man leading the CAT-4 team would be interested in hardware – he was taking his men in on the tube trains and the fighting down in those lower-levels was bound to be intense.
“Same getup as last time,” Ellis said, “M240 and AR-15 machine guns, Ingram MAC-10s for anyone that wants ‘em, M203 China Lake grenade launchers, loose grenades and sidearms. We figure the more the better, your choice, you know what you like best.”
“How ‘bout my Uzis?” Aaron said. “I gotta have my Uzis.”
“And I ain’t goin’ nowhere without my Colt’s,” Charlie said.
“No problem – they’re yours,” Ellis said.
“But what about their minds?” Walter asked, his tone more serious. He was leading CAT-2, the second team hitting the lower-levels from the trains. Many had seen what’d happened to Frank in Montana, and it’d only taken an hour of being back on base for the other men to spread the word to those who hadn’t seen. No one wanted to experience that firsthand.
“You’ve got the six super soldiers,” Ellis said, nodding toward the few in the room, “one on each team…at least.”
“That ain’t much use in a firefight when things get dicey and you gotta move quick,” Fred said, a hard look in his eye and his face quivering with emotion, “a pair of guys can get separated real quick when that happens.”
“And that’s why you guys are the best, Fred,” Ellis said, crossing his arms and taking on that no-nonsense look that said ‘I’ve been down in the muck in German and Korea and ‘Nam…what the hell do you want from me?’
Fred swallowed, his will to challenge the Dutchman shaken, but not gone entirely. It was his life on the line, after all.
“We might be the best, but there’s never been a mission like this.”
“And let’s hope there’ll never be another.”
Ellis stared out at the men, giving each a hard look in the eye. He’d brook no dissent – it was all-in, or no-go…there was no pussy-footing around on this one.”
“What I want to know,” Tommy suddenly said, coming up from the far end of the room where he’d been perusing the weapons, that crazy and high voice of his setting nerves on edge, and getting right into Turn’s face, “is what the hell I gotta do to blow one of them fuckin’ Grays’ heads apart like you did back there in ‘ol Mon-tuck- ee !”
Turn gave a sideways look around at the others, then laughed. “Why, I just aimed at your ugly mug and fired, hopin’ you’d be smart enough to duck.”
The room exploded in laughter as Sammy, Ronnie, Johnny and Moses fell all over themselves and the younger white solders, most from the South, did the same nearby. Ellis even began laughing as well, until it looked like Robbie and Bobbie were about to topple the table holding the flash guns and he nearly rushed over before they got themselves under control.
“Shit,” Tommy said with a chuckle, “I guess I’ll have to try that then, huh?”
“You’ll have that chance,” Ellis said, a bit gruffly once again, “at 2200 tonight.”
The men looked at one another quickly, their eyes saying it all – that was just two hours from now.
~~~
The men were walking down the hallway, heading to their respective team stations, ready to embark. Turn was taking up the rear – something he liked, since in combat he was always charging ahead – when Paul sidled up to him.
“Listen,” Paul said, pulling Turn aside as they walked down the hallway, “don’t buy into all of that back there.”
Turn’s eyes narrowed and he smiled and shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about what they’re telling the newbies, and what they’re not telling us.”
Turn narrowed his eyes further – he wasn’t used to hearing Paul say so much. “What do you mean?”
Paul shook his own head and turned around, put his hands on his hips, and swore under his breath. Something was definitely bothering him.
“Shit, Turn – they’re
“Same getup as last time,” Ellis said, “M240 and AR-15 machine guns, Ingram MAC-10s for anyone that wants ‘em, M203 China Lake grenade launchers, loose grenades and sidearms. We figure the more the better, your choice, you know what you like best.”
“How ‘bout my Uzis?” Aaron said. “I gotta have my Uzis.”
“And I ain’t goin’ nowhere without my Colt’s,” Charlie said.
“No problem – they’re yours,” Ellis said.
“But what about their minds?” Walter asked, his tone more serious. He was leading CAT-2, the second team hitting the lower-levels from the trains. Many had seen what’d happened to Frank in Montana, and it’d only taken an hour of being back on base for the other men to spread the word to those who hadn’t seen. No one wanted to experience that firsthand.
“You’ve got the six super soldiers,” Ellis said, nodding toward the few in the room, “one on each team…at least.”
“That ain’t much use in a firefight when things get dicey and you gotta move quick,” Fred said, a hard look in his eye and his face quivering with emotion, “a pair of guys can get separated real quick when that happens.”
“And that’s why you guys are the best, Fred,” Ellis said, crossing his arms and taking on that no-nonsense look that said ‘I’ve been down in the muck in German and Korea and ‘Nam…what the hell do you want from me?’
Fred swallowed, his will to challenge the Dutchman shaken, but not gone entirely. It was his life on the line, after all.
“We might be the best, but there’s never been a mission like this.”
“And let’s hope there’ll never be another.”
Ellis stared out at the men, giving each a hard look in the eye. He’d brook no dissent – it was all-in, or no-go…there was no pussy-footing around on this one.”
“What I want to know,” Tommy suddenly said, coming up from the far end of the room where he’d been perusing the weapons, that crazy and high voice of his setting nerves on edge, and getting right into Turn’s face, “is what the hell I gotta do to blow one of them fuckin’ Grays’ heads apart like you did back there in ‘ol Mon-tuck- ee !”
Turn gave a sideways look around at the others, then laughed. “Why, I just aimed at your ugly mug and fired, hopin’ you’d be smart enough to duck.”
The room exploded in laughter as Sammy, Ronnie, Johnny and Moses fell all over themselves and the younger white solders, most from the South, did the same nearby. Ellis even began laughing as well, until it looked like Robbie and Bobbie were about to topple the table holding the flash guns and he nearly rushed over before they got themselves under control.
“Shit,” Tommy said with a chuckle, “I guess I’ll have to try that then, huh?”
“You’ll have that chance,” Ellis said, a bit gruffly once again, “at 2200 tonight.”
The men looked at one another quickly, their eyes saying it all – that was just two hours from now.
~~~
The men were walking down the hallway, heading to their respective team stations, ready to embark. Turn was taking up the rear – something he liked, since in combat he was always charging ahead – when Paul sidled up to him.
“Listen,” Paul said, pulling Turn aside as they walked down the hallway, “don’t buy into all of that back there.”
Turn’s eyes narrowed and he smiled and shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about what they’re telling the newbies, and what they’re not telling us.”
Turn narrowed his eyes further – he wasn’t used to hearing Paul say so much. “What do you mean?”
Paul shook his own head and turned around, put his hands on his hips, and swore under his breath. Something was definitely bothering him.
“Shit, Turn – they’re
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