Texas Nights - Book 13 of the Damned of the 2/19th

All Hallows Eve

That made me laugh.

"You in the Storm, Chief?" He asked me, almost idly.

"Yup. Fought in the Storm. You?" His tension made me tense for some reason.

"Yup," he said. "Lieutenant let me name her Combine, drive it through the oil well fires to outflank four times our numbers in tanks," I could see goosebumps rising on his forearms. "Was like driving through Hell itself. We were buttoned up, running full NBC, driving through the oil and fire so we could hit them before they could go to the assistance of the units getting slaughtered on the Highway of Death."

I nodded.

"I'm not one of those 'ten miles from Baghdad' guys, though, I know where we were," he said. "How about you?"

"Wounded in Action, enemy fire," I told him.

He just nodded. "Donovan mentioned you earned yourself some serious awards the hard way," He shook his head. "Me and Dee, we go back since he got to Hood. I've been in Cav since about a year before the Storm."

I nodded.

The kids were excited as they wound their way through the line, clustering near Donovan and chattering at him. He was smiling as he looked down.

"Sorry, chatty," Steward said.

"It's all right," I said gently. "I make people nervous."

He chuckled at that, rolling the cherry of his cigarette into a puddle and toeing it out before putting the butt in his pocket.

He'd just finished when two little girls ran at him. He scooped them up, laughing. "You guys ready to go back?" he asked them, twirling them around.

"YES!" they both squealed.

Donovan was walking over with the rest of them. I moved over, opened the van door, and watched them all get in. Once they were all in, I slammed the sliding door and made sure it was shut. Once I got in, slamming the door, I started the van.

"You guys ready to go home?" Steward asked. They all cheered as I backed out. "When you get back, tell your mom and dad I let you eat lots and lots of candy!"

More cheers.

Some of them started yawning on the ride. Donovan and Steward kept them awake with songs. One by one I dropped them off, Donovan or Steward walking them to the door.

At least it gave the parents, members of 15th FSB, time without the kids, at least for a few hours.

Finally I dropped the last kid off and headed back to 15th. I'd drop Donovan off at the company area, drop Steward off at 3/67, then take the van back. I'd left my little compact in the parking lot of the vehicle depot. Take a drive back to the company.

Then lay in bed the rest of the night staring at the ceiling.

Bryan Adam's (Everything I Do) I Do It for You came on the radio when I pulled into the parking lot beside the chow hall. Donovan jumped out, coming around the driver's side of the van. I rolled down the window.

"You sure you don't want me to come along, Chief?" Donovan asked me.

I shook my head. "No. I kind of need the solitude. Been a rough week."

He'd driven me and 1SG Ramirez around quite a bit, so he knew how bad it was. He just nodded. "See ya Monday, Chief," he said, reminding me that Division had given everyone a four day weekend, part of a new policy that said all 3 day weekends would be 4 day instead.

I shifted the van into reverse, backing up. "Where do you want dropped off?"

"You sure you don't need company to the van depot?" Steward asked me when I stopped before turning out on the street.