Further on Down the Road

by ThumperE23

Eleven years have passed since Keith said goodbye to Izzy in Brooke's garden. What has happened in the small city between the river and the sea since then? Who has gotten older? Who has grown up? Who has reached their dreams? Who has had dreams fail? Who has moved away? Who has returned? What happened during the annus horribilis?

152. Chapter 152: Prelude

Chapter 152: Prelude

Wednesday, January 11th, Late Afternoon

In Central Europe, it's six hours ahead of the US East Coast. The men and women of the local NATO Battle Group were the Combined Arms Battalion known of the 1st of 120th Infantry Regiment, North Carolina National Guard, were getting ready for their night missions. The Battalion is nominally headquarters in Wilmington, North Carolina. But as part of the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, they were federalized for service as part of a NATO Operation in Central Europe, which was a nine-month rotation.

D Company was a tank company of the battalion. They would deploy one of their tank platoons for the night's patrol. Tonight, 1st Platoon, D Company, was chosen. The four tank crews were busy checking their large M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank.

Tank D13 sat in its place among the platoon. Three of its four crewmembers were going over the tank. On the gun barrel, which is called a gun tube, of the tank, was painted the tanks name, which is Damage plan. An American Sergeant came up to the tank and climbed aboard it.

The Sergeant checked on the driver in his hole, aka the driver's compartment. Once he finished, he straightened up. Next, the Sergeant climbed up on the turret and looked into the loader's hatch. He found his gunner fiddling with the intercom system with his combat vehicle crewman's helmet, of CVC, on.

The Sergeant reached down and tapped on the Gunner's CVC. The Gunner looked up, and on the front of his CVC in black letters, probably written with a Sharpie, the Sergeant notes, was the Gunner's nickname, Tarheel.

"What are you doing?" The Sergeant asked.

"Fixing the hack to the intercom, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

"That explains why you have your CVC on," The Sergeant said, "But, why are you doing that?"

"Don't you want music on patrol tonight, Sergeant?" Tarheel asked.

The Sergeant nodded, "That I do," he said, "These patrols are long and boring."

"That's why I'm fixing it, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

"Whose pick is it tonight?" The Sergeant asked.

"Palmer, Sergeant," Tarheel said, Palmer was the loader, and Palmer wasn't the loader's real last name.

"Okay," The Sergeant said, with a bit of disappointment.

"Not looking forward to bro-country, Sergeant?" Tarheel asked.

"Oh god, no," The Sergeant said, "At least you have good taste and a board enough knowledge to balance it out."

"Well, I enjoy ATL Hip-hop as much as anyone, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

"True, what are you listening to, Tarheel?" The Sergeant asked.

"My Polish mix, right now, it's Sabaton Forty to one, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

The Sergeant laughed, having spent several years with Tarheel he knew the song. When the Sergeant got to command his tank, he requested that he get Tarheel as his gunner. Tarheel was a good gunner, and a good friend, so they made a good core of a crew. "Hopefully, it's not an omen for tonight," he said.

Tarheel shook his head, "Hopefully not, Sergeant," he said, finished what he was doing, disconnected his MP3 Player from the cord, and his CVC from the loader's intercom junction box.

Tarheel moved around the massive gun breech that took up most of the center of the turret interior. Tarheel was a big man, probably too big to be a tank crewmember. Somehow, he got into the tank force and a tank unit. He was once a driver and seemed to fit just fine. There was a grace to his movement. Even though Tarheel was a big man and it was an awkward move to swap the side of the turret. You had to make this move to where his position was located and The Sergeant blocking the hatch.

The Sergeant noted that on the back of Tarheel's CVC was some sort of diagram. That was new.

"Tarheel, what's that on the back of your CVC?" The Sergeant asked.

Tarheel paused and removed his CVC. He had short military cut style dirty blonde hair, and there was a scar on the back of his neck. He looked at it. "That's my family badge, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

"What is it?" The Sergeant asked.

"The describes is; a stag trippant, encircled in a leather strap inscribed with the chief's motto, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

"Chief's motto?" The Sergeant asked.

"Like the family words, in Game of Thrones, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

"Oh, I see," The Sergeant said, "So, what's the motto?"

"Amo," Tarheel said, "Sergeant."

"What does that mean?" The Sergeant asked.

"I Love," Tarheel said, "Sergeant."

The Sergeant laughed, "God damn it, Tarheel, you're a soldier, a trained killer, not a lover," he said.

"Yes, Sergeant," Tarheel said with a big smile.

The Sergeant laughed, "How are we set for the patrol tonight?" he asked, Tarheel was the second senior person on the tank and was in charge while The Sergeant was off the tank.

"We're almost there," Tarheel said.

The Sergeant nodded, "Well, hurry up and finish so y'all can get some food in you," The Sergeant said.

"I plan on it, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

"When Palmer gets back, you go," The Sergeant said.

"Yes, Sergeant," Tarheel said.

The Sergeant nodded and went to check on the rest of the tank.