they'd eaten poorly, a cup of soup twice a day, and now with real food in front of them, the aroma was overpowering.
“There isn't a fork or spoon in my ration.” Lewis said in surprise.
“I don't need one.” May said and scooped out some meat with her finger. She stuck her finger in her mouth and then said, “Not too good and tastes mostly like fat or grease.”
“We'd better go easy eating this, because if we don't, we'll get the squirts. I can't remember the last time I ate anything with fat in it, can you?”
“Nothing in the last six months. Watered down soup has been the main course, twice a day.” May replied and then gagged.
“You sick?”
“No, I can't eat this nasty ass stuff. It's like eating lard or fat. I'll puke if forced to eat it.”
Lewis said, “Hand it to me then. I'm starving.”
Mark tasted the meat and said, “Awful, ain't it? I ate U.S. military rations years ago and they were better than these.”
May said, “I almost threw up. How in the hell can a soldier live on those things and fight?”
“I imagine it's around 2,500 calories and from the taste, most of the calories are from fat.”“Here,” Lewis said, “have my crackers.”
“What I'd love to have, is a cup of coff—”
“Hush!” Mark said.
Off in the distance a chopper was heard.
“Do you think the aircraft has Infrared gear?” Lewis asked.
“How in the hell am I do know? I do know we're lucky it's raining because we'll be harder to detect if they do have the gear on board.”
“Huh?” May asked.
“Infrared gear sees the heat released by the human body, allowing someone with a screen to see us, or rather our heat. Falling rain plays hell with the gear and most of the time, from what I heard, they shut the system down. Rain is our ally in this case.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I can't tell where it's at, can you?”
“Off our left as near as I can make out. The rain is messing up my hearing a little.”
May said, “The chopper is getting louder.”
“I don't see any running lights.” Lewis said and then crawled out of the shelter.
“I don't think they'd use lights in a war zone. I know damned good and well I'd not want to use them.”
Lewis said, “It's getting closer.”
The sound of the chopper passed overhead and then move away from them. Then, three more choppers flew over them within the next hour.
May said, “I know there are some helicopters posted at Edwards.”
“If so, it's likely they're returning to base. I can't imagine them going out in weather like this, when we know it's gonna get worst before it gets better.” Lewis said as he stood in the rain, his hands on his hips.
“Get back in here and out of the rain. There's nothing we can do about choppers.”
Lewis crawled into the shelter and said, “We know the path Russian choppers use to approach the base and that might come in handy some day.”
“Maybe, but first we have to find the resistance.” Mark said.
“The hardest part,” May said, “will be finding food to stay alive long enough to reach them.”
“Like I said, maybe, only I don't think so.” Mark said.
“Let's get some rest,” Lewis said, “because in four hours we need to be moving again.”
“What about a guard?” asked Mark.
“We should have a guard, so let's say you, me, and then May. How does that sound?”
“It'll do.” Mark said and then sat up and leaned against the trunk of an old oak. He placed his gun in his lap, had two grenades beside him and an extra magazine was beside the explosives.
It became harder for him to stay awake and with daylight the sun broke his fatigue. At some point on his shift the rains stopped and the clouds moved on, but he'd not noticed it. He was just about to awaken Lewis when he spotted movement. He tapped both of his partners on their legs and when they opened their eyes, they saw him with his index finger extended and against his lips. Both sat up slowly, as if yet drugged from sleep and
“There isn't a fork or spoon in my ration.” Lewis said in surprise.
“I don't need one.” May said and scooped out some meat with her finger. She stuck her finger in her mouth and then said, “Not too good and tastes mostly like fat or grease.”
“We'd better go easy eating this, because if we don't, we'll get the squirts. I can't remember the last time I ate anything with fat in it, can you?”
“Nothing in the last six months. Watered down soup has been the main course, twice a day.” May replied and then gagged.
“You sick?”
“No, I can't eat this nasty ass stuff. It's like eating lard or fat. I'll puke if forced to eat it.”
Lewis said, “Hand it to me then. I'm starving.”
Mark tasted the meat and said, “Awful, ain't it? I ate U.S. military rations years ago and they were better than these.”
May said, “I almost threw up. How in the hell can a soldier live on those things and fight?”
“I imagine it's around 2,500 calories and from the taste, most of the calories are from fat.”“Here,” Lewis said, “have my crackers.”
“What I'd love to have, is a cup of coff—”
“Hush!” Mark said.
Off in the distance a chopper was heard.
“Do you think the aircraft has Infrared gear?” Lewis asked.
“How in the hell am I do know? I do know we're lucky it's raining because we'll be harder to detect if they do have the gear on board.”
“Huh?” May asked.
“Infrared gear sees the heat released by the human body, allowing someone with a screen to see us, or rather our heat. Falling rain plays hell with the gear and most of the time, from what I heard, they shut the system down. Rain is our ally in this case.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I can't tell where it's at, can you?”
“Off our left as near as I can make out. The rain is messing up my hearing a little.”
May said, “The chopper is getting louder.”
“I don't see any running lights.” Lewis said and then crawled out of the shelter.
“I don't think they'd use lights in a war zone. I know damned good and well I'd not want to use them.”
Lewis said, “It's getting closer.”
The sound of the chopper passed overhead and then move away from them. Then, three more choppers flew over them within the next hour.
May said, “I know there are some helicopters posted at Edwards.”
“If so, it's likely they're returning to base. I can't imagine them going out in weather like this, when we know it's gonna get worst before it gets better.” Lewis said as he stood in the rain, his hands on his hips.
“Get back in here and out of the rain. There's nothing we can do about choppers.”
Lewis crawled into the shelter and said, “We know the path Russian choppers use to approach the base and that might come in handy some day.”
“Maybe, but first we have to find the resistance.” Mark said.
“The hardest part,” May said, “will be finding food to stay alive long enough to reach them.”
“Like I said, maybe, only I don't think so.” Mark said.
“Let's get some rest,” Lewis said, “because in four hours we need to be moving again.”
“What about a guard?” asked Mark.
“We should have a guard, so let's say you, me, and then May. How does that sound?”
“It'll do.” Mark said and then sat up and leaned against the trunk of an old oak. He placed his gun in his lap, had two grenades beside him and an extra magazine was beside the explosives.
It became harder for him to stay awake and with daylight the sun broke his fatigue. At some point on his shift the rains stopped and the clouds moved on, but he'd not noticed it. He was just about to awaken Lewis when he spotted movement. He tapped both of his partners on their legs and when they opened their eyes, they saw him with his index finger extended and against his lips. Both sat up slowly, as if yet drugged from sleep and
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