Rose shook his head despondently and stood slowly. "Sa' not . . . fun . . . nay, man."
Matt checked his watch and lengthened his stride. It was almost noon. He had to get Virginia to the shutde bus stop. He carried her bag as she struggled to keep up.
"Slow down, I can't keep up."
Wade grinned. "There you go saying 'I can't' again."
They turned the corner and saw several soldiers waiting along a painted curb. Wade slowed his gait with a sigh. "I told ya I'd get you here on time to catch your flight."
"Are you never wrong, Sergeant?"
"Nope."
Virginia hit his arm playfully as they neared the curb.
Wade set down the bag at the curb and wiped the sweat from his brow. "So, you're going back to Saigon, then the Philippines, huh?"
"Yes, we're going on tour of the Navy bases, then heading for home."
"Ya going back to New York?"
"No, Los Angeles. There's an agent there who says he can get me a contract to cut a record."
Wade smiled. "Will you remember this Okie when you make the big time?"
Virginia tried to look happy. "I'll never forget you, Matt. You're ..." Her smile faded and she quickly turned her head. "You're special to me."
Wade hugged her to him. "I'll miss you, too, Ginny. Please write me and tell me how you're doin'. Hell, I oughta get a cut for saving your skinny butt.''
Virginia held him tightly so he wouldn't see her tears. "I'll write, Matt, I promise."
The sergeant backed away from her as the blue Air Force bus pulled up. "Hey, no tears, remember?"
Virginia shook her head. "I don't care about my promise not to cry. I. . . I'm not ready to go yet."
Wade hugged her again. "Go Ginny, go and be the best singer in the U. S. A., like you've dreamed about. You can do it. You're a survivor, remember?"
"Oh, Matt, I'll miss you so much." She looked up at him. "It's been wonderful, hasn't it?"
Wade kissed her forehead. "It's been a dream come true."
The bus began to close its doors. Wade quickly pounded the side and hefted the bag to the doorway.
"Knock 'em dead, Ginny. Take care."
She climbed the bus steps and looked back as the driver shut the door.
Wade tried to wink and raise his hands to say "Click," but his eyes misted and his shaking body wouldn't respond. The bus began pulling away.
Ginny ran to an open window and yelled out, "I love you, Matt!"
Wade tried to yell back but his words only came out in a whisper.
"Bye, Ginny. . . . Good-bye."
Wade sat with Sergeant Zubeck alongside the airfield, waiting for the flight to An Khe. All the men were there except Thumper. Wade stood and walked to the tin shed where his team waited in the shade.
"Preacher, when did you tell him to be here?"
"I told him fifteen hundred hours, just like you said."
Woodpecker grinned. "That's a lot of woman to say good-bye to. Maybe he needs our help."
Wade didn't smile. He only looked up the road. "Damn it, he's late. The plane is gonna land any minute."
A white Lambretta turned the corner and rolled down the road toward them. Russian put his hand to his forehead, blocking the sun's glare.
"It's him!"
Seconds later the Herculean soldier hopped out and ran up to Wade. "You've got to cover for me. I'm staying a couple more days."
Wade walked away from the others, out of earshot. "What the hell you talkin' about?"
Thumper shrugged his shoulders. "I'm staying here a few days, that's all. You can say I'm sick or something."
Wade's brow furrowed as he studied his friend's face. "Does Mary Ann know about this?"
"No, she went to the Red Cross Center, but I'll surprise her."
"With the truth?" asked Wade coldly.
Thumper's eyes narrowed. "Look, Matt, I'm only asking for a few days. Hell, I deserve it."
Wade softened his glare. "Mary Ann wouldn't let you stay. You know that. Come on, Thump, think sensibly. You'll see her again soon enough."
"I thought about it all last night. I'm serious. I don't wanna go back yet. I lost Mary Ann once, and I'm not losing her again.''
Wade stepped closer and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Look, I know what you're feeling but get hold of yourself. We need you. We've still got a war on. The longer you stay here the harder it will be to come back. Come on, we'll write our ladies as soon as we get back."
Thumper stiffened. "I'm staying. I have to work things out."
Wade dropped his hand abruptly from his friend's shoulder and fixed him with a cold stare. "I'm not going to cover for you. You're going back with us. You can't check out of this war like it's a damn game of some kind."
Thumper's face flushed as his huge body shook with anger. "The hell I can't! I'm the sole surviving son of the family. I can call it quits right now."
Wade shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Neither could he let Thumper stay, and then lie to Childs about it. He had no choice but to call his friend's bluff and hope the flight and time would change his mind. "You're going with us. If you want to submit your paperwork . . . well, that's up to you. Get your gear. We're leaving."
Wade turned his back on the big soldier and motioned to the others to pick up their gear as well. Thumper stood fast. He was committed now and had to see it through. He raised a shaking hand and pointed his finger at Wade. "Wade, this goddamn war is not that important. . . and I'm through with it."
Wade waved at the taxi driver to take off and looked over his shoulder at the sullen man.
"The team's what's important now . . . and we need you."
Thumper shook his head. "No ... not anymore."
Major Shane watched the sun's last fleeting glimmer as it disappeared behind the mountains. He turned from the window and sat down at his desk.
"Meeks, are you sure you want to do this?"
Thumper kept his eyes on the wall behind the major. "I'm positive, sir."
Shane lowered his head in disappointment. "Son, you know we have an operation coming up and don't have time to train a replacement. Three-one will have to go one man short. You realize what that means, don't you?"
"Yes, sir, I do. It's over for me. I request relief from the company based on I'm the sole surviving son."
Shane picked up the soldier's personnel folder. "You signed a waiver when you came to Vietnam. It's going to take at least ten days to get your paperwork approved, but I can see your mind is made up so consider yourself relieved from the team. Move into the headquarters barracks immediately. You'll be gone in ten days."
Shane stood and began to motion the soldier out, but instead sighed and ran his hand through his short hair. "Meeks, Sergeant Wade told me about the Red Cross woman. I understand she's a wonderful girl. Do you think it will be the same between you when you see her again? Before you answer let me tell you something. I was here in '67 at Dak To with the 173rd. I was wounded the second day in the batde for Hill 875. It wasn't a real bad wound, but I had an option to leave or stay. I left. The next day twenty-three of the men in my company were killed. I heard about it three days later while in a hospital. I've had to live with asking myself if I'd been there maybe it wouldn't have happened. Son, you have every right to go home. Your family and you have paid enough . . . but please make sure in your mind that it's what you really want."
Thumper's eyes shifted from the wall to the major. "Sir, my brother was killed at Hue. I gave up an education and football career to find the meaning for his death. I found it, and now I've found something else. I've lost my brother and a career. I'm not losing anymore."
Shane turned to the window and spoke softly. "I'll submit your papers. You're dismissed."
The team watched silendy as Thumper packed his gear. Wade walked out of his room, but stopped abrupdy upon seeing his assistant team leader stuffing his barracks bag. Wade stepped back in his room to avoid him, but suddenly spun ar
ound and walked down the barracks aisle. He stopped in front of the soldier and extended his hand.
"Thumper . . . good luck to you."
Thumper stood up and, after a moment's hesitation, took his friend's hand. "I'm sorry, Matt, but it's got to be this way."
Wade forced a smile. "Take care of yourself back in the world.
You'll always be a member of Three-one, so write us and tell us how you're doing."
"Sure, Matt."
Wade motioned his men to his room. "Come on guysWe've got a mission to go over."
The team all shook hands with Thumper and filed into their sergeant's room. The big soldier tossed die last items of equipment into his bag and headed for the door. He looked over his shoulder at the empty bay one last time and stepped out.
The column of marching men stopped for the evening. Private Nguyen Nuu walked off the trail, letting his pack fall from his sore shoulders. He sat down wearily and shut his eyes to stop the dizziness.
"Private Nuu, why do you rest? You are lazy for such a young man. Your work has just begun! Fetch wood, then fetch water from the stream we passed. Unpack the pots and rice and begin the meal. Our general needs food and tea for his old bones."
Nuu looked up at his new mentor, Sergeant Thong. The old seigeant was as gnarled as a strangler fig and scolded him like a grandmother. His words always came in a torrent and seemed endless like the monsoons. Nuu rose up, resigning himself to the fact that he was now a slave.
Thong eyed the young soldier and shook his head as if disgusted. "Sit down and rest. You look as if you will fall over and die. I would have to bury you, you know, and then the general's dinner would be late. I will gather the wood myself. Rest for a moment, then fetch the water. Perhaps you carried too much. You did not complain when I gave you all the pots and rice, did you? Foolish! You should have told me the pack was too heavy. Tomorrow we split the load, but only for a day. You are young! Act like it!"
Nuu couldn't help but smile. The old sergeant was loud and liked to hear himself talk but seemed friendly enough. He reminded Nuu of a rooster, the way he strutted and clucked all the time.
Nuu opened his pack and took out the pots for water. It felt good to be in the forest again. It was like an old friend. He walked toward the stream, passing the many escort soldiers that joined them that afternoon. Their drawn faces and thin bodies reminded him of himself only weeks before, but he still wished he were with them. They at least did not make war on farmers.
J. D. Gibson was sitting in the operations center, checking out the team insertion schedule, when Major Shane walked in with Lieutenant Foley and Childs. Shane sat down facing the gray- haired officer. "J. D., youVe been practicing your flying a lot, so you've missed out on our recent operations. We need to get you up-to-date so you can start inserting teams."
"You think I'm ready, sir?"
Shane smiled. "Yeah, you're ready. Foley tells me you're a real hotshot."
Gibson glanced at the bespectacled lieutenant with an appreciative grin.
Shane nodded to Childs, and the sergeant walked to the wall map.
"We've moved our area of operations to the mountains west of An Khe. We need for the teams to get one more mission under their belts before we move to Phan Thiet to begin the Corps mission. First Platoon was inserted today. Tomorrow, Second Platoon goes in, followed by the Third Platoon the next day. First Platoon teams have seen lots of footprints on the trails, but haven't spotted anyone yet."
Shane leaned forward. "J. D., you're going to insert the teams because I'm sending Lieutenant Foley to Phan Thiet with an advance party to find us a base to work out of. He'll take four commo men and Sergeant Gino to establish a TOC and make liaison visits to the aviation units. Study the map and learn all the team's landing zones. You've had enough practice. Tomorrow you start playing 'quarterback' in the big game."
Shane rose and patted the young officer's back. You'll do fine, hotshot."
The major motioned Childs to follow him, and the two men strode through the door into the darkness.
Shane waited until he was far enough from the ops center to be out of hearing distance and stopped. "Jerry, I want you to see what you can do to keep Specialist Meeks busy until I get him orders for the States."
The sergeant, in a low voice, said, "Sir, don't be too quick pushing his orders through. I've seen this before. I've got ways to get pussy out of his mind."
"I don't want him pushed to change his mind. He'll be useless to the team if he's forced. Just keep him busy, Jerry, that's all."
Childs gave his major a not-too-convincing, "Of course, sir," and smiled to himself. He knew a proven remedy.
Shane noted the tone. He hoped that whatever the sergeant planned met with his guidance. "I mean it, Jerry. Don't push him."
Childs blustered. "I heard ya the first time . . . sir."
Shane held back his smile. His sergeant couldn't lie worth a shit. "Come on, old-timer, let's drink a beer."
Thumper read over the letter he'd just written to Mary Ann. He'd explained his decision to go home and wait for her. He'd be assigned to a post somewhere in the States for only a few months, then he'd get out and could return to school and they'd get married.
He was about to fold the letter when Childs walked into the barracks and approached his bunk. "Meeks, startin' tomorrow you gonna work in the ops center and be an RTO. We got radiomen leaving tomorrow for Phan Thiet and you'll be replacing them. You'll work a twelve-hour shift and rotate with Dagood."
"Damn, Sarge, I'm not a RTO."
"You are now! Don't complain, lover-boy, I could let Top have you clean his latrines till you leave."
Thumper shook his head dejectedly. He didn't want to know how the teams were doing when they went in-especially Matt's team.
Childs watched the soldier from the corner of his eye. "When Three-one goes out, you'll be responsible for Bitch. She can't stay with Pete 'cause he'll be too busy gettin' ready for the move to Phan Thiet."
Thumper nodded in silence. He didn't mind taking care of Russian's dog.
Hiding a smile, Childs turned and strolled out of the barracks. He knew monitoring a radio all day would give the big soldier plenty of time to think.
Thumper folded the letter and put it in the envelope. Ten days, he thought, ten days, then home. Mom will be so relieved and dad will . . . damn it! Why did the major talk about guilt? I'm right! I don't have to stay. I've paid my dues. Mary Ann and I can . . . damn him!
Chapter 18
31 September
Lieutenant Gibson was tired as he leaned back in the bird dog's back seat and shut his eyes. The past four days had gone by in a blur. He'd flown for seven to eight hours a day, inserting teams and extracting those that had killed dinks in their ambushes. It seemed that every time they turned for home, a team had a contact. The pilot would then turn back, as J. D. directed the gunships and Slick in for pick-up. Only two teams remained out- Wade's 3-1 team and Jenkins's 3-4 bunch. Commo was very bad in the valleys, so he'd had to go up and establish radio contact with both teams and relay to base operations in An Khe. He'd called both teams and they'd reported they'd seen nothing, so he was finally heading for An Khe after a long day.
Wade let the tobacco juice roll down his cheek rather than spitting it out. He'd heard talking. They'd been laying in ambush just off an old trail for two days and had seen nothing. They were perpendicular to a steep-banked dry creek to their right. The noise he'd heard came from the creek bed. He motioned to Russian and Woodpecker, who were ten meters away, to check it out. The two men were hiding behind thick elephant grass only a few meters from the bank and had first alerted Wade to the voices.
Woodpecker crawled slowly to the edge and peered down the almost vertical fifteen-foot bank to a small pocket of water, where two khaki-clad soldiers were filling their tin canteens. The small Vietnamese had left their AK-47s lying on the bank and were talking in a high, singsong pitch, Russian saw the soldiers and quickly checked for others on die far
embankment twenty meters away. The land was higher on the far side, but all he could see was more elephant grass. The two Rangers backed up. Russian turned to Wade and pointed to the streambed, then raised two fingers. Matt raised his hand and slid it across his throat, signaling to kill them. Russian and Woodpecker readied their weapons. Then Russian tapped the redhead and both raised up firing. The Vietnamese were flung backward violently, like limp dolls, by the impact of the bullets. Across the gully on the embankment, four other soldiers suddenly rose up from the elephant grass where they'd been resting. Each of their faces showed surprise, but one quickly raised his weapon and fired at the two shooting Americans.
the Last Run (1987) Page 29
