Friendly Fire

Colonel Hitchen (6) - The Supply Situation

"Sergeant?" I muttered out. I know how bad the mess I made looked, but I couldn't help myself. I needed a release. I needed something to help me get this anger and self-hatred out of me.

"If you wanted to have a temper tantrum, you should've taken it out on our dummies. They're there to be punched and shot at."

Well- yeah, that could've been an option, too. Why didn't I think of that? Maybe because I knew everyone would hear me yelling and see me lose control of my temper like that. It isn't a sight for anyone to see while this room is completely sound proof for security reasons.

"I'm sorry."

"I expect this room to be clean by first light. I'll be back to discuss our next plans."

I don't argue back with him, but that's only a couple of hours. That isn't a lot of time. I look back at the mess I made as his footsteps fade out down the hall and get started.

The first thing is first, my hand. I reached for the medical kit on the wall, removed each shard of glass, and patched myself up. It's not my best work, but it is hard to wrap your own wounds when you're a hand down.

Next are the filing cabinets. I return them to their original places and look down at the floor that is littered with papers. I have piles of the categories, but they're all out of order in terms of the dates. I don't have much time to be that detailed and organized. As for the chair, I threw it in the garbage and pulled out a new one from one of the stacks at the corner of the room. Lastly, the window. There's not much I can do about the glass. My best effort was to pin up a bed sheet that I stole from the laundry.

I drew in a breath when footsteps came my way. I knew Sergeant Collins was returning from God knows where.

"Colonel. Take a seat."

I obeyed and sat down in an empty chair. He soon followed and sat opposite me. I kept my mouth shut and waited for him to speak.

"Look. I know you're not happy about leaving Private Bane behind. But you made the right call. I have a few recruits lined up for you. I want you to take your pick and replace Private Bane."

I frown at his request. He wants me to replace her just like that. Just like that? He hasn't given me a day to even grieve over losing her. However, it needs to be done. We need our numbers more than ever now, and I'm not sending Luitenants Willow and Davis and Private Riley anywhere on their own. Maybe on a scout route together, but still. Our scouts are dropping like flies these days. It's not safe to dispatch anyone.

"Yes, sir." He doesn't address the temper tantrum I had earlier and casually discusses recruitment. I thought he was going to discipline me for my actions. I suppose now isn't the best time. Either way, I deserve a punishment.

"Good. With that out of the way. I want you to find out why our scouts and convoy are being ambushed. Keep the watchguards on high alert. All day. All night. We will get to the bottom of it."

Again, I don't protest. This is a known problem, and someone needs to solve it before it becomes our downfall. No doubt it is the rebellion's doing. I draw in a breath and narrow my eyes with determination.

"Yes, Sir."

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I sent a notice out to bring Lieutenants Willow and Davis and Private Riley to the debriefing room to inform them of their new mission.

"Right. New mission. We are-"

"We are going to save Private Bane?!" Lieutenant Willow interrupted me and jumped from her chair, full of relief and excitement as if hoping she was still somehow alive and well. Denial.

"Luitenant. No. Private Bane is dead. It is time to move on. Your new mission is to figure out why all of our scouts and supply trucks are going missing."

"Seriously? We just lost one of our members, and you're sending us out there again? Who are you hoping to lose now?" Private Riley protested. Anger.

"Private. It's not like that, and you know it. Figuring out this mystery will best ensure our safety and the protection of the others within the base. Without our scouts, we have no one guarding our territory. Without our supplies, we will have limited resources like food, water, gas, and ammunition. Without these key things, we are as good as dead. And you know how low our supplies are getting as it is."

Lieutenant Davis seems to understand the circumstances and the consequences that will happen if nothing is done about the matter. I have never seen him act like this, usually, he'd make a joke to bring up the mood. He's gone cold and focused on his duties and missions at hand carrying on as if the past few days haven't happened. Denial.

"What about our people outside the base?! If we go out there under Colonel Hitchen's command, we will end up like Private Bane! Abandoned and left for dead!"

I swallow a lump as guilt strikes me like a brick wall again and I glance down at my hand and the sheeted window, reminding myself to keep calm rather than going on about all the 'what ifs' in my head again. I then turn to Lieutenant Willow who's been quiet since I mentioned the supply issues. Her lip is trembling and tears are pricking at her eyes that she's fighting harshly back against.

"That's enough, Private. Colonel. Please continue."

I clear my throat as my attention is suddenly snapped back upon being addressed by my status. My eyes close and I draw a deep breath.

"I'm going to give each of you three of our scout and supply tracks. I want you all to stick together and take a look at each route together. Do I make myself clear?" My gaze shifts and meets their eyes as I wait for their answers.

"Sir... we need a break... Lieutenant Davis is half asleep, Private Riley is high, and I need a minute to get my head straight. We all need time to rest and grieve. Don't make me beg." Lieutenant Willow pleaded.

I take a closer look at Lieutenant Davis whose eyes look heavy. He really is barely awake. As for Private Riley, I can hardly tell if he's in fact high. His speech is fine and he doesn't look disassociated or completely out of it judging by his attention span and the dilation of his eyes under the bright lights above us. Everything seems normal with him. With Lieutenant Willow, I don't see what her problem is apart from a few tears. She seems to be fine based on what I've seen on the training grounds. Her strikes are still hard and fast, and her accuracy with a gun is still top-notch. Even in the mess hall she's been eating and drinking as usual, and I can tell she's sleeping just fine since she doesn't look like Lieutenant Davis. If I give them a break, we could very well fall under 'Broken Arrow' a code that we have around here which implies that all of our weapons, data, and comms have been shut down or used against us. We will all die.

"No. You'll be fine. The three of you. If I don't have any reports later this evening, you'll be running laps until dinner. We need to figure out what is going on as soon as possible," I hope a good threat of one-mile laps from evening until dinner will make them get on board. "This Meeting is over."

I declare and dismiss the three of them. Private Riley just growled and was about to have another one of his temper tantrums but Lieutenant Davis was quick to drag him out of the room by his arm before he could say anything. Lieutenant Willow remained in her seat with this bug-eyed look on her face and looked completely lost in her own head.

"Lieutenant Willow?"

Her gaze snapped up to meet mine with tears finally rolling down her rosey cheeks. She shakes her head and runs out of the debriefing room in full-fledged tears. I tried to follow after her but she was already out of sight by the time I was able to step out onto the grounds. Again I muttered a curse under my breath, fearing the worst. I spent many hours looking for her, I couldn't find Lieutenant Davis or Private Riley anywhere either. Did they really pack their gear and head to the scout routes in mere minutes? My guess is yes, after all, Lieutenant Willow was the one who strategically designed these routes and knows them like the back of her hand.