When they finally arrived, Erika was surprised to see Bennet talking with a higher-ranked officer. He was a large man and looked Bennet in the eyes. Smith and Jensen chatted with another soldier Erika didn’t recognize.
“Excellent, you guys made it on time,” the man Bennet had been talking to addressed them as they walked up.
“Yes, sir,” Erika replied quickly. “Erika Moore, my husband, Vince, and my daughter, Star, sir.”
“First Private Moore, reporting as ordered, sir,” Dexter said. He felt awkward to be reporting without Trucker, but they would have to go in the thermal cloaks and Trucker couldn’t be concealed that way.
“Fall in, soldier,” he directed Dexter. Dexter jogged over to get in line with Smith, Jensen, and the other man.
“Master Gunnery Sergeant Ben Nickleton,” he said extending his hand, toward Erika, Vince, and Star in turn. “Thank you three for coming. I understand you have experience with the Las Vegas facility. We’re going to work very hard during the next three weeks to make sure you are one hundred percent ready to get through that facility safely.
“Thank you, sir, for helping us achieve that goal,” Erika answered crisply.
Master Gunnery Sgt Nickleton raised his eyebrows, impressed by her response.
“I thought you said she was a handful, Bennet?” Nickleton commented, winking at Erika.
“We’re all here to work, sir,” Bennet replied, smiling slyly at her.
“Then fall in, people,” MGySgt Nickleton ordered. “This is the insertion team. Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Sabastian White is a specialist in covert operations and 1st Sgt Bennet will be leading the team,” he explained as he walked them out to an obstacle course, “Let’s get those heart rates pumping. The course I have designed for you will require you to work together. Lieutenant Colonel Virgis suggested you might be lacking in that area. Mrs. Moore, I understand you have stitches in your arm that won’t come out for a few more days. I want you to take it easy on your upper body and stay out of the dirt,” MGySgt Nickleton stressed.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
Each piece of the course required at least four people to complete. Erika and Dexter were teamed with Bennet and Smith. Vince and Star were teamed with Jensen and White. They spent the morning sweating, helping one another climb over walls, descend cliffs with ropes, and complete puzzles after running and doing pushups.
The exercises were designed to keep their brains alert while their muscles were burning. Plus, they had to keep their calm and work together. The coordinated efforts tested the patience of the team members and there was arguing and dissension. The two teams scored closely, but Nickleton laughed at their times and said it made him throw up a little in his mouth when he looked at them.
Vince and SSgt White hit it off immediately. They both had a strange sense of humor and both had rooted for the Vikings before the Great Quake.
At lunch, both teams were starving. The rehydrated slop tasted especially good. Erika was rejuvenated when Daniel stopped by for a visit. He was allowed into the classroom that they went to for the afternoon. There was a huge map of the Las Vegas facility, and Bennet and the Moore family tried to fill in any gaps they had.
Besides getting the Mercenary officers and family members out, the team was there to make certain that the garden facilities were not sabotaged before the Mercenary invasion force could infiltrate it. Vince was familiar with the gardens. He used to oversee their management. He was chosen to ensure their safely until the invasion force could take it. It was also a key point because the train could unload and load outside of them. Hold the gardens and they could get the prisoners out on the train.
After hours of looking at the map, they headed out to the shooting range. MGySgt Nickleton wanted to assess their shooting skills under pressure. Gunfire would be an absolute last resort but if they did need to shoot, it had to be pin-point accurate.
The Master Gunnery Sergeant was happy with their rifle skills but not so impressed with their pistol skills. He assigned them a series of exercises that they could practice to improve. Erika eagerly soaked up the information and spent many hours after that with a quarter on her pistol, dry-firing it at the wall. She would have to pull the trigger without letting the quarter fall.
While they were out on the range, Dexter started bragging about his skills with his throwing knives. The young man had practiced diligently for hours to hit his mark effectively.
“Oh yeah, Dex. You were right on target when we rescued your parents,” Bennet teased.
“I still hit him, didn’t I, sir?” Dexter pushed back, feeling defensive.
“Yeah, in the forehead with the back of your knife,” Bennet teased him more.
“Then it landed in his foot, sir,” Dexter defended.
Vince and Erika sat chuckling with Star. No one had heard this story yet. Dexter was growing redder in the face. He was offended by Bennet’s banter and his family’s amusement.
“What, what happened?” SSgt White asked.
Bennet explained the story, putting emphasis on Dexter’s botched shot.
“I’d like to see you do it!” Dexter challenged Bennet, forgetting his etiquette again. He handed Bennet his knives. The young man assumed Bennet didn’t have the talent because he had never seen him throw a knife before.
“No problem.” He took the knives. “Go stand in front of the wall, Dex,” he commanded.
“What?” Dexter questioned.
“What, sir?” Bennet corrected.
MGySgt Nickleton stood by, amused. Erika looked to him, hoping he would stop this.
“Get up against the wall, 1stPvt Moore,” Bennet ordered.
“Yes sir,” Dexter acquiesced, heading for the wall.
“1stSgt, don’t,” Erika pleaded.
“Relax, cupcake,” Bennet told her.
Erika looked to Vince. He had an uneasy smile on his face. Bennet started throwing the knives. The first one stuck in the wall next to Dexter’s leg. The second and third landed on either side of his hips. The fourth and fifth landed next to his shoulders. The sixth knife flew right at his head and cut the very top of his ear a tiny bit as it stuck in the wall.
“Owe, you missed. You hit me.” Dexter delighted in Bennet’s error.
“I didn’t miss. That’s a reminder not to challenge your superior officer again,” Bennet snapped.
“Yes, sir,” Dexter replied humbly.
The incident dampened the spirits of the group, and Dexter left to go see the medic.
“Was that necessary?” Erika asked as they went to get food.
“He gets sloppy with protocol. He needed a reminder,” Bennet answered her.
“Whatever.” Erika shook her head at him.
“Don’t make me have to give you a reminder,” Bennet answered her.
“Oh, really?” Erika jested, getting into a sparring stance. “I’ll kick your ass.”
She punched in the air at him. He chuckled at her and grabbed her up in a big bear hug.
“Oh, you’re going down,” Erika teased as he roughed her up.
The rest of the team laughed at their antics. When they got to the chow line, Bennet left to go sit with the officers. Erika watched him laughing with MGySgt Nickleton. They’re friends from the past, Erika speculated. She noticed Bennet didn’t eat until the whole team had finished their meals first, and this surprised her.
After dinner, they were free to go. Erika soaked up the moments she had with Daniel. They painted and worked on his reading and mathematics. He was quite the reader now and had studied every history book they had found. It fascinated him to know about the world that had existed before the Great Quake.
He studied the wars that had engulfed the globe. His way of looking at life surprised Erika at times. He was confused why people would destroy their own world. To him disaster was caused by Mother Nature. After the Northern Invasion he witnessed, the unbelievable reality of human nature hit home.
Chapter 33
Th
e next few days continued much the same. Their times on the obstacle course improved, along with their communication skills and teamwork. They didn’t visit the Vegas map much and went right into firearms practice. They were taught how to clear rooms and use their weapons as fighting sticks, firing only when necessary.
Erika watched and laughed from the treadmill as they worked on self-defense techniques. White was a crafty fighter and could give Bennet a run for his money. Star was still a formidable opponent. She preferred to defend rather than attack but was proficient at both. Her mother had ensured her self-defense skills were top notch. Erika worried intensely about a woman as beautiful as Star, growing up in a refugee camp.
Dexter could hold his own, even against his father. At the young age of sixteen, he hadn’t filled out as much as the other men, but his past had honed his skills sharply. Bennet had his number, though, and could work him like a rag doll. It was starting to infuriate the young man. Erika knew that fighting with anger would only make things worse. She also knew that parental advice could only take her son so far. She knew there were some things a child can only learn through experience.
Finally, the day came when all Erika’s stitches came out. Her arm was going to take some work to get back to one hundred percent, but she had been strong before her injury. She would heal fast and with a proper rehabilitation plan it would be top-notch in no time. She just hoped that day would come before they headed into Vegas. Understanding reality, Erika would probably have to do the best she could do with what she had.
Her training increased significantly. Even though she was sore and tired at night, time with Daniel always took top priority. Both she and Vince valued every second they had with the boy. They never knew when it would be their last.
Johnny was starting to act like his old self again. He and Dex and Megan would talk of lighter topics. Before long, Star would be in on the camp gossip. The grandparents sat by shaking their heads. It was business as usual for the young adults: dating, gossiping, and dramatizing social nuances. Daniel even got in on the banter. He knew the inner workings of the camp and was full of stories about everyone. The boy loved to learn different crafts. Often the practitioner he was training with would talk too much about subjects a child of his age probably shouldn’t have been privy to.
The night came that Vince and Erika were desperate for a moment to themselves. They decided to try their luck at the bar again. Plans were made, and they walked into the beer tent with visions of a private table and a quiet night. To their relief, nobody recognized them as they entered. They chose a perfect spot in the corner and ordered a beer.
“Maybe we should test it,” Vince teased Erika as the waitress approached.
“For real,” Erika laughed but inside she worried a little.
She looked at Vince and could tell he was feeling the same way.
“Are you two okay?” the waitress asked as she set the beers down.
“Absolutely, thank you,” Vince said, taking the beer from her. “Lightning never strikes the same place twice, right?”
“Actually, it does,” Erika teased.
They clashed their glasses together and started drinking. They talked about the kids. Star had been so quiet since they got home. Sean had hurt her, and she was not about to look for someone new. They laughed at Dexter and his frustration with Bennet. They were so proud of the man he had become. He grew up so fast, but he had a good heart and a pure soul. Daniel just needed time and he was going to grow into a fine man as well. They agreed he was going to be more stubborn, but he was focused and laser-sharp because of it.
They were just ordering their second glass of beer when Bennet, Nickleton, and White walked in. Erika had her back to the door, and Vince tried to hide his face behind her. They weren’t looking for company.
“Look who’s here, Nickleton,” Bennet boomed when he saw them.
It was obvious to Erika by the way he spoke that Bennet already had a few. She rolled her eyes at Vince as they approached the table.
“What are you two doing out of the residential sector?” Bennet teased.
“We were looking for a quiet night together,” Erika told him, hoping he would get the hint.
“Oh, nonsense. Let’s get some extra chairs over here,” he called to the waitress.
Nickleton smiled charmingly at Erika and shrugged. Sabastian White was excited to get to spend some down time with Vince. The waitress brought more chairs and a pitcher of beer.
“So, how are you two acquainted?” Erika asked Bennet, noticing his camaraderie with Nickleton again.
“Ben and I were in basic together in the Marines and did a tour in Iraq together. The bum jumped ship when we got home and joined the private sector,” Bennet explained.
“I told you from the start, I wasn’t a lifer,” Ben Nickleton replied. “Mr. Marines for life got all bent when I left, but the money was good in the private sector and I could go further faster.”
“Who wants to go further faster?” Bennet teased him. “Don’t you know slow and steady wins the race?”
“Oh, really? Who was that girl you cheated on your wife with? Guess going further faster interested you more then,” Ben jested.
“Oh man, that’s hitting below the belt,” Bennet teased. “I tell you what though, check out that long-legged beauty that just walked in. I’d like to go further faster with her.”
“Why don’t you go buy her a drink?” Nickleton suggested.
“Yeah, Bennet. Don’t be a chicken,” Erika pushed him.
Vince and Sabastian had halted their conversation to encourage the pressure on Bennet. He gulped down the rest of his beer and slammed his cup on the table.
“Okay…Here I go,” he declared.
He left the table and Vince and Sabastian returned to their conversation about football. Erika sat awkwardly with Nickleton.
“Where are you from, Ben?” Erika asked to break the ice.
“I grew up in Nebraska with a machete in one hand and a fishing pole in the other,” he replied.
“I grew up in Michigan, fishing and bow hunting,” Erika informed him.
“No,” he said sarcastically. “I thought you were from California. They call you the Lone Survivor of Sacramento.”
“That’s right. I lived in California during the Great Quake, but I was born and raised in Michigan,” she corrected.
“I should have known by your accent,” Ben responded.
“It always gets worse when I drink,” she laughed.
“You know, Erika, I have to hand it to you,” Ben congratulated her, looking at Bennet sweet-talking the woman that had walked in.
“What did I do now?” Erika wondered.
“I tried for years to get Patrick to retire from the Marines and join the private sector. Working homeland security, we all saw how things were going even before the Great Quake. The government was fearful of the people and were setting up for war against them. I tried to tell Patrick, but he wouldn’t listen. He said he had already given up three wives for the corps and wasn’t about to divorce it too,” Ben explained. “He can be a stubborn bastard, sometimes.”
“I noticed,” Erika laughed.
“It takes a strong individual to get anything through that thick head of his,” Ben said, eyeballing her carefully. “People like you were born to be leaders of leaders.”
Erika blushed and shook her head.
“I’ve come to realize that staying true to your values and loyal to the people you love can make you into a legend. My purpose now, in this time, is to spread hope as far and wide as I can. We must fight the hatred and fear that is crippling the spirit of our country,” she told him, taking a drink as he thought on her words. “I’m not a leader, Ben. My life taught me how precious the freedom that you fought for and we took for granted was. I pray that it is not too late. The Great Quake brought unprecedented misery, and it’s been a long road to recovery. But, we can’t turn our backs on all the things that made our country great in the
name of security and survival. Is survival really enough now?” Erika asked.
“I don’t think so. That’s why I’m here training you to go kick some ass,” he laughed, reflecting on this woman. “You just keep doing what you’re doing, Erika. If you can change Bennet, you can change the world.”
They shared stories and drank long into the night. Bennet left with Mrs. Long Legs, as the guys were calling her, and Vince and Erika excused themselves not long after. They were a private couple and they had no intention of making love with their family or Vince’s parents in the same tent. They snuck into the locker room and had drunken clumsy sex anywhere they could imagine a good position would be. Exhausted, they showered and headed home to get a couple of hours of sleep. Tomorrow would prove to be a grueling day.
Chapter 34
Nickleton seemed to possess a gene that prevented him from feeling a hangover and he was well aware of it. The Master Gunnery Sergeant took great pride in pushing the teams as hard as he could and watching them puke their guts out before heading to the showers.
After lunch, they went to a classroom to discuss the details of the assault. More thermal cloaks had been received from D’lores and they were being manufactured on a larger scale now. These would be a game changer for the mercs in evening combat. When they finished the discussion, it was back to the gym for self-defense practice.
Erika’s arm was healing nicely, and Nickleton decided it was time for her to get back in the ring. He chose Smith as her opponent.
“I don’t want to hurt you, ma’am,” the young corporal said.
Bennet and Vince smirked, but Dex and Star started giggling and almost broke out into a full roar of laughter. Corporal Smith was a wiry man. He was agile, but he gave away clear signs that told Erika exactly when he was going to attack. He had the impatience of youth, so all Erika had to do was sit back and counterattack.
Nickleton called the fight and congratulated Erika. Feeling confident, she joined the group for sparring combinations practice. Partnering with Bennet, they took turns going back and forth kicking the pad, and then whoever was holding it would swing it at the attacker. This would force them to stay ready after their move.
The Changing Earth Series (Book 4): Battle for the South Page 17
