Chapter 149

"Atten- hut", the Master Sergeant called as the Commandant walked the platoon for inspection. The men all snapped to attention.

"How are they coming along, Master Sergeant?" the Commandant asked.

"Quite well, sir. They're picking up the techniques that I'm teaching them rather well. All of them are hitting the targets from 1200 yards, and tagging moving targets from that same distance."

"How much longer until their ready?"

"I would think about three weeks, sir. These were the best snipers that their respective branches of the military had to offer, aside from the Marines sir, and that is me. The Marines in this group are the second best, but they're up to the standard that I put up."

"Good to know, Master Sergeant. Have them ready to the mission in three weeks. I want the top scorer thus far in my office at 1500 hours, no questions asked. "It's time that we get things going and give the Utopians their ghosts to chase."

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Weeks had passed, and the routine was getting comfortable to everyone again. The wives were in a routine of taking care of the house. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids. The men were in a pattern of trying to record (even though the equipment was still shit), and taping the monologue. There wasn't a day that went by that they weren't trying to something.

About two months after the rally, late in the evening, a gun shot rang through the wilderness. Brie had a feeling all day that something wasn't quite right, so those who knew how to shoot a rifle were taking turns walking the perimeter of the house in teams of two. When the shot was fired, it was Brie and David on watch. The shot was fired by Brie.

David came over the radio. "What's going on over there?"

"I saw someone just this side of the tree line."

"Are you sure it's not one of the gophers you just dropped?"

"The gophers know to give the signal if they see someone out here. This guy gave no signal."

"Did you kill him?"

"No. I just dropped him."

"Let's go check him out then."

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"I'll never talk", the spy said.

Brie laughed. "I don't want to talk. Personally, you threatened me and mine. You deserve to die. But, my husband is the more level headed of the two of us and won't let me kill you. Instead, I have to turn you over to the Commandant when he gets here tomorrow. Until then, I'm going to torment you in any way I can because I'm a vindictive bitch like that." She sashayed out of the room. I'll be back in an hour or so just so that I can fuck with you."

"They're coming, you know."

"Who, jack ass?"

"The rest of my unit. I radioed them your location before you put a bullet in my knee."

He reached out to grab her hand. The second he made contact with her skin, she turned his wrist in hers in such a way that she had control of his hand, and a forearm right at his elbow. "Ok, pal, you have two choices. One, you can keep your fucking hands to yourself and I WON'T hurt you anymore that I already have, or two, I can put just enough of a hurt on you that you won't fuck with another person in this house. What you do from here tells me the choice you make." he continued to reach for her and she planted her forearm in his tricep. The man screamed and howled in pain. "You don't fuck with a massage therapist, mother fucker."