Page 61 of Salute, To Bravery
Tommy - 2000
“If we don’t get out of here, we’re going to end up deadbeats,” I said, glancing at my best friends.
Ed, short for Edgar, stupid fuckin’ name, nodded. “Dude, the gang is already looking to recruit Jake and Tony. I don’t want to die in a gang banger’s war before I’m nineteen,” Ed responded.
“Hey, I don’t wanna die a fuckin’ virgin,” Jake added.
We all laughed; Jake was a man whore. However, my other two friends stared at Jake in disgust.
“Jake, you keep the sex clinic open,” Sophie sneered, and Jake winked.
“Gotta be desperate to do Jake,” Kaitlin agreed.
“Yeah, you two are frigid, everyone wants a piece of Jake Smith,” Jake teased.
“Concentrate, we gonna sign up or not?” I demanded, capturing everyone’s attention again.
Sophie gazed around the school hallway we were huddled in. She was the youngest and had just turned eighteen.
We lived in the slums, the poor kids. Most of the pupils hated Sophie, Kaitlin, and Ed but loved Jake and me because we played ball and brought trophies home. On that alone, we’d been offered scholarships but weren’t taking them. Either all of us attended, or nobody did.
Growing up together had formed a tight bond, one that went beyond friendship. Drunk, druggie, abusive, or neglectful parents meant we stuck together. Sophie got into college, but funding had been refused. The other two didn’t bother. Nobody wanted kids from the slums in their fancy college, not unless they could bring home trophies. Now, considering other options, although few were available.
I’d come up with the army.
Everybody enjoyed sports; we were fit, didn’t do drugs or drink, and only had an occasional smoke. Jake didn’t give a fuck as long as he didn’t have to stay home, and I was already bunking at Kaitlin’s to stop her stepfather raping her. We looked up as the last member of our group shuffled up.
Tony held the left side of his ribs, and my lip curled as I saw Tony’s split lip and blackening eye. His father was a monster, and even if Tony, who was a big kid, fought back, Tony still took a beating.
“Dude, you’re staying at mine,” Jake stated firmly, and Tony nodded.
“Can’t take much more, Tommy. Dad’s going to kill me soon,” Tony replied.
“We’re signing up for the army. We should get through the training easily, and none of us has anything medically wrong,” I said, taking the decision out of everyone’s hands.
“And what if one of us fails to get in?” Kaitlin demanded.
Calmly, I stared into Kaitlin’s cool blue eyes. Kaitlin was too pretty for the life she was living. Her stepfather had everyintention of raping, breaking, and then selling Kaitlin. Yeah, I’d die first.
“Then, guess who’s getting married? Nobody left behind, babe.” I smirked, and Kaitlin rolled her eyes but nodded. And that was the plan made. We were signing up, and should someone fail, one of us would marry them. We didn’t leave anyone behind, just like the seals.
Chapter One.
Captain Shere - 2000
“Anyone stand out?” I asked as I studied the recruits. They seemed the usual uninspired lot. Oh, they’d make good soldiers, dedicated and loyal, but they weren’t what I wanted. I was looking for extraordinary, not grunts. The person who outshone everyone, the recruit that had oomph.
“Come and see this,” Colonel Marks said. We got into his jeep, and Marks drove to where advanced training was happening. This was for those the army could use as potential special ops. There were five teams of six recruits on the field waiting to start. I ran my eyes over them and arrested on the third group. There was something about them. The other teams seemed tense, but these were relaxed, although incredibly focused.
“He’ll lead,” Marks said, nodding towards the teen on the end. I realised that none of the team were out of their teens and wondered why they’d signed up.
“Background,” I demanded.
“They are friends, from what I’ve heard, they grew up from babes together. All come from a slum area; parents wereabusive, drunk, high, or assholes. They looked after themselves until they hit eighteen. Rumour is Tommy Anders and Jake Maelstrom got into college, but wouldn’t leave the other four.
“They signed up at the same recruiting office on the same day and have stuck together like glue since. All six of them are in tune with one another and… just watch,” Marks answered.
“Okay,” I agreed and settled back, snatching some binoculars from the dashboard.
