING MICK COCKSUCKER!" He screamed.

still, small, silent.

"That's right, recruit," The Master Sergeant said, turning away from me. He jumped in Quintin's face, but like me, the little brunette didn't move a muscle. "You sure you can hack it, split tail? You think being a part time carpet chewing bull dyke when you aren't smoking cock out back of the E-Club for cheap drinks is going to get you through this next part?"

She didn't react.

"Just keep on like that, recruit, or you'll be back to sucking spic cock for drug money," He snarled. He leaned closer. "Do you not like that kind of language, recruit? Are you some kind of spic loving nigger fucking dyke?"

She still didn't react.

still, small, quiet

The other two men had given up on getting Idleson up on his feet and moved to the open door.

"All right, you goddamn inbred morons, single file off this goddamn transport so the Air Force can wash your goddamn stink of failure and stupidity off of it," The Gunny said.

We got off the C-141 single file, silent, our uniforms covered with dirt and grime, our hair greasy and our skin unwashed. We had spent a week in Hell. Cordoning off a 'town' and searching it. Establishing control zones. Hunting down 'civilians' with flamethrowers and then burning the mannequins with flamethrowers while recordings played that cried, begged, and screamed. Sweeping the buildings one by one, killing any 'animals' found in the zone, and eventually, once we were sure that we had contained the initial infection of the 'unknown infectious disease' in the area, we had detonated an atomic simulator before boarding the C-141 for a long flight. The Air Force guys back in the cabin wore their masks and were silent, just checking our buckles to make sure we were strapped in.

We were down to thirty-two of us. Less than half.

Two months to go.

We filed onto the tarmac, bunching up slightly when we noticed that there was nobody left to give us any instructions. The NCO's that had been screaming at us had stayed in the plane, making goosebumps rise up on my skin as I took in the deserted airfield. As a group we slowed down.

Vencilla and Bomber gravitated together, his hand seeking hers to hold it tight. As I drew close she grabbed mine, squeezing it almost painfully.

There were two instructors on the flight line waiting for us. Unlike previous changes of training area these two didn't look all grim and hard assed. They were smiling gently and waved us over. The one on the left blew a whistle and we saw men and women run out of the hangar behind them, jogging toward, and then past us, toward the plane.

I could feel everyone's fear and confusion as we drew close to the two men and got in a half-assed formation before they waved at us to get close to them.