It was Monique and Kim's last night in Israel, the next afternoon they would be on a plane back to the United States and back to school and their respective jobs. They had accomplished almost everything they set out to do.

They rescued Ron from the evil clutches of Bonnie, well sort of. Ron still had feelings for Bonnie and that was something Kim was going to have to learn to live with as she struggled to reinstate herself as Ron's number one love interest.

Monique had found her a new boyfriend in a most unlikely place. Ron had fixed her up with his friend Tirza Cohen the company medic as a joke on Monique. The joke backfired and Tirza and Monique were falling for each other hard.

Kim and Ron had destroyed a bomb factory in the West Bank and Ron had gunned down the chief Hamas bomb maker Ali Mohamed Saghir. Kim was ecstatic at the massive amounts of property damage that they were able to wreak in such a short amount of time.

Ron had survived a fight with an unknown assailant at a diamond exchange and acquired a new gun. He met up with Kim, Monique and Tirza for a night on the town and a return to the Red Octopus dance club.

At the club Ron ran into Martel and much as Kim had feared the night before, Ron set the man's chest hair on fire and sent the man running out of the club screaming. Kim hugged Ron tightly, "Burning chest hair really turns me on."

Ron laughed, "The guy had it coming telling me not to touch you because you have a sexually transmitted disease."

Kim giggled, "Yea…He must have had me confused with someone else."

It was Ron's first visit to a dance club in Israel and was dancing the night away with Kim until she realized it was getting late, "I think it's time to head back to Tel Aviv…We're leaving in the afternoon."

He nodded and told Tirza who looked crushed, "Monique is leaving?"

"Yes, Monique has to go back to school and work." Ron told him.

Monique glared at Ron, "What did you tell him?"

Ron looked at Monique sadly, "That we had to leave so you guys get ready to leave tomorrow."

She turned and looked at Tirza sadly, "Ohhhhhhhh, you can come with us back to the hotel."

"Monique he has to report fro duty at six in the morning." Ron reminded her.

Then Kim had an idea, "Why don't we just get hotel rooms in Netanya for the night, then Monique can run Tirza back to the base around five and we will have plenty of time to run back to Tel Aviv to check out of the hotel down there."

Monique smiled, "Yeaaaaaaaaa…after all we're not paying for it."

Ron shrugged, "Sounds like a plan to me." Then he turned to Tirza, "Monique wants to take you to a hotel."

Tirza grinned, "OoooooooKayyyyyyyy"

They checked into the Seasons Hotel, Monique and Kim each got a room. They all giggled nervously as they went to their rooms, Monique was getting ready to tell Kim and Ron goodnight but never got the chance as Kim shoved Ron forcefully thru the door.

Once the door was closed Kim quickly turned on Ron, "Get naked Ron, I'm not taking no for an answer."

Ron smiled and began to undress, "Now Kim when is the last time I told you no."

Monique stood outside the door smiling and shaking her head, "Come on Tirza."

Tirza smiled and followed her, "Oooookayyyyyyyyy"

They spent their last night together and then sadly Monique had to take Tirza back to base but not before they took a shower to make sure Tirza was nice and clean for the day ahead of him.

She took him into the parking lot to let him out, Monique turned to him, "You have my email address and my home address and phone number…We'll stay in touch…Right?'

Tirza looked very sad at the paper in his hands, "OK…I will learn English."

Monique hugged and kissed him goodbye, "When Ron comes home in May, you come with him, I want to see you….OK?"

Tirza smiled not really fully understanding but he knew Ron, May and of course OK, he gave her a big hug and a kiss and then left for the barracks. Monique watched him until he disappeared from view, "I'll tell Ron to bring him along in May when he comes home."

Ron lay on his back with Kim nestled in the crook of his arm, "We have to get moving."

Kim frowned, "I know."

"I've got a question for you…Something that's been bothering me for a while." Ron said with a serious expression on his face.

Kim looked up nervously, "Yea?"

Ron looked down at her, "How did you know about Babbette? I mean, I never told anyone about that."

He felt her stiffen and then relax, "Ohhhhhhh Sergei told Monique about her when they all went out to dinner last Sunday."

Kim looked up to see Ron's reaction, she could see the wheels turning in his head as he processed the answer, "OK…It wasn't that much of a deal…I got a dance and a kiss and I never saw her again."

Kim smiled, "I know."

Ron narrowed his eyes, "Well we better get moving."

He got out of bed and Kim followed slowly, obviously in pain, "If I would have known that was what the butter was for…I never would have bought them…I'm not going to walk right for a week."

Ron walked past her and slapped her on the butt, "Head in the game Kim, see you in the shower."

She stuck out her tongue at him and followed him into the bathroom, she climbed into the shower the water felt good and she began to wake up, she felt Ron envelop her from behind and he began kissing her neck and rubbing his hands up and down her body. Then she felt an unusually warm spray from behind, "RON, YOU NASTY…"

Ron began laughing, "Nothing like peeing in the shower first thing in the morning."

She pushed him to the back of the shower and began wrestling with him, trying to teach him a lesson and before too long they both fell to the floor of the shower and began to make love again.

Katrina Sakorov sat at her desk receiving her morning briefing; she was a woman in her early thirties, long black straight hair and cold black eyes to match, pale in complexion she was a tough minded and totally ruthless crime lord in charge of the Yurchenko/Sakorov crime family operations in Israel. The large Russian Mafia group was in a never ending war with Shin Bet and the Border Police as they began to control of the drug trade in Israel.

They were moving shipments of exstacy, cocaine and other controlled substances through tunnels in the Gaza Strip for distribution through Tel Aviv's thriving club scene. The group was also starting to branch out into brothels and in Haifa they were instituting a brutal form of the protection racket. Charging money to insure nothing would happen to the business they were protecting. If you didn't pay the protection money, something usually really bad happened to the business that didn't' pay their protection money.

Wensday nights shake down of the diamond merchants and the death of one of their top enforcers was the topic of concern for her at the moment, "So you found Gregory dead in the men's room?"

She was addressing one of her top lieutenants Ivan Totsky another ruthless enforcer, a former commando in the GRU he gravitated to the Russian Mafia because it paid better than the Russian army.

He stood 6'2, with a head shaved skin bald and heavily muscled; the man was a proven killer and was one of Katrina Sakorov's problem solvers. He looked at his boss and nodded, "He fought with someone, and came out on the short end, he had a broken nose, shattered right elbow before having his neck snapped."

She took in the report, "Police, Shin Bet?"

The man shook his head, "Unlikely, they would not have tried to hide the body…Gregory's gun was missing?"

Ms. Sakorov lifted an eyebrow, "Robbery?"

"I do not think so; he had nearly five thousand shekels on him after he took payments from the old Jew diamond merchants." Ivan informed her.

She sat in her leather chair behind a highly polished desk in their business offices in the Tel Aviv Towers high rise, "Did you dispose of the body?"

The man nodded, "Yes, we took Gregory down to the docks and fed him to the boiler of an old coal burning cargo ship."

Ms. Sakorov nodded, "Good, good, anyone outside of our little group know what happened?"

Ivan shook his head, "No"

She crossed her arms and began to turn from side to side in her chair as she thought over the possibilities, "Rival group? They would have taken the money….Gregory was a brutal man…The diamond merchants are all old…not in his league." She looked up at Ivan, "Mr. Totsky, any ideas on who did this?"

The man shook his head, "Gregory was like me, ex-GRU…Whoever did this was very well trained, and he knew where to strike for to achieve maximum damage…I would say it was a planned hit…Person or person's unknown, possibly Isayeret Machal."

Katrina weighed the information carefully, "I do not believe it was the IDF, they would have had the killing broadcast all over the country."

Ivan Totsky nodded in agreement, Ms. Sakorov continued to mull things over in her head, "No one reported anything strange, no security cameras watching…Strange all those diamonds and no security cameras?"

"Why no security cameras?" Ms. Sakorov asked out loud.

He shrugged, "The diamond merchants value their privacy, diamonds are used as a second currency and they are afraid of the tax liablilities."

Ms. Sakorov nodded, "Good idea for them bad for us, install our own cameras for next weeks exchange…I think it is important we find out exactly what happened to Gregory."

Ivan nodded and asked, "What would you like done to the person that did this?"

Ms. Sakorov leaned back in her chair and nodded, "Make an example of him, use your imagination, but make sure it is gruesome so people will remember it, if they remember it, they will be afraid then."

Kim, Monique and Ron returned to the King David Hotel in Tel Aviv, the girls finished packing for the long trip home. Once they were packed it was off to return the rental car, Monique became emotional as they parted company with the fiat, "I had so many good times in that back seat."

Kim patted her on the shoulder, "There, there Monique there are plenty of other cars out there with backseats."

Monique chuckled, "Thanks for the support Kim."

Ron smiled and walked into the airport as far as he could. Then it was time to say goodbye again. Kim turned to Ron, "It was good seeing you again, I'll write and I won't stop I promise."

Ron nodded and looked at Monique, "She stops, kick her butt for me."

Monique smiled, "Oh yeaaaaaaaa don't want to have to come here for a mission again…Ron bring Tirza with you when you come…Please."

Ron smiled, "Monique likes the Tirza then."

Monique smiled, "Me like"

Kim hugged Ron, "I'm going to miss you."

Ron nodded, "Yea, I'll miss you too."

"I'll write, I promise, just send me an email with your new addresses." She said sounding slightly desperate.

He smiled, "I'm going to keep using my email address, I changed the password to something a little harder to crack this time."

Kim looked deeply into his eyes, "We…have to go…I…I don't want to…you know…go."

Ron pulled her to him and gave her a deep kiss after a long moment he broke it off, "I'll miss you too."

Kim was breathless, "Yea"

Monique cleared her throat and pointed to her watch, and Kim nodded and put a hand on Ron's chest, "I'll stay in touch, I promise."

He nodded and held out his arms for Monique and she hugged him, "I'll try and bring Tirza along, see if he can get leave, he'll have to put in for it now."

She smiled, "You better, because Dad's car has a much bigger backseat."

They gathered up their luggage and they started to walk to through the terminal entrance, Kim turned to look at Ron one more time and he smiled and waived to her. He stood there and watched them make their way through the three miles of terminal three until they were out of sight.

Then he turned and walked away, "I wish we weren't always saying goodbye to each other…Well…I have a long bus ride back to base."

Monique grabbed a luggage caddy and looked at Kim, "I'm not hoofing this stuff three miles like we did last time."

Kim gave her a look, "I didn't know it was three miles the last time."

They loaded their luggage and used the people movers to make their way to the gate, they cleared customs and checked their bags and then it was a two hour wait in the waiting room.

Monique got bored, "I'm saw a bookshop a ways back, want anything?"

Kim shook her head and Monique left. She came back a half hour later and handed Kim a book, "Hebrew for dummies, I figure we can use this."

She smiled at the book, "I think your just wanting to talk to Tirza."

"Well, that too, I never expected to…you know…meet anyone, while we were over here." She told Kim sheepishly.

Kim nodded, "The trip didn't go the way I thought it would, but it was still a good trip."

Monique nodded in agreement, "Yea, so Ron didn't have any problem about the truth ray and all that?"

"Well…I didn't exactly tell him about that?" Kim said as she lost her smile.

Monique turned to look at her, "You didn't tell him? Why?"

Kim shrugged, "We were having problems to get through and I didn't want to complicate things."

"Great, now it's going to be even more complicated when he comes home in May…Kim you should have told him." Monique chided her.

"NO…That would have complicated things and I'm not prepared for that right now, we had enough drama with Bonnie to lump the truth ray in there would have sent him running for the hills." Kim said sadly.

"Monique nodded, "I guess your right."

Kim smiled, "So you actually agree with me on something."

"Well you are the expert in all things Ron." Monique said condescendingly

Kim frowned and narrowed her eyes, "What would you have done, emotionally unstable boyfriend, you spare him the confusion or you tell him and risk alienating him even more?"

Monique shook her head as their plane began to roll to the gate, "I don' know…It's a tough road either way you go."

When they were finally able to board the plane and it took off back to the United States Monique let her seat back to get some sleep, Kim looked at her, "So you going to try to have a relationship with Tirza?"

Monique smiled and nodded with her eyes closed, "Yea, he's a FCSH."

Kim giggled, "Let me guess first class shit head?"

Monique opened her eyes just enough to glare at Kim, "I think your talking about your boyfriend now…For your information Tirza's a first class sweet heart."

Friday arrived and Ron had checked in his equipment with the Quarter Master he was getting ready to leave Tulkharm for Camp 80 to report in to begin his crash course training to become a corporal.

He said his goodbye's to Sergei and Tirza, Sergei promised to keep tutoring Tirza on his English and Tirza was trying to get his month of leave off in May so he could go to the U.S. and visit Monique.

"So when do you think you'll be back?" Sergei asked.

Ron shook his head, "I am not quite sure...I will just play it by ear."

Tirza smiled, "I want to go see Monique with you in May."

"English only then, Monique likes you and wants to be able to talk to you." Ron told him in English.

Tirza nodded and said slowly to make sure he had his words in the right order, "English only…I like Monique?"

Ron nodded, "Yes, you like Monique."

Sergei slapped Tirza on the back hard, "I will have him functioning in English by May….I would come with you but…I do not have much money and I would like to go back to Lithuania for a visit with my mother."

"Sergei did I say anything about money, I know this guy named Wade that can get us a ride." Ron said happily as he watched the bus pull up.

Sergei picked up one of Ron's duffle bags and helped him load it onto the bus, "You stay in touch."

They hugged one another and then Sergei left the bus and Ron settled in with all of his gear for the bus ride to Camp 80. The ride was long and for the most part uneventful, Ron slept off and on, Once they arrived in Jerusalem there were many female soldiers that boarded the bus.

Ron's eyes lit up they wore the purple berets of the Mahal, hs straighted up in his seat and began to dodge the barrels of the M16s that they carried slung over their backs. They chatted away happily as they found seats on the bus.

Once the bus was rolling one of the girls finally took notice of Ron, She had black hair pulled up into a bun. She elbowed her blond friend that was sitting next to her and pointed at the smiling Ron, "Hey Golani, you are very far from home."

Ron smiled and nodded, "Yes, I have to report to Camp 80 for squad training, going to be a corporal when I get done."

Both girls nodded knowingly, "Ohhhhhhh one of those Golani."

He lost his smile, "What do you mean?"

"You are a screw up, why would they send you down here to train instead of Bezeq?" The blonde girl said as she started to laugh.

Ron stiffened, "I am not a screw up, I was told to report here because there weren't enough real men to satisfy the Mahal ladies."

This brought howls of laughter from all the women that were in earshot, he heard a voice from the back of the bus, "So a little guy like you is going to satisfy all of us."

"I have mystical powers over women folk." Ron said with a smile.

The bantering went back and forth and it didn't take Ron long to figure out he was fighting a loosing battle so it was time to change the subject, "Do any of you know Babbette Shangra?"

The black haired girl's eyes lit up, "She is on this bus."

Ron looked shocked, "Really?"

The girl called to the back of the bus, "Babbette, this man is asking about you."

Then Ron saw her, purple beret, M16 slung over her shoulder, he blonde hair was pinned up under the beret. Ron's mouth fell open as she took a seat next to him, "It is Ronnie, he kills terrorists…I can contain my lust for you no longer, I must have you."

The black haired girl and her friend eyes lit up, "Then you must satisfy us."

Other girls began begging for Ron the terrorist killer to satisfy them. The bus ground to a halt and Ron was thrown forward in his seat, he opened his eyes and looked around, much to his disappointment it had all been a dream and they were only now reaching Jerusalem.

He shook his as he watched a few tired looking female soldiers climb on board with their gear and push to the back of the bus without even so much as a glance his way, "Figures, first decent dream I have since coming over here and I get woke up in the good part."

He rode for another half an hour and then he could see Camp 80, he had seen the rear of the camp when he was in basic training and this was his first time to actually see the base from the front entrance.

He gathered up his gear and stepped off the bus and presented his papers and his IDF identity card to the guard at the front gate. The guard looked at the card and then back at Ron, "Golani…You are far from the Golan."

Ron smiled and nodded, "Yes, I am to report for squad training and corporal training on Sunday."

The guard nodded and instructed Ron, "You will need to report to building18, ask for Lieutenant Glick."

The guard pointed Ron in the direction he needed to go, he nodded and went in that direction, he could hear the giggling of girls in the distance and this brought a smile to Ron's face, "Too many targets of opportunity."

He found building 18 and realized it was the officer's quarters, Ron walked in the front door and saw a bored Sergeant sitting behind a desk, he handed the man his papers, "I was told to ask for Lt. Glick."

The sergeant nodded and left the reception area, he returned a short time later with Lt. Saul Glick, he was a man not much taller than Ron, shaved head, wire rim glasses, olive complexion with a thin mustache.

Ron saluted Lt. Glick and handed him his papers, the lieutenant looked up at Ron, "American?"

Ron nodded as he took the papers back and stuffed them in his pocket, "Yes sir."

"I'm from Boston, Mass…Where are you from?" He asked Ron in English.

"Middleton, Colorado." Ron answered.

Lt. Glick shrugged, "Never heard of it." He waived a sergeant over, "Sergeant Tsur, show this Golani private to the barracks."

The sergeant nodded and saluted, Ron did the same and turned to leave with the sergeant when Lt. Glick stopped him, "Tomorrow, after the Shabbat is over, get a haircut, we have some armor units training here and their rules are much stricter than ours…If your hair is too long and one of their sergeants see you….he will court marshal you and then you will have to pay a fine…Keep your money in your wallet, get a hair cut."

Ron nodded and saluted again, "Thank you officer."

He followed the sergeant out the door and then the sergeant turned to him, "Keep your boots polished, and shirt tucked in at all times as well."

"We're not in the armor division though?" Ron said shaking his head.

Sgt. Tsur shrugged, "Makes no difference, a court marshal is a court marshal."

Ron followed him and was trying to learn more so he could minimize problems, "So who else trains here?"

"Let's see, Paratroopers, arrogant bastards only train with themselves, The women, we train all the female soldiers in the IDF…Don't get any ideas about finding a cute girlfriend…the officers get all the good looking ones as aides." He told them as they approached a darkened building.

The sergeant pointed at the building, "Here's your new home, the rest of the trainees are away for the Shabbot."

They walked in the front door and the sergeant turned on the lights, they walked down the isle of beds, "Here you go number 26, stow your gear and then your time is your own till you report and draw your battle gear tomorrow evening."

Ron packed his gear away and made his bunk, he sat down and looked around at the barracks, "I don't know anyone here, I can't wait toget trained and back to my company."

Kim and Monique landed at Upperton International; Mrs. Dr. P. picked them up, she smiled as she saw the two girls emerge from the terminal. They were both smiling and they weren't fighting, this in Mrs. Dr. P.'s opinion was a good thing, "So how was the trip?"

Kim smiled, "It was good, a few bumpy spots here and there but good."

Mrs. Dr. P. opened the trunk of her car, "What kind of bumpy spots."

Monique laughed, "Ron fell in love with Bonny and wasn't wild about taking Kim back."

Kim glared at Monique as she threw a suitcase in the trunk, "That's not true…He just needed some…reminding."

Mrs. Dr. P. looked at her daughter, "Reminding?"

Kim looked at her mother, "Reminding."

"It was a good trip for me, I got a new boyfriend out of it." Monique told her happily.

Mrs. Dr. P. looked at her, "New boyfriend isn't Ron is it?"

Monique shook her head, "No Ron's a jerk, he's one of Ron's friends a cutie by the name of Tirza."

The climbed into the car and Mrs. Dr. P. looked at Kim, "Ron's a jerk?"

Kim bobbed her head from side to side and sucked in her cheeks, "Well…He has his moments…The army has changed him….but he's still Ron underneath it all."

Mrs. Dr. P. nodded uneasily, "Honey, sometimes the service makes a person better or it can also ruin them…You might want to keep that in mind in case Ron…becomes…troublesome for you."

"Mom we're talking about Ron." Kim said in a slightly tweaked tone.

They dropped off Monique at her house and headed for home, Mrs. Dr. P., looked at her again, "OK now that Monique's gone, how's Ron really doing?"

Kim shrugged, "He's adjusted to living there really well, he became close with Bonny…I should have kept writing him."

Mrs. Dr. P. nodded as she left Monique's neighborhood, "How did he take your new look?"

She smiled and giggled, "He thought I was Shego."

"So how did he respond when you told him about the truth ray?" Mrs. Dr. P. asked.

Kim was silent for a long moment, "I didn't tell him about it…He was close to Bonny…Having me show up was…hard on the both of us."

Mrs. Dr. P. shook her head and then made the turn down the familiar street that led them back towards home, "So you chickened out."

Her temper flared, "I did not chicken out…I made a decision…I…I looked at the situation and…chickened out."

Once they were home Kim took her luggage back to her room and then pulled out her Kimmunicator and called Ron and to her relief the signal went through and Ron answered, "Ron…Just thought I'd give you a call and let you know we made it home alright."

Ron smiled, "Great glad to hear it, I wish you could have stayed longer or if it wasn't the end of January, we could have played on the beach or something."

"I had a good time; it was great being with you again…It was like old times." Kim said with a dreamy expression in her eyes.

He closed his eyes, "Yea, like old times."

Kim sat on the bed and crossed her legs, "So how's your new post?"

"Ahhhhhhhh I don't really know, it's the Sabbath and everyone is on leave, I'm by myself for now…I miss Sergei and Tirza." Ron said sadly as he looked around the empty barracks.

"You're not the only one that misses Tirza." Kim said with a big grin on her face.

Ron looked puzzled and then caught the meaning, "Ahhh ha, ha, yea, so I guess she really does like Tirza."

Kim giggled, "I'd say so, when she was on the plane that's all she talked about, Tirza this and Tirza that, and all the things they were going to do when Tirza comes to visit."

He nodded, "He's crazy about her too, he is trying to get off so he can come with me."

They looked at each other over the view screens and then Ron broke the uneasy silence, "Kim…You ever think about the future much?"

Kim leaned back against the headboard on her bed, "I do every once in a while, think about what I'm going to do for a living….Getting married having kids."

Ron frowned and shook his head, "I think about it a lot, I guess being over here and spending lots of time guarding stuff or doing boring jobs…makes you think about stuff like that…I…I wish…"

He never finished his thought but Kim knew what he was going to say, "Things could have different."

He nodded and looked away from the screen, Kim frowned and thought for minute, "Ron, your life is still your own…Do what will make you happy."

"If only it was that simple…I've found out there is more to it than I thought…I'm sorry Kim, I'm so sorry…I wish…things could have been different…that's all." His voice was barely above a whisper and this made Kim uneasy.

She shook her head, "What do you mean 'more to it than you thought?"

Ron caught himself and forced himself to be cheerful, "Nothing, just me feeling sorry for myself, everything's great…I'm sure your future will work out great for you."

Kim swallowed hard and smiled uneasily, "I think both of us will have good futures."

He nodded his head, "Sure…So what are you going to do on Monday?"

She exhaled and smiled, "I guess go back to school…Hard to believe the weeks over with so fast."

"It was good to see you again; you don't know how happy I was to hear you weren't marrying…that Danny guy." Ron told her with an exaggerated wink.

Kim blushed and chuckled, "Yea…I promise if I ever get married, you'll be the first to know."

"Fair enough…I love you." Ron said quietly.

"I love you too." Kim said gazing at the image on the screen.

Ron smiled, "I better get going, I won't have the place to myself for very long and I have to get a haircut…They say it's too long."

Kim laughed, "No way, I'll try and talk to you later then."

They said their goodbyes and ended the connection, Ron sat on his bunk alone and looked at the dark device, "I've got to quit being so morbid, don't want Kim to worry…I wish there were a way…I wish things could have been…different."

He stood up and walked out of the barracks to find the barber to get a haircut and from there he went to the Quarter Master to draw his battle gear, M16 rifle, helmet, body armor, tent, poles, stakes, mess kit, sleeping bag, ruff sack and a few added items to the normal battle issue, four books and a compass.

He looked at the worn books and smiled, "Reading Topical Graphical Maps, Squad Command Basics, Night Maneuvers Made Easy, The Importance of Company Discipline, nothing like a little light reading before bed."

Later more men started to arrive back from leave, Ron introduced himself and they gave him a hard time for being from the Golani brigade. The group was still fairly small, there was thin red headed Frenchman named Andre' Mecee, another American that was taller and more muscular than Ron named Eric Suggs, and South African named Peter Norwich.

"So are you all chayal boded?" Ron asked out of curiosity.

Suggs nodded and smiled, "I am, so where are you from Stoppable…Weird name for a Jew."

Ron looked at him, "Suggs is a normal Jewish name? I'm from Middleton, Colorado."

"Well I suppose it's a little strange, my father converted when he married my mother…I'm from Tampa, Florida." Suggs said matter of fact tone.

Norwich looked at the two, "Well at least I'm not the only blonde one around here anymore, creep doing my paper work told me that the reason I was blonde was because my grandmother was raped by Cossacks…All I could do to keep from punching the no good blighter in the mouth."

Ron laughed, "We had the same guy, he told me that me too."

Andre' Mecee looked at the three, "Hebrew please, I don't speak English too well."

They nodded, and Norwich looked over to Ron, "Do you play poker?"

Ron laughed, "Do I play poker…Of course I play poker."

They quickly setup a makeshift table out of a footlocker, Suggs looked at Ron, "We're playing for chips, I spent all of my money in town on whores."

Norwich laughed, "I'm financially embarrassed as well, and my wife got my check."

Ron looked at him, "Your married…How long?"

"Let us see, I have been here a little over two years, met a nice Jewish girl fell in love, now she takes all my money…That was a little over six months ago." The other men laughed as Norwich shuffled the cards.

Norwich rolled his eyes in deep thought, "I think a game the Yanks will understand, five card studs, and because I love the ladies we're going to follow the queen."

Ron smiled and nodded as the cards were dealt, the cards were dealt to him and he looked down at them, "four of spades, two of hearts, nine of diamonds."

The next two cards came face up, this surprised Ron as he had no idea of how the game was played, the two cards that were face up was a jack of clubs and six of hearts. They anteed up two chips.

Ron tossed in his two chips and then began giggling and threw in a small stack of red chips. The other men looked at him Mecee and Suggs folded. Norwich matched Ron's wager and then Ron giggling more insanely than ever pushed his whole stack of chips into the pile.

Norwich nodded and said, "That is a bold move Ronnie."

Ron lifted an eyebrow, "Is it?"

Norwich looked at the other men, "Some would say you are bluffing, you know how to tell when a man is bluffing?"

He looked at the blonde South African and shook his head, "This is starting to sound way too familiar."

"No"

Norwich narrowed his eyes, "When a man is bluffing, you look for the signs, like he starts to touch his face."

Ron was rubbing his nose and then quickly dropped his hand down into his lap as Norwich continued, "Or he won't look you in the eye."

Ron began to look all over the barracks but not a Norwich, "You are bluffing, I call."

Ron looked left and then to his right and turned his cards over. The men began chuckling and Norwich shook his head, "You have no idea how to play poker do you?"

He shook his head, "No"

Suggs laughed, "Before you leave here Golani, you will learn how to play."

Norwich shook his head, "You had a hand full of shit."

They spent most of the rest of the evening discussing poker, Ron took in as much as he could as he had Suggs help him out with a couple of hands. He knew it would take a while to learn the finer points.

Ron's curiosity began to gnaw at him, "So how much have I missed…In the training class?"

Andre' Mecee looked up from his magazine, "You have only missed a week, we went through refresher training last week, tomorrow we start chain training, attacking a fortified position and so on and then next week we begin class room instruction."

This information made Ron feel better as he went to sleep.

Five o'clock came early and Ron awoke to reveille, he rolled out of bed and quickly dressed and made his bed for morning inspection, Sergeant Tsur entered the barracks and inspected the men, all the men had arrived during the night, Ron guessed there to be around 20 or so.

Sergeant Tsur dismissed them for breakfast, "You have one hour report to the parade ground full battle dress."

Ron and his four new comrades went to breakfast, Ron looked at the men, "So we are assaulting a fortified position with full battle packs?"

Mecee shrugged, "Who knows, they like to throw us surprises."

Norwich took a swig of the strong tea, "We might end up field training…It's like basic all over again."

They quickly ate and Ron returned to the barracks and began to assemble his jawbreaker pack, it took him a while to remember how to do it, on the third try he got it right, "Haven't done this for awhile."

Ron donned his battle armor, slipped his pack over his shoulders and picked up his rifle and headed for the parade ground with the other men. They boarded an APC and headed out to the training ground.

Once they had arrived Ron looked over the layout, it was fairly straight forward, hill, position at the top of the hill, rocks to hide behind, "I remember doing this, shouldn't be too bad."

They continued to stand around and wait for orders but none came, Sergeant Tsur ordered the men to wait as he left to go find out what was taking so long. Ron looked at the others and shrugged and asked, "What do you think?"

Suggs shrugged, "Not sure…You know the IDF though, hurry up and wait."

Ron nodded and looked around, it was a grey overcast day, it was close to Febuary now and he began to think of Ned's wedding and how cool he was going to look with sergeant stripes on his shoulders.

His attention was broken as Sgt. Tsur returned. He motioned for the men to gather around, "It appears they have put one of the screw up companies in charge of setting up the course…They loaded the ammo into the machine guns with the belts in backwards and appear unable to fix the problem….We will return to the base for training."

The men loaded back into the APC and made the trip back to base, once they began to unload Sgt. Tsur stopped Ron, "You see this track that goes around this way and around the back of the barracks buildings?"

Ron nodded, "Yes"

Sgt. Tsur explained, "That is a thousand meter track, since you missed your refresher training last week you will run the track twice in full battle gear and then report to me. Is that understood?"

Ron nodded, "Yes sergeant."

He began to run on the track, the sweat exploded from his body because of the humidity in the air, "I should have kept running, I'm not in the shape I should be for this."

He was distracted by some of the Mahal female soldiers dressed in their PT gear, "Ohhhhhhh man…They are soooooooo hot in those berets….I should have let Kim wear mine."

Ron continued to run and was breathing hard, he was getting the sinking feeling that this was going to be his fate for missing the first week of training, an entire day of nothing but running in full battle dress.