metal fastener for her to see.
“Very nice, soldier.” Van Pao didn’t look up from the papers on her desk. “I called you here to tell you that a colonel from
Division is coming to visit us, and he
hates
Americans. Stay out of his way, and when you meet him, show respect, or he’ll kill you on the spot.”
“Did he hear about my patrol?” James was smiling.
“Yes—that’s why you’re still alive.” Lieutenant Van Pao had had enough conversation with James. “Now go.” She nodded back
toward the door. Mohammed James was a great coup for her, and he was gaining a reputation even as high as corps level. What
bothered her most was that he could betray his own people and
enjoy
doing it.
“Lieutenant?”
“Yes!”
“Could I take Garibaldi and Barnett down to the river today?”
Lieutenant Van Pao thought for a minute and then decided that it would be a good idea to let Barnett swim in the river and
enjoy himself; directly after, she would make her last attempt at breaking him before the division staff officer arrived at
her camp. “Yes, take them and some guards; with the Americans so close to us in the A Shau Valley, they might send a patrol
over here in neutral Laos.”
“I’ll have them back early.” James pressed his lips together and frowned. He loved taking the other two Americans down to
the river to bathe. The experience gave him a sense of power, especially with Garibaldi being a full bird colonel and Barnett
hating blacks so much. The games he played with them were mostly brain games and didn’t do much harm, but he would get the
guards to beat them if they didn’t obey him.
A pair of armed NVA soldiers led the way down to the river where a shallow sun-heated pool made a perfect giant bathtub. The
soldiers were happy because they enjoyed cooling off in the river as much as the prisoners did. Barnett didn’t dare look back,
but he knew that James was right behind him. Garibaldi had to help him hobble down the path.
“Let’s move it faster!” James made a point out of “accidentally” kicking Barnett’s heel.
A muffled scream left the younger soldier’s throat. His feet were just beginning to heal and were still extremely sore.
“Something wrong with you,
Spence
?” James used the nickname Woods had found for him back at An Khe base camp.
Barnett continued hobbling. Garibaldi could feel that the young soldier had shifted more of his weight to him. “We’re almost
there….”
James tripped Garibaldi and sent both of the POWs rolling down the dew-covered embankment. “Who said you could talk,
Colonel
?”
“No one, sir… Sorry, sir.” Garibaldi had been a POW long enough to know what James was looking for, and he wasn’t going to
give him any reason to beat him or Barnett.
“You’re damn right! Say
sir
again.”
“Sir.”
“That sounds good…. Maybe you’ll be able to call me
General
James one of these days…. If I kill enough Americans, they just might promote me to a general.” This was the first time that
James had admitted killing American soldiers to anyone except the NVA.
Garibaldi squeezed Barnett’s arm to warn him to keep quiet and not piss James off. Barnett was sharp enough to realize that
James had made a very bad error in bragging about killing his fellow GIs, unless James didn’t think Garibaldi or he would
live to tell anyone about it.
The Rao Lao River appeared through the thick underbrush and gave Garibaldi a chance to change the subject. “Sir?”
“Huh?” Mohammed James glared over at the Air Force fighter pilot.
“Is it all right, sir, for Spencer and me to use the shallow part of the pool first?” Garibaldi lowered his eyes to the ground
as he waited for James’s answer.
“Why?”
“So Barnett can soak his feet in the cool water under those trees.”
“Yeah… go ahead.”
Colonel Garibaldi helped Spencer over to the shade-cooled water and assisted the soldier. It really didn’t matter
“Very nice, soldier.” Van Pao didn’t look up from the papers on her desk. “I called you here to tell you that a colonel from
Division is coming to visit us, and he
hates
Americans. Stay out of his way, and when you meet him, show respect, or he’ll kill you on the spot.”
“Did he hear about my patrol?” James was smiling.
“Yes—that’s why you’re still alive.” Lieutenant Van Pao had had enough conversation with James. “Now go.” She nodded back
toward the door. Mohammed James was a great coup for her, and he was gaining a reputation even as high as corps level. What
bothered her most was that he could betray his own people and
enjoy
doing it.
“Lieutenant?”
“Yes!”
“Could I take Garibaldi and Barnett down to the river today?”
Lieutenant Van Pao thought for a minute and then decided that it would be a good idea to let Barnett swim in the river and
enjoy himself; directly after, she would make her last attempt at breaking him before the division staff officer arrived at
her camp. “Yes, take them and some guards; with the Americans so close to us in the A Shau Valley, they might send a patrol
over here in neutral Laos.”
“I’ll have them back early.” James pressed his lips together and frowned. He loved taking the other two Americans down to
the river to bathe. The experience gave him a sense of power, especially with Garibaldi being a full bird colonel and Barnett
hating blacks so much. The games he played with them were mostly brain games and didn’t do much harm, but he would get the
guards to beat them if they didn’t obey him.
A pair of armed NVA soldiers led the way down to the river where a shallow sun-heated pool made a perfect giant bathtub. The
soldiers were happy because they enjoyed cooling off in the river as much as the prisoners did. Barnett didn’t dare look back,
but he knew that James was right behind him. Garibaldi had to help him hobble down the path.
“Let’s move it faster!” James made a point out of “accidentally” kicking Barnett’s heel.
A muffled scream left the younger soldier’s throat. His feet were just beginning to heal and were still extremely sore.
“Something wrong with you,
Spence
?” James used the nickname Woods had found for him back at An Khe base camp.
Barnett continued hobbling. Garibaldi could feel that the young soldier had shifted more of his weight to him. “We’re almost
there….”
James tripped Garibaldi and sent both of the POWs rolling down the dew-covered embankment. “Who said you could talk,
Colonel
?”
“No one, sir… Sorry, sir.” Garibaldi had been a POW long enough to know what James was looking for, and he wasn’t going to
give him any reason to beat him or Barnett.
“You’re damn right! Say
sir
again.”
“Sir.”
“That sounds good…. Maybe you’ll be able to call me
General
James one of these days…. If I kill enough Americans, they just might promote me to a general.” This was the first time that
James had admitted killing American soldiers to anyone except the NVA.
Garibaldi squeezed Barnett’s arm to warn him to keep quiet and not piss James off. Barnett was sharp enough to realize that
James had made a very bad error in bragging about killing his fellow GIs, unless James didn’t think Garibaldi or he would
live to tell anyone about it.
The Rao Lao River appeared through the thick underbrush and gave Garibaldi a chance to change the subject. “Sir?”
“Huh?” Mohammed James glared over at the Air Force fighter pilot.
“Is it all right, sir, for Spencer and me to use the shallow part of the pool first?” Garibaldi lowered his eyes to the ground
as he waited for James’s answer.
“Why?”
“So Barnett can soak his feet in the cool water under those trees.”
“Yeah… go ahead.”
Colonel Garibaldi helped Spencer over to the shade-cooled water and assisted the soldier. It really didn’t matter
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