The Expendables by Leonard B. Scott

Author:Leonard B. Scott
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

22 July

Shawn laughed and set down his beer. " . . and they thought they could get out of P.T. in the mornings too. You should have seen their faces when they found out they had to take Maggie on the runs with us."

John Quail bellowed in laughter and slapped Shawn's back. The other customers in the restaurant glanced toward the table, wondering what was so funny.

Quail finished off his beer and tossed his arm over Cindy's shoulder. "I think this guy likes what he's doing, don't you?" Cindy smiled at Shawn. "I always knew that, but I'm a little jealous of Maggie. She always seems to be a topic of conversation when he comes home."

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "I admit it. I like her. She's good for the platoon. We're all going in a hundred different directions, but Maggie brings us together. This kid who takes care of her, Calhoon, he's taken the job seriously and has got her lookin' like a thoroughbred. You just wouldn't believe it. The colonel is thrilled. He comes down to run with us in the mornings and to see Maggie. He really motivates my troops. I thought he was a showboat, but now that I've been around him, I've learned he's really got his stuff together."

Quail nodded in agreement. "The brass don't like him 'cause of his wild ways. Maybe they should take some lessons from him. That's the problem with our Army today. Nobody can be different or they're pegged as rebels. Ol' Georgie Patton himself, if he came back, would be court-martialed in a week if he pulled some of the same stunts he did back in the late thirties or early forties. Where have they gone? Where are our leaders that have flair and you'd want to follow?"

Shawn nodded toward his friend. "I'm looking at one, Taco." Embarrassed, Quail threw his napkin at Shawn. "I'm a dried- up of vet who saw his best years long ago. I have to watch on the sidelines now." The old soldier's eyes became serious. "Irish, I can't put it off any longer. I heard some bad news today." Cindy knew they were going to talk business and lifted her hand. "Whoa, ya know I don't like it when y'all talk shop. I think I'll visit the ladies' room."

Shawn knew better than to say anything, and quickly got up to pull back her chair. Cindy did not want to hear about his leaving. He had honored that and never discussed his future.

"Irish," Quail said when Cindy was gone, "the President is gonna make a television announcement on the twenty-eighth. He's gonna tell us what we've already known—the cav is going to Nam. But what he ain't gonna do is going to hurt the division real bad." Quail leaned closer. "I got word from some of my buddies in the Pentagon that he ain't gonna call up the reserves or declare a state of emergency like we thought. That means all the short-timers in the division ain't goin' .

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