Page 3 of Koa's Little Girl
When the other team leader conceded their defeat, Koa’s team reunited without celebration. They weren’t arrogant or gloating. This training mission would hopefully prepare them to survive a real-life skirmish. The team would celebrate that win. Koa watched Caden and Jerico walk forward to meet with the other troop’s leadership.
“Any injuries?” Zale asked the team. When he had everyone’s assurances they were fine, Zale moved forward to help the other troop’s medic.
With fake charges and rubber bullets, the damage was minimal. The morale of the larger group that hadn’t succeeded in its mission took the biggest hit. Koa spotted a familiar face: a soldier he’d met in training who hadn’t landed a Special Ops position yet. He walked forward to greet him.
“You all dogged us,” Mark said, pulling Koa into a one-armed bro hug.
“That move to the side was smart. You almost got us there,” Koa shared.
“But not quite. Had I moved my section earlier, I would have had you,” Mark said.
“Maybe,” Koa hedged. The possibility he wouldn’t have noticed earlier existed—barely. “A bunny gave you away.”
“Fuck! Of course it did,” Mark laughed. Natives could always throw a monkey wrench into a great plan.
After debriefing the conflict thoroughly with the other troops, Caden called the team back together. “Let’s get out of here. Koa earned a beer on me tonight. But we’ve got miles to go yet.”
By the time they returned to base, everyone dripped with sweat. Koa shrugged off his pack and collapsed to the grass with the others. When they’d all drained the last of their water, Caden targeted Koa with an assessing look.
“What delayed you this morning?”
“I made a stop at the firehouse to apologize,” Koa said, striving for a casual tone.
“To apologize?” Max focused on that bit of information. “To whom?”
“My bet’s on the fire captain,” Jerico said.
“She was not into you at all,” Zale chimed in. “So, how did it go?”
“I apologized and hightailed it here to go hang out in the woods with you losers,” Koa answered, ribbing his team.
“But we weren’t losers,” Max said. “Good work on the explosives. Yours would have worked as you shaped it. Mine was just better.”
“Thanks. I’m trying to figure out whose job I’m coming after. I’d try for Jerico’s, but he’s in too many meetings,” Koa said.
“Speaking of… I have to shower and change before I go do battle over our budget. Maybe I need to learn to ‘shape’ explosives.” Jerico always kept his tone light, but the others on the team recognized how hard he worked to get the leadership to spring for what they needed.
“Here. I hid a candy bar in my pack for secret energy,” Koa said, pulling out a Snickers.
“Keep it. I need to watch my girlish figure,” Jerico said with a laugh. “I don’t want Aspen to start counting my gut rolls instead of my abs.” He eyed Koa’s flat stomach as if he noticed a few extra pounds.
“Get out of here with your buff body. I could beat you at sit-ups any day,” Koa challenged.
“Thanks, guys. I was just thinking about how we should train tomorrow. Old-fashioned calisthenics it is,” Caden announced.
Groans filled the air. It was one thing to run an obstacle course or take part in a staged encounter like today. But a day filled with endless exercise in the gym was a killer. Especially ifit was a competition among their team. None of them would ever give up.
“There’s a sadistic streak in you, isn’t there, Caden?” Max asked.
“It’s taken you this long to figure me out?” Caden joked.
Koa rolled his eyes and peeled back the wrapper of his treat. He was usually very exacting with nutrition, but sometimes everyone needed pure, empty calories. “Anyone up for a night out?”
“Not me. I promised to make cheesy spaghetti for one little girl tonight,” Jerico said with a smile.
“I’m out, too. Pippa’s classroom is having a singalong with their parents this afternoon. I promised to go watch,” Zale explained. His little girl worked at the on-base daycare. “Pray for everyone that they don’t ask me to carry a melody.”
“No one is ready for that,” Hank said with a shake of his head. “I’m working on my place. Anyone who’s free can come help pull up carpet.”
