Dillards' War

[Mr.Ice]

This is good. How many chapters are you planing to write?

[SPEMack618]

No clue. A few more, just enough to finish it. We are still in the rising action part, lol

[SPEMack618]

Chapter Three

Militia Camp, Sudan
Hari Aslam swaggered into the tent that served as Commander al-Shaddi’s personal quarters immediately upon returning to camp from the successful raid.
“Commander, we have achieved great success, Allah be praised!”
“Great my friend, tell me, what did you find and what do you need to proceed?”
“Commander, we now have in our procession samples of SUD-V and have eliminated the American who was actively working on it in Chad. I believe I can engineer an effective weapon within a month or so”
“Excellent, Doctor. And will the Americans be able to counter it?”
“Doubtful, Commander. By eliminating the American in Chad, I believe we eliminated their primary researcher, even though there is another one in American, at their CDC.”
“Do we know who he is, Doctor?”
“Yes, sir. It is a she actually, a simple internet search has yielded her name, her credentials, and where she works. I am confident that with a little more time, I can even find her address.”
“Good work, Doctor. She will have to be eliminated before we can proceed.”

Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Jim Dillard plodded back into his small apartment, once again tired and dirty. There was a stack of mail in front of the mail slot, an official looking manila envelope sitting atop the pile. Grabbing it but leaving the rest of it, Dillard walked into the kitchen and grabbed a PBR as he ripped open envelope. It contained but one terse official document:

Headquarters
Personnel Command
United States Army

Dillard, James Eli, USA, Inf,

This is to serve as official notice than you have underwent screening for promotion to the rank of Major. You have not been selected for promotion at this time. At present time, you have screened and not been selected three times for promotion. In accordance with Army personnel policy, upon failure to successfully screen for promotion the third time, an officer is allowed to appeal the decision of the review board, seek assignment in the reserve components of the service, or allowed to resign his commission. Please reply by endorsement your response within three (3) weeks.

Dillard crumpled the sheet of paper up and proceeded to drink down his first PBR in one long pull. He then silently walked to his bedroom and retrieved his half gallon bottle of Johnnie Walker scotch and took a long pull from the bottle. In a flash of rage, he ripped his framed commission from the wall and threw it in the general direction of his trash can. Then came the two framed citations for his Silver Stars, and because he was drunk, and rolling the one framed picture of him and sister. It was from a happier time, atleast for most of the Dillard family.

[SPEMack618]

Chapter Four

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, six years earlier.
Second Lieutenant Jim Dillard, USA, Inf, awkwardly put his arm around his sister after much prodding from his mother. Karen was glad in full academic regalia, having just been award a master’s of science degree in micro-biology, with several additional academic honors, all of which was sort of mind boggling to Jim Dillard, who was thankful to graduate with his BS in Political Science and 2.65 GPA. His mother snapped a picture of the two siblings, both glad in the dress uniforms of their chosen professions. Jim in nearly bare Army blues, adorned with a bear three ribbons and a Ranger tab and Karen in her cap and gown. Jim was a bit put off by the whole affair. Neither his mother nor sister had been at Benning when he was awarded his Ranger tab, and Karen had neglected to come to his commissioning ceremony, but Mrs. Dillard was most insistent that Jim be present and sober at Karen’s graduation ceremony from grad school. He having been at basic airborne school when Karen graduated from college the first time.

After snapping the picture, Mrs. Dillard moved off to find her husband and left the two siblings alone, the first time the two of them had been alone in quite some time. Jim was an impressive site in his neatly tailored uniform and shined jump boots, and Karen told him so.
“You look good in a uniform, little brother.”
“Thanks.” Jim mumbled under his breath, he hated it when she called him “little brother.”
“Thanks for coming, it means a lot to me, Jim.” And with that, she stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. And with that, Karen walked off to a group of her friends for even more pictures leaving Jim alone with his thoughts. When he graduated Ranger school earlier in the summer, he had barely been able to stand for the pass in review and had no desire to do anything other than shower and sleep for a month. His Dad had been there, but the retired Air Force major general had barely been able to contain his disdain for the ground pounders and the fact that his son jumped out of planes rather than flying them. Jim had been the honor graduate of his class, the former frat boy remarking several times that it was like being a pledge all over again and that any Eagle Scout should be able to survive in the woods. His infectious grin had often served to motivate his patrol mate and won him positive notice from the Ranger Cadre. It was the first time Jim Dillard had ever applied himself to anything other than drinking and his family didn’t seem to care.

Muttering to himself as the picture from that day crashed to the floor, Dillard collapse into his bed in a drunken heap. Even the Army was done with him now.