A New World: Return (7 page)

The sun rising in the sky increasing the temperature isn’t the only reason I am suddenly a touch warmer.
 
“Well, sir, when you said that you aware that I am in special operations.
 
That verb tense was incorrect.
 
I was in special operations.”

I see the gist of what I am saying glue together in his mind.
 
His lips thin and color rises in his cheeks.
 
Again, not due to the increasing air temperature.
 
In a low voice, he says, “Are you telling me, Captain, that you are NOT currently an Air Force officer?
 
That you are not even in the military?”

“Yes, sir.”

A moment passes as the steam gathers before it has to blow somewhere.
 
“GOD DAMMIT, CAPTAIN!
 
I stuck my neck out for you and you’re now telling me all you said was a lie!”
 
I see Robert take a step in our direction but hold my hand out stopping him.
 
I also notice Sergeant Watkins head toward us before being stopped by Colonel Wilson’s.

“I am sorry, sir, but with regards to the mission, yes.”
 
I go on to explain the actual happenings and events of the past few days to include the conversation and vote that led to my leading our motley crew.
 
I finish up with where we stand now.

Several additional moments pass as he digests this multitude of information.
 
“Tell me you were at least an officer.
 
Tell me you weren’t lying about that as well.”

“I was an officer, sir.
 
And my background is the truth as well.”

“Did you find her at least?”
 
Wilson asks

“I did, sir.
 
She is the Sergeant in charge of the formation,” I say nodding in Lynn’s direction.

“And the others?”
 
He asks nodding at the formation of soldiers.

“They came attached to her.
 
She asked if she could keep them.”
 
Wilson’s lips ease a bit as he tries not to smile but then fails miserably.

“I don’t see that I have much of a choice really.
 
What’s your plan then, um, Captain?”

“Well, sir, if I could borrow some more gas, we plan to head to Brunswick Naval Air Station for more fuel.
 
It’s then off to the CDC to see if we can find some information on these night runners.
 
We figure if there is any info on what we’re dealing with, it’s there.
 
After that, it’s back to McChord to build a safe place in that area.”

“Night runners huh?”

“Yes, sir.
 
Had to call them something.”

“I’m still not terribly pleased about being misled like that, Captain.”

“I understand Colonel.
 
You should come with us.
 
Join our merry band of travelers.”

“I can’t, um, you know, I can’t call you Captain.
 
What’s your first name?”
 
Wilson asks.

“Jack, sir.”

“The name’s Frank,” he said sticking out his hand for a second time. “You must care for her a lot.
 
That took some balls doing what you did.”

“I do indeed, sir, Frank.
 
Care for her that is.
 
Not sure about how big they are,” I say with a smile.

“Anyway Jack, I have my orders and can’t leave.
 
General Collins will be back tomorrow.”

“Sir, what if he doesn’t come back?
 
You’ll be stuck here.
 
You should really come with us.”

“What do you mean ‘if he doesn’t come back’?
 
He’s only making a quick trip for supplies and to make contact with someone on the mainland.”

“Frank, this here,” I say sweeping my hand around and inferring the danger from the night runners, “is only a very small taste of what it’s like everywhere else.
 
If General Collins and his group go in unprepared, they’ll get swept away.
 
They didn’t even see the small taste you are seeing here.
 
How many of the personnel he took are combat trained?”

His eyes narrow as he absorbs this information and the meaning of it.
 
“Is it that bad Jack?”
 
Frank asks.

“Yeah.
 
It’s pretty bad alright,” I respond.

“And if he does come back and we’re not here?”

“We’ll call all of the way across the pond.
 
If they’re out there, they’ll hear us.
 
We’ll let them know what happened.”

Frank turns to Sergeant Watkins.
 
“Sergeant Watkins,” he yells.

“Sir,” Sergeant Watkins yells back.

“Get on the radio and get everyone else out here.
 
Leave one in the tower to monitor the radios.”

“Yes, sir,” Watkins answers and ducks his head in the staff car.

I look over to Lynn and, with a quick nod of my head, I indicate that everything is okay and to truly release everyone.
 
She calls the formation to attention and, from across the ramp, I hear her release the troops.
 
With a last look in my direction, she heads back into the aircraft.
 
Troops head inside only to reappear moments later with food and water, congregating in small groups on the ramp to sit and eat.
 
Red Team is squatting at their appointed locations eyeing the area as another vehicle departs the base of the tower driving toward our location.

“Jack,” Colonel Wilson begins, “I want to talk it over with the rest of our detail before saying anything else.”

“Of course, sir, um, Frank.
 
Sorry, old habits seem to die quickly,” I say as the light blue crew bus comes to a stop.
 
Eight people emerge from the vehicle toting M-4 carbines and gather around Sergeant Watkins.
 
Frank walks over to their small group and they are soon immersed in conversation.

With the warming breeze blowing across my face, I look out over the area once again.
 
I cannot help but notice that some of the soldiers from our outfit, still enjoying their meager breakfast, glance curiously over at the other group locked in conversation.
 
The sun has climbed higher into the morning sky warming the air rising from the ramp surface.

I look across the ramp towards the once lively base.
 
It’s so quiet
. I think.
 
Just like being out in the country
.
 
The quiet that was so peaceful out in the country seems so alien here.
 
The brain carries the association of man-made objects with the noise that went along with them.
 
People scurrying on errands, the sounds of vehicles passing, construction, doors opening and closing, everything that made sound within that environment combine into one solid noise that defined any congregation of people.
 
The silence is what makes the quiet here so alien.
 
There is a disjointed feeling in the mind between what the eyes see, what the ears hear and what the brain is used to.
 
It’s as if the brain is trying to reconcile the difference and leaves behind a sad, almost lonely feeling.

Nature reclaiming what was taken from it.
 
We take and so we must give
.
 
The thought passes through my mind as I look over the tranquil setting
.
 
And we must have taken a lot as we surely gave a lot
.
 
The natural order of things seeking its balance.
 
Not a balance in one particular moment in time but a balance spread over time.
 
And here we thought it would be something like global warming.
 
Mankind knew something was coming.
 
There was just that feeling in the air yet we did nothing as if we were powerless to stop it
.
 
We weren’t though.
 
We just decided to do nothing about it.
 
The further along we went on our path of control and seeking to make it easier for us, the harder it became to stop and correct the path.
 
We were always leaving it up to others to correct
.
 
How do we know when we have been deflected and are diverting from the right path?
 
Is it a feeling inside that something feels wrong?
 
Or is it when our industrial thought wends its way towards a purely service-oriented society feeding our selfish whims?
 
Perhaps a bit of both.
 
We became a society where a majority of our thought and industry was geared around being pampered rather than fostering goodwill and helping others; rather than helping us to become more harmonious with our little home in space or to improve as human beings.
 
Our base needs were obviously taken care of just by the pure nature of becoming service-oriented
.
 
We’ll just have to do better this time around.
 
If there is another time around
.

The bubble of reverie in which I wrapped myself diminishes with the sound of footsteps approaching behind.
 
I turn and see Lynn approaching.
 
“Well?”
 
She says stepping in front of me.

“I told him everything and I guess they’re discussing whether to come with us or not.
 
Or maybe whether to shoot me.
 
Apparently, they were ordered to stay here while the others headed to the states to find supplies and information.”

“How’d he take it?”
 
Lynn asks meaning about my pretending to still be an officer and on a mission.

“Not all that well initially.
 
He doesn’t really seem to enjoy being hoodwinked like that,” I reply chuckling.
 
“But he came to understand the why given our circumstances.”

“Jack, you could talk a noodle into believing it was a tree.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”
 
I ask but Lynn merely gives me that look of innocence.

“How are our supplies?”
 
I ask after realizing I am not going to get a response.

“We’re going to need water.
 
Especially if we add more to our herd.
 
Food is okay for a few days but we could always use more.
 
We have plenty of ammo for the time being.”

“We’ll see if they still have running water and fill up here.
 
If not, we’ll have to go to the BX and see if there’s more bottled water.
 
We need to keep our empty water bottles and caps and fill them when we can.”

“You mean the PX, right flyboy?”

“We don’t speak ‘hooah’ here so it’s a BX,” I say smiling at our always present and friendly Army-Air Force rivalry only to get another of her looks.
 
The look that says ‘you’re going to owe me for that one’ which, in times past, meant that I was going to have to go first when the lights were turned off.
 
Not that I minded that at all!

“As for ammo, you can never have enough right?
 
If they decide to head out with us, we’ll pay a visit to the armory here,” I continue.

Frank breaks away from their group and walks our way with Sergeant Watkins in tow.
 
Lynn salutes as they come to stand with us.
 
Introductions are made and Frank says, “Jack, we talked about it and we’ve agreed to come along with you if you’ll have us.
 
Frankly, given the state of things, I can’t afford to take the risk and have my men and women stranded here.”

I must have been wearing a look of worry or consternation as he continued on, “And, Jack, we’ve also talked about you staying in charge and to fold in under your command.”

“Glad to have you aboard Frank, Sergeant Watkins,” I say shaking their hands.
 
“Sergeant Connell here is the First Sergeant and will organize your men and women into fire teams.
 
Are they all trained?”

“They are all part of the base security team, sir,” Sergeant Watkins responds.

“Are they already organized into squads?”
 
Lynn asks.

“They are.
 
Alpha and Bravo teams,” Watkins answers.

“Okay, we’ll keep them that way for now.
 
I’ll want to talk with your team leaders afterwards,” Lynn says.

“I’m one of them,” Watkins says.

“Frank, are the generators still online?”
 
I ask.

“The tower generator is still functioning but it looks like the base generators went out this morning,” he answers.

“So, no running water then?”

“Not as of this morning,” Frank responds.

“Looks like a trip to the BX then.
 
We’re going to need whatever water we can scrounge up.
 
Lynn, why don’t you have that talk with their team leaders now and let’s have a team leader meeting in thirty minutes.
 
I’ll take two teams to the BX and you take two to the armory.
 
We’ll need vehicles for both to haul the stuff back.”