Tark's Ticks Gauntlet by Chris Glatte

Author:Chris Glatte [Chris Glatte]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-29T23:00:00+00:00

12

M ajor Hanscom wasn’t happy to be split from Tarkington and his men. The survivors from the submarine were competent sailors, but they weren’t used to land operations and it showed. Hanscom had taken for granted how silently Tarkington and the others moved through the jungle. Now, he and Gonzalez cringed as the Filipinos led them deeper into the wilds, the sailors sounding like stampeding buffalos. If there were Japanese patrols out here or they were being followed, they wouldn’t be hard to find.

They moved along the well-used path for hours, darkness finally enveloping them. Their progress slowed, despite the Filipinos urging them forward. The night was black, and even though the trail was relatively straight and the closed-in foliage made it nearly impossible to stray, the constant undulations and crisscrossing vines and roots made every step treacherous.

Finally, the Filipinos stopped them and whisked them off the trail, taking them north. In the darkness the move was sloppy, and there was cussing as men bumbled into one another. The possibility of being separated terrified the sailors, making them bunch up even more.

Hanscom and Gonzalez stayed close to one another but a few yards from the closest sailor. As the Filipinos were managing the move off the trail, Gonzalez whispered, “These guys’re gonna get us killed.” Hanscom grunted his agreement, keeping watch behind. There were already two Filipinos back there somewhere, watching their backs, but Hanscom thought a little extra vigilance couldn’t hurt. Gonzalez continued, “That Staub’s a real ball-buster.”

Hanscom whispered back, “How d’you mean?”

Gonzalez lowered his voice, “He took your rank. Relieved you.”

Hanscom didn’t respond for a few seconds, making Gonzalez wonder if he should’ve kept his mouth shut. Finally, Hanscom sighed, saying, “I’m no lawyer, but my actions didn’t warrant his response. And besides, we're in different branches but the same rank.”

Gonzalez waited for more, but when it didn’t come, he prodded, “So? What does that mean, then?”

Hanscom concentrated on Gonzalez’s silhouette, which was all he could see of him, despite being less than a foot away. He whispered, “Staub’s like my wife. If she’s upset, or she has a strong opinion about something, she’ll make a dramatic statement. Just her first thought. She’ll be adamant, unwavering. It’s just her way.” Hanscom grinned in the darkness, picturing her dark hair whipping around her face as she waved her beautifully-sculpted hands and fingers, making her point. “Now, I used to react. You know—try to convince her otherwise. It never works. In ten years of marriage, I’ve learned if I just nod and ignore it, or even agree, she’ll eventually come to her own conclusions and change her mind. Without fighting or me having to put my foot down, which doesn’t work anyway.”

Gonzalez shook his head in the darkness. “I wouldn’t tell Staub you’re comparing him to your wife,” he whispered back. “But what if he doesn’t come to his senses?”

Hanscom shrugged, “I’m acting as though nothing’s different. We’ll see.”

Gonzalez nodded, “Well, you should know you’re still my commanding officer far as I’m concerned.

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