Chapter Seventeen
Stone
My time at the School of Infantry finally came to an end, and I became a fully-fledged Marine. I was now part of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, based at Camp Pendleton in Cali.
Sniper School was on the horizon, but first, I had to gain two promotions and learn about comms. Because of my talent on the Range, I was getting fast-tracked, so a lot of my spare time was spent studying for tests.
My everyday duties included practicing maneuvers, PT, spending time in the classroom, and shooting at the Range. We also did mundane shit like guard duty and cleaning our already clean rooms and our already clean weapons.
Needless to say, spending hours of my day falling half-asleep from boredom wasn’t what I expected from the U.S. Marine Corps.
I’d been assigned a four-man room, which to anybody else would seem dire. Still, after sharing a dorm with eighty other recruits in boot camp and twenty in the SOI, it was akin to living in luxury.
My roommates were cool. Two of the guys, Gordy and Denton, had been part of the unit since they graduated boot camp the year before. The other guy, Spence, moved in at the same time as me.
I’d seen Spence at the Range before; he practiced a lot. We’d spoken in passing, but we seemed to gravitate toward each other more now because we joined the Unit at the same time.
Spence was a good guy, quiet but easy-going. He had a real dark—and when I say dark, I mean pitch-black—sense of humor, which I appreciated, seeing as I was the same way. It was the norm when you grew up around a whole lot of ex-military bikers. Spence was also a hotshot on the Range, not as good as me, but close.
Military life became a lot more relaxed overnight. We were permitted to leave the base, and suddenly, the world opened for me after the last months had been so insular. The problem was that I usually had to study, so I seldom got to go out.
Still, the days ticked over nicely, except for one thing.
Elise.
After she received my letter explaining my change of plan, she became more distant. I wasn’t stupid, I got why, and I knew I only had myself to blame for the cold shoulder she turned my way, especially after Mom told me about the shit show that happened when she turned up at the club.
I lost my shit when Ma told me what Seth did. That fucker was on my hit list and would be dealt with next time I got some leave. Leesy shouldn’t have mouthed off to Dad, but pointing a gun at my ol’ lady wasn’t smart.
Seth would get an ass whipping, but I had to shelve it until I saw the snaky fuck.
To my relief, my Leesy was finally starting to come around. It had taken months of letters, calls, and apologies, though. For a while there, the bottom fell out of my world because I thought she’d Dear John me. Luckily, she hadn’t—yet— but it taught me a hard lesson.
Discuss life changes with your girlfriend before you agree to them.
It wasn’t rocket science, but still proved effective.
“You taking that shot or what?” Spence called out.
“Slow your roll, asshole,” I called back. “Wanna do it right.”
“Fuck me,” he muttered. “Santa and his reindeer will be flying overhead by the time you pull the trigger.”
In reply, I swiveled my face away from the target, stared him down, and popped off three shots without looking.
“Cocky fuck,” Spence said accusingly. “If Sarge sees you do that shit, he’ll haul your ass over the coals.”
Holding my gun down and away, I pressed hard on a button fixed to the wall and waited for the target I’d just shot at to whir toward me. “Watch and learn, Spence,” I smirked. “Sarge won’t do shit as long as I’m on target.”
Sure enough, all three shots had hit precisely where I’d wanted. Head, heart, and dick.
“Cocky fuck,” Spence drawled again.
I chuckled.
Months of practice had honed my skills even more. Dad’s lessons were paying off, and even the countless axe-throwing contests he’d challenged me to over the years had helped in hand-to-hand combat. Because of all the hours aiming axes, I could throw a dagger at fifty paces and hit my target dead center. My sergeant told me I could take my show on the road and make my fortune.
I told him I’d prefer the biker life.
“Stone,” a voice called from behind. “Sergeant Laska wants to see you in his office.”
I craned my neck to see our Lance Corporal sticking his head around the entrance to our cubby. His eyes veered toward Spence. “He wants to see you, too.”
Spence waited for the Lance Corporal to disappear before turning to me. “If you’ve got us in a shitstorm for not looking at where you’re shooting, I’ll kick your ass.”
My lips thinned. “How the fuck would Laska see us if he’s in his office, dweeb? He ain’t Inspector Gadget. His eyes don’t come out on stalks and look around corners to catch our asses out.” I grinned. “It’ll be fine. We haven’t done shit. We’re in the damned classroom most of the time.”
“What the fuck does he want then?” Spence asked.
I lifted a shoulder. “Let’s go find out.”
As soon as we rounded the corner, we could see the Sergeant’s office door was open. The line of offices was all enclosed with glass, so it was easy to spot Laska with his head bent over some papers on his desk.
As if sensing us, his head raised, and all-seeing light-blue eyes took us in. With a jerk of his head, he gave me a silent order to get my ass inside.
My bud went to sit down on one of the chairs lined up against the glass, but he was stopped by Laska’s raspy voice shouting, “You get your ass in here, too, Spencer.”
Spence shot me a ‘what the fuck have you got us into now’ glare and followed me inside.
We both pulled straight and saluted him. “Reporting as requested, Sir,” I said, my tone steady.
“Stand down,” he muttered, without even giving us a glance before nodding toward the two chairs opposite his desk. “Take a seat.”
We did as he ordered and sat, our backs ramrod straight and our expressions blank.
My throat tightened slightly as I wracked my brain for anything I could’ve done wrong. Maybe Spence was right, and Laska had somehow got wind that I’d screwed around on the shooting range. God knew I couldn’t bring any other fuckups to mind.
Finally, Laska looked up and lounged back in his seat. His eyes looked like chips of ice as his stare went from me to Spence and back again. “Congratulations. You both passed your tests. You’re getting bumped up to Private First Class. It’ll be official by the end of the week. You got paperwork to sign, and of course, your pay grade bumps up, something I’m sure you’ll be happy about.”
I glanced toward Spence and saw his wide grin matched mine.
“Don’t get too big for your breeches,” Sarge continued. “Spencer, you scraped by on ballistics, and Stone, you scraped by on comms. The program you want requires top scores on both, so don’t assume you can relax. You’ve got six months before we put you both up for Lance Corporal, but the work’s only just beginning. If those weak areas haven’t improved by the time you take your next promotion test, I’ll cut you both for applying to Sniper school after that.”
His eyes flicked toward Spence. “The other thing I wanted to talk to you about is your leave. Spencer, you go home on December twenty-third, and you report back to duty on December twenty-eighth. Stone, you leave on the twenty-eighth, and you report back here on January third. I’ve tagged your leave days onto your Special Liberty time. You’re welcome.”
My shoulders slumped slightly.
I didn’t think I’d get my leave approved, seeing as I was so new to the unit. Usually, the greener Marines got the shitty hours, so to get five days off over the new year was a coup.
I decided I’d fly home. There wasn’t time to waste on the bike, and the closer I got to Wyoming, the worse the weather would be. Hambleton would probably have thick snow on the ground by now, and I didn’t relish wasting valuable time I could spend with Elise and my family being used up by navigating icy roads.
The scratch was there. I didn’t have any living expenses. My only outgoing was the money I put into savings each month. I could treat myself to a return flight.
My chest warmed at the prospect of spending New Year back at the club. I’d loved the Christmas holidays ever since I was a boy, and one day, I intended to make it as unique for my kids as Ma did for me. But at my age in the here and now, New Year was where it was at.
We said our thanks, got dismissed, and wandered two buildings down to our digs, Spence chatting all the way there. We climbed the steps to our accommodation and then more steps up to our floor and walked into our room.
“Can’t believe I got the holidays off,” Spence crowed. “Louise will be stoked. I’ll get to see my nieces and nephews, too. My folks always make a big deal out of it.” He dropped his ass onto his bed. “Need a favor, Stone.” He paused. “Actually, it’s more of a mutual exchange. A ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ kinda thing.”
Laying down, I folded my arms behind my head. “Shoot.”
“Can you help me learn ballistics if I teach you comms?” he asked. “It makes sense. We’re falling down in subjects the other excels in. We can help each other out.”
I jackknifed to a sitting position. “Fuck, yeah. I was gonna suggest it myself. I need someone who can explain shit, not point to a diagram and just expect me to know what the fuck the instructors are talkin’ about.”
“It’s no biggie,” Spence announced. “If you understand the electrical systems of a car, I reckon I can help you apply it to comms.”
“I can get you through ballistics, too, brother,” I assured him. “I’ll explain it the same way to you as my dad told me as a boy. It cuts out all the big words and complications.”
“Sweet.” He cocked his head. “We’ll start tomorrow. How about we ask the Sarge for extra classroom time tomorrow? If we explain it’s for the greater good, I think he’ll cave.”
“He’ll think we’ve gone doolally,” I muttered. “Poor fucker will have a conniption if we ask for extra work, but I guess it’s gotta be done if we wanna be Marine Snipers.”
The thudding of boots sounded from outside, along with laughter and somebody saying goodbye to somebody else. The door opened, and in sauntered Denton, holding some envelopes. “I collected a letter and saw something had come in for you.” He held a letter out for me.
“Thanks, Dent.” I took the envelope and smiled when I saw Elise’s neat, cursive handwriting. Bringing the letter to my nose, I caught a whiff of jasmine, and my cock twitched.
Christ, I needed to get on leave sooner than New Year if a whiff of jasmine made me wanna nut.
Laying back on my bed for a second time, I carefully opened the letter, unfolded it, and began to read…
John,
I hope you’re okay.
Everything here is good; it”s still the same, really. As you know, nothing much happens in Hambleton.
I saw your mom on Sunday. I sat with her during Sunday Service. It was hilarious because Monica had a party the night before—which I wasn’t invited to. Not that I would’ve gone if I were—and she felt sick. Kelly said she was green around the gills. (Probably self-inflicted.) When the pastor began discussing how Jesus turned water into wine and multiplied the loaves and fishes, she had to run outside and puke.
Your mom said—loudly—”That girl wouldn’t know Jesus if he came down and built a cross on her front lawn. Jesus saved loose women, but that one’s a long way past redemption.’
Everybody laughed (except her parents). Rumor has it that they arrived home from vacation in the middle of the party (which was way out of hand by all accounts) and caught her making out with some random boy from Mapletree.
College is going well. I’ve passed Staff Management, and now I’m studying Human Resources. I’m really enjoying it. It’s varied, and it uses up a lot of brain power, which makes me tired enough to sleep, instead of lying awake, thinking about how much I miss you.
I’m still confused about everything, John. I know you think it’s nothing and I should get over it, but I still don’t understand how everything you wanted from enlistment changed almost overnight.
I hope when you get some leave, we can sit down and talk, because the things you write don’t explain it in a way I can understand. You use a lot of Marine jargon, and sometimes, it’s like you’re speaking another language. (Either that, or I’m an idiot.)
I love you, John. There’s nothing you can do to hurt me, except not be honest. I’m more challenging than you think, and I’m trying to overcome my shyness and stand up for myself. I guess I proved that by walking into a biker compound and yelling at the president.
Can you believe I did that? I still can’t.
I regret it now because everything’s changed for me at the club. I see the brothers in town, and they don’t say hello to me anymore. It’s weird, because as much as they always scared me, now I miss them, your dad especially. Connie explained the way it was and why he had to react the way he did. She says there are no hard feelings on his part, but I’m not so sure she’s right.
I feel so alone sometimes, like I’m out at sea and caught in a storm. Not being welcome at the club is isolating because it was my only lifeline to you, and now it’s gone.
All I have is the occasional call and your letters, so please call and write soon.
Yours always,
Elise xoxo