by Mark Lemke
CHAPTER 14
?
Twenty-nine minutes later, I had on some Docker's, a short-sleeved shirt, and some nondescript but comfortable shoes.? I preferred to blend in and look as if I was a local going to breakfast at a nice restaurant.? In my line of work, blending in had its advantages.? In some ways, it wasn't hard to do.? You could say I looked average-average height, weight, and complexion.? On the flip side, because of my occupation, I obviously worked out and kept in shape.? I wasn't a big guy by Special Forces standards.? I was 6' tall but slight of build, much to my chagrin.? Years ago, I wanted to bulk up and tried to on occasion, but it never seemed to last.? Some of the guys I worked with look like they could be linebackers in the NFL.? But I'd learned to stand straight and tall and had virtually no body fat.? Except for my posture, some people told me I looked like a surfer, with my sandy brown hair, which was neither short nor long.? No fresh haircut look; just one that I could run my hand through as easily as a brush.? I frequently went a day or two without shaving, so I had that casual GQ look-at least that's what my team liked to give me shit about.
But if anything gave me away, I'm told it was my eyes.? It wasn't just that they were dark brown, but people said it was that they looked at you in a meaningful way.? Hell, I just take it all in, being aware of what's going on around me.? But most people tend to look away from time to time when they're talking with me.? For whatever reason, and it isn't completely intentional, I don't.? My friends told me it was as if I could see into them and who they were, and they didn't like that.? I was able to hold someone's gaze without blinking-or so it would seem.? It often caused them a moment's hesitation when I spoke to them, which gave me a distinct advantage in some situations.? Others said it made them nervous, as if I had the look of some kind of animal who was poised to strike.? All I knew was that I came by it naturally and chose not to give it too much thought.
Being February, it was still a bit chilly outside, so I put on a lightweight North Face polar fleece jacket.? I didn't like to be cold.? I much preferred heat to the cold, and I'd spent enough time in each to know the difference.? In Ranger training in the mountains of North Georgia, it got down to below freezing at night.? The cadre took pity on us-if you could call it that, because those guys don't pity anyone or anything-and allowed each of us one piece of 'snivel gear' to wear.? It could be a hat, gloves, a light jacket, or whatever we chose, but just one piece.? The cold actually killed a couple of guys a few years earlier, so the cadre decided to let us pukes wear one thing to help keep us a bit warmer.? Lord knows they wouldn't want to spoil us.? Ranger training was intense and was generally known as a suck fest. ?It was a challenge, to be sure.? But if you are going to be an elite warrior, challenges like getting through the Ranger course, hone your skills.? So when asked who wanted to go, my hand was the first one up.?
I had one other citation I earned a while back.? It too was something I could wear on my uniform, which required everyone to salute me.? It's the reason I was no longer in Special Forces.? Unlike earning what's called the Triple Canopy-so named for the Green Beret, Ranger, and Airborne tabs I wore on my left shoulder, one on top of the other-I hadn't set out to earn this one.? But shit happens.? It cost me on the inside and contributed to why I don't sleep well anymore and like to drink beer every chance I get. I generally don't like to think about it too much, and I don't talk about it at all.? That's okay too, because how I earned it was classified and not to be repeated.? That was fine with me.? It wasn't something I liked talking about anyway.? Those things never are.
I got in the rental car and headed to the plant.? Despite the cool weather, I opened the window and turned on the heat.? I enjoyed having fresh air but liked the warmth put out by the car's heating system.? Cranking up the radio volume, I thought through the drill again as I drove through the rolling countryside. ?My team's assault was timed perfectly.? Hector and his staff thought all they had to deal with was the ground force assault, because that was what they'd been taught to do.? Stay within the design basis threat.? As a result, they weren't even looking for the helo.? The station security force had at least a 3-to-1 advantage on my team, and they still lost.? Not surprising, though.? Their thinking was inside the box, which made it easy to predict what they were going to do.
This wasn't even a full-scale workup.? This was a teaser, for Prichard to see how capable I really was.? If he liked what he saw, he'd probably offer me a contract to come in and do a more thorough review.? What Prichard didn't know was that I wouldn't take it if offered.? I didn't like staying in one place for too long.? I guess my personal demons wouldn't allow it.? I'd recommend some very capable people I worked with, but it wouldn't be me.?