A Twisted Change

“Sergeant James R. Grimm?”

“Present.”

“Corporal Natiana Tali?”

“Present.”

“Now that we’re all here,” the platoon leader announced to his last two squad leaders, “we’re going to go over the evac plans. We’ve got civvies along sites two and three. Your squads will merge into one unit code named “Galloping Wind”. Your mission is the same as the others’.”

“Yeah, get the civvies to exfil site delta, this time, and kill as many of those seven legged freaks as we can along the way,” James said heartily.

“No,” Natiana said placing a hand on his forearm, “we have to get them to safety first. And, each other. We’ve lost too many to the fight. We get them out, we get out, we nuke this infested city and destroy their hive.”

“Tali’s right,” the platoon leader agreed, “once the hive is gone, we come back with the rest of anyone with a gun and J-list and mop the area up. Gear up and meet at the helipad as soon as you can. Your squads will be ready, I’ve made sure to have them called and get ready at the barracks before meeting at the dropsite.

“You’ll meet and greet your squads, gather the civvies, around fourteen at the school, marked here,” he pointed to a map of the city he was standing in front of. He moved to the side and sighed, looking at the various marks of infestation and lost units. Taken into the enemy insectoid hive, most alive and screaming was reported.

“You’ll then sneak them to site delta, two miles away to the north east. Sat recon shows this path is the least infested, but you know once you engage them, they’ll swarm. So, we’re going to have to be quiet as a feather and pray they are too.”

“And if we engage?” Tali asked.

“Run. Simple as that. Tell them to follow and you don’t look back. Get to the exfil site with the civvies or don’t. Make sure they know it’s all for themselves, once that bird is in the air the countdown begins and you have thirty minutes before the mushroom sprouts. It’ll be a historic moment, pray you’re there to see it, and not be part of it.”

“Great,” James grumbled, “a potential suicide mission for the sake of a few people.”

“Every person counts and you know that.”

“Yeah, I know, I know. That presidential speech about how today’s child could be tomorrow’s scientist to solve cancer cures or whatever. Bullshit if you ask me.”

“Hey, we wouldn’t be where we are if some kid didn’t grow up to invent stuff we use all the time,” said defensively with arms crossed.

“And those bugs wouldn’t be fucking our city over if-”

“Enough! I’m tired of hearing you two bitch like an old married couple. I swear, fuck and get it out of your system and complete the mission or just do your fucking jobs and fuck later.”

Both squad leaders looked away from each other and blushed.

“That’s what I thought. Good hunting and I’ll see you in the Dakota’s.”

“Yeah, whatever,” James said getting up and walking quickly to the door, anxious to leave the small meeting room and get suited up for combat.

“Alright, “ Natiana said as she looked in the stand mirror in her room, “basic loud out done. Now off to the armory. Grimm?! Ya done rubbin’ it or ya want help?” she shouted across the hall to the closed door across the hall.

The door opened quickly and he stood tall, right fist clenched, and glaring at her. “I’m not doing that. Get to the armory,” he ordered her.

She grinned and left her room, closing the door and making sure it was locked before turned and giving him a salute. “See you in six and a half, minutes, sir.”

She ended her salute with a flair and right faced, marching formally down the hall as a he grumbled to himself and closed his room door.

He was fully dressed for combat, save for ranged weapons. He sat on his double bed, made perfectly with hospital corners that were the pride and joy of his room and reached to the nightstand and grasped a picture in his hand.

Himself and a younger man at a barbeque during Fourth of July several years prior. He dropped the frame to the floor, shattering the glass and breaking the picture loose. He kicked the glass away and grabbed the picture, turning it over.

James and Walter
Bruhz fer life
2010

“Bro, I’ll see ya soon.”

He got up and crumpled the photo, shoving it into his right breast pocket before patting himself down, making sure he had his wallet, keys, and smart phone.

He chuckled to himself. “Old habits, even at the end of the world.”

He opened his room door and left it open when he departed.

“One M4. Three M33… Well, since it’s going ta hell take six. Ya never know,” the armory sergeant chuckled through the metal mesh lined safety glass, “and we got a few clips ready ta go. Lastly, here ya are,” he said sliding a small satchel through the window to Natiana.

“And, what’s that?” she asked slinging her weapon.

“It’s chocolate,” he said with a wink and sly smile.

She forced a smile and sighed through her teeth. “Thanks, sarge, but it ain’t happenin’.”

His smile didn’t waver as his eyebrows danced. “I’ll see ya in a couple days, we’ll talk about the sweets then, babe.”

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him after roughly grabbing the last of her equipment and weapons, hustling out of the room, the feeling of the creepy guy looking at her ass as she left encouraged her to move faster.

“Woah, slow down, Tali,” Grimm said walking past her, “what’s the rush?”

She slowed but continued and mouthed the words ‘creepy’ before she turned the corner to safety from the visual assault.

“Afternoon Sergeant,” the armorer said, “got your gear… ready, I was saving those for someone else,” he said as Grimm had opened the satchel and taken out the plain box of chocolates.

“Well, looks like they have a new owner,” Grimm replied opening the box and eating one. She smirked then grimaced, spitting it out. “Gah, fucking cherry coconut? What the fuck is wrong with you?” he said as he stared the other sergeant down.

“N-nothing, just, getting your gear. Good hunting, sarge.”

“Yeah,” he said wiping his mouth on his forearm, “and no one in their right mind likes that combination. Seriously, who’d fuck'n eat that?”

He grabbed his gear and weapons, the same as Tali had received, before leaving the room and bumping into Tali, sending her chest first onto the floor.

“What the holy shit?!”

“Fuck! Why the hell don’t you watch where you’re going, Tali?”

“Hey, I was trying to pack my clips and you fuckin’ ram me like I was one of your saturnight dates?”

He stood tall and blushed lightly looking to his right. “Sorry,” he huffed.

She forced herself to roll over and extended a hand. “Help me up, big guy, then I’ll forgive you.”

“Fine,” he replied gruffly grasping her hand and yanking her hard to her feet.

“Ass.”

“Hole.”

He smirked. “Bitch.”

“Fucker.”

“Dick.”

She stood on her tip toes to reach her eye level to his nose. “You are what you eat.”

He sneered. “That’s why I’m a pussy.”

She was the first to laugh, spittle spraying across his face.

He joined her in a hearty laugh, wiping his face on his left forearm and punching her in the arm. “Fine, you win. Let’s get to the choppah.”

She giggled as she finished loading the last of her ammo clips into her LBV and attached her helmet. “Ah, you’re just so easy.”

“That’s what I told your mom.”

“Ooohhh, I could just hit you,” she said with a grin as she cocked her left arm and let it loose, striking him in the bicep.

“Ow, you almost bent my arm hairs,” he said looking down at her petite hand on his bulky arm.

“Oh, that’s it,” she said beginning to pummel him.

He sighed and started loading his equipment across his LBV, finishing with a grin to her. “Let’s get going, killer.”

“One of these days I’ll punch you and it’ll hurt, for real.”

“Yeah, you can drag me a hundred feet but you can’t punch to save yer life,” he chuckled deeply as he slung his weapon and left the room for the exit across the building.

“Yeah,” she said catching up to him and looking ahead, “well I have strong legs and wimpy arms. You’re just lucky I can drag your giant ass that far.”

“Yeah, and I can throw you half that without trying.”

She elbowed his stomach armor. “You did that once and I still have to get even.”

He grumbled another chuckle. “Yeah, ready and waiting. Here we are, ya ready?”

She patted herself down, tugged her ears, lifted her breasts inside her armor to make herself laugh. “I forgot my earrings.”

They stood by the double doors, he looked at her from the corner of his eye. “What the hell do you need those for.”

“Because if I had them, I’d take ‘em off and show that I mean business.”

He lowered his chin, raised his hand, and massaged the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe you’re my best friend.”

“You can choose your friends, you can’t choose your STD’s. Remember that.”

He dropped his arms by his sides limply and whined. “God, why’re you so fucking weird?”

“You love it. Now, let’s go out there and kick some insectoid ass!” She shouted kicking the door firmly and falling onto her butt and rolling to her side. She began to laugh embarrassedly.

He reached to the handle and pushed it. “Yeah, there are security doors, you have to-”

“I know that! Just, never talk about this,” she said standing up again and adjusting herself to look professional. “We’re some of the last on base, if anyone finds out I’ll know it was you,” she said turning and walking into the doorway divider and stumbling back.

“...Wow, I couldn’t pay anyone to believe what I’m seeing right now.”

She stood tall, adjusted her helmet, and walked out of the door he’d opened for her in silence, the humor having left her.