Hangfire by David Sherman; Dan Cragg

Author:David Sherman; Dan Cragg
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction - General, Science Fiction - Series, Fiction, Science Fiction, American, Science fiction, Life on other planets, Military, Marines, General, Science Fiction - Military
ISBN: 9780345435927
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2001-04-03T10:32:52.652000+00:00

"If there are no questions, gentlemen?" Van Winkle said at the end of his briefing. His senior staff, company commanders, and first sergeants looked somber and reflective, but none had anything to ask.

"Captain Conorado, First Sergeant Myer, please stay for a moment. The rest of you are dismissed." The assembled officers and first sergeants stood and filed out of the battalion briefing room, leaving the commander and first sergeant of Company L in their seats. Battalion Sergeant Major Parant also remained; he knew what Van Winkle wanted to see Conorado and Myer about and understood that he might be needed.

When the others were gone and the briefing room door was closed again, Van Winkle walked to where the Company L leaders were sitting and turned a chair around so he sat almost knee to knee with them. Parant took up station to his immediate left rear.

"There's something else I have to deal with, and I wanted to talk it over with the two of you before I decide what to do," Van Winkle said without preamble.

"Yessir," Conorado said.

Myer looked attentive.

"Corporal Doyle's back."

Neither reacted for a few seconds, then cords bulged on Myer's neck and his face turned red. "I want his ass court-martialed!" he almost shouted. "Nobody blackmails me and gets away with it."

"Brigadier Sturgeon was very clear that there will be no court-martial," Van Winkle said calmly. To his left rear Parant patted the air in signal for Myer to calm down.

"Obviously," Van Winkle went on, as though Myer's outburst hadn't happened, "he can't return to Company L as chief clerk. If nothing else, you've already got a new chief clerk, and don't need a third clerk."

Conorado nodded. He promoted PFC Palmer to lance corporal and gave the job to him when Doyle left. Palmer was one of the men far overdue for rotation. There was a new PFC in the clerk's billet.

"Unless," Van Winkle went on, "the whole matter of Doyle's insubordination gets cleared up, I can't really assign him to one of the other companies either—and Headquarters has a full complement of clerks. So, gentlemen, what do you suggest we do?" Page 100

Parant fixed Myer with his eyes, leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms. Myer glared back and tightened his lips over his clenched teeth so he wouldn't say anything.

"He's a clerk, sir," Conorado said slowly, his mind racing to come up with a solution. Van Winkle waited. He knew, as the best superiors do, that usually the best solutions come from the people who have to deal with the problems, not from those who hand solutions down from on high. Conorado looked at Myer, who kept his eyes locked with Parant's. He stifled a sigh and said slowly,

"Doyle's a career clerk, but he has experience as a combat infantryman. Maybe Charlie Bass will take him."

Myer's head jerked toward his company commander when he heard that.

"Doyle's a dipshit fuckup! You can't put him in a blaster platoon." Conorado calmly looked at him. "Charlie Bass didn't think Doyle was a ‘dipshit fuckup’ when he got that Bronze Star.

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