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butt and asked for more, but they sent us home. No casualties, no wounds, all fit for duty.” He dropped into the only other chair in the office and sprawled long legs halfway across the room. “Anything cooking?”
    â€œNot so you could notice. Your buddy and mine, Masciareli, wants us to participate in an all-Seven exercise next week.”
    â€œAll ten platoons? Why?”
    â€œUnity, cohesiveness, and the American way. He’s still pissed you got to hit the Carib and he didn’t get to go along.”
    â€œMaybe Don Stroh will rescue us.”
    â€œNot a word from him or the CIA for a month now. He must be on vacation or maybe found a new girl.”
    â€œThought he was married.”
    â€œHe never has said one way or the other.”
    â€œSo how are the three wounded coming along?” DeWitt asked.
    â€œYou had Franklin with you. He said he was fit for duty.”
    â€œFranklin worked as scout, did a good job. I don’t think that bullet in and out in his left thigh bothered him a bit.”
    â€œWatch him on training for the next week. Not too sure about Bradford. He was in the hospital for a week, then outon limited duty, and so he didn’t report back here until last week. I kept him on an easy training sked. Doctors said that round missed his kidney by an inch and grazed one intestine. So when the infection is gone, he should be back in good shape. But I’m still worried about a torso wound.”
    â€œWhat about Lam?”
    â€œHe’s sucking it up and gutting it out. Had a slug through his lower right leg and a ricochet on his right arm. Both healing well and he keeps up with everybody else on our training marches.”
    â€œSo, it’s training time. You have it set for next week?”
    â€œThis is Friday, Ed. Who is ready for next week? Unless you want to work Saturday instead of taking your four-day leave.”
    DeWitt sighed and crossed his ankles way out on the floor. “Yeah, I’m with you. I’m taking the four days, rest up a little. All that killing pirates makes a guy tired.”
    â€œAll I need is your after-action report and you’re out of here.”
    â€œDone in ten minutes.” He pulled out his laptop computer and began pounding away. After a few minutes he looked up. “Oh, keep tabs on Mahanani for me. He’s been acting a little weird lately. Nothing I can pin down. I asked him about it, and he said not to worry, he’d take care of any problems he had.”
    â€œThat doesn’t sound like our happy Hawaiian,” Murdock said. “I’ll watch him. Now finish that report and get out of here. Milly know you’re home yet?”
    â€œShe’s still at work.”
    Meanwhile, Alpha Squad rolled into the equipment room after its ten-mile hike and found Bravo there.
    â€œVacation over for you guys,” Jaybird yelled. “Now you can get back to real work.”
    Paul Jefferson picked up Jaybird and hung him upside down until he bellowed in fury, then tipped him over and sat him on a bench. “Never tease a man when he’s tired, little bird, otherwise you might get your feathers plucked out.”
    â€œEasy on the merchandise, chess player. I don’t want to disappoint a certain little lady bird tonight in the nest.”
    â€œDidn’t know we had buzzards around here,” Bradfordjabbed, and Jaybird threw his sweaty T-shirt at him.
    Jack Mahanani sat by himself getting dressed after his shower. Usually he was a big part of the high jinks and the drinking parties, but not today. He dressed and cast off as quickly as he could. He had on his civilian clothes when he went over the Quarter Deck, past Master Chief Petty Officer Gordon MacKenzie, and out to his car.
    He drove by rote, hardly thinking where he was going. Tonight had to be better, his luck had to change. It hadn’t helped him the last time. He drove steadily for twenty minutes out U.S. Interstate 8