***
Later that day Grabowski called a formation.
“From now on “The Davis Club” is completely offlimits. If I find you there you will receive an Article Fifteen. Isthat clear?” he barked.
When the guys gave him an affirmation hedismissed them to midday chow.
As Ryan chewed on his lips he couldn't quitelook at the brooding Drill Sergeant.
Chapter Three
The very next day they went on a road march.Everyone was trying to be manly about it. Carrying fifty-poundrucksacks and their shiny new M16A1's, they started out.
Ryan kept thoughts of the kiss as far out of hismind as he could. It was a crying fucking shame that Grabowskicould kiss that well. It had been the best kiss of Ryan's life. Itdevoured him, made him want more. He sighed and got back ontrack.
Patrick looked kinda uncomfortable but didn'tsay anything. He just nodded and kept pace with everyone else.
They marched for about a mile before Ryanrealized that it was getting seriously fucking uncomfortable.
The soft cap was heavy under the steel pot onRyan's head. When they began to wear the Kevlar it had been cool -for all of twenty seconds, before they realized that the damnthings weighed a ton and it was really fucking annoying to have itbobbing up and down on their heads as they double timed anywhere.And people seriously didn't want Ryan to go on about the fuckingchin strap. The damn thing either wouldn't snap or would unsnap atthe slightest provocation.
“Dude, this metal is like digging in my back,”Brendon whimpered. He fidgeted with the gear that was stickingstraight into his back because of being on the bottom.
“Brendon, we have two more miles. If you thinkI'm going to listen to you pitch a bitch for the next two miles,you're sadly mistaken,” Kenneth groused. He too was uncomfortable.“How can this fuckingweaponfeel like it weighs a fuckington?”
Patrick was walking slowly and sweat was pouringdown his face. “My work boots were really dirty…I couldn't wearthem. These fucking boots are fucking killing my fucking feet,” hewhispered.
Ryan gave Patrick a sympathetic look. One didnot want to 'break in' a new pair of boots during a road march.
They were all on separate sides of the roadabout ten feet apart. While the Drill Sergeants were far away, theybitched to each other like this.
They were completely unprepared for the sudden‘bang bang’ that went off around them.
Grabowski appeared from nowhere. “Gracin, Smith,Murray, Roslin, you're all dead. Lay down on the road.”
Ryan blinked and lowered himself onto the road.The rest did the same. He could hear Patrick's groan from where helay.
“GATHER THEM IN!” the taller man ordered.
All of the soldiers began to file in slowly.
“Alright, so you see these dead guys? They arethat way because they were too fucking busy talking and not payingattention to their fucking surroundings. That means they just gotthemselves killed, along with half of the fucking platoon!” Phillipsaid. “Brodrick, Trainer, Weatherly, Brody, get your asses overhere and pick up their weapons and their rucksacks. This is whathappens when you’re fucking around on a real patrol. You get deadand then some other fuck has to pick up the fucking slack.” Philliplooked down at the four of them and blew out a disgustedbreath.
The other four soldiers came and took the extraequipment. The expressions on their four faces were as stormy ashell. They would pay for this one, no doubt.
“Wait for the truck to pick your asses up,fucking assholes. Next time think about the man beside you becausethey depend on you as much as you depend on your fucking selves.”He stormed and then ordered them all to continue their march.
The four men looked at each other andsighed.
“Fuck.” Patrick snarled and managed to gethimself up.
“Well, the metal thing isn't killing meanymore,” Brendon said, trying to make light of the situation theyfound themselves in.
“Weatherly hates my fucking guts anyways. He'sgoing to put a fucking snake in my ruck, I know it,” Kennethbitched and picked himself up.
Ryan felt like crying. He hated that Grabowskiput them all on the spot. He hated the fact they’d let everyone inthe platoon down even more.
The military hummer pulled up and William Kinggot out.
