Chapter 223: Prelude
Sunday, January 22nd, Morning
Routine, it's one of the most boring sounding words in the English Language. Surprisingly, once you get into one, it makes life more comfortable or complacent, which means it could become more dangerous. That all depends on what you do. As always, they were up before dawn, dressed, and getting chow with-in the hour. Next, they were preparing their vehicles for their morning missions.
Tarheel, as the second senior member of the tank crew, oversaw Palmer and Letty as they readied Tank D13, while Sergeant Garrison was off getting the morning briefing. Tarheel, as his habit, tapped the tank's name on the gun tube, Damageplan. He climbed up onto the tank and dropped into the turret with Palmer.
After a few quick checks, they got out and helped guided Letty out of their parking space. Palmer and Tarheel remounted the tank as they drove to the fueling point. They topped off their fuel tanks and then reported to the assembly area.
Once in the assembly area, they finished the morning routine and made sure they were ready to move out. Tarheel climbed out of the turret and looked up at the redding sky. How many mornings had he seen this red Silesian Sky?
Palmer looked up from the ground. "Tarheel!" Palmer called.
"What?" Tarheel replied.
"Letty's got some stuff from home," Palmer said.
"Where?" Tarheel asked.
"Glacis Café, where else? A little taste of home," Palmer said.
"What I wouldn't do for a Po'Boy right now," Tarheel said, "I'll meet y'all there."
Tarheel worked his way carefully down to the ground and met Palmer at the front of the tank. Letty was poking out of the driver's hatch with her CVC on her head. She was on radio watch.
"What do we got?" Palmer asked.
"Cookies from momma," Letty said.
"God, Mrs. Halleck's baking is great even if old," Palmer said.
"We'll make due, Palmer," Tarheel said, "Thanks, Letty."
"Momma looks after her baby girl and her three big protectors," Letty said, with a laugh.
"Little does she know her baby girl can kick the guy's ass," Palmer said.
"I could, but I won't kick Tarheel's ass," Letty said.
"Why not?" Palmer asked.
"I'm scared of his wife," Letty said.
Tarheel chuckled, "Yeah, she can kick ass, including mine," he said, thinking about an incident in their past.
Before they could say anything else, a loud sound filled their ears. They looked around and nodded. All three knew that the loud boom was an explosion. Finally, the younger two settled their eyes on Tarheel.
"Where did that come from?" Palmer asked.
"Sounds like it came from the direction of Waldberge," Tarheel said.
"They're kicking off again?" Letty asked.
"It's just a matter of time," Palmer said.
"Well, that's why they moved us down here, to try and keep an eye on them, and possibly even contained," Tarheel said.
"Are you sure we could do it?" Palmer asked.
"I don't know," Tarheel said, "It's possible."
"Anything is possible," Letty said.
"Ours is not to reason why, Letty," Sergeant Garrison said as he walked up to D13.
"We were just musing about that explosion, Sergeant," Palmer said.
Sergeant Garrison shrugged, "Well, if they kick-off, again, our job doesn't change; it just gets more difficult," Garrison said.
"Yes, Sergeant," Palmer said.
"What do we have here?" Garrison asked, looking down at the tin on the glacis.
"Momma sent me some baking," Letty said.
"Well, can't let Mrs. Halleck's baking go to waste," Garrison said and reached for a cookie.
"So, is there anything different, Sergeant?" Tarheel asked.
Garrison shook his head, "No, we're patrolling the same sector, just a different route," he said.
"Really? I'm getting tired of seeing the same trees," Palmer said.
"Or drive the same roads," Letty said.
"I wouldn't complain, at least you get fresh air," Tarheel said, as the gunner, he was the only person that didn't have a hatch.
Garrison spread out the map he had on the glacis. "Well, here's today's route. It could be worse; we could be on night patrol," he said.
"The usual possible threats?" Tarheel asked.
"That's what they told us," Garrison said.
"Well…" Palmer started to say but got cut off by a loud boom in the sky. It was possibly louder than the first one. They looked off into the direction and turned back to each other.
"I think that one was louder," Letty said.
"Well, let's get ready, they're going to want us to spin up quickly," Garrison said.
The crew nodded, and they climbed up onto the tank. Letty first slid down into the driver's hole and started getting ready to start the engine.
Tarheel was the first into the turret, through the commander's hatch and worked his bulk into the gunner's seat. Garrison and Palmer worked their way into their position as well. Letty powered up the auxiliary power to power the tank instead of the batteries they were using.
Tarheel started up with the gunnery computer. Garrison monitored the radio; Palmer started loading the machine gun and main gun.
"MPAT loaded," Palmer said.
"Got it," Tarheel said, and indexed the gun.
"We haven't answered the most important question," Palmer said.
"The answer is forty-two," Letty said.
"I think I brought a towel," Garrison said.
"None of those things," Palmer said.
"Then what is the question, Palmer," Garrison said.
Another loud boom filled the air. Palmer shook his head. "What the hell was that?" he asked.
"The delicate sounds of thunder," Tarheel said.
"Guy's, we're spinning up!" Garrison said, over the intercom, "Driver start the engine."
"Power!" Letty yelled, and the tank gas turbine engine roared to life.
"Charge the machine guns, and be on high alert," Garrison said.
Tarheel leaned forward and adjusted the sight one last time. He could hear the cocking of the three machine guns.
"Driver forward!" Garrison ordered.
The big tank lurched forward and started following the one in front of them. Garrison and Palmer had their heads outside the tank.
"Palmer, what was the question you want answering?" Garrison asked.
"What question?" Palmer asked.
"The most important question," Garrison said.
"Oh! That one, it doesn't seem that important right now," Palmer said.
"Well, what is it?" Garrison asked.
"Whose turn is it to chose the music?" Palmer said as they crossed the fence line, and everyone chuckled.
