“Sir,” Wilkes said.
“Thank you for handling what I’m sure was another nightmare,” Steve said.
“Probably the worst part was there wasn’t any resistance, sir,” Wilkes said.
“But we have a Marine colonel now,” Steve said. “And in case you haven’t heard the news, functional helos over at the air base.”
“I get a stick back, sir?” Wilkes said, his eyes lighting.
“You get a stick back,” Steve said, smiling. “That’s the good news. I’m not sure whether to inform certain parties of the bad news personally or let the chain of command handle it. I think the latter. It will be a learning experience.”
“I’m not following, sir,” Wilkes said.
“What MOS is Staff Sergeant Januscheitis, Captain?” Steve said.
“They’re WHAT?” Faith screamed.
“It’s my MOS, LT,” Janu said, continuing to pack his seabag. “It has been…a real pleasure and honor having you as a skipper, Skipper.”
“Oh, hell no!” Faith said. “They are not taking my platoon sergeant!”
“Ma’am,” the staff sergeant said, straightening from his packing. “I’ve kind of shown you the ropes on some stuff along the way, haven’t I?”
“Janu, without you…” Faith said, shaking her head. “I mean, I’d never have been able to do this. You do it, really. I’m still trying to figure out how to write reports. And…stuff. I’ve still got no clue about operational planning!”
“Well, then, ma’am, let this be my last class, for the time being, on how to be a Marine,” Janu said, going back to packing. “I’ve got a job to do. It’s actually my job, which infantry stuff isn’t, and it’s important. We’ve been needing helos. I fix helos, ma’am. Now, unless you want to try to convince somebody to rebranch a thirteen-year-old without so much as a high-school degree as an aviation maintenance officer, and do nothing for the rest of your Marine career but paperwork, you need to realize, ma’am, that this is how the Marine Corps works. It’s not just that you have to go where they tell you to go and do what they tell you to do. You have to watch other people go and do what they’re told to do. I’ll be around. If you want to get together, on or off the books, if you need me to explain something, ma’am, I will always be there. I’ll always be your first NCOIC and, hell, generals go hunting for them for their sergeant majors and, ma’am, I look forward to being your sergeant major one day. But it’s time to cut the apron strings. For me to go do the job I’m supposed to do and you to go be the crazed zombie-massacring warrior bitch you are, ma’am. And remember no dangling participles.”
“I could talk to…”
“Don’t even, Lieutenant,” Januscheitis said, shaking a finger at her. “You’re either a Marine or you’re not. If you’re a Marine, there should only be two words going through your head right now or you’re not really a Marine, LT.”
“Semper Fidelis?” Faith said, tearing up.
“Oh, stop that, Faith,” Januscheitis said, kissing her on the top of her head. “There’s still less than four thousand of us. It’s not like we’re going to lose track of each other. And it’s unbecoming of the fine young officer you’ve become. Now take a deep breath, say ‘Oorah’ and carry on with whatever crazy ass mission your daddy assigns next. Understood, Marine?”
“Understood, Staff Sergeant,” Faith said, sniffing and wiping her eyes. “Gung ho? Sorry, but I cannot quite get an oorah out, yet.”
“Staff Sergeant?” Pagliaro said, tapping on the hatch.
“Come,” Januscheitis said.
“Orders for the LT,” Pag said. “Report to the colonel at earliest opportunity.”
“Which means, Lieutenant?” Januscheitis said.
“Right damned now since I don’t actually have anything more important going on,” Faith said, giving him a hug.
Januscheitis stepped back, came to attention and gave her a salute worthy of a parade ground.
Faith carefully returned it with all due form.
“Carry on, Staff Sergeant,” Faith barked.
“Aye, aye, ma’am,” Januscheitis replied.
Faith then turned and left the compartment.
“Have a seat Faith,” Hamilton said, gesturing to a chair.
The office on the Boadicea had been one of the Staff Side officer’s offices and had a nice view of the base, if a burned-out post-apocalyptic Navy base was your idea of a nice view.
“By now you have heard that Staff Sergeant Januscheitis and some of the other Iwo Marines are being transferred to aviation support?” Hamilton said.
“Yes, sir,” Faith replied.
“Just ‘yes, sir’?” Hamilton asked.
“Marines go where they’re told to go and do what they’re told to do, sir,” Faith said.
Hamilton leaned on one hand and regarded her levelly.
“But you’re not happy about it,” he said after a moment.
“No, sir,” Faith said. “Not going to bitch about it, sir. Stuff happens, sir.”
“Do you know what my job was here at Gitmo, Lieutenant?” Hamilton asked.
“I heard it was interrogator, sir,” Faith said. “I don’t have a problem with that. What with everything that’s gone on…I was a kid when 9/11 happened, sir. I’m one of the ones who wondered why we were keeping them alive after we’d gotten all the intel we could from ’em, sir. I’d have thrown them to the sharks like Anarchy, sir.”
“The reason that I was an interrogator was, at least in part, my Ph.D. in psychology, Lieutenant,” Hamilton said. “And, no, I’m not going to psychoanalyze you. We’ve far too much to do. I will compliment you, though. I had fully expected, in fact just lost some money, that you were going to go storming to your father, insisting that you keep the staff sergeant.”
“We’ll keep in touch, sir,” Faith said. “And if things change I will pull strings to get him back, sir, you can be sure of that. But he has a mission to perform. The question, sir, is do I? I mean…You’ve got Marine officers, now.”
“Including you, Lieutenant,” Hamilton said. “Are you asking to be relieved of your oath over this?”
“No, sir,” Faith said. “Subject of the transfer is closed for me, sir. I’m just saying, you’ve got fully qualified and trained Marine officers. I’m not sure I’ve got a role anymore.”
“I have four, including you, Lieutenant Smith,” Hamilton said drily. “Five with Lieutenant Fontana and he’s about to be pulled off for medical support. As to ‘fully qualified,’ your job remains what it has been. Leading your men, and now women, into battle to kick the shit out of infected. The technical term is ‘duty with troops.’ Is that an issue?”
“No, sir,” Faith said.
“The roster is going to change but not entirely,” Hamilton said, looking at his computer screen. “Your new platoon sergeant will be Staff Sergeant Barnard. Squad leaders will be Sergeant Smith, whom I think you know, and Sergeant Hoag, with whom you are probably barely acquainted. Exact mission, for now, is open. Infected are cleared from the base areas. There is a meeting at 0900 tomorrow, which I understand is a brainstorming session.”
“Yes, sir,” Faith said.
“Was that, ‘yes, sir, I heard about it’ or ‘Yes, sir,’ to fill in my pause?” Hamilton asked.
“Fill in the pause, sir,” Faith said. “And I’d heard about it. Wasn’t sure whether I was attending or not.”