Page 109 of Homecoming

“I’ll have some,” Kat smiles as she looks up. “Where did you get the honey? It doesn’t look like it came from a store.”

“My momma makes it. She keeps bees.”

“You still live with your mom?” Zak laughs.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I? I mean, she cooks, does my laundry, and has a sixty-five-inch TV with all the sports channels. Why would I wanna move out?”

“Fair point. You know, this stuff is pretty damn good.”

Bud dunks his large piece of bread into the honey pot and shovels it into his mouth. “Rocky, do you bring this kinda thing on every mission? With your other team, did you bring this?”

“Mostly… If I have room in my kit bag, I always fill it with food. Unless I think I’ll need extra medical supplies, then I just pack honey and ration crackers.”

“But isn’t the idea to lighten your pack, not make it heavier?”

“Depends. I think it’s better to have plenty of sustenance—you never know how long you’re gonna be gone for, right? Plus, the pack gets lighter the more you eat, so it’s not that much of a problem.”

“Okay. Yeah, I get your logic. You know, I think I’m gonna likehavin’you on the team,” Zak grins. His smile immediately disappears as QT nudges his elbow and Kat sneers under her breath. “Of course I… I meantifhe makes it.” He drops his head and continues to eat in silence.

Darius stands alone, staring out across the waves of sand that stretch like an ocean below the ridge. The air begins to cool as the afternoon sun dips behind the formations of rock surrounding the desert.

“Dee, are you alright?” Digby steps up next to him and takes a long slow breath of the cooling breeze.

“I’m fine. I just need a minute. Get the rest of them up and ready to go.”

“You know, she’s gonna be okay—I mean, she’ll understand. Even she knows she’s at least a month out on her fitness. If she’d just had a little more time, she might have done it, but right now… she knows it too.”

“Yeah, well, I guess we’ll find out soon how well she’ll take it.” Darius turns and heads back towards the team. “Alright, get up. I’m going to partner you up.”

“What?” Bud looks around. “Wait, we’re all gonna do it?”

“You got a problem with that, Bud?” Darius snaps.

“Uhhh…No. No sir.”

“Good. Now shut the fuck up. Alright Zak, you got Bud. QT, you’re up front with me. Rocky, you’ve got Oz, Kat, you got Digby.”

“What?” Kat frowns. “But how is that fair? I mean Digby, he’s—”

“You have a problem, Lieutenant?”

“No sir. No, no problem.”

“Wait,” Zak steps forward. “Why has QT gotta be up front with you? I’m not happy about that. Why can’t I partner with him and Digby go with you? Kat can take Oz.”

“Zak, I don’t give a shit if you’re happy or not. That’s how I want it. What you want doesn’t even register with me. Are we clear?”

“Yeah,but there’s no need to be such afuckin’ass about it.” He sneers quietly under his breath.

“Zak, do you want to carry Rocky? Because I can make that switch right now?”

“Uh… uh no, thanks. No I’m… I’mzippin’it right now. Not another word. See? Lips are zipped.” He smiles as he looks at QT. “You okay about that?”

“I’m good. Z-Zak I’m f-fine,” he smiles.

“Okay… I guess we’re good to go.”

With that, the team loads the rest of the gear into the canvas holdalls, and Rocky packs what’s left of his food into a trash bag.

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