A Rocky Start

The silence was complete but Armitage stood erect, calm and confident. Giving Wilkins an uncertain glance, his second-in-command took hesitant steps forward.

“What the fuck’s going on?”

“There’s been some change.”

Wilkins took upon himself to introduce them all, not sure whether he should hold their lack-of-enthusiasm-edge-of-hostility against them or not.

“Why us?” Akers asked, completely oblivious to Armitage.

“Don’t think he knows, Hawks,” Carlton replied before turning to Wilkins. “Is it for real, Chief? I thought it was just a rumor.”

“Turned out it wasn’t, Doc. Looks like it’s going to be eight of us, from now on.”

“Must have a pound of morning shit still stuck in my fuckin’ eyes, cause I’m still seeing only seven of us,” a voice he was now used to said. Wheeler’s comment provoked a few laughs. “Is this is CentCom’s idea of a joke, Chief?”

“You see me laughing?”

“You ain’t laughing because it ain’t funny, Chief. I thought the only sea-pussies working here were trained to answer the fuckin’ phone and read maps.”

“Knock it off, Wheel, you made your point alright.”

“This isn’t gonna work, Chief, and you know it. There’s no way in hell I’m working with sea-pussy.”

“Did I say you have a choice?”

From Beyond those Hills: an Officer and a Lady© (Chapter 3)

by M. H. A. Menondji