Blood & Tacos #2 Read Online Free PDF

ruts of the dirt
road. When Tinh tried to hand back the smokes, Mathes waved him off.

    Major Taylor had gotten bored with lobbing darts at the picture
of Henry Cabot Lodge. So now Sergeant Kitchen stood in front of the dartboard,
doing his best to stand completely at attention.
    "Uh, sir?" he said.
    Major Taylor closed one eye, aimed. "Hold it right there." Taylor
released the dart and reformed the part in Kitchen’s hair. "Excellent.
Yes, Sergeant, what is it?"
    "Sir, I don’t mean to, you know…I just don’t understand
why this Tinh, sir? Why bring a gook in on American business?"
    "Tell me, Sergeant. You’re gunning for the OCS, are you not?"
    Kitchen stiffened a bit, allowed a small smile. "Yes, sir."
    "Well, one thing I can tell you," Taylor said, flinging another
dart. It hit the wall just past Kitchen’s ear. "Explaining yourself
to non-coms is not a habit you want to get into."
    "Yes, sir."
    "On the other hand," Taylor said, "I am bored out of my mind
right now. Sergeant, whatever your feelings about this mission, it’s simply
not something we can ignore and hope will go away. It calls for action, not
advice."
    "All due respect, sir, but we’re all pretty bored around here."
    "Today, yes, but that will change any minute, if it hasn’t already.
That fucking idiot Diem had to go get himself assassinated. And now I hear the
reds have made the Gulf of Tonkin into a practice range. If the White House
has its way, this war will get hot overnight."
    "That’s great news, sir!"
    "Yes, well, officially, I applaud your enthusiasm, Sergeant."
    "Thank you, sir!"
    "Unofficially, I think you are a braying jackass. I may be bored keeping
MACV fully stocked with paper clips, but I didn’t join this man’s
army to fight phantom commies in canopy jungle. If we go to war, fine, but I
see no reason to hurry it along."
    "Can’t we get SOG to take care of this, sir? Isn’t this their
specialty?"
    "Indeed it is, but without a handwritten invitation from LBJ, the only
thing the Studies and Observations Group will be studying and observing is as
much pussy as they can handle. Which is quite a bit, to hear them tell it."
Major Taylor leaned back in his chair and hurled a dart into the drop-tile ceiling.
It took its place with four or five others, along with a few sharpened pencils.
    "So we go to ARVN," Kitchen said.
    "And so we go to ARVN. Let them get what action they can before our Marines
come over and hog all the enemy rounds."
    "But this Tinh, sir, he’s—he’s not even an officer."
    "Don’t be a complete idiot, Sergeant. ARVN’s officers run
their army like Sergeant Bilko ran his motor pool. They’ll rob you blind,
and then steal your smoked spectacles. The enlisted men are the only ones worth
a shit, and Sergeant Son Tinh is better equipped for this sort of thing than
even an American officer, present company very much included. Any more questions?"
    "No, sir."
    "Good. Now, hold perfectly still …"
    Mathes burst into the room, and Taylor’s dart landed point-first in Kitchen’s
knee. Kitchen bit the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming. Mathes had
to clench his own fists to keep from laughing.
    "Major Taylor, sir!" Mathes said in loud, shaky voice. Kitchen
stared daggers at him. "Reporting with Sergeant Tinh as ordered, sir!"
    "Very good. Sergeant Tinh," Taylor said, returning their salute,
"I trust all is well in the 18th?"
    "Yes, sir."
    "Lovely. At ease. Sergeant Tinh, as I’m sure you’re aware,
we have quite a situation on our hands."
    Mathes glanced at Kitchen, the dart in his knee, sweat beading on his forehead.
When Taylor wasn’t looking, Kitchen plucked the dart from his flesh, visibly
blanching at the sight of blood on the tip. A strangled giggle escaped from
Mathes.
    Taylor turned quickly. "Is there something funny, Corporal Mathes?"
    "Sir, no, sir!" He kept his eyes on a corner of the ceiling.
    "As I was saying, Sergeant