The home front revolution

Taking off

The next morning George was heading to the ETS he hadn't been able to sleep last night. He was too filled with mixed emotions it was slowly starting to sink in, the money, the killings all of it. He walked to the entrance to Fort Wood and got in line. He stood next to Jim he had to tell someone about what happened.

"Got your orders?" Jim asked as he turned to him.

"You won't believe it." George said with a smile.

"What?" Jim asked his curiosity was piqued now.

"I'm being put on the ETS." George told him as he stood waiting for his reaction.

"Piss off you are!" Jim exclaimed George couldn't tell if he thought he was being serious or not.

"It's true Adams summoned me to his quarters and he told me." Jim paused for a second as he realized that George was being serious.

"Why'd think they choose you?" Jim asked.

"I don't know." George replied which was half true. There was a short pause as they both took a moment to gather their thoughts.

"So, where are you headed." George asked eventually.

"Chad." Jim replied clearly not happy with the thought.

"Shit." George said it was the only thing that came into his mind.

After that they just stood in silence for a while some officer came and took the register before they were sorted into groups and taken off to god knows where. George and one other where sent to the ETS they didn't mention where they were going he just sent them onto a coach.

The man he was sent with was much older as was the driver George had the feeling that it was going to be a long journey. He stepped into the coach and was taken aback by what was inside. It was far from normal military transport it was more like first class seats on an airplane.

There was a minibar stocked up with soft drinks and even alcohol they must want people to be relaxed considering everything they're about to do George guessed. There was a mini television screen on the back of each seat for the person behind. Each seat had a pair of headphones and they each had a selection of movies, television programs and music.

The seats themselves were soft and comfortable this was indeed very different from what George was used to traveling in. The coach drove off no one on board talked to each other and given from their facial expressions George could tell that weren't going to change anytime soon.

About half an hour into the journey George decided to watch a movie he looked at his selection and choose a comedy. George watched it but didn't laugh once if he was watching at home he might have but he wasn't at home. He would have felt awfully embarrassed if he had burst out laughing in front of the people in the coach. In addition his mind was elsewhere he still hadn't quite come to terms with what he was going to be doing. He would be up there a month he didn't now how often the ETS was going to be used. He was scared because he was going to be asked to kill dozens, hundreds or even thousands of people. Deep down he doubted if he could do it.

He tried to think about things more positively he would be earning a lot of money four times more than he normally earned. He forced himself to fixate on the lives, which he could save by working on the ETS. Despite all of this he was worried he wouldn't be able to do it. It wasn't that he would feel guilty about killing terrorists. No it wasn't that but in his mind killing is the most unpleasant aspect of a soldier's life and having to live and relive that over and over did not bear thinking about.

George wondered if any one else on the coach was having doubts were they all hardened killers? George doubted it however he thought however much it bothered them it was bothering him a lot more. George poured himself a beer thinking it might help him clear his head.