Mouser
04-05-2007, 04:36 PM
Steve walked onto the demolitions range dressed in Army BDUs and stood at the back looking for some shade but finding none. He had read the reports, and was looking forward to watching Jimmy do his thing.
Jimmy had been assigned to assist Sgt Grieves in his demolitions class ever since Grieves' hands had become less than steady due to his age. Steve knew that the Army had tried to make the sergeant retire but Grieves would have none of it. "Give me somebody to be my hands dammit!" he told them. "I'm still the best rigger this mans army has!" Unfortunately he was right, and Jimmy liked the old coot so he did something that had almost made Steve drop the report when he saw it.
Jimmy had volunteered for the assignment.
As Steve looked on, Jimmy set the charges at the base of the concrete wall. Sgt Grieves picked up a bull horn up range. "Brown!! What’s takin’ you so long boy!?"
A moment later Jimmy smiled to himself as he looked at his handy-work and trotted back up range. Sgt Grieves saw the look on Jimmy's face and suspected what was coming. "This was supposed to be a simple blow." Grieves said to his protégé under his breath. Jimmy prepped two detonators and replied "Yeah I know, but where’s the fun in that?"
Sgt Grieves saw that smile and knew what it meant. "Should I take cover?"
Jimmy finished with the detonators. "Naw, trying something new today"
Grieves sighed and said "Yeah? In that case, then, I'll be be in the bunker." Sgt Grieves then turned to address the class "It seems Mr. Brown has something special in store for us. Last time he did something like this you were eating MRE's because he blew out the windows in the mess hall. If you’re smart you'll follow me behind the bunker!!"
Jimmy just grinned and before anyone could move, he shouted "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
There was a small pop and a tiny puff of dust rose from the wall.
Sgt Grieves was not amused. "Dammit Brown!! What in the hell was that!? You were supposed to show these boys how to defeat that wall not just announce your presence to the enemy!"
Jimmy held up one finger and said "Give it a second… and......now" As
he said ‘now’ a four foot wide section separated from the rest of the wall and fell neatly in one solid piece.
Sgt Grieves nodded, giving his highest compliment. "Not bad Brown, not bad at all. But we won't be using shaped charges for another six weeks. You can show us how you rigged that then, as for right now...”
He raised his voice again, “Class dismissed!"
Jimmy had noticed Steve before when he walked in but hadn't acknowledged him because of the class. As soon as Grives had discussed him he immediately made a bee line for him with his hand stretched out.
"Steve Andrews as I live and breath."
"James Brown the hardest working demo man in the army."
The two shook hands
Jimmy said "Lets get outta here we gotta catch up. As Jimmy started for the barracks Steve turned him towards the CO's office.
"Actually I think we need to talk someplace more private. I've arranged to use the CO's office for a little while."
"So I guess it's true what I heard, you made it into officers school. I guess that means you can buy the drinks."
Jimmy sat himself into a chair and lit up a cigarette in his CO's office "So whats so important that it has to be talked about in here?"
Steve began to wonder if he was making a mistake. He knew that Col Tigh didn't allow smoking in here. He shrugged it off. Jimmy wasn't a model solder, he knew that he never would be, but he had proven himself reliable and and an excellent demolitions man. Plus Steve knew that Jimmy had other talents from his past life that could come in handy. He just had to reel him in a bit and get his respect.
"Jimmy" he said knowing that calling him by his first name and not “Corporal” Brown would be a good start "Do you remember that night in the hospital after the incident with SGT Furtado?”
Jimmy nodded not sure where he was going with this but he knew he probably wouldn't like it.
"Well then you remember that we both have a gift in that we could see the SGT for what he was unlike most. We're gifted in that sense.”
"Yeah that's something I try not to think about"
"I need you to think about it now. I've been tasked to put together a team that will hunt down creatures like Furtado and what created him. Jimmy.” He took a deep breath, then continued. “I want you on my team, Jimmy.
"Sorry Steve, but I got a good thing going here with SGT Grieves. Hunting down monsters? That’s not my idea of an ideal assignment.”
"Jimmy, look at this realisticly. How long do you really think it's gonna be before Grieves is forced into retirement? Then where will you be? I know what I'm offering you isn't a cushy job, but you have dealt with danger before and always come out on top.”
"Sure but I wasn't dealing with things that came out of the X-Files then. The worst I had to worry about was an security guard getting overzealous thinking he was John McClane."
Steve sat still for a moment, considering, then he leaned forward and whispered.
“Jimmy, are you afraid?”
Jimmy bristled. “I ain’t afraid of nothin.”
Steve looked at him for a beat. “You should be. With shit like that running around, infiltrating our military? Worse things infiltrating our government? How long until they show up on your doorstep? Do you really wanna be demon-chow?”
Jimmy had enough. “Fuck no, but what can I do about it?”
“If you join my team, you will have access to all the best training, all the best equipment, and you’ll be part of a team. As part of that team, you will at least have an opportunity to take the fight to them.”
Jimmy remained skeptical. “You sound like a recruiting poster.”
Steve sat back, passive. He’d made his pitch, and the first one to talk loses.
They stared at each other for a couple of long minutes.
Jimmy spoke first.
“Who else is on the team?”
Steve grinned. "I need to talk to a couple other people on a very short list but you were the first one that came to mind."
This spoke to Jimmy's vanity.
Jimmy dropped into his very best Will Smith impersonation and grinned.
"All right I'm in, but remember you chose me so recognize the skills."
As they shook hands. Jimmy remarked "You better not have been lying about the equipment either because you know I got expensive tastes."
Steve stood and opened the door for Jimmy. As they walked out, Steve said to Colonel Tigh “He’s coming with me.”
And to Jimmy, “Get your shit together. We leave in fifteen.”
And they did.
Jimmy had been assigned to assist Sgt Grieves in his demolitions class ever since Grieves' hands had become less than steady due to his age. Steve knew that the Army had tried to make the sergeant retire but Grieves would have none of it. "Give me somebody to be my hands dammit!" he told them. "I'm still the best rigger this mans army has!" Unfortunately he was right, and Jimmy liked the old coot so he did something that had almost made Steve drop the report when he saw it.
Jimmy had volunteered for the assignment.
As Steve looked on, Jimmy set the charges at the base of the concrete wall. Sgt Grieves picked up a bull horn up range. "Brown!! What’s takin’ you so long boy!?"
A moment later Jimmy smiled to himself as he looked at his handy-work and trotted back up range. Sgt Grieves saw the look on Jimmy's face and suspected what was coming. "This was supposed to be a simple blow." Grieves said to his protégé under his breath. Jimmy prepped two detonators and replied "Yeah I know, but where’s the fun in that?"
Sgt Grieves saw that smile and knew what it meant. "Should I take cover?"
Jimmy finished with the detonators. "Naw, trying something new today"
Grieves sighed and said "Yeah? In that case, then, I'll be be in the bunker." Sgt Grieves then turned to address the class "It seems Mr. Brown has something special in store for us. Last time he did something like this you were eating MRE's because he blew out the windows in the mess hall. If you’re smart you'll follow me behind the bunker!!"
Jimmy just grinned and before anyone could move, he shouted "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
There was a small pop and a tiny puff of dust rose from the wall.
Sgt Grieves was not amused. "Dammit Brown!! What in the hell was that!? You were supposed to show these boys how to defeat that wall not just announce your presence to the enemy!"
Jimmy held up one finger and said "Give it a second… and......now" As
he said ‘now’ a four foot wide section separated from the rest of the wall and fell neatly in one solid piece.
Sgt Grieves nodded, giving his highest compliment. "Not bad Brown, not bad at all. But we won't be using shaped charges for another six weeks. You can show us how you rigged that then, as for right now...”
He raised his voice again, “Class dismissed!"
Jimmy had noticed Steve before when he walked in but hadn't acknowledged him because of the class. As soon as Grives had discussed him he immediately made a bee line for him with his hand stretched out.
"Steve Andrews as I live and breath."
"James Brown the hardest working demo man in the army."
The two shook hands
Jimmy said "Lets get outta here we gotta catch up. As Jimmy started for the barracks Steve turned him towards the CO's office.
"Actually I think we need to talk someplace more private. I've arranged to use the CO's office for a little while."
"So I guess it's true what I heard, you made it into officers school. I guess that means you can buy the drinks."
Jimmy sat himself into a chair and lit up a cigarette in his CO's office "So whats so important that it has to be talked about in here?"
Steve began to wonder if he was making a mistake. He knew that Col Tigh didn't allow smoking in here. He shrugged it off. Jimmy wasn't a model solder, he knew that he never would be, but he had proven himself reliable and and an excellent demolitions man. Plus Steve knew that Jimmy had other talents from his past life that could come in handy. He just had to reel him in a bit and get his respect.
"Jimmy" he said knowing that calling him by his first name and not “Corporal” Brown would be a good start "Do you remember that night in the hospital after the incident with SGT Furtado?”
Jimmy nodded not sure where he was going with this but he knew he probably wouldn't like it.
"Well then you remember that we both have a gift in that we could see the SGT for what he was unlike most. We're gifted in that sense.”
"Yeah that's something I try not to think about"
"I need you to think about it now. I've been tasked to put together a team that will hunt down creatures like Furtado and what created him. Jimmy.” He took a deep breath, then continued. “I want you on my team, Jimmy.
"Sorry Steve, but I got a good thing going here with SGT Grieves. Hunting down monsters? That’s not my idea of an ideal assignment.”
"Jimmy, look at this realisticly. How long do you really think it's gonna be before Grieves is forced into retirement? Then where will you be? I know what I'm offering you isn't a cushy job, but you have dealt with danger before and always come out on top.”
"Sure but I wasn't dealing with things that came out of the X-Files then. The worst I had to worry about was an security guard getting overzealous thinking he was John McClane."
Steve sat still for a moment, considering, then he leaned forward and whispered.
“Jimmy, are you afraid?”
Jimmy bristled. “I ain’t afraid of nothin.”
Steve looked at him for a beat. “You should be. With shit like that running around, infiltrating our military? Worse things infiltrating our government? How long until they show up on your doorstep? Do you really wanna be demon-chow?”
Jimmy had enough. “Fuck no, but what can I do about it?”
“If you join my team, you will have access to all the best training, all the best equipment, and you’ll be part of a team. As part of that team, you will at least have an opportunity to take the fight to them.”
Jimmy remained skeptical. “You sound like a recruiting poster.”
Steve sat back, passive. He’d made his pitch, and the first one to talk loses.
They stared at each other for a couple of long minutes.
Jimmy spoke first.
“Who else is on the team?”
Steve grinned. "I need to talk to a couple other people on a very short list but you were the first one that came to mind."
This spoke to Jimmy's vanity.
Jimmy dropped into his very best Will Smith impersonation and grinned.
"All right I'm in, but remember you chose me so recognize the skills."
As they shook hands. Jimmy remarked "You better not have been lying about the equipment either because you know I got expensive tastes."
Steve stood and opened the door for Jimmy. As they walked out, Steve said to Colonel Tigh “He’s coming with me.”
And to Jimmy, “Get your shit together. We leave in fifteen.”
And they did.