the beginnings of jasper whitlock

The Night Air Cools All

The day wears on. Just as I thought earlier, I did have to break up a fight between Jenkins and Hernandez that had gotten dirty. Daniels got a kick out of watching the fight initially, even hooting and rooting for Hernandez until I'd given him a glare that told him I wasn't playing around anymore.

Hernandez got away with a few scrapes and bruises, but Jenkins had gotten a shiner smack dab on his left eye. I'd like to see what kind of story he makes up when we get to Davis and he makes his way to the ladies. Maybe some kind of training accident gone wrong. Or he'd talk about the 'horrors of war' even though he's never seen the front lines in his life. I laugh to myself internally just thinking about it.

In a way, this mission is more important than being stationed on the front lines. Information is coveted these days, and this intel is far more important than the average secret. The location of the largest weapons factory in the North.

When I was given this intel, I'd barely been able to keep my wits. This could change the war. This could turn the tides in our favor. I was bustling to get going. It's been a long two weeks and that's only from the side stop to retrieve the information. The intel was in Quitman, a hard detour from Stockton to Davis.

That was the longest part of this journey. We spent a full eleven days traveling before hitting Quitman. With stops at small, beat down towns to rest and restock our packs.

Jenkins sulks at the rear of our pack. Hernandez looks smug, but every once and a while, he licks his upper lip, still a bit bloodied from a punch Jenkins threw his way. A miracle that he landed anything, really. Hernandez is twice his size and two years older. That means two years more experience. 24 where Jenkins is 22. But Jenkins makes up for it in spirit, that's for sure.

The sun hangs low in the sky now, nearly gone behind a distant plateau. A deep purple hue spreads across the landscape, tinting the sand. Critters stir all around, chirping and singing. The night air grows colder.

"Let's hunker down here for the night. Someone get a fire going." I don't need to tell them how hard the cold can bite. Our stay in Quitman was a welcome break from the harsh outdoor weather.

We tie our horses up and get to work setting up camp a few feet further. Daniels goes out collecting wood while Jenkins and Hernandez scout the area, trying to scare off any nearby wildlife. I hear their laughing as they shove each other along. Just as easily made up as it takes for them to fight.

Tarrants uses the last light of the day to plan our path for tomorrow. I walk over to check in. "How's it goin' there, Tarrants?"

His eyes stay focused on the map. "Fine. Just fine, sergeant."

I know a man well enough to see when he's lying. We need to establish trust to be an efficient team. Crouching down, I take a seat next to him and let out a long sigh. "Just Whitlock when we're not riding, Tarrants."

I know he never liked the idea of using just last names. Get the feeling he got himself into trouble when he didn't treat superiors with enough respect. But titles only get you so far. A leader has gotta know his men. Lenny Jenkins. Javier Hernandez. Tobias Daniels. Jimmy Tarrants. You've gotta know yourself, too. Jasper Whitlock.

I sit next to Tarrants, letting the land fill the silence. The animals are restless at night, but the land feels quiet. A break from the harsh daylight.

The weather drops quickly and soon, I find myself rubbing my hands together to find warmth. Though the sun is long gone, Tarrants still has his head stuck in the map.

I hear the crunch under his boots as Daniels finds his way back to us. Jenkins and Hernandez still nowhere in sight. "Jesus, Daniels, can you even read that? It's pitch black out here." The wood clambers on the ground as he drops the bundle. He reaches for his lighter and gets to work trying to set a flame.

"Just tryin' to get a head start for tomorrow." He mumbles.

"Well, I don't think it's doin' you any good. Help me with this fire, wouldya?"

"Yeah, sure." Daniels folds his map neatly and goes to work blowing the wood to help the kindling light.

A few minutes later and we have ourselves a decent fire. It warms the chill seeping into my bones and I shudder against the warmth.

Just a few more minutes by the fire and then I'll go grab my pack. Tarrants has visibly relaxed in the light of the fire, but he still stares at it intensely. It crackles and jumps against the cool air. Beautiful.

"...that your big mouth does," Hernandez laughs in the distance. "There are plenty of uses for that mouth of yours that I can think of."

"Shut it, will ya?" Jenkins tries to sound angry but I can hear that he's laughing, too.

"Suppose I'd better get my pack," I mumble. "Mind helping me out, Tarrants?" Standing, I shake the dust from my pants.

"Erm, yes...Whitlock." His voice is awkward as he says my name.

As we walk to the horses, I strike up conversation. Ease into it. "You got anyone at home, Tarrants? Anyone waiting for you?"

He seems confused by my question. "No. No, sir, I don't." There's a moment of silence before he asks, "Do you?"

Never had time to try to find a lady of my own. I always knew what I wanted anyway. The military is where I always would have ended. No use in breaking someone's heart as I go.

But then again... I think back to my little hometown. A place right off of Bliss. Nearly in Mexico. All those girls back in town, chasing around boys who would eventually leave, just as I did. But there was one girl. None of the boys in town so much as looked her way. And that was just why I did.

She was by far the most beautiful girl in town. How she didn't turn heads like all of the other girls was a mystery to me. The complete opposite of most men in town, myself included.

Dark, curled hair. Unlike my own, sandy as the land under my feet. Beautiful tanned skin, kissed from the sun. Mine, a much lighter shade, but burnt from hours working under the sunlight. My own eyes were a dull brown, but hers... Those eyes that caught you like a fruit fly to sap. Like the bark of a cherry tree, dark and rich. In the sun, they shined. You couldn't look away from her.

Julia Montgomery. But just as I never sought out any girls. She sought no one.

"No," I finally answered. "I do not."