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slim drifted off to sleep, thinking about the general…
wondering if the general had changed any ….was any less of a son of a bitch… but how likely was that?
and wondering again if he, slim, was crazy for hooking up with him again…
but it was too late to back out now…
or was it?
…
it was after midnight. the countryside was quiet. any shooting that might be going on was comfortably up front or to the side.
the general had just gotten comfortable in his new chateau. slim and wiley started to leave him and find some place to sack out when he suddenly stopped them.
“wait!” slim and wiley turned around and saw the general going through his pockets.
“i haven’t got the frammis,” he said.
“it must have fallen out of your pocket in the jeep,” slim told him.
“let’s hope so, “ the general rumbled in his deepest menacing voice, glaring at slim like it was slim’s fault.
slim shrugged . “i’ll go look for it.”
“you do that.”
wiley was left with the general. the fire slim and wiley had got going in the fireplace was blazing away but wiley asked, ““want me to throw a few more twigs on that fire, general?”
“there's nothing wrong wth the fire,” the general growled as he stared into it.
the general took a few sips of his whiskey. the dead silence continued outside, broken only by the occasional crackling of the fire.
finally slim returned. “the frammis is not in the jeep,” he announced, “and i looked all around the driveway and in the bushes and i couldn’t find it there either.”
“but you will find it,” the general immediately replied.
“any idea where?” slim asked.
the general shrugged. “somewhere between here and the beach.”
“but that is two hundred miles back.”
“find it,” the general replied, without looking at slim.
“yes, sir. i suppose you want me to leave now.”
“no, when the war is over. of course i want you to leave now, you idiot.”
“yes, sir. should i take the jeep?”
the general thought for a few seconds. “take the deuce and a half. take wiley with you, and old sarge. goldbrick and the indian will remain here with me.”
the general turned and looked directly at slim. “take what ammunition and supplies you think you need. but find the frammis.”
“yes, sir.” the general did not have to add “or else.” slim and wiley both knew what else. what else was being returned to detachment 99.
detachment 99 was a replacement unit, mostly for suicide missions, made up from convicted murderers and other irredeemable reprobates.
the general’s personal entourage was comprised of slim, wiley, goldbrick, and the indian - all recruited from detachment 99. and old sarge. old sarge was old sarge, and had been with the general since moses was a mess sergeant. old sarge wasn’t good for much any more, but the general kept him on.
outside, slim and wiley and old sarge loaded the truck up and headed back down the road. old sarge was in the back with the supplies and ammo. slim told wiley to drive so that he, slim, could “keep an eye our” for the frammis.
when they were about a mile from the chateau, wiley asked slim what he thought their chances were.
slim just laughed.
12. the woman
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