Sgt. Psycho and Leroy stepped out of Central Command North when Leroy asked, “Where’s the jeep and the lion?”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not our concern anymore.”
“I left my M14 in the jeep.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I figured that after talking with the Captain, he would send me to the kitchen. They wouldn’t allow me to have it in the kitchen.”
“When we get back, you get with Dave and tell him what you want as a weapon.”
Leroy raised his eyebrows as he kept pace with Psycho as they headed across the base.
“Tell me.” Psycho asked. “Why did the Captain dump you on me?”
“I guess it is that I have trouble keeping spotters.”
“Why would you have trouble keeping spotters? Wouldn’t it be an easy assignment?”
“Look at my skin.”
“So what you got a darker tan than me.”
“I was the only black man in my sniper school class. I had trouble finding anyone who was willing to be my spotter.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, shouldn’t a good sniper function without a spotter?”
“But Army regulations says, every sniper needs a spotter. I spent my last tour peeling potatoes. Afterwards, I was discharged. A week later, I re-enlisted.”
“Why would you want to come back to this place?”
“I got treated better by the Army than in my home.”
“Where are you from?” Psycho asked.
“Georgia.”
The two stopped and waited for a scout plane to take off before they crossed the runway.
“As far as I am concerned you are a soldier like the rest of us. We do whatever it takes to complete the assignment. Sometimes there will be ways in which we complete an assignment that the brass will not be happy with. I can assure you my way will keep any of us from getting killed. Can you live with that?”
“Are you going to make me peel potatoes while standing on my head?”
“No. I will not. I may have you shoot a Viet Cong spy while standing on your head.”
Leroy’s eyes popped wide. For he didn’t know if Sgt. Psycho was serious or joking.
Psycho and Leroy stopped twenty feet from C4’s hooch. Psycho turned to Leroy and asked. “Did Capt. Phillips find you in the stockade?”
“No. When I landed in country, I headed straight to the mess hall. The lieutenant at the mess hall told me to report to Capt. Phillip’s office.”
Psycho looked troubled as he stared at the hooch’s door. “How did you get on the Captain’s radar?”
“I graduated from sniper school with a score of 295 out of 300.”
“And they put you to peeling potatoes?”
“Army Regulations wouldn’t let me go out on my own.”
“I can assure you with C4 you won’t be peeling potatoes. I will be putting your sniper skills to use.”
Psycho motioned for Leroy to go in before him.
***
Once in the hooch, Leroy was introduced to the rest of the squad.
Mick was the most curious concerning Capt. Phillip’s reaction to the lion being brought to him.
Sgt. Psycho ignored all the questions that Ruben and Pham could not answer. “Dave, have you fulfilled the list of weapons and supplies so we are ready for any missions?”
“Mick and I agree that we need to use the Car 15; it’s the same rifle those Mac V guys use. Supply wouldn’t let us have any.” Dave said.
“Let me see what I can do.” Psycho turned to Mick. “How is the training course coming along?”
“I want to walk you through it before we start using it.”
“Let’s go then and walk me through what you have.”
