The Recruit: A Jack Noble Short Story by L.T. Ryan

Author:L.T. Ryan [Ryan, L.T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, War, Short Stories & Anthologies, Short Stories, 45 Minutes (22-32 Pages), Single Authors
Amazon: B009AVDESA
Publisher: L.T. Ryan
Published: 2012-09-12T23:00:00+00:00

***

We cleaned up and sat on Bear’s rack, waiting in silence for the MPs to arrive. It took longer than I expected, but once they entered the barracks, it went exactly as I expected.

“Noble, Logan,” a voice called from outside the barracks. “On your feet.”

We stood in the empty space between the two long rows of racks where our platoon slept. The lights flicked on. Groans erupted throughout the room. By this point in recruit training, we were well aware of how long our seven hours of nightly sleep lasted.

The MPs entered, handcuffed us, and led us out of the barracks. We were marched across base. Four in the morning and it was shaping up to be another scorcher. The air was still and thick. My bound arms prevented me from wiping the sweat from my brow. It ran down my face and burned the cuts and scrapes from the two fights. I looked up at the sliver of moonlight light penetrating through silver clouds.

“Stop here, recruits,” the lead MP said.

We stopped. I looked over at Bear. He shook his head.

The MP walked out of earshot with his handheld radio.

“What you think they’re gonna do with us?” Bear asked.

I shrugged. “Promotion?”

Bear laughed. “Stop messing around. We’re in deep shit, Jack.”

“Guess we’ll find out.” I nodded toward the MP walking toward us.

“Let’s go, recruits.”

We continued and stopped in front of the main administrative building. It looked dark and deserted from the outside. The MP led us into the lobby. Another MP met us halfway, led us to an interior set of doors and unlocked them.

“What’s back here?” Bear said.

I shook my head. I had no clue.

They led us through a maze of halls. We stopped in front of a glass walled office. On the door was a sign that said Brig. Gen. Keller, Parris Island’s Commanding Officer.

“Sit,” the MP said.

We sat on a bench, arms cuffed behind us, and waited.

“We’re in deep shit, Bear,” I said.

He laughed.

“Shut up, recruits,” the MP said. The short bastard had the gumption to place his hand on his pistol as he said it.

I sat back. Sighed. Looked down the hall and at the office across from us, but there wasn’t much to see.

Lights flickered on and footsteps echoed through the hall.

Brig. Gen. Keller appeared. He glanced at me, then Bear, then lifted his eyes up toward the MP. “See them to my office.” He turned and walked past us.

“Get up,” the MP said.

We stood and he let us into the office. He unlocked the handcuffs and removed them from our wrists. “Sit.”

We did.

He waited in the doorway.

“That’ll be all, Corporal.” The glass door shut and Brig. Gen. Keller took his seat across from us.

It sounded like Bear had stopped breathing. I looked over at him. Sweat covered his wide face, which had turned red.

Keller looked down at the papers on his desk, sighed, and looked up at us. “Recruits,” he snatched the papers up and straightened them out by tapping them against the desk, “what the hell happened tonight?”

I sat up straight.

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