Read Online The Dying of the Light (Book 1): End by Jason Kristopher - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jason Kristopher
Tags: Horror
Ads: Link
all expected her to be granted the command of Alpha squad, if not 1 st Team itself when the time came.
We also began to grow closer as a unit as well, as demonstrated by our callsigns.
“I’m thinking… Banjo,” I said one evening in the chow hall, looking at Gaines. Standing well over six feet and built like a brick shithouse, he was easily the biggest man in our team.
He scowled at me and remained silent as he ate. Not so our compatriot Angelo Martinez, who laughed. “Good one, Blake.”
Kimberly looked over at me, one eyebrow raised in question. I shook my head with a smile, but Eaton piped up from a couple seats down.
“Didn’t you ever see ‘Deliverance,’ ma’am?” she asked Kim. “It’s that song, Dueling Banjos .”
Kim laughed and Gaines’ scowl just deepened, causing Martinez to laugh even more.
“Y’all are right. It is pretty funny,” Gaines drawled in his deep, southern Georgia twang. “I still shoot better’n all of ya, though.” Dalton Gaines, Gunnery Sergeant (USMC), had outscored nearly everyone in our marksmanship trials, trailing only behind Corporal Eaton and that only by a few points. He glanced her way, and then turned back to Kim.
She may not see it, but this big boy’s besotted with her , I thought. Probably the only girl ever to beat him in anything.
“I’d prefer Gunny, if it’s all the same to you, ma’am,” Dalton said to the captain.
Kim nodded and Gaines broke out in a big smile. “What about mine?” Kim asked me.
I looked thoughtful. “Well, One Alpha Six isn’t great, nothing to build on there.” The designations were simple: One for 1 st team, Alpha for the squad, and Six as the commander. Similarly, I was One Alpha Five, as her Executive Officer, also known as an XO.
“No, I’ve got it.” I finished the last of my potatoes before answering. “Carrot-top.”
That dinner roll barely missed me.
I also learned a great deal about hand-to-hand combat during that time. I’d had some experience with various martial arts when younger; after all, what boy didn’t want to be a ninja at some point? None of that mattered now, though. We studied one-on-one techniques as well as multiple-on-one situations, such as when a crowd of zombies might attack a lone or separated soldier. There was training with knives, clubs, police-style batons, and the kukri — a short, curved knife. We all began to master Kendo, Judo, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido. Many of my teammates had already learned one or more of these arts in their previous positions, but by the time we left the training, we were all as deadly with our hands and feet as we were with rifles or blades.
After a particularly grueling lesson one day near the end of training, I collapsed into the corner as my squad was finally dismissed by our instructor. We sat on benches and the floor, some of us panting more than others. I looked around at my fellow soldiers, and smiled at the pained but prideful expressions. The training had been exceedingly hard, but we were all proud of our accomplishments. Still, I wondered how useful techniques such as these would be against zombies.
My concern must have shown on my face, since Eaton spoke up. “Blake, what’s up? You look worried.” The rest of the squad turned to look at me.
I shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just wondering how useful some of these techniques will be in the field. I mean, the idea is to keep the walker from biting you, I know that; better than most, actually. So the throws especially I understand working on. But that only gets you so far. Let me show you what I mean. Barnes?” I turned to find her stretching to one side, and cleared my throat as my thoughts drifted. “Uh, give me a hand?” She stood up and nodded, then moved to the middle of the mat.
“Okay, Barnes here is a walker, and she’s going to do everything she can to bite me,” I said as I moved
We also began to grow closer as a unit as well, as demonstrated by our callsigns.
“I’m thinking… Banjo,” I said one evening in the chow hall, looking at Gaines. Standing well over six feet and built like a brick shithouse, he was easily the biggest man in our team.
He scowled at me and remained silent as he ate. Not so our compatriot Angelo Martinez, who laughed. “Good one, Blake.”
Kimberly looked over at me, one eyebrow raised in question. I shook my head with a smile, but Eaton piped up from a couple seats down.
“Didn’t you ever see ‘Deliverance,’ ma’am?” she asked Kim. “It’s that song, Dueling Banjos .”
Kim laughed and Gaines’ scowl just deepened, causing Martinez to laugh even more.
“Y’all are right. It is pretty funny,” Gaines drawled in his deep, southern Georgia twang. “I still shoot better’n all of ya, though.” Dalton Gaines, Gunnery Sergeant (USMC), had outscored nearly everyone in our marksmanship trials, trailing only behind Corporal Eaton and that only by a few points. He glanced her way, and then turned back to Kim.
She may not see it, but this big boy’s besotted with her , I thought. Probably the only girl ever to beat him in anything.
“I’d prefer Gunny, if it’s all the same to you, ma’am,” Dalton said to the captain.
Kim nodded and Gaines broke out in a big smile. “What about mine?” Kim asked me.
I looked thoughtful. “Well, One Alpha Six isn’t great, nothing to build on there.” The designations were simple: One for 1 st team, Alpha for the squad, and Six as the commander. Similarly, I was One Alpha Five, as her Executive Officer, also known as an XO.
“No, I’ve got it.” I finished the last of my potatoes before answering. “Carrot-top.”
That dinner roll barely missed me.
I also learned a great deal about hand-to-hand combat during that time. I’d had some experience with various martial arts when younger; after all, what boy didn’t want to be a ninja at some point? None of that mattered now, though. We studied one-on-one techniques as well as multiple-on-one situations, such as when a crowd of zombies might attack a lone or separated soldier. There was training with knives, clubs, police-style batons, and the kukri — a short, curved knife. We all began to master Kendo, Judo, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido. Many of my teammates had already learned one or more of these arts in their previous positions, but by the time we left the training, we were all as deadly with our hands and feet as we were with rifles or blades.
After a particularly grueling lesson one day near the end of training, I collapsed into the corner as my squad was finally dismissed by our instructor. We sat on benches and the floor, some of us panting more than others. I looked around at my fellow soldiers, and smiled at the pained but prideful expressions. The training had been exceedingly hard, but we were all proud of our accomplishments. Still, I wondered how useful techniques such as these would be against zombies.
My concern must have shown on my face, since Eaton spoke up. “Blake, what’s up? You look worried.” The rest of the squad turned to look at me.
I shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just wondering how useful some of these techniques will be in the field. I mean, the idea is to keep the walker from biting you, I know that; better than most, actually. So the throws especially I understand working on. But that only gets you so far. Let me show you what I mean. Barnes?” I turned to find her stretching to one side, and cleared my throat as my thoughts drifted. “Uh, give me a hand?” She stood up and nodded, then moved to the middle of the mat.
“Okay, Barnes here is a walker, and she’s going to do everything she can to bite me,” I said as I moved
Similar Books
