“I’ll be ready, Sir,” Peace said, taking Jessup’s hand as he stood up.
“Dismissed, kid.”
“Hoo-ya,” Peace barked, stiffening to attention before turning sharply to exit the room.
Jessup smiled, watching Peace try to march out without betraying the stiffness in his leg.
Chapter Forty-Three
Back To Basics
Seal Team Six, with Lieutenant Righter and Chief Jenkins leading, jogged along the uphill trail Chief Jenkins had known of in the Sierra’s. The altitude made the run a grueling exercise. It wound in five miles to a small lake with a gradual elevation of fifteen hundred feet. Bull had remembered the little used trail from a back packing trip he had taken with some friends. The mountain vistas, and crisp morning air, made the training run almost pleasurable to everyone but Peace.
Bull noticed Dan looking back to where Peace jogged in openmouthed agony. He sucked in rhythmic gasps of air as he kept pace at the back of the group, where Tony and Nick ragged him mercilessly about the noise he was making. Only Peace’s stamina had enabled him to keep up on the daily training regimen, Dan had come up with for the team while they were in Tahoe. The pain and stiffness from his healing wounds kept Peace in a constant state of near exhaustion. The team had worked out together for the past four days, from five o’clock AM to eight. It had been voluntary for everyone but Peace. No one on the team had missed a morning.
The wedding ceremony, in a small chapel on the Nevada side, had been a quiet affair. Peace and Jill were married first, with Dan as Peace’s best man. Bull and Holly followed, with Peace as Bull’s best man. Dan’s wife, Becky, acted as maid of honor for both women. Jill’s parents had returned home the day after the wedding. Ed and Nancy had stayed for two more days with Bull’s parents and sister, who had flown in from Iowa. Holly’s parents could only stay for the ceremony, before returning home. Although it had been a solemn affair, everyone had enjoyed the simplicity of the two ceremonies.
Ed had run with the Seals each of the first two mornings they had been in Tahoe, more to observe Peace than to prove anything to Seal Team Six. He had joined in with the others, pointing out each flaw in Peace’s gait as he ran, offering every five minutes to take Peace’s pack. Peace absorbed the daily abuse, thankful for anything to keep his mind off his wounds.
“Is Becky leading another shopping excursion after breakfast?” Bull asked hesitantly.
Dan laughed appreciatively, looking back over at Jenkins. “If she does, we’ll all be in the poor house. I’ve been afraid to ask how much the stuff cost she’s hauled into the room so far.”
“I wasn’t supposed to tell you this, but Peace picked up the tab for all of it so far, through Jill,” Bull explained. “He had planned on paying for the rooms and everything, but when Jill’s Dad took care of all that, Peace insisted on Jill making the girls’ shopping trips memorable.”
“Becky looked at me like she dared me to say anything,” Dan replied, dodging a rock in the trail. “What’s this make Peace, our Sugar Daddy?”
“That was uncalled for, Sir,” Bull retorted with a grin. “He’s more like a benevolent brother. Besides, you should have seen the teddy, Holly…”
“Thanks for sharing, Chief,” Dan interrupted, with a hand gesture for added emphasis. “Becky visited the same little shop. Man, am I glad my folks could fly out to stay with the kids. If Peace is paying, what do you care if our fem trio… oh, I see… you…”
“Yea, well what’s the use of buying… uh… you know what I mean.”
“You’d like an afternoon inside today, Chief?”
“I can’t get her out of my head,” Bull admitted sheepishly.
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be, my friend. I think Peace misses having Ed with us, but Nick and Tony have taken up the slack.”
Bull gave a short laugh, as he glanced back in time to see Nick drop back behind Peace, and pretend he was propelling Peace forward. “Yea, they’ve taken their torture to new heights since Ed left. Do you think he can make it, Dan?”
“I hope so,” Dan replied seriously. “I don’t want to have to break in another sniper on a mission as hairy as we have coming up.”
“I guess we’ve taken the little prick for granted too long. He sure ain’t singin’ no Green Beret Ballads today. We could fudge a little, about how well he’s doing, with Jessup.”
“Nope,” Dan shook his head in the negative. “No way I’m facing Jill after getting Peace killed on a mission he wasn’t a hundred percent on. Not to mention maybe getting you or the other guys wiped trying to cover for Peace. He wouldn’t want that anyway.”
“He did okay on the tanker, even shot to shit. Hell, when that clown popped up in my face with the AK, while Doc and I were running forward, I never gave it a thought. I knew he was a dead man, and a split second later, he was. How about when we went after his friend?”
“I guess it’s a good thing he took the round through his left shoulder. Still…”
“It wouldn’t matter. Peace can fire left handed as well as he can right handed,” Bull cut in, smiling over at Dan. “I’ve spotted for him. He shoots from either shoulder when he’s not working with the team. He told me he wanted to be ready in case of an emergency. I thought you knew.”
“I guess I should have,” Dan acknowledged. “That seems to be the least of what I didn’t know about Peace lately. None of it matters if he’s so lame on an insertion he can’t function.”
“I’ll carry him in, and prop him in place,” Bull joked. “He ain’t much bigger than the M60, and his range is better.”
Dan laughed, and lost his balance. Bull reached out and grabbed his arm, steadying him until he recovered. A chorus of ‘Get a room’ immediately came from the rest of the team. Even Peace managed to rasp out something about holding hands in training being strictly prohibited. Laughter followed Peace’s adlib, bringing Bull to a halt. Jenkins rushed back right in front of Peace, who could not cover the obvious relief of having stopped, which had been Bull’s intention.
“Did you say something to me, ass wipe?” Bull asked threateningly, while the rest of the team gathered around to appreciate the coming exchange. “If you feel good enough to shoot that mouth of yours off, maybe you can pony up with a horsey ride for me the rest of the way.”
Peace lurched backwards, grimacing and turning his face away.
“Chief, lay off the garlic fries, will you?” Peace retorted, pretending to gag. “Your breath’s deadlier than Phosgene gas, partner.”
Laughter erupted, engulfing even Jenkins, who had not expected Peace to have enough reserve left for an insult. Dan came over and clapped Peace on the back.
“You want us to make a travois for you, or do you think you can take point?” Dan asked.
“I’ll do anything, just so I don’t have to carry Marmaduke here on my back,” Peace replied, ducking Bull’s swipe at the back of his head.
“Lead on then, Gaston,” Dan laughed.
Peace jogged into the lead on the trail, with the rest of the team falling in behind. Bull and Dan brought up the rear. To their surprise, Peace picked up the pace slightly from what had been the norm.
“You don’t think 007’s been holding out on us, do you?” Bull asked.
“I’m not sure, but if he speeds up anymore, you’ll have to carry me,” Dan quipped. “He didn’t look all that good when we stopped.”
“He’s running okay now,” Bull replied. “You’re right though about the way he looked. Maybe he feels better than he looks.”
“You and Holly going to hit the hot tub with him and Jill this morning?”
“Uh… I was thinking of doing the hot tub later,” Bull answered.
“Okay, Becky and I will do the honors this morning. I’ll check out his face when he hits the water, and get a look at those wounds. You think you’ll be joining us at dinner tonight?”
“Hell yea, Doc said there’s a piano bar at one of the smaller casinos, where anyone who can play
, can work the keys. Holly made Peace promise to entertain later when we check the place out.”
“I think Becky mentioned something about it, but I was distracted.”
“I plan to be distracted right up until we go to the bar tonight,” Bull added.
Bull coughed a little as dust from the men’s boots in front of him, kicked it up on a dry part of the trail. “Hey, pick up your feet, Chin. It’s like trailing a herd of cattle back here. No wonder Peace’s breathin’ was so ragged.”
Chin laughed, glancing back at his team leaders. “It was your brilliant idea to put him on point, Chief. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re speeding up.”
“That’s no excuse for you to shuffle those dirt devils of yours,” Bull retorted. “You better start running like a Ninja if you don’t want to do a couple of miles in the lake.”
“I ain’t going in that damn lake again, Chief,” Tony grinned back at Bull. “Hell, all my toenails have fallen off already from the ice water you have floating around in your favorite little spot. What happened to the voluntary part of this exercise?”
“It ended when you became a smart mouth, you shuffle footed wanker,” Jenkins answered, which evoked more laughter as their destination came into view.
__
Peace and Jill shared the honeymoon suite, complete with bar and hot tub. Dan knocked on the door. He and Becky were wearing their swimsuits, robes, and slippers. Jill answered the door in her robe, smiling and waving them in.
“Peace is already in the tub,” Jill announced over her shoulder, as she led them through the elaborate room.
“How’s he doing?” Dan asked.
“He looked better before your morning outing, Lieutenant Dan,” Jill replied, accusingly.
“Ouch,” Dan said, as Becky laughed. “Those morning runs were your husband’s idea, my dear.”
Jill nodded with a big sigh as they walked into the room housing the hot tub. Peace reclined against the specially padded tub border with his head back, relaxing in the hot swirling water. He was sound asleep.
“On your feet, Peacenik!” Dan barked before Becky could hush him with her hand.
Peace’s eyes popped open as he jumped to his feet, and immediately lost his balance, ending up taking a plunge underwater. Jill laughed, as Becky smacked Dan on the shoulder, shaking a warning finger at him. Peace emerged a split second later, wiping water out of his eyes, smiling as he realized where he was. Waving comically, he started to sit back down.
“Good one, Dan, I was really out.”
“I didn’t give you the okay to relax, slacker,” Dan replied, grabbing Becky’s hand as it darted towards his head, eliciting squeals of pain. “I want to check out those wounds you’ve been covering up.”
Peace stood up as Becky continued to dance, shouting threats at Dan while Jill tried to help her friend by unsuccessfully prying at Dan’s fingers.
“It’s okay, Becky,” Peace said. “Dan’s still getting payment for taking care of the tax collectors in first grade for me.”
Dan laughed, and let go of Becky, giving her a quick look of warning, when she raised her hand again, only to quickly return it to her side. Jill put her arm around Becky, guiding her towards the hot tub side facing Peace.
“Let the children play, girlfriend, or we’ll never get into the water,” Jill said, helping Becky off with her robe.
Dan took off his robe and stepped down into the hot tub. “Oh man, I can sure see why you were passed out on the side, bud. Let’s see here.”
Dan surveyed the shoulder wound first, turning Peace so the exit wound could be seen too. The layers of stitching had already dissolved, leaving whitened, raised welts.
“I’ve been soaking them in peroxide ever since the bandages came off,” Peace informed him.
“They look better than I would have figured with you hauling a pack every day,” Dan replied. “Sit down, and let me see the ankle.”
Peace did as he was told, sitting on the padded edge, and pulling his injured leg out of the water, resting it on the side for examination. Although the wound had left an indentation, the surrounding area of the wound looked to Dan as if it were healing very well in spite of the daily workouts. Dan nodded, and waved him into the tub as he, himself, slipped down onto the inner seating with a sigh. Peace sat down next to him, as their wives came over to sit beside them.
“How come you looked so bad out there today?” Dan asked curiously.
“They feel a hell of a lot better than the first day, but I still have a ways to go,” Peace admitted.
“He’s not as stiff when he gets back, Dan,” Jill put in. “I move worse than he does since I got big as a house. I look like Moby Dick in here.”
Dan laughed, looking over at Jill. She wore a two-piece, red, and gold bathing suit. The top was fitted for maternity purposes with a loose blouse flowing down over her bottom suit slightly. “You look great, Jill. How much have you gained?”
“She’s only twelve pounds heavier,” Becky cut in. “I told her she could model compared to the way I looked with Danny at the same time.”
Dan nodded in agreement. “Hey, I didn’t get to congratulate you on graduating from college. Sorry we didn’t get to attend.”
“My folks were there,” Jill shrugged. “I’m just glad it’s over. My Dad still wants me to work for him, but I’ve decided to take Ed and Nancy up on their offer, and move in with Peace at their house.”
“Jesus,” Dan exclaimed. “That’s incredible. I bet Ed came unglued with the prospect of having a little one roaming around the house.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Peace laughed. “There wasn’t time to talk with all that was happening the last few days concerning the wedding, but Ed tore the room apart next to mine. He completely overhauled it into a huge nursery, complete with reclining rocker, crib, changing table dresser, the works. The three of them plotted the transition while I was gone.”
“I talked to Nancy for a little while just before they went back,” Becky added. “You cannot believe how excited she is about the baby.”
“Boy, if I were you two, I wouldn’t make any plans to get out on your own for a while,” Dan said, shaking his head. “Ed will go postal.”
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of it,” Peace stated solemnly. “Jill knew the time to say no passed when she conspired with Ed in the construction of the nursery.”
“Peace is right,” Jill agreed quickly. “Grandpa Ed would twist my little head off, after I had the baby, if I tried to back out. Their house is huge. I don’t think it will be difficult. Those two work a lot anyway. We’re already making plans for setting up a daycare over at the restaurant, so I can help out, and still have three people looking after Pauley junior.” “Pauley junior, huh?” Dan laughed.
“She’s kidding Dan,” Peace corrected. “I’m even considering finding out what the heck my real last name is from my Dad. If he won’t allow it, I’ll hack on in and find it out anyway.”
“Wow, you really are serious,” Becky exclaimed. “How about Edward for a first name, no matter what you decide on your last name?”
“I already ran it by Ed. He hates his first name, which was the first time he ever told me he didn’t like it,” Peace replied. “When I suggested naming the baby after him, he told me in no uncertain terms it would not be Ed. He suggested Cole.”
“I love the name, Cole,” Jill added. “Even Cole Peacenik’s not a bad one.”
“It is to me,” Peace said. “I already did the Boy Named Sue childhood.”
“Boy named Sue?” Becky repeated questioningly, as Dan laughed.
“You know, that old Johnny Cash song,” Dan explained.
Peace stood up to face the little group, as Becky expressed her ignorance of what Dan was talking about. “It went like this, Becky.”
Peace cleared his throat, eyes closed, making his voice lower, and more gravelly. After a moment, he was satisfied with his efforts. He opened his eyes, and imitated Johnny Cash
’s ballad style, almost to perfection. Rambling through the old tune about a country boy named Sue, with a deadbeat Father, who leaves the family, causing his son to grow up tough and mean, Peace had his small audience enthralled. They laughed and applauded vigorously as Peace drew out the ending with Cash’s comical ending to the song.
“That was great, brother,” Dan said. “Hey, I hear…”
The doorbell rang. Peace smiled at Jill, gesturing for her to stay put.
“I’ll get it, Hon,” Peace said, climbing out of the tub, and donning a white terrycloth robe.
He was gone only a moment before leading Bull and Holly back into the room.
“Look who’s here, Dan,” Peace said, removing his robe, and climbing back into the tub between Dan and Jill.
“Why, is that Chief Jenkins?” Dan asked, peering from side to side at Bull, who smiled disdainfully as he helped Holly out of her robe, and then into the hot tub.
“Yuck it up, gentlemen,” Bull sighed, joining his bride, facing their four friends.
“It’s just we didn’t expect to see you before tonight,” Dan replied. “I thought you planned to be distracted all day.”
“He’s been distracted enough, Mr. Righter,” Holly stated firmly, evoking appreciative laughter from the others. “I’ve decided we needed to be seen outside our room together for a change.”
“We’re glad you two came,” Peace said. “It’s pretty early, but how about a couple of shots of magic medicine?”
“You have Bushmills here?” Bull asked, sitting up attentively.
“Yep,” Peace said, looking questioningly at Dan, who nodded his assent.
Minutes later, Peace had returned with three shot glasses, and a small bottle of Bushmills. He went back to get two cups of tea for Jill and Holly, and one coffee for Becky. The women had shown their disinterest in any kind of liquor with quick head shakes to the negative, Jill and Holly because of their pregnancy, and Becky because it was a bit early for her.
Peace fixed up the coffee and tea as per the women’s requests, while Bull drummed his fingers impatiently on the padding.
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