It was a quiet evening. I was helping my wife wash the dishes when Sergeant Mike knocked on our door. He brought gifts for my wife and children, so I knew right away he was calling me back into service. More specifically, he wants me to assist in our country’s ongoing war against the Republic in the Far East. As far as I could tell, we were fighting a losing conflict, and it would only be a matter of time before our troops were driven off. Therefore, I told him I would rather stay home and enjoy some quality time with my family, after the many battles we had fought together.
“Paul, we located their most important communications outpost; it’s deep in the jungle bordering the coast. Our intel says it has all the enemy base locations, weapons warehouses, hidden bunkers, the whole load. With your wilderness survival experience and your unmatched hacking skills, their sub-par computers don’t stand a chance. You could win us this war! It’s another In-and-Out. It will only take a couple months.”
“Absolutely not!” My wife shouted from the side. “Last time you said ‘In-and-Out’, Paul almost died! He came back home in a wheelchair.”
“Honey, let me handle this” I said, then looked back at the man who I owe so much to.
“I will go, but no more than four months. Also, all the money you give me goes to my family. Is that okay?”
“It will be done, Paul.”
As I was saying goodbye, my oldest son gave me his orange handkerchief, so that I would always carry a piece of home with me out on the battlefield. As I walked off with the Sarge, I could envision it: I would come home a hero my family would be even more proud of, and with enough money to provide a comfortable life for them, long after I’m gone. That way, we won’t have to worry about finding a good college for them.
My wife tried desperately to talk me out of it, saying it was not worth the risk, citing how my last mission for the Sarge ended with me nearly dying, and she would not stand to see me like that again. I assured her this would be a lot safer because the Sarge would be watching my back.
