AB (The Blake Reynolds Chronicles Book 1) Read Free Page A

friend,
Stetson Baxter.
    Blake thought to himself, “This
class will probably go as it does with most new recruits. They all think they are
tough as nails and ready to handle anything.”
    Blake called the recruits to
attention and walked up and down the line, staring at each of them in the eye. He
stopped in front of the largest recruit, about six foot three and all muscle, and
scanned him with his eyes from head to foot. He looked him straight in the eyes
for several seconds.
    Blake glanced over at Stetson, and they
both exchanged quick grins.
    “Soldier, do you think you have what
it takes to throw me to the ground?” Blake barked.
    “Yes sir. I believe so, sir,” the
private shouted back, still staring straight ahead.
    Even though the private had three
inches and thirty pounds on him, Blake knew what would happen before they even
started. Almost every time, the new recruit would throw the first punch to his
head, trying to go for the knockout blow. This time was no different. Blake watched
the recruit’s muscles tighten, and when he started to bring his right arm back,
Blake knew that he had guess correctly. When the recruit’s arm came forward,
Blake grabbed his wrist. With one fluid motion and before the private could
react, Blake twisted his body and flung the soldier over his shoulder. As the
private hit the ground hard, the air was forced out of his lungs. Instead of letting
it end there, Blake twisted the man’s arm until his face showed how much pain
he was in. Blake could tell from the private’s eyes that he had surrendered so
he released his arm and removed his boot from the private’s neck. The rest of
the recruits had the look of “Holy shit” on their faces.
    Blake introduced Stetson, and they
spent the rest of the afternoon drilling the recruits on proper hand-to-hand combat
techniques.
    After their class, Blake invited Stetson
to eat a quick snack in the mess hall. Both of them grabbed some fruit and they
sat at the table closest to the TV.
    “So did you see the look on that big
guy’s face after he hit the ground? It was all I could do to keep from breaking
out in laughter in front of the recruits,” Stetson said as he slapped the table
with laughter. Blake just smiled as he chewed on his apple.
    The story on the news caught both of
their attentions. “ … The meteor that was reported on earlier today and seen by
many has exploded high in the atmosphere above the small Pacific island of Niue.
At this point there are few details available. We will bring you more details as
they become available.”
    For a moment Blake stopped chewing
so that he could focus his attention on the news report. Then Stetson had to
break the silence.
    “I bet those islanders had to clean
out their pants when that thing exploded,” Stetson joked.
    “Maybe so,” Blake replied.

Day
3: Captain John Nellis, USNS Mercy

 
    Captain John Nellis had been stationed
on the USNS Mercy for almost two years. The 400-foot-long medical ship had
spent most of its time touring the Pacific, investigating reports of infectious
diseases, and rendering aid when they could. It had been a long tour, but John felt
a sense of satisfaction with the people they were able to help. However, he was
looking forward to heading home to San Diego and spending time with family and
friends.
    During the second day on its journey
back, Captain Nellis had been ordered to change course. They were to head
toward the tiny island nation of Niue, located 1,500 miles northeast of New
Zealand. They were informed that a meteor was predicted to impact the Earth’s
lower atmosphere near that area, and they were the closest ship. Their orders
were to observe its entry and report the effects as it entered the atmosphere,
whether it burned completely or crashed into the ocean.
    John stood on the deck of the ship. The
sun was low in the sky, since the day was only a few hours old. The spray of
the water on his face made him think of his younger days on the