Read The Recruit: A Jack Noble Short Story for Free Online

room. The sound of shuffling filled the room as
each recruit straightened up in preparation of the D.I.s punishment.
    “Recruits,” Kaszlaski
said. “Despite Maggot Noble’s miserable failings at keeping himself off of the
ground,” he stopped in front of me and smiled without looking at me, “we have a
treat for you today.” He continued walking while saying nothing.
    No one said anything.
    “Today we are going to
pay a visit to the boxing ring,” he continued. “Because nothing gives me more
pleasure than seeing my recruits pounding the crap out of each other. This is
the moment in recruit training that you should live for. And if you don’t you
just need to get the hell out of my barracks.” He stopped and looked around as
if waiting for half the platoon to leave. “It’s where one maggot will redefine
himself and become slightly greater that worthless to me. And one or two of you
will find yourself even lower than maggot on my totem pole.”
    I felt every eye in the
room focus on me. I glanced around to confirm my suspicion. Big mistake.
    “God dammit, maggot
Noble.” Kaszlaski spun on his heel and stopped in front of me. “Step forward.”
    I took a single step
forward.
    “This worthless recruit
standing in front of me is going fight first,” he said. “What do you think of
that, recruit?”
    “This recruit is happy to
fight first, Drill Instructor Sergeant Kaszlaski, Sir.” I hated saying that and
infused every ounce of sarcastic tone I could muster.
    He inched closer to my
face, smiled and exhaled heavily. The smell of corn chips invaded my nose. I
kept my eyes straight ahead, staring into dead space. He shifted and bobbed his
head in front of mine, trying to catch my eye. Any excuse to plant a fist in my
gut. I refused to fall for it. Picked a point on the drab cream colored wall
and kept my eyes fixed on it.
    “Who then,” he spun on
his heel, “should we get to fight you?” He walked to the far end of the room.
“Do I have any recruits who are willing to take on maggot Noble in the first
match?”
    The room remained silent.
    “Holy crap,” he said
while continuing to pace the room. “Am I to believe that Maggot Noble is so
popular no one wants to fight with him? Recruit Noble, did you know you were so
popular?”
    I didn’t answer.
    “Or is it that you
recruits are scared to fight him?”
    The room stayed silent.
    “If a recruit doesn’t
step up now you’ll, all of you shitbags will have to deal with me.” He stopped
in front of Bear. 
    Bear stepped forward.
“This recruit will fight in the first match, Drill Instructor Sergeant
Kaszlaski, Sir.”
    “Well now, here’s a
recruit who might actually make something of himself,” Kaszlaski said. “Are you
telling me that you’re volunteering for the first fight, recruit Logan?”
    “This recruit wants
nothing more than to take place in the first fight against recruit Noble, Drill
Instructor Sergeant Kaszlaski, Sir.”
    I turned my head. This
time Bear turned and met my stare.
    He smiled.
    I didn’t.
     
    ***
     
    Kaszlaski and the other
D.I.s led us outside, behind the barracks. Bear walked next to Kaszlaski. The
other two D.I.s guided me through the light rain by my elbows.
    “Round up,” Kaszlaski
said.
    The platoon formed a
loose circle, pushing me toward the middle. Bear stood across from me. Massive
didn’t begin to describe him. He shrugged his shoulders and swung his head side
to side. He kept his eyes focused on me the entire time. The three D.I.s
surrounded him, slapping at his chest and yelling at him.
    I turned, looking for
support. One of the other recruits spit at me. Another taunted me to come at
him. This was a no win situation if I’d ever been in one. I turned back around.
The reaction from the platoon was a mixture of cheering for Bear and cursing at
me.
    Kaszlaski moved to the
center of the makeshift ring. He motioned at Bear and I to meet in the middle.
    “I want a fight,” he
said. “It don’t have