Military Love » Harry Styles

chapter fifty seven

"Your final exam exercise is a test of all the skills you have learned." The women in military blues instructs us as we sit in half a circle around her. Since Harry was suspended from camp about two weeks ago, this new sergeant took over his group.

"This will also be a time test, of endurance and how you work as a team." She tells us as we all look hopeful at her, hoping for not too crazy tasks.

"Your platoon will be divided into squads of five, I will appoint a leader for each squad. You'll be given a map, coordinates and a compass." She tells us, I hope some of the people of my team know how to work a compass.

"You will not be given any food, you'll be given MRE's, ready to eat stashed along your route. And if you don't find them, or somebody steals them; then you don't eat." She simply says, her lips not contracting a centimetre. A few of us moaned, but I think nobody would steal each other's food at this point.

"Your squads objective is to find a wounded soldier which is represented by this dummy," she points at a humane looking object dressed in a military outfit with hat on.

"You must take this dummy to the emergency field hospital located in our urban warfare centre." Melissa was right next to me with a small notebook and pencil in her hands, taking notes. Maybe it was a good idea, this was our final exam.

"You will be in full combat mode until you get there." She instructs. "A team will be trying to stop you."

"They are some of the meanest, toughest and most bad graduates we have," behind her a group of tall and muscular men appeared, along with one woman, whom you could almost classify as a man.

"Now, if what can only be called 'dumb luck' causes you to capture one of them, your squad gets one hour deducted from your time." She tells us, as if it's impossible to catch one of these men or woman. We all cheered.

"Don't get happy, it has never happened before platoon, so don't count on it."

"Any team not crossing the finish line in 24 hours, fails military boot camp." I her someone moan next to me, it was Melissa shaking her hand violently because it hurt from writing so much and so fast.

We weren't sitting with our usual ten people of our group, well nine since Agnes left, but a few groups were put together. They said it has a purpose as diversity and work with new people you have never worked with before, and still trust them. Just like in the army, they said.

Luckily Brad's group got picked, so we were all huddled together in a group of thirty. I just hoped I got in a group with either Melissa or Brad. The one I was least keen to be in a group with was Matthew, since he was there too.

"The squad leaders are Jeter, Young, Williams, Cohen, Vinson and Chilton." She calls out the squad leaders by their last names. I was very surprised to hear Brad's last name in the list.

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She counted down from five to zero. And when the last syllable of the word slipped over the brim of her lips, the mass of people began running in our direction. Our team however stood silent on the ground, waiting for the chaos to go away, so we could take everything in.

"Do you have the map Violet?" Brad asked, his head and bent down to watch the compass. Of course he knew how to work with that thing, he has a Military Brat after all.

I nodded, realised he couldn't see me and handed him the map. For about five minutes they discussed which way to go. I held back, not saying a thing. I didn't want to be involved in this minor fight.

After two minutes of hand gestures and yelling Brad finally won and we walked behind him. He was the leader after all.

It scared me to see Brad all worked up and mad, he was laid back usually. With huge strides –like Harry always used to take, he marched forward, not waiting to see if we even followed. Silently I walked behind him, not saying a thing.