Note: See Part 1 for disclaimers.
THE ONLY EASY DAY IS YESTERDAY
"The Journey of Jeremy Keller"
By OldScout
Part 12
Jeremy rode Lynx's motorcyle late into the night until his wounds
and loss of blood forced him to pull over. A deserted barn and an old pile
of hay offered him the little comfort he needed. Jeremy's small flashlight
revealed a wrecked car someone had pushed into one corner. A quick
exam revealed the manufacturer Huyndai. As he drifted off to sleep,
Jeremy remembered another place he had seen that manufacturer.
Lieutenant Keller sat in the MP station for several hours while the
Army checked him out with the Navy. Outside the room's only window
was a power junction box with the name Huyndai emblazed across its
green casing. Finally, a Captain came in to see him. He was a big man,
maybe 6'2", muscular with a slight gut. He was dressed in full army
battle dress uniform, including helmet, flak jacket under which was a
utilty belt with suspenders. The ever present gas masked case was
secured to his left leg and the MOPsuit roll bounced at the back of his
belt.
"Lieutenant Keller?"
Jeremy had stood as the Captain entered the room. "Yes, Sir."
"I'm Captain Harvey, welcome to Kobar Towers." The man said.
"Well Lieutenant, it looks like we'll have the pleasure of your company
for a few days. It seems your ship is still out and and we won't be able to
arrange a seat to Bahrain for you 'till Friday."
"Captain, Sir, I'm glad to be here, the alternative just isn't
acceptable." Jeremy responded with a smile.
Captain Harvey arranged for an aid to help Jeremy get fitted for
new gear, including desert BDUs, gas mask and replacement ID. Jeremy
was then issued quarters in one of the occupied towers.
They offered to drive Jeremy through the maze of poorly marked
high rises but Jeremy just grabbed a bottle of water and a photocopied
map of the compound and started off on foot. Jeremy made a point of
keeping his right hand free as he walked through the crowed streets, the
Lieutenant bars hanging on his collar insured he would be saluted often.
Kobar towers was a zoo and a mess. The narrow streets were
crowed with military vehicles from Humvees to old cut-vees(diesel
powered chevy blazers). There were also brightly painted civilian
delivery trucks, buses and civilain rental cars used by the military.
Streets, side walks and grounds were dug up as hired crews worked on
the piping trying to get the sewers cleared and the water flowing into the
long abandoned towers.
Which towers were occupied was obvious, clothes, sleeping bags
and other gear hung from the balconys. Half dressed soldiers stood at the
railings watching the goings on around them. Some of the luckier ones
had views between the buildings that afforded them a slight glimps of the
Persian Gulf.
Jeremy finally worked his way through the forest of brown
buildings to the one indicated on his papers. The orange marbled lobby
was filled with soldiers and equiblment. A desk was set up just inside
the door where Jeremy presented his papers and ID.
The sergent on duty examined the orders and called Captain
Harvey "Are you sure you want him with the 23rd?" Jeremy heard him
say, then "Yes, sir, the 23rd. Thank you sir."
The 23rd had the 3rd floor. Their gear was stacked through the
marbled landing and flowed into all four apartments. Guards posted at
the landing checked everybody stopping in the elevator or walking by on
the stairs.
The private on duty checked Jeremy's ID then had a collegue get
command. A thin man with a nearly shaved head came out of one of the
aparments. All the man wore was his desert BDU trousers and a brown
T-shirt. The man's bare feet slapped on the marble as he walked over to
Jeremy.
"Lieutenant Keller?" the man said holding out his hand "I'm
Lieutenant Morre, welcome to the lair of the the 23rd Recon. Captain
Harvey sent word you were coming but didn't say why he sent you to us
or why your here at Kobar."
"Well lieutenant,"Jeremy replied "I'm at Kobar because I got
seperated from my squad and am on my way back to Bahrain." Jeremy
then looked at the bed roll he carried with him. "I'm with you because, I
suppose, you have some clear floor space to sleep on."
The Lieutenant shrugged and led Jeremy into the aparment he had
come from and to one of the back bed rooms. The apartment had no
furniture, just carpeting and bare walls. The unit had arranged their
equitpment into furniture, providing them with some tables and chairs
and other ammenities. Jeremy ended up in Lieutenant Morre's room
which he shared with one other junior officer.
Jeremy dropped his bag in a corner then looked out the window.
Between the other buildings Jeremy thought he could make out the water.
"That's the gulf, we're a lot closer then it seems." Lieutenat Morre
said, then added "You can even see the causeway to Bahrain from the
roof."
"So close and yet so far" Jeremy said to himself.
"Hey you!, what you doing here?" Jeremy woke up to see an old
man with a double barrel shotgun standing over him.
to be continued. .................