The Berserker Brigade - a sci fi military action adventure
Outside, the two boys joined the last empty spots on the second row of six trainees. The DI watched them in silence for a moment before he glanced over their shoulders at the closed door to their sleeping quarters.
Jack stared straight ahead at the dark nighttime sky.
"Now that we're all here," the DI said. "I've got a command instruction straight from the top."
He held up a sheet of paper in his fist.
"You're going to break into two squads and participate in an exercise," he continued.
So far, so good, thought Jack. They had done exercises before, plenty of them. Hell, that's what training was all about.
Exercise for the body, and war exercise for the mind to get them ready for battle.
The DI passed two packets to the boys on each one of the rows.
"These are your squad leaders," he announced. "They are word of God out there."
Jack bit back a grunt of surprise.
The tall boy at the end of their row was named Lee, but everyone called him Red, because of his hair.
Jack was pretty sure Red was an idiot, maybe even borderline retarded, but he was big, strong and followed orders without deviation.
Maybe that's what the DI wanted from them.
And he hated Kirby.
Both Red and the DI made life a living hell for the small boy. Normally, Jack wouldn't give a shit one way of the other, but out in the field, it might be different.
He heard Kirby give a small sigh beside him, but was too afraid to look in case he drew the spit laced ire of the DI.
"Permission to speak," Red drawled.
The DI nodded.
"My squad is down two men," he glanced at Jack and Kirby.
The DI smirked.
"I count six," he said.
"Sir," Red grunted. "I count four. And a half."
The boy standing next to Red snickered in a quick snort.
"You think that's funny, numbnuts?" The DI pounced. "You think my choice for squad leader is a fucking joke?"
"No Sir!"
"You're god damned right it's not a joke. You are in for a night full of serious shit, and if you fucking survive, I might let them make you soldiers," he yelled.
The DI eyeballed Red.
"Don't fuck up my exercise," he said. "You don't always choose and you're gonna have to make fucking do with the pieces of shit you're given. Mule 'em or use 'em as bait, but you got what you got, and don't fuck it up."
Red nodded.
"Yes sir."
The DI stepped back.
"Gear up," he commanded. "You're moving out in five."
The twelve boys jogged to the equipment locker in an orderly fashion and queued up.
Red and the other squad leader opened the gear locker and passed out ruck sacks to the boys.
"You better have packed your shit right," he growled as he shoved Jack a black back pack into Jack's hands.
"I did," he swallowed an argument and moved to the side.
Red slammed a ruck into Kirby's chest and kept pushing until he knocked the smaller boy to the ground.
"Don't screw up my mission," he grunted.
Kirby tried to squirm out from under the heavy weight but he was too small and he couldn't breathe. Red pressed harder.
"Don't get involved," Jack told himself.
He waited for the DI to say something, waited for one of his squad mates to step in.
But none die.
Jack stepped forward and grabbed Red by the shoulder. He yanked him off Kirby.
"He's got it," Jack said.
Red drew himself to his full height and glared down at Jack.
"Don't. Ever. Fucking Touch Me," he reached up a hand and wrapped it around Jack's throat.
He began to squeeze.
Jack leaned into it, pressing harder so he could get closer to Red.
He jammed his hand into the taller boy's crotch, grabbed everything that could squish and squeezed just as hard as the squad leader was choking him.
Red howled and tried to dance back out of the way.
But Jack didn't let go, he just kept crunching.
The DI slammed an open fist against the side of his head and knocked him sideways.
Jack sprawled and popped up.
He took two steps toward the DI before he could bring his temper under control and froze.
The DI nodded and smiled.
It didn't touch his eyes.
"That's assaulting a commanding officer," Red huffed out.
The DI looked at him.
"You ain't in the field yet," he said. "And everybody makes it back."
Red's shoulders sank a little and he scowled at Jack who stood in front of Kirby as if to block him from the other two men.
"Whole?" the squad leader asked.
"Alive," the DI shrugged and didn't offer any further clarification.
Jack watched Red march the rest of the boys back to the assembly line. He helped Kirby up.
"Thanks," the boy squeaked.
"Don't thank me," Jack led him to join the rest. "I think I just made it worse."
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