Page 65 of Her Marine
Killian cut his eyes at the young man. “Because you weren’t aware gave you the right to play in the hallway?” The young man swallowed but remained quiet. “I’m speaking to you, Corporal.”
“No, sir.” The corporal stated.
Killian pulled his door closed behind him. “Well, since the five of you like running in my hallways, let’s see how fast you run these laps you’re about to give me. To the training field.”
Killian followed behind them as they went to the training field. Regardless of whether or not they knew he’d returned, they shouldn’t have been playing in the halls. It made Killian wonder which of the men’s superiors allowed them to slack off because clearly, this was not the first time. At least they’d been smart enough to do it when he wasn’t around.
“I want twenty laps,” Killian informed them, and the soldiers took off around the field.
He knew twenty laps for throwing a football was a bit harsh. Especially with the size of the training field, but it would ensure they weren’t foolish enough to dick around while on duty again. At least not in his vicinity.
They’d been running for several minutes when Killian heard footsteps behind him. Signaling someone’s approach before he even heard them speak.
“Why are my men running the training field?” Killian could tell it was a question posed through clenched teeth.
“I told them to,” Killian responded, looking over his shoulder. “You care to join them, Sergeant?”
“Major Stoll. Apologies, sir, I didn’t know you’d returned.”
“So, I keep hearing.” Killian turned his attention back to the training field.
“I’ll leave them to it.” The sergeant stated.
“You wouldn’t happen to be condoning them playing in the hallways, would you, Sergeant?” Killian asked.
“No. Of course not, sir.”
Killian refrained from scoffing at the young man’s blatant lie. He would be willing to bet he was not only allowing it but participating occasionally. Killian wasn’t against them having fun once they were off duty and their shifts were over. However, to do so while on duty was irresponsible, especially if they were supposed to be on guard duty.
They were young, but it was no excuse for them to play around. Killian hadn’t been that way when he joined, but that was seventeen years ago. Nowadays, people enlist for a paycheck. Not because they wanted to serve and protect their country.
“The next time I catch them fucking off, they’ll run the course for two shifts. That includes you.”
The young man was quiet behind him, and Killian knew why. None of them would want to run that course for more than an hour, two tops. So making them run it for two shifts was cruel and unusual punishment. While it was used in training new recruits, Killian liked implementing it when soldiers stepped out of line. It was an effective tool for making sure it didn’t happen again.
“Are we clear, Sergeant?”
“Yes, sir.”
Killian knew that if for no other reason than to keep himself from having to participate in the punishment, the sergeant would keep his men in line better. Answering to Killian if he didn’t wasn’t something the other man wanted, and Killian would hate it for him if he had to.
Those currently running laps should have been thanking him. Several years ago, he would have made them run fifty laps. He’d become more easygoing since then. At least, he thought so. He knew none of his subordinates did.
When all five of them finished their laps, two throwing up immediately after doing so, Killian dismissed them and returned to his office. He unlocked the door and walked inside; pulling out his bottom left desk drawer, Killian dropped the football into it, adding it to the collection of other balls and frisbees he’d confiscated over the past several years. He didn’t have room for many more.
He had reports he needed to look over from two standard operations that occurred while he was gone. He knew that someone else could have done it. Someone who’d been on duty during the operations, but Killian wanted to see just how well the reports were written and to see if he could ascertain the threat from the details, and how they handled it primarily since the reports were written in code.
After all, if he couldn’t, then there was no way he should lead a special operations command team.
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Journee allowed the words to sink in as she blinked slowly. She was sure she hadn’t misheard them. But, she also knew that in no way was the near impossible being asked of her right then. She was good; she would give herself that, but she wasn’t sure she was as good as he wanted her to be.
“Let me make sure I heard you correctly. You want me to help you plan a wedding for this coming Sunday?”
“Yes,” Axel responded as he sat across from her.
When her assistant informed her that she had a ten-thirty appointment that morning, she hadn’t thought much of it. She still didn’t when Axel walked through the door, assuming maybe he wanted to plan something for his unit or a weird “You survived a bank robbery” party for Kaydence. His asking her to plan a wedding in less than a week had not crossed her mind.
