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

to be clean.” A smile swept across his face as he winked
at Bear. “Touch hands.”
    Our ungloved fists bumped
together inside the empty space between us.
    “Fight,” Kaszlaski said.
    I brought my hands up in
a defensive position. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kaszlaski twist. I
didn’t see it fast enough, though. He delivered a blow to my back, just below
my ribs. Pain ripped through my side. I bent over and turned away. I knew I had
to get my bearings and locate Bear. I swung my head around in time to connect
with a right hook thrown by the big man. The force of the blow spun me and I
fell to the ground. I went unconscious for a moment, but the cold rain drops
snapped me back to reality.
    The human circle erupted.
The platoon cheered the cheap shot and subsequent death blow by Bear.
    I got to my knees and
crawled to the edge of the pit. I heard Kaszlaski’s counting in the background.
The sound of it echoed in my head.
    “Just stay down, maggot,”
he said.
    The line of recruits
separated as I neared them, giving way to the stacked cinder block wall that
made up the barracks. I pressed against the wall and got to my feet. Turned.
Focused my eyes on Bear. “That all you got?”
    Bear smiled. Charged at
me. I took a step forward, then slipped to the side as he lifted his hand over
his shoulder and swung at me. He crashed into the wall.  A normal man would
have collapsed at the impact. It just seemed to piss Bear off.
    I backed up to the other
side of the ring, staying out of reach of the recruits and keeping Kaszlaski a
good distance away.
    Bear came at me again,
the smile gone from his face.
    I waited again. Took a
step forward, then slipped to the side, sending him reeling into a group of
recruits. They managed to stop his momentum and turn him around.
    “Fight me,” he said.
    I shrugged. Walked to the
middle of the ring.
    Bear met me there. No one
could accuse me of being a small guy, but Bear towered over me. He started
throwing short armed jabs. I ducked, circling around him. It was tricky to
maneuver in the pit. The footing was unsure and there was always the risk that
Kaszlaski was close by and might sucker punch me again. Finally, Bear managed
to land a punch on me. The force of it drove me back a few feet.
    The platoon erupted in
approval again.
    The smile returned to
Bear’s face. “Now I finish this,” he said.
    I winked.
    It threw him off. His
eyes narrowed and his smiled faded. His stance opened slightly.
    I didn’t hesitate. I
twisted, launched myself into the air, and brought my fist down across the
bridge of his nose, right between his eyes.
    Bear staggered backwards.
His arms swung blindly, cutting through the air.
    I ducked his blows, came
up between his outstretched arms and delivered an uppercut to his jaw.
    He fell back against a
group of recruits. They pushed him forward. He fell to his knees before
collapsing on the muddy ground.
    The platoon went silent.
    Kaszlaski and the other
two drill instructors moved into the circle and stood across from me. I braced
myself for the attack. Instead, they turned their attention to Bear and helped
him off the ground. The recruit circle parted as two D.I.s helped Bear back to
the barracks, his big arms draped around their shoulders.
    Kaszlaski addressed the
platoon. “Everyone back to the barracks. No more boxing today.” He stood firm,
eyes locked on mine, while the platoon filed through the small path between two
sets of barracks.
    The rain fell hard and
the wind whipped, driving spears of rain into my face. I struggled to keep my
eyes open against the onslaught.
    “I’ll deal with you
later, recruit Noble.”
     
    ***
     
    That night I lay on my
rack, hands clasped behind my head staring up at nothing in particular. None of
the other recruits had said a word to me. A few looked at me, rage burning in
their eyes. Bear and a few others gathered at the far end of the room. I
overheard them mention my name and something about revenge tonight. I