King's County Read Free

wired directly into a port on our combat
mainframe. They didn't trust, didn't want to risk a wireless
connection.
    &
    "You guys, I like you guys. You don't
take any shit, right?"
    By mutual agreement, the war was put on
pause for 36 hours. We were hanging out in the rec room trying to
make an inroad into the wall of beer. The Greeks had paused their
work, too.
    "Yeah..." What do you say to that? I
changed the subject,
    "So what's up with you guys? What are
you doing here?"
    "Ah." He waggled a brown stained finger
at me. "Don't worry about it, ah?"
    "Alright, you know what? Fuck it. Just
go ahead and smoke, guys,"
    Lt Ramsey told the Greeks. They didn't
have to go outside anymore. Ramsey lit a cigarette of his
own.
    The party wore on, slower than normal,
but our steady drinking paid off. Soon we were all best
friends.
    One of the Greeks disappeared for a
minute, coming back with a bottle of Ouzo. The three of them made a
big deal about us having some so I helped pour shots into the
glasses and cups laying around and we all took one
together.
    They insisted we have another. This
round required a toast with the three of them shouting over each
other. I didn't understand it.
    That was it for the Ouzo. I think they
were pissed that it went so quickly but they always seemed pissed.
They should have brought more.
    The good feelings didn't last long
after the toast. The Greeks got upset with each other, taking the
party unstoppably downhill. They argued like maniacs in their
language - fuck, fuck, fuck - that's the only word I understood. We
just watched and tried not to laugh too hard but they knew we were
laughing at them and that made them angrier.
    One of the Greeks took his belt off and
shook it in the other's faces. I've never seen anything like it.
The three of them really started raging, facing each other,
alternating their energy back and forth, each one equally furious
at the other two. Then, maybe seeing no point in further argument,
they went outside and beat the living shit out of each
other.
    That was our first and last night
hanging out with them. After the fight, the Greeks were bloodied up
pretty good. They all wore rings and there had been a few solid
buckle hits, too. But they went back to their travel trailer
peacefully and together. The squadron thought it all a good show
and went back inside to keep drinking.
    Waking up the next day and walking to
the rec room, I saw the Greek's trailer was gone. When I asked the
Major, he said didn't know anything about it.
    *
    AK 2092
    On the flight back from maneuvers, as
one of the first ten to arrive at the assembly zone, our squad was
rewarded with a night off. At the announcement over the radio, the
men all hooted in unison and barked out the division battle
cries.
    "Hey, El-Tee! Not too bad, huh?" One of
the sergeants whacked me on the back. I didn't like it.
    "Sorry, sir." He said adding, "...thank
you."
    I started to feel like kind of a
dick.
    "Got any big plans for the break,
soldier?"
    "Oh, yeah. Well, probably hit the game
room with the guys. You know."
    "What’s your first name,
Sgt?"
    "Geake!" That's how he spelled it, not
Jake.
    "Geake, I have to tell you, that sounds
fucking horrible. When you get finished doing whatever it is you
have to do before you start having all that fun I want you to come
by my quarters. OK?"
    "OK...what?" Geake was having some
trouble with the idea.
    "Just come by my quarters, my room,
later on tonight - not too late. That's an order." I smiled so he'd
know I meant well, but not too big of a smile. I didn't want him to
get the wrong idea.
    *
    WY 2065
    The old routine came back easily to the
squadron after the Greeks had left. The war resumed as normal. We
flew our raids together, did solo search and destroy missions, and
every few weeks or so we did a mass attack with sometimes dozens of
other squadrons on an enemy strong point. It wasn't too bad, better
than college.
    On a cool October morning while
wrapping up a flight, I got a tap on