Noble Beginnings Read Online Free PDF Page A

pushed away the pain, closed my eyes, tried to relax. I managed three
exhales and then there was a knock on the door.
    “Come in,” I
said, not bothering to get to my feet.
    The key clanked
against the lock. The latch clicked. The handle turned down and a crash filled
the room as the door opened the first few inches.
    Two men entered
the room. Both were tall, skinny, dressed in camouflage cargo pants and dark
t-shirts. No weapons visible. I didn’t recognize either of them. I found that
odd. I thought after six months I’d seen every person on this base. They took a
seat at the wooden table in the middle of the room.
    “Sit,” the dark
haired one said.
    I got up
slowly, using my hands to keep my balance in check. Took a couple steps and
grabbed a hold of the wooden chair across the table from the men. I sat down
and placed my hands on the table. They didn’t appear to be armed, but that
didn’t mean they weren’t. I didn’t feel like finding out just yet.
    They had two
manila folders spread out in front of them. Both were open. They rifled through
papers. A quick glance confirmed the files were all about me.
    “You guys know
what time it is?”
    They said
nothing, just continued to look at the papers.
    “You know, most
of that is fake,” I said. “Fodder for the guys at the Pentagon.”
    Neither of them
looked up. Neither of them said anything.
    “What’s for
breakfast today?”
    “Noble,” the
bald one said without looking up at me. “Shut up.”
    I smirked, sat
back. Should I push my luck? Why not?
    “I’m an egg
man, personally,” I said. “Pancakes hang in my gut too long. And cereal, shoot,
cereal never fills me up. But give me three or four eggs and I can go all—”
    The bald man
looked up from his papers. “I said quiet. We’ll be with you in a moment.”
    “Ok,” I said.
“Just trying to pass the time.”
    His partner
pushed back in his chair and stood. He put his hands on his hips and stared
down at me. His head bumped the single light in the room, which hung on a
fixture suspended over the table, and sent it swinging. Shadows danced around
the room and across his face. His look went from menacing to evil with each
pass of the light.
    The bald man
turned his head. “Jim, don’t let him get under your skin.”
    Jim sat down.
He appeared to be done with the files in front of him, and he fixed his gaze on
me. He worked thick muscles in his jaw while rubbing his cheeks and chin with
one hand.
    “Jack,” the
bald man said. “I’m Bill, and this is Jim. We just want to ask you a few
questions about last night.”
    “I don’t
remember anything,” I said.
    “This will be a
lot easier if you cooperate, Jack,” Jim said.
    I shrugged and
looked at the wall beyond their heads.
    “Start with
what happened between you and Martinez,” Bill said.
    “He’s a great
guy,” I said.
    “He’s an
asshole,” Bill said. “We know that. But he says you attacked him. Do you agree
with that?”
    “That’s what
Martinez says, huh?”
    They both
watched me, arms in front of them, hands on the table. I’m sure they studied
every subtle movement I made. I could answer one way, and these guys would know
if I was lying or not based on how I shifted my eyes, twitched my nose or
licked my lips. I did my best to mirror their posture and movements, which were
meant to be as neutral as possible and draw no reaction.
    I sat up
straight and placed my hands on the table, palms down. “Martinez reached the point
of using unnecessary and borderline force with members of a family who likely
had no reason to be in the room.”
    “Likely?” Jim
asked.
    “Yes,” I said.
“Likely.”
    “Why do you say
that?” he asked.
    “You just know,
Jim. Just like you guys just know.”
    He blinked a
few times, quickly, but said nothing.
    “Then what
happened?” Bill asked.
    “I told him to
stop.”
    “You
contradicted your team leader?” Bill said.
    “He’s not my
leader,” I said. “I’m a Marine, deployed