Chapter 3
Daniel
I took a swig of my beer as I waited for my buddies to arrive. It took me a while to get my mom to quit fussing over me and let me get out of the house, so the slight buzz would do me good when I get home. I love the woman to death, but her constant mothering was about to drive me up the wall.
“Danny-boy! You’re already here!” I smiled as my friend, Sgt. Major Jordan came inside, adjusting his stance as he walked over to me with his crutches. I stood up to help him sit over on the stool but he shook his head, wanting to do it on his own. I left him to it and raised two fingers at the bartender, and he nodded as he already knew what our orders were.
Jordan placed his crutches to the edge of the counter and leaned closer with a smile.
“How’s your mom?” He asked cheekily, and I raised an eyebrow at him.
“How’s the wife?” I countered, and he tilted his head back as he laughed. He pointed at his missing leg and shook his head, still smiling.
“She was all wailing and complaining how the Army sent her back half a man,” he said, and I shook my head, forcing the guilt feeling in my gut. He had lost his leg when a huge shrapnel from an exploding tank lodged itself just below his knee. His leg was unsalvageable and had to be amputated, and I blamed myself for what happened. I was his Captain, and I let him down.
The dumb shit wouldn’t let me apologize though, and kept saying it wasn’t my fault things had turned out that way. Our unit was ordered to stay there, and I was just following orders, he said. No way could I have known that the enemy was going to blow our tank to smithereens while he was standing a few feet away from it.
I heard the door open again and I felt a hand grip my shoulder while Private Blake sat down beside Jordan. I turned my head to see Lt. Michael and I clapped my hands. Finally, everyone was here.
“Okay, why don’t we start the briefing?” I said, and Michael rolled his eyes.
“We’re not here to discuss a mission, Lynch, and this isn’t a battlefield. Why can’t you talk normally?” Michael said.
“You’re extra surly today, Big Mike. Something wrong with the missus?” Blake asked, and Jordan hit him upside the head.
“Hey, shut your mouth. You know Mike hasn’t gotten over that nurse back in Saudi,” Jordan jibed. Mike flipped them both off.
“Come on, ladies. Enough of that. So, I wanted to hear about my fellow retirees’ input. I talked about my plan to open up a business with all of you back before we went home, have you guys given it any thought?”
“I’m in,” Blake said eagerly, raising his hand in the air and looking at each of us like we were casting a vote. “Being a soldier isn’t really my scene, but kicking ass while wearing a suit seems like my kind of profession,” he said.
“That right there is why all of us think you’re still a kid,” Michael said in a monotone, and it was Blake’s turn to roll his eyes.
“Well, of course you guys would think that. I’m only 24 years old. I’m like, literally the youngest one here,” he said, stating the obvious.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to do the actual protection detail, Danny-boy. Not with my leg and all,” he said solemnly, and I nodded in understanding. I had brought up this idea to them back when he hadn’t lost his leg yet. “But I think being behind a desk and writing off some paperwork would suit me just fine. Hell, I think even the missus with approve,” He said, and I smiled.
“Yeah, I reckon you can handle the books just fine. And you were always the better negotiator between the two of us, after all. You’d have the better chance at snagging clients,” I told him. I turned to look at Michael.
“Well? What’s your answer?” I prodded.
“I don’t think you have to ask. I already gave you my part of the payment, remember?” Michael said, referring to the money I used to purchase our base of operations.
Michael shrugged and raised his glass.
“To our new life as bodyguards,” he toasted, and we all clinked our glasses together.
“We continued discussing over how we’re going to set the place up, potential clients we could offer our services to, and other plans we envisioned for our new business until Jordan fished his phone in his pocket. He swiped his finger over the screen a few times before putting it back in his pocket with a wince.
“Well boys, looks like I’m turning in for the night. My wife just texted me and asked when I planned on coming home, and if I want to get lucky tonight, I should probably get a move on,” he said. Blake stood up from his seat and smiled at him.
“Come on, I’ll drive you,” he said, and the boys waved at Michael and I before leaving. I took another drink from my beer as we sat there in relative silence, Michael tilting his glass around to make his Scotch swirl around in it.
“Something on your mind, Lieutenant?” I asked, and the corner of his mouth tilted in a smirk.
“I think we’re thinking about the same thing, Captain,” he said, and I sighed.
“I’ve been going around the city lately. Getting in touch with some of our friends back in high school, reminiscing about the good old days. Most of them are doing pretty well, but…,” he trailed off and I looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
“But?” I pressed him after he took too long to speak for my liking.
“There’s one other person that I haven’t heard about, or from, other than a few talks here and there,” he said. He turned his ice blue eyes to look at me seriously.
“Have you even heard from Angela at all?” he asked.