a trial. There is always too much of a risk with the unknowns, but after seeing what you did and how you did it the whole AIHS voted to give you a go, if you would like to. Understand that we have tried recruiting like this a couple of times and no one has crossed the bar. So you understand, it will be six months of training. Not just training but Seal training, and there is nothing harder. You will be facing a failure rate of 90%. If you survive it, you will be the proverbial lean mean fighting machine. Then you will have three months of training with yours truly at the farm. I will look forward to being sweet, loveable and charming with you.” For the first time since they had met, Jacob showed a crackling smile.
“Understand this, you will never be able to leave this life and be yourself again which ever direction you chose. Whoever these people are, will hunt you down and kill you if we don’t hide you one way or the other. It doesn’t matter about your mountain skills, these are professionals and they want you dead. Right now you are dead, one of the reasons we are offering this arrangement to you. Like the rest of us, you will be a Shadow creeping through the night. I’ll give you time to think.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Braydon responded. “Since I’m already dead I might as well make good use of it and help my country. I’ll take the offer, and then when I have finished and that includes your sweet, lovable training; I will pay those bastards back for my family.”
Jacob’s grim face let Braydon know that was the wrong direction, “Vengeance will get you killed Braydon. The training, I hope, will take that out of you and replace it with solid, swift knowledge and decisive action without the power of anger pulling you into the wrong gutter, kind of like a Jedi warrior, discipline is everything. But the decision has to be yours and revenge will not get you on the team.”
You could have sliced the silence with a knife. Braydon’s confusion was evident in the crevices in his brow. The steely silence of the desert hills stole over him. His breathing became that of the soft desert wind and his mind ran with the wolf and coyote. He blended with nature again and was committed to succeed. Revenge could not be his goal but it would be stowed in the annuals of his mind.
“I still want to do it. Not for vengeance but for what purpose I don’t know since I don’t really know who or what you are, but if it will benefit my country I am for it.
The big man smiled again and said. “Get some sleep; you’re on the road at 0500, remember this is all confidential and can’t be revealed, ever to anyone.” Then he shut the door and left Braydon to his thoughts.
He didn’t have time to sleep or unwind; expectations and sorrow consumed his thoughts and nightmares haunted him. At 0500 there was a knock on the door and waiting was a Corporal with a jeep close by. Braydon was packed and ready to go.
“Are we going to drive to San Diego?”
“No Sir, we have transportation ready.” The Corporal responded.
It was a short helicopter ride from Las Vegas to Coronado Island training facility. His escorts were two hulks of human beef that sat on both sides of him. This still felt like jail, or maybe they were making certain he got there. “I don’t know why I need these Brute’s, I am going to finish this training and find who murdered my parent’s.” his thoughts sank into the quick sand.
It was a picture perfect landing, not even a bounce as they put down at the Naval Training Facility just outside San Diego. The door opened and the two body guards climbed out and held a protective position. Braydon felt like with this special treatment he might be having an honor guards waiting instead of body guards.. A bulldog faced Sergeant was the only greeting party.
“Braydon, this is Sargent Gomez. He will be your personal chaperon. Now we turn your 175 lbs. over to him. Sargent here is your man, and good luck.” The man who appeared to be the leader said and then they all shook hands and body guards climbed back aboard the chopper as Braydon watched them take off into the Eastern sky. Sargent Gomez looked Braydon up and down and just shook his head.
Braydon reached out to shake Gomez’s hand but all he got was a withering glare. “I am not here to be your friend or your mother and you will hate me more than the devil himself. I will be hell frozen over before we’re done. And remember, your best day here will be yesterday!” with that he turned, knowing that Braydon had better follow.
They went to the supply depot where Braydon was turned over to a supply corporal. The outfits were not that bad. He had had worse especially his camping gear.
As soon as his gear was presented a Private took him by the elbow and maneuvered him out the door and to the barracks.
Sargent Gomez was there waiting for him,” You’re in class 762 and your ass is mine for the next six months, if you make it that long.” He lead to the fifth barrack and escorted him in, “This is your home for that time, if you make it.” There was a heavy emphasis on MAKE IT. “We have a dropout rate of close to 90% and that’s the best.” There was no smile, no smirk, just a hostile glare. “The third bunk is yours. You have a foot locker for you gear. A DI will be by to attend to your needs,” he smiled, “if you believe that I’ve got a bridge to sell you. The DI’s are pure evil. The rest of your group is training. That’s something to really look forward to. You’re the first candidate to start four days into the training. This should be a lot of fun for you. Oh, and one more thing, I want your firm commitment that you will try your very best, even though that won’t be good enough, but let’s pretend it will.” There was a hint of a smile but that vanished in a flash. It then looked more like a snarl then a smile. “If your group is still alive they’ll be back in four or five hours and ready to party.” Then he did smile, “Get setup,” and left Braydon to his thoughts.
Braydon looked at his watch, it was four in the afternoon and the rest of the trainees would not be back for four or five hours?
“What have I gotten into?” Then he sunk on his bunk.
At 20:12 ten tired and dirty men stumbled into the barracks and collapsed on their bunks. They had not notice Braydon. “That was worst day of my life” one of the young men uttered.
“Remember what Sargent said, yesterday will have been the best day of your life, if we live.” the remark came across the aisle, something Braydon had already heard.
Then the rookie across the aisle noticed Braydon, “More raw meat,” he uttered and pointed to Braydon. “What did we do to deserve this prune and at this late date?”
Compared to his mates he was a prune. They buffed up fast and the determination was execrating from their expressions.
“Tell us about you.” The one, who seemed to be the leader, chastened him. “What’s your name, where you are from and why did a prune like you get here at this late date.”
Telling them about the reason he was here was impossible. He had to think of something fast. “There is a new program where under privileged men can come here and if they survive the six months we have our college paid and serve in the military for two years more. I’m the first trial member and you are lucky to have me. I may look skinny but I can handle myself. Just give me a chance.”
Skeptics abounded in the group. “I’m from a little town in Arizona call Beaver Dam, a thriving metropolis of 300 people, on the Utah Boarder.”
A cannon ball of a human being walked over to him, reached out his hand. “Shake!” he said. He was a few inches shorter than Braydon and had to look up at him. He wore the normal Marine haircut; his brown