Strawberries

"No."

"Why not?"

"Let me see your license."

"How hard can it be?"

The advance squad was 2.89 miles from the checkpoint position, several of them standing beside a Stryker ICV in desert camouflage, making itself visually distinguishable against the lush greenery in the fields of 4807 10th Line Road, which backed on to a forested area.

An unmarked US Army driver in plain green set of fatigues was becoming visibly irritated with what seemed to be repeated questions related to driving the Stryker.

"Think about it like a rental car, Chris. It's like I'm an Uber driver. You to ride around in my fancy car, but it has VERY high insurance. High enough, in fact, that you're not really qualified to ride in my car, let alone drive this car. In fact, think of it like my real car. You get in my real car, but in that, I wouldn't drive you around." The soldier pointed his index finger out as he said this, adding additional gravitas to his statement.

As this was happening, another PMC approached me.

"You must be 17," he extended his hand, "Rick." As he did this, I extended my hand and read his nametag.

DIXON, Richard
Senior Security Consultant
ZEROWORRIES PMC

"Over there is Pete, Vic, Jean-Claude, up on the ridge there is Will, Little Pete, and over there," he said, pointing to a barn across the street, "Is Cam." Rick waved his hands up at Cam, who waved back. Cam had watched my approach through his scope."

"He does not have a spotter?"

"No need. Cam's a great shot. Over there is our driver, Kyle, and Chris, who fucked off of basic and now has regrets working in the private sector because he doesn't get to drive."

Chris started putting his webbing on as Rick said this, realizing that with my arrival it was time to go.

"As you know, we're checking each property up and down here, next up after this is the garden center, but there's quite a bit of wood here, so we need to leave the truck here. What's up with the uh... hammer?"

"The HK416Y is appropriate for this operation. If required I can switch to standard loadout."

"Not a gun?"

"No need. You have enough."

He looked at the carbine in his hand for 0.8 seconds and said "All right," he turned to the group, "We're heading in, Cam's gonna keep an eye out up and down the road, Kyle'll keep the engine warm while we're inside. Android, you've got point."

What had once been a properly landscaped forest feature had become overgrown due to neglect and abandonment. Recently, it had been ripped apart by large winter storms in the previous season. Despite the overall dry conditions, the growth had maintained significant moisture, creating a complex of branches that I was unable to fully clear away using the HK416Y due to the thick rooted trees.

"This super sucks. I never thought I'd say this but I miss Illinois," muttered Jean-Claude.

"This isn't so bad. We could be doing this without him.

"Charge 100%. Positioning driver. Ready. Clear."

The men stood back from me.

"Discharge."

Another forward crush of the hammer cleared away a section of branches that had been rigged up with a hidden set of metal cowbells that made a very obvious and distinct noise as it cleared.

A round bounced off of Big Pete's helmet as he dropped, ricocheting into a dry limb of an fallen ash tree.

"Mother FUCKER!" Bit Pete said as he felt the dent in his helmet. "Shit, man, fuck, I should be dead."

"Shut the fuck up."

I sent out a sonar pulse, feeling the slight vibrations of a single unit between 40-60 metres at bearing 86. I relay the information and everyone starts looking in that direction as we adjusted our position to optimize cover.

"Anyone have eyes?"

"Got him."

"Take the shot."

Little Pete was kneeling behind a boulder and resting his rifle stock for stability. As his eyes peered through the scope he grimaced and flipped off the safety. Taking a deep breath, he fired his OMNI AR-15 twice, both of which I could hear hitting flesh as our assailant's body hit the ground, groaning.

"Approach!"

We rushed in to find our man with a round in the bicep. Beside him he had a cotton sack that was full of strawberries, his scoped hunting rifle was laying next to him, with the bolt-action pulled back, exposing the chamber.

Will kicked the rifle away. Vic dug into his webbing for a pair of nitrile gloves, a tourniquet and a roll of gauze, which he ripped apart and started applying pressure to the sniper's arm, saying that he was going to be okay and we'll take care of him. The tourniquet had landed just out of reach.

"Will, get that," Vic nodded towards the tourniquet. Will handed it over, and Vic whipped it around and above the wound, yanking it tight, jerking it to cause it to lock.

The man was groaning obscenities at us the entire time Vic was working.

"Sam XTs, baby, never change," he grinned. He continued to put pressure on the wound as he asked for the time.

"Eh, 5:00?"

Vic held the gauze with one hand. He whipped off his nitrile glove, pulled out a Sharpie marker and wrote 17:00 on the label.

Little Pete picked a strawberry from the bush beside us while this was all happening. Rick watched his unit as he thought about himself, and how he'd be out here picking strawberries too if he was in that situation. He was also pretty sure that he'd likely have done the same thing. Rick ate a strawberry. The juice ran down his esophagus making him think of his grandmother's trailer in Connecticut.

Still though, the cowbells. That bothered him. It was only by accident that we hit them. Pretty smart though. Loud too. Hm.

"Let's finish the sweep of the woods and head back to the Stryker. We'll grab the garden center and then head back to the resort. Vic, is he good to move?"

"Yeah. He should probably get checked out back at HQ. I'd say run him back in the Stryker if we can go without for a few."

"FUCK YOU!"

"Hey listen, we could have--"

"FUCK YOU! ASSHOLE MOTHERFUCKERS."

"Petes, run him back to the Stryker, not by the arm I guess? Tell Kyle to run him back. Big Pete, you head in with him and get your gear replaced." Rick turned over to the sniper, "great shot. You looking for a job?"

"FUUUUUUCK youuuuu" he said as the Petes picked him up."