A Soldier's Permission to Die

CHAPTER 1

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS IS THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE NOVEL...PLEASE READ THE PROLOGUE PRIOR TO READING THIS CHAPTER FIRST)

 Chapter 1

"Symphony is the Twelfth of Congress"

My eyes shot open. I looked at the guard in front of me with a blank stare. Then slowly, I cracked the side window a little further. "Aw shit, now just what in the hell is that supposed to be?" I yelled back sarcastically through the small opening.

I was stalling...the cover of the mag-jeep was the only thing between me and 8 hours of icy rain and I was in no hurry to get out.

I had just driven up from the valley to the guard post but had arrived 5 minutes early. Putting the M-jeep in park at the gate, I had closed my eyes for only a few brief minutes, while simultaneously ignoring the guard standing in front of me. I must have drifted off. I looked at the clock in the Dash. It was now exactly 21:00 hours on the button.

“Symphony is the Twelfth of Congress!” the guard shouted at me again a second time through the cold rain.

I said nothing.

The guard outside grimaced back at me from underneath the dripping visor of his helmet; the fog in the headlights doing little to obscure his obvious displeasure. I'd seen him around base before but he was new to guard duty, and I don't think he cared all that much for it, especially after standing here all afternoon out in the weather.

The heater in the jeep was just the right temp. It was nice. Cozy.

But...I suppose I should say something.

“Man, who the hell writes these things anyway?” I shouted at him with a forced chuckle.

He leered. "Who gives a shit.” he yelled back. “Do I give a shit? When I do give a shit-you got first dibs on the peanuts. Until then, get your soon to be frozen ass out of the jeep asshole, your in my seat.”

Well that didn't work. I looked at the name tag on the guard's coat patch. Nancello.

“Hey now, Nancy, that's not proper protocol, your supposed to receive confirmation of the password first. And I don't believe I repeated it back to you just yet.” I said coyly.

Maybe I could trash talk my way to five more minutes of dry comfort. Or maybe he was a hot head. Maybe he'd take a swing. A night in the brig down at the river would still trump 8 hours out in this shit.

Private Nancello immediately left his post and walked with angry purpose around to my side window. So much for protocol.

“Symphony is the twelfth of congress!,” he barked, “Say it asshole. Remember it-or I'll send the gunny over to to check your ass into PT until Sun Up. Repeat it back to me-whats the password?"

It wasn't just the rain, or my attitude, that that was on his nerves. This was the fortieth day into advanced field training and like every other soldier in camp, he was tired, weathered and ready for some R&R. He was in no mood for any more soldier games. Somewhere on the grounds a dry cot was calling his name and he wasn't going to waste another minute getting to it.

"Hey asshole” he said leaning into the window. “Don’t give me any of your shit! I got friends in every bunkhouse out here, and payback is a bitch. It's night-watch’s shift-now repeat the damn password!"

"Aw Shit Nancy” I said “....The uh...Twelfth congressman...has syphilis."

“Damn it-!” He yelled reaching down for the key on his communicator. He looked at my name tag. “Private Macdougled, I AM done with you...”