didn’t blow up, he let out the breath.
“Bomb disarmed,” he said for the benefit of the team and the hostage.
“Get yourself and that hostage back to home base and we’ll call this mission complete. Good job, Bull.”
“Thanks, Jimmy.” Bull rose on one knee and glanced at the hostage. “Come on. We’re outta here.”
He felt the hit strike his flak jacket directly over his heart. The force knocked him off balance. He found himself flat on his back, staring up into the face—and the gun—of a grinning black-clad figure. “Not so fast, dog face.”
Bull, powerless to help, watched the gun swing to the side and take out the hostage with a single shot. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back to the ground. “Shit.”
“The plan was good and solid, Bull. Just don’t get yourself and the hostage killed next time and it’ll be all good. Okay?”
“It’s not all good.” Bull hung his head, shaking it from side to side. “I fucked up the exercise, Jimmy. You were team leader and I made you look bad. I made the whole damn team look bad. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t.” Jimmy leaned forward in the red vinyl booth where they sat near the backdoor of the bar near base. “We all looked fine. Somebody had to win. This time, it wasn’t us. Next time, it will be.”
“Bull sure wasn’t looking too good a little while ago, with that pink crap all over his flak jacket from the paint-ball gun. What kind of man uses pink paint balls anyway?” Jack asked.
“A sissy Marine jarhead kind, that’s who.” Matt scowled. He’d been recruited out of the Army’s Delta Force Tech Unit. He glanced at Jack and Jimmy, who’d both been Marines prior to joining Task Force Zeta. “No offense.”
Jimmy raised a brow. “None taken.”
“I don’t mind losing. Don’t get me wrong. In every loss is a lesson that could save our lives next mission, but getting beat by Task Force Kappa? That really sucks.” BB shook his head and trailed a finger through the condensation dripping down the side of his glass of soda. “We’re never going to hear the end of this, you know.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Bull sighed. It had only been a training exercise, but it could just as easily been real, in which case, he’d be dead. It didn’t matter what Jimmy said. Bull was disappointed in himself.
“Bull, dammit. Stop apologizing.” Jimmy slapped his palm against the table. “Stop looking like your dog just died. We’re a team. You weren’t out there alone. It’s as much BB’s fault for not seeing the fifth tango on the infrared. Or any one of the other guys for not having your back and taking out that guy before he took you and the hostage out. And don’t forget, we ran this exercise without the commander and down a man because Blake is on leave.”
“Yes, sir.” Bull knew all that. He also knew he didn’t have to call the team leader sir , and especially not while they were all out at a bar, but it was easier to fall back on formality when he felt like such a freaking failure.
“Jimmy’s right, Bull.” BB nodded. “I should have seen the fifth tango sneaking up on you, and I didn’t.”
“I guess we all got a little cocky thinking the exercise was over once you disarmed the bomb. We forget it’s not over until we’re all home safe.” Trey’s reasoning didn’t help Bull feel better.
“Besides that, Bull, you’re a really big target. I mean, who could miss ya?” Jack added with a crooked grin.
Great. That made Bull feel even worse. He scowled and took another swig of beer.
Jimmy shot Jack a look that said shut up. “Tomorrow morning at the team meeting with the commander we’ll go over the scenario again, step by step. We’ll ascertain what went wrong and come up with alternate actions we could have taken. What BB said is right. Losing an exercise is more valuable than winning if you learn from your mistakes.”
“ We have to ascertain what went wrong. ” Jack laughed.
“Bomb disarmed,” he said for the benefit of the team and the hostage.
“Get yourself and that hostage back to home base and we’ll call this mission complete. Good job, Bull.”
“Thanks, Jimmy.” Bull rose on one knee and glanced at the hostage. “Come on. We’re outta here.”
He felt the hit strike his flak jacket directly over his heart. The force knocked him off balance. He found himself flat on his back, staring up into the face—and the gun—of a grinning black-clad figure. “Not so fast, dog face.”
Bull, powerless to help, watched the gun swing to the side and take out the hostage with a single shot. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back to the ground. “Shit.”
“The plan was good and solid, Bull. Just don’t get yourself and the hostage killed next time and it’ll be all good. Okay?”
“It’s not all good.” Bull hung his head, shaking it from side to side. “I fucked up the exercise, Jimmy. You were team leader and I made you look bad. I made the whole damn team look bad. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t.” Jimmy leaned forward in the red vinyl booth where they sat near the backdoor of the bar near base. “We all looked fine. Somebody had to win. This time, it wasn’t us. Next time, it will be.”
“Bull sure wasn’t looking too good a little while ago, with that pink crap all over his flak jacket from the paint-ball gun. What kind of man uses pink paint balls anyway?” Jack asked.
“A sissy Marine jarhead kind, that’s who.” Matt scowled. He’d been recruited out of the Army’s Delta Force Tech Unit. He glanced at Jack and Jimmy, who’d both been Marines prior to joining Task Force Zeta. “No offense.”
Jimmy raised a brow. “None taken.”
“I don’t mind losing. Don’t get me wrong. In every loss is a lesson that could save our lives next mission, but getting beat by Task Force Kappa? That really sucks.” BB shook his head and trailed a finger through the condensation dripping down the side of his glass of soda. “We’re never going to hear the end of this, you know.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Bull sighed. It had only been a training exercise, but it could just as easily been real, in which case, he’d be dead. It didn’t matter what Jimmy said. Bull was disappointed in himself.
“Bull, dammit. Stop apologizing.” Jimmy slapped his palm against the table. “Stop looking like your dog just died. We’re a team. You weren’t out there alone. It’s as much BB’s fault for not seeing the fifth tango on the infrared. Or any one of the other guys for not having your back and taking out that guy before he took you and the hostage out. And don’t forget, we ran this exercise without the commander and down a man because Blake is on leave.”
“Yes, sir.” Bull knew all that. He also knew he didn’t have to call the team leader sir , and especially not while they were all out at a bar, but it was easier to fall back on formality when he felt like such a freaking failure.
“Jimmy’s right, Bull.” BB nodded. “I should have seen the fifth tango sneaking up on you, and I didn’t.”
“I guess we all got a little cocky thinking the exercise was over once you disarmed the bomb. We forget it’s not over until we’re all home safe.” Trey’s reasoning didn’t help Bull feel better.
“Besides that, Bull, you’re a really big target. I mean, who could miss ya?” Jack added with a crooked grin.
Great. That made Bull feel even worse. He scowled and took another swig of beer.
Jimmy shot Jack a look that said shut up. “Tomorrow morning at the team meeting with the commander we’ll go over the scenario again, step by step. We’ll ascertain what went wrong and come up with alternate actions we could have taken. What BB said is right. Losing an exercise is more valuable than winning if you learn from your mistakes.”
“ We have to ascertain what went wrong. ” Jack laughed.
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