บท 35: Fort Dix
After the enlistment, the recruits were in their respective barracks,
Lorenzo sat down at his desk and began to pen a letter to his girlfriend, Deborah. He couldn't wait to share the details of his enlistment with her, including how he had managed to fool the recruiter about his age and the amusing incident during the physical examination. He chuckled as he wrote about the nurses gawking at his impressive endowment. He knew Deborah would find it hilarious.
The next day, they were called out by Sergeant Williams. "Listen up, maggots! Tomorrow, you'll be shipping out for basic training. You'd better have yourselves and your gear ready to go by hours sharp. Don't be late or I'll make you wish you'd never been born. You'll need to bring your uniforms, boots, and all the essentials on this list." He barked, throwing a crumpled piece of paper at each of them.
"And expect the unexpected, because basic training ain't no walk in Central Park. You're in for the ass-kicking of your lives, but if you survive, you'll be one step closer to being a real soldier. Dismissed!"
Sergeant Williams dismissed them, and the recruits, still unaccustomed to such discipline, began to whisper among themselves.
Patrick scoffed, nudging Max, "That Williams guy doesn't know a thing. We've been through hell, man. Gang fights, beatings, even killings. We're more than ready for this 'basic training' crap."
Max remained silent but nodded in agreement. However, Lorenzo, who had overheard their conversation, interjected with a serious expression. "Don't compare gang fights to war, alright?"
Max and Patrick were taken aback by Lorenzo's intensity. They had expected him to agree with them.
"In war," he continued, "you could die at any moment, anywhere. So you two better listen up and learn from those who have been there, or you'll be doomed before you even achieve anything out there."
Hearing Lorenzo's words, Max and Patrick exchanged glances and nodded reluctantly.
Max and Patrick still underestimated the reality of war, believing it to be no different from the gang fights they'd experienced back home. They thought they could handle it with ease, without the "useless" training.
That was one of the reasons they'd agreed to enlist with Lorenzo in the first place.
Had Lorenzo known their thoughts, he would have chuckled. He knew that their opinions would change once they faced the true horrors of war firsthand.
The recruits returned to their quarters, carefully folding their uniforms and packing their boots into their duffel bags. Many of the young men said their final goodbyes to their families and loved ones, a somber reminder of the reality of war looming over them. The recruiter and sergeant allowed them this one last moment together before they boarded the waiting army trucks.
Lorenzo, Max, and Patrick, having already said their goodbyes a few days ago, thought they wouldn't see their friends again until after basic training. They were just about to board the army truck when they spotted Deborah, Adam, and Philip waving at them from a distance.
Spotting Deborah, Lorenzo's eyes widened in surprise. Before he knew it, she was running towards him, her arms outstretched. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, oblivious to the jealous stares of the other recruits around them. Even Max couldn't help but feel a pang of envy, watching his crush melt into Lorenzo's embrace.
Their tongues danced together, exploring each other's mouths as if they were starved for the contact. Hands roamed over each other's bodies, clinginging to this moment as if it were their last. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they broke apart, both of them breathless and flushed.
"I thought we said our goodbyes before I enlisted," Lorenzo teased, stroking Deborah's hair.
"You think I'd let you leave without a proper send-off?" she retorted playfully.
"Did you get my letter?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
Deborah blushed, "Yeah… You're such a pervert!" she giggled.
Lorenzo grinned, pulling her closer to him.
Meanwhile, Max and Patrick were deep in conversation with Adam and Philip, trying not to show their jealousy as they watched the couple.
"I'll see you in two years," Lorenzo promised, caressing Deborah's cheek. "I swear."
Their lips met one last time before they were forced to part ways. "Take care of yourself," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"You too," he managed, before joining Max and Patrick in the waiting truck.
As the vehicle pulled away, the three friends watched their loved ones grow smaller and smaller in the distance, waving until they were nothing but specks in the rearview mirror.
---
To pass the time, Lorenzo, Max, and Patrick struck up conversations with the other recruits in the truck. They shared stories about their hometowns, families, and why they'd enlisted.
After a three-hour drive, they finally arrived at their destination: Fort Dix, New Jersey. The sprawling training camp was one of the largest on the East Coast, buzzing with activity.
Sergeant Williams greeted them with his signature scowl. "Welcome maggots, to Fort Dix! This is where you'll be molded from soft civilians into hardened soldiers. Drop your gear and fall in line!"
The recruits scrambled to obey, forming a ragged line under the watchful eye of their drill sergeant.
"You think you can handle this?" he barked, pacing before them. "Well, think again! Your lives are mine now, and I'll break you down and build you back up, or I'll make your lives so miserable you'll wish you'd never left your mama's skirts!"
Hearing the sergeant's words, most of the recruits fell silent, but not Max and Patrick.
"Haha… That's a good one," Patrick chuckled, mimicking the drill sergeant's voice. "You'll wish you'd never left your mama's skirts! Ah, haha! So funny!"
Max's laughter died down as he caught Lorenzo's dark glare. Realizing they were drawing attention, he nudged Patrick and gestured towards Lorenzo. Patrick, sensing the tension, quickly composed himself.
The other recruits assumed they'd fallen silent out of fear for the drill sergeant, but little did they know, it was the look in Lorenzo's eyes that had silenced them.
Hearing their laughter, Sergeant Williams's expression darkened. He stormed up to Max and Patrick, towering over them. "You two find this amusing?"
Max and Patrick shook their heads. "N-no, sir!" they stammered in unison.
"I can't hear you, maggots!" the sergeant bellowed, his spittle flying onto their faces.
"No, sir!" they yelled, their voices shaking.
"I said you'd wish you'd never left your mama's skirts, and I meant it! Drop and give me fifty push-ups, now!" he roared at Max and Patrick, who immediately dropped to the ground, their faces flushing red as they began their punishment.
"Alright, maggots! You think you can slack off on my watch, huh?" The sergeant barked, his eyes blazing with fury. "Well, take a good look at these two bums here!" He jabbed a harsh finger at Max and Patrick, who were trembling slightly in their boots, not from fear of sergeant, but from the icy glare of Lorenzo.
"Since Max and Patrick have made a grave error today, disregarding the conduct expected of a soldier and dishonoring me," he barked, shooting the two a withering glare as they persisted in their push-ups, "everyone will be punished for these two's transgressions! Now, drop and give me push-ups!"
Hearing this, all the recruits, including Lorenzo, groaned but didn't hesitate to drop to the ground. They knew better than to defy the sergeant's orders. As they began their punishment, the sergeant barked, "You'll all do push-ups for the disrespectful behavior these two have shown! And you two," he growled, pointing at Max and Patrick, "you'll do doubles!"
Time passed as the other recruits, including Lorenzo, finally finished their push-ups and were dismissed to go to their quarters. Max and Patrick, however, were left behind, still pumping out their punishment push-ups, their muscles on fire but their pride burning hotter.
"Alright, that's enough!" the sergeant barked after what felt like an eternity. "You two are done… for now. Don't let me catch you disrespecting your superiors again, or next time, it'll be ten times worse, got it?"
Max and Patrick exchanged weary glances before nodding in unison. "Yes, sir!" they chorused, their voices shaking with exhaustion.
"Good. Dismissed."
As the two men stumbled off to their quarters, they couldn't help but throw a resentful glance at the sergeant, who was already disappearing around the corner.
---
Over the weeks that followed, Max, Patrick, and Lorenzo found themselves immersed in the rigorous training regimen of the camp.
They began with the basics, learning the ins and outs of army life, from rank structure to daily routines. The days were long, but they knew it was all part of the process.
Next, they moved on to physical training, drills, and weapons handling. They woke up before dawn and fell asleep exhausted, their muscles aching from the relentless push-ups, sit-ups, and runs. They learned how to use their firearms, disassemble and reassemble them in the dark, and work together as a team.
Lorenzo, with his knowledge of disassembling and reassembling weapons, breezed through the firearms training. His time in the camp was made somewhat easier thanks to his increasing status in the system, which had granted him enhanced physical attributes. He excelled at hand-to-hand combat and stealth, quickly becoming one of the top recruits in his class.
Meanwhile, as the weeks passed, Max and Patrick, who initially underestimated the intensity of the training at the camp, were now taking it seriously. Their bodies were strengthening, but the exhaustion was taking its toll. They felt like giving up more than once, but they pushed through.
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