dressed in black entered the room, one was almost as tall as me, about six three, and black, the other man was shorter by a foot and white, they both gave me the creeps. We jumped to attention, the Bn Commander told us to stand at ease and take a seat. We sat back down as one.
After we had settled in and stopped moving, the room had grown quiet, all we could hear was the cooling fan in the projector.
The BN Commander looked at us and asked where PFC Jennings was.
We all answered at the same time. “We don’t know Sir.”
I could see the look of annoyance on his face. The Bn Commander yelled out to the SDO, the butter bar at the door desk.
”Get me these troop’s damn first Sergeant now!”
We heard a loud and proud, but nervous, “YES SIR!” in response, then a second later the door opened and closed. I was laughing inside at the picture of the butter bar running his ass off to our company.
About five minutes later Top came into the war room.
”Yes Sir, What can I do for you?” The Bn commander looked at Top.
”You can begin by telling where the hell Jennings is?” Top just looked back at Bn commander.
”I ain’t got a clue, sir, he’s not in his room.”
The Bn commander was pissed I could tell by the look on his face, but he knew he couldn’t addle Top. top’s ass is hard as steel.
Top continued, “Formation is in thirty minute’s. He’ll be here sir, I know my troops.”
Top stared at the Bn Commander, a cool hard stare. We had always heard Top can’t be intimidated by any man. Top has more pull than most Brigade level full bird Colonels, some Lite Colonel is not going to shake him up. The Bn Commander backed down.
”First Sergeant, it is imperative that Jennings be here, these men have been hand picked for the mission we have been handed down. Jennings is an important part of it, I need you to find him ASAP.”
Top looked at the Colonel and threw him a half ass-ed salute not waiting for the commander to return it.
”I will see what I can do Sir.” He turned and exited the room, not in any kind of hurry. The colonel said, “You do that First Sergeant.” You can hear the tension in his voice, but you can also tell their is a level of fear also.
He turned to the two men. “I am sorry for the delay gentlemen, lets go back to my office and wait there, and finish our conversation and coffee.”
He looked at us, “You men can take a break outside.” His ears were flaming red. He’s pissed.
We went outside and stood in the parking lot. Zach and Hernandez lit up a cigarette, Hernandez offered me one, I turned it down. Zach looked at Hernandez,
”Man you know Tex don’t smoke or drink, he’s a puss that way.” I looked at Zach.
“Man you know I have a problem with beer and smoking.” He looked back.
”Yea you told me man, I still say you need to just get over it.”
I was about to respond when Hernandez pointed up towards the company, Jennings was running flat out with his gear on his back. He was running fast, I figure its easier to run with half your ass missing, because I know Top chewed that shit smooth off. When Jennings got to us he asked.
”What the hell is going on?” Zach looked at us all.
”We don’t know yet, but gents I can tell you, this is some seriously deep fucked up shit we are fixing to get thrown into, those two guys in there, they ain’t normal Joe’s.”
We all looked at Zach, none of us made a sound. He put out his cigarette, this time he put it on the ground and rubbed it out with his boot. As all four of us went back into the Bn HQ we all realized this is not good.
Once back inside the War Room, the Bn Commander and the two men returned. We jumped to attention, the Bn Commander told us to take a seat. After we had settled in and all the chairs had quit creaking and squeaking, the Bn Commander introduced the two men. The white guys name was Briggs, like I said short, black haired and looks like he could handle himself in a fight. The black guy was Jones, older, almost as old as top, a little overweight and he seems out of place, he makes me think of office chairs and air conditioners, maybe he is a chair-borne ranger.
Jones stood up and looked at us all one at a time, nodding his approval as he worked down the line. I felt like I was on display.
”Gentlemen, as your commander said my name is Jones.” He continued, “The reason you gentlemen are here this morning is you have been hand picked based on your skills to carry out what is probably the most important mission to be assigned to anybody in over forty years.”
I looked at Zach, I could see the concentration in his eyes, but he wasn’t concentrating on Jones, he was somewhere else right then, I elbowed him to bring him back. He looked at me, his eyes were moist.
”Gentlemen, make no mistake, the mission you are being assigned is not voluntary. If this mission fails it will have a detrimental effect on people around the world, and it is of the top most secret in nature. Failure is not an option, understand you will be in harms way.” He paused allowing it to sink in. “Some of you might not survive it.”
My stomach locked up, what the hell are we getting roped into?
Training
Jones looked at Briggs. “I am going to turn it over to Briggs, he will be responsible over the next two weeks to train and familiarize you soldiers on the mission particulars and use of the new equipment you will be issued.”
He started to sit down and paused, then stood back up. “One more thing gentlemen, I can not stress the secrecy of this mission enough, if you reveal any information to anyone, friends, family, anybody. You will be charged with treason against the United States and tried and sentenced as such, do I make myself clear?”
We responded with a simultaneous and unanimous, “Yes,Sir.”
Jones looked at Briggs, “OK Briggs, they are all yours.”
Jones set down and Briggs stood up.
Briggs walked over to the over-head projector and turned it back on. He opened a file folder he had been carrying since we first saw him. He took out a slide and placed it on the over-head projector. It was a photo of an older man, maybe early fifties on the screen, the man had a hard face.
Briggs looked at us, “Gentlemen, this is your target, this man has a kill order issued against him by ours and several other governments, do not let his looks deceive you, this man is personally responsible for numerous assassination and murders of government officials around the world, in addition he indirectly is responsible for thousands of deaths world wide every day.”
He looked at us all, “He is a merchant of suffering and has to be stopped at all costs.” “You four gentlemen are not the first to attempt this mission. I will tell you the ones before you all failed and died at the hands of this man, and his small but very skilled private army of hired mercenaries, some of the best the
