Friday, July 20, 2018

Free Form Friday - A post dated prologue

So, the below is kinda in the same universe as the first piece I posted last week, In my vision/outline, Jim and Jake are brothers. And Jake is KIA at some later future war. The problem is that I started writing this in college. So the war with iran seemed like it would kick off in 2014 and we would have figured out the Syrian mess before it got bad. Oh, well.

Hope you enjoy it. Kind of stream of concious, but sort of explains how Jake is the way he is. Feel free to point out any issues. 

Jim felt his socks grow soggy, the damp Montana winter could eat through even the best waterproof boots Danner had to market. Out of habit he glanced to his wrist, looking where his battered Casio dive watch normally resided, and could only manage a sheepish grin, his watch was somewhere in the Persian Gulf, he lost it when the burly SWC enlisted man hoisted him onto to the zodiac, half dead and bleeding. That had been months ago, and Dillard was still burning through his personal days, his recuperation leave, and some straight up time off. The down time was the least the Army could do at least according to Katherine, who was back in the cabin, either grading English papers, or pushing through Colonel Dillard’s collection of Hemingway novels he kept in the lodge. Dillard could barely contain his laugh when Katherine stumbled onto his Dad’s stash of classic American literature.
“The Colonel doesn’t strike me as a man who reads much of anything other than Air Force tech manuals.” Katherine had said as she ran her fingers across the handsome leather bound volumes on the shelves among the mounted animal trophies. Shaking off the memory of his what had happened to his watch, and the botched mission that led to Dillard swimming out to sea with his team, ripping a page out of the SEAL manual, he looked at the sun and estimated the time using his old Boy Scout skills and decided he had hunted enough for the day. Slinging his Ruger M77 over his shoulder, he fished his compass out of his pocket and shot a back azimuth towards the lodge and began the trek back. Despite the fact that his feet were wet and growing colder, he hadn’t seen an Elk in the week he’d been here, and the heavy 7mm Magnum rifle on his back, was, well heavy, he was utterly pleasant. The time off was nice, even Katherine seemed to be enjoying herself, the blonde beauty was proof you could take the girl out of the sorority but not take the sorority out of the girl. She generally balked at any sort of vacation that didn’t involve the beach but seemed to be quite happy at this vacation, and that made Jim very happy. He reflexively fondled the small box in his pocket, chuckling to himself at the notion that it had been to Iran in back, and wondered if he could ever summons the courage to give it to Katherine. The highly trained Delta commando, personally decorated by the President, still got cold feet when it came to women. Those thoughts kept Dillard occupied as he hiked the mile back to the cabin, a slightly ramshackle structure that had been in his family since Great-Great-Grandpa Eli had led a Troop of the Buffalo Soldiers up here on their campaign against the Blackfoot.  Walking in he stamped his boots in the mud room and hung them on the boot warmer, he then cleared and locked his rifle and made his way into the den. Katherine was snuggled on the couch, “A Farewell to Arms” in her hands, and a small fire burning in the fire place. Chuckling at her Phi Mu Snuggie, Dillard eased his lanky frame down beside her and pulled some of the blanket/garment to him, only to be surprised that Katherine was wearing nothing but a purple cotton bikini under her snuggie. Dillard arched an eyebrow as he leaned towards Katherine and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Don’t read too much into it, Trooper. My pants got wet when I was bringing in wood and I was cold.”
“Well let’s see about making you warm…”Dillard said with a chesire grin, only to be cut off by the chirping of his satellite phone, the official Army issue one which only the Delta Duty Officer of the Day and his CO had the number too. Dillard stifled a curse as Katherine flung her book and leapt up off the couch, wrapping her Snuggie around her as she sulked off to the bedroom.

“Major Dillard.” Jim said gruffly as he answered the offending device.

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