Chapter Twelve: Run

Mike explained how to input the pass phrase for voice authentication. Jack was designated alpha cub 6 and chose "I don't roll over for anyone, except Mike." And there was much laughter.

Jaden chose, "Bitches love me," while Kaden chose, "Leader of the pack."

After a system lockout the Johnson boys got it down pat. They joined Kyle and the others in the shooting range.

"Bout time you cocksuckers showed. We're playing capture the flag. You in?"

"Depends on the teams," Mike said and gave Kyle a once over.

Kyle smirked.

"Me and the newbies versus you, Big O, Tzu and Mr. Clean. Deal?"

Mike paused. Something didn't seem right, but he shrugged it off. Must still be keyed up from the day's events, he thought.

They changed into BDUs. Kyle's team wore blue bandanas, while Mike's sported red ones. Paint ball guns ready they counted to 50 while Kyle's team hid in the woods. Always resourceful, Eric came up with a brilliant battle plan that involved Tony drawing the enemy's fire so he and David could pick them off one by one.

Mike meanwhile stifled a yawn as he waited for the others to make an attempt on the flag. He was rocked out of his boredom by the sound of gun fire. There was no mistaking it; that was Kyle's M-14.

He dashed into woods, game forgotten, and tried to follow Jack's scent. But it was lost among all the others on top of the gun smoke. He calmed down and followed their tracks instead.

Kyle stood over Jack while Eric and David held back the twins. Mike rushed Kyle. They tussled for control of the riffle, but Mike managed to wrench it from Kyle and used the butt to knock him unconscious.

Eric and David charged him, but the twins had them pinned down. Mike checked Jack and gasped when he saw all the blood. He tried to stay calm and remember his first aid training. Tony stepped out from hiding and handed Mike a canteen of water.

He washed the blood away and saw a tennis ball hole in Jack's shoulder. He made a tourniquet out of his and Tony's bandanas and prayed the bullet missed any major arteries. Satisfied the bleeding had stemmed, he leveled the riffle at Eric and David, who had broken free and were embattled with the twins.

Eric was the first to notice Mike. He paled and shuddered at the thought of what Mike would do to him. David last to the show tried to talk his way out of it.

"Come on Mikey it was just a prank. You know a little hazing for the newbies. The gun was supposed to be filled with nonlethal ammo. There must have been a mix-up."

Mike tossed his car keys to the twins and they got the message. He stepped toward David, and thrust the butt of the riffled into the boy's stomach. He dropped to his knees and retched.

Eric was ready when Mike attacked. He dogged and caught Mike with a leg sweep, taking him to the ground. Eric got control of the riffle and used it to choke him out. Mike calmed his breathing and pulled straight down on the barrel of the riffle, tucked his chin, and threw Eric over his shoulders. He used his legs to get Eric in a scissor lock and held on until he passed out.

He glared at Tony and then hoisted Jack onto his shoulders and ran towards where he knew the twins should be, but when Mike exited the woods he saw his father and the others had boxed them in. He dropped Jack and leveled the riffle at his father.

"Boy you don't have the stones to—ooh!" A bullet ripped through James's right foot.

"The next shoot is your head. Now have Mr. Cho check Jack out or I swear to God you're all dead!"
Mike continued to level the rifle at James, even after Mr. Cho said Jack would be fine after a transfusion and surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder, then bed rest. Mike reloaded and told them to let the twins out. They complied after he fired a round into the air.

They got Jack into the med bay and began a transfusion right away. Color returned to the teen's face and he become more lucid. Mr. Cho prepped him for surgery. The whole time Mike never left his post outside the med bay. He and the twins took turns guarding Jack until he was able to move about on his own. And then they ran. But Mike wasn't as lucky as the others.

In the weeks that followed James did everything he could think of to get the location of the Johnson boys. He had no one but himself to blame. After all the things he put Mike through the kid had an almost limitless pain threshold. He shook his head and had Tony take over while he rested.

As soon as James was out of sight Tony gave Mike an MRE, and then another. It had been a week since he last managed to smuggle in food. It was a good thing no one bothered to ask why he was always in the mess hall. Unbeknownst to them Tony had upped his training and wasn't as plump as he used to be.

"Here sip this," he said and handed Mike a water canteen, "there's more if you can keep this down."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Besides Soldier Boys always have each other's six, right?"

"I believed that until this happened."

"Well, I always will. Anyways, do you know where they went?"

"Yeah," Mike paused to take a sip of water, "But why should I tell you?"

"So I know where to take you when I break your third battalion ass out of here."

"Ha, little Tony to the rescue, this I gotta see." Mike laughed but it set him on a coughing jag. Yep, he definitely had a few broken ribs.

***

"Rabbit again?"

"Well baby bro go catch something else then." Jack glared at Jaden until he ate his share of dinner. What he wouldn't give for a moose or even a squirrel at this point. Ever few days they packed up camp and headed a mile or so south in search of civilization. Low on ammo and MREs they had to resort to using traps.

However they sucked at constructing them. Kaden had taken to spear fishing when the last of their canned food ran out, but as of yet had nothing to show for his effort except a dull ka-bar and a wicked case of athlete's foot.

Jaden meanwhile was on water duty. He came upon a fresh water lake just today and they were all in high spirits as it had been two days with just a sip from their canteens each. For once they were glad Mike had been hard on them otherwise they'd never have survived after that first week.

It was tough going as Jack wanted to turn back and rescue Mike, but the twins held him down until Jack agreed to follow the plan. Day two saw them face to face with a bob cat who would have taken a chuck out of Jack, had it not been for Kaden's quick actions.

And no, it didn't taste like chicken but it was filling. They made jerky out of the leftovers and that lasted all of three days before they had to forage for food. Jaden found what he thought were raspberries. That ate them and tripped major balls.

Lesson learned they switched to trapping to conserve their MREs and managed to capture a turkey and a few quails, but then hit a major dry spell as they continued south.

Dinner over, the twins settled in while Jack took first watch. He thought about Mike and what those psychos were probably doing to him.

He shed a tear but then put those emotions in a box and locked it away. He had to be strong. That's what Mike would do. Just then he heard a twig snap and then the jingle of food cans sounded the alarm. He garbed his riffle and prepared to fight. Tony came hobbling into view, he'd tripped over the perimeter wire and several cans trailed after him.

"Easy there. Mike sent me to help, but we don't have much time before the others wonder where I've gone to."

Jack continued to level the riffle at him.

"Why should I believe you, huh?"

"Because Mike told me to tell Princess I said hi."

"Yep that's Mike alright, but how do I know..."

"Know that this is not a trick? You don't, but trust me and things will go according to plan."

At least he hopped so.

Just then Kyle showed up and Jack opened fire, striking him in the gut. That brought the others and all hell broke loose. The twins took up suppressive fire while Jack and Tony tried to hold off James and the others.

"Put your weapons on the ground and place your hands behind your head!"

The state troop flashed his badge and the shooting stopped. He cuffed James and awaited back up. Tony and the officer exchanged nods. Jack had no idea what had just taken place until he saw Mike's head in the trooper's car. He hugged Tony and then ran to Mike who was half dead by this point but had enough energy to kiss him.

A medevac arrived and took Mike, Kyle and the other wounded to the nearest hospital. Jack and the twins rode along while Tony stayed behind and handled their cover story.

Kyle was in surgery for eight hours. He died on the table a few times but pulled through. Though he'd need a colostomy bag for a while, he'd be good as new come the same time next year if all went as planned.

James took the fall but pulled some strings to avoid prison time. But nothing he did stopped Shelia from divorcing him. As for Mike he made a speedy recovery and was back to kicking asses and taking names like nothing had happened. Though by the time he and Kyle got out of the hospital they'd missed the first three weeks of school.

 

Author's note: Well things are looking up for the Soldier Boys, but how will the Screw Crew deal with Jack and Mike's relationship? Find out next chapter.