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"Boot Camp"Written By: Snowdragonct Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing or the characters, more's the pity. This is for fun...no profit involved. Warnings: AU (sort of), yaoi, swearing (lots), some OOC (probably), some violence, references to NCS (especially in later chapters) Pairings: 1+2, 3+4 (to start with) A/N: This is the first time I'm getting up the nerve to post a story...hope it's not too similar to anyone else's (haven't seen one just like it). Candid, kindly-delivered critiques will be greatly appreciated...please don't rip my head off too much? Um, and the old "don't like, don't read" phrase holds true. Oh, and it's fiction, and I don't have a law degree, so there's sure to be some inaccuracies...can we just pretend, please? Thanks in advance. Rating: NC 17 Summary: Four boys in the juvenile justice system
receive a last chance to make something of their futures. Will boot
camp make or break them? And can they ever learn to be a team? "Boot Camp"
The five o’clock wakeup sent all four boys scrambling wearily from their bunks. Duo sat down on the edge of the lower bunk to comb out and re-braid his hair, while waiting for his turn in the bathroom, and found himself with a perfectly wonderful view of Heero bent over at his foot locker, still clad only in boxers and a tee shirt. Mmmm… The braided boy grinned. “Well, good morning,” he said, to no one in particular. Quatre had followed his glance, and smirked back slyly. “I guess it depends on your perspective, but yeah, good morning.” Heero straightened with a scowl, glancing between the other two suspiciously. But he didn’t say a word, instead pulling on his clothes and running a hand through his hair to straighten it, before leaning against the wall by the bathroom door, waiting for Trowa to exit. “Good morning, Heero,” Duo said pointedly, frowning slightly at the team leader’s aloofness. “Hn,” came the noncommittal reply. “A virtual ray of sunshine,” sighed Duo, shaking his head. The boys quickly finished their morning routine and jogged over to calisthenics, lining up in time for Captain Chang’s daily announcements. “For those of you wondering about the upcoming team competition, allow me to outline next week’s itinerary. On Monday, there will be a proficiency test in climbing and rappelling.” The Captain was talking while the recruits yawned and tried to stay at attention. “I say ‘proficiency test’ rather than ‘race,’ as I don’t want any of you to think speed is the only criterion. If you fall down the cliff, no matter how quickly you get to the bottom, you won’t walk away. So, speed and safety are both required.” Duo smirked at that, glancing at Quatre. “Can you say ‘dry sense of humor’?” he quipped. “Maxwell,” Heero hissed under his breath. “Eyes front!” Duo scowled. What he'd thought to be simple morning grouchiness seemed to run a little deeper. Heero was back to being the efficient soldier again, and the relaxed atmosphere they’d enjoyed for almost two days had reverted to the tense, almost adversarial relationship they’d started with. Rolling those expressive indigo eyes, Duo turned his face back towards the Captain. “Tuesday your teams will have an obstacle course race…and then on Wednesday, a cross-country run. Those activities will be genuine races. The average time for the whole team will decide the rankings.” He looked down his clipboard. “On Thursday, there will be a sparring competition.” He spared a fleeting glance at Heero and Duo. “And on Friday, you’ll have to ford a river…all four team members have to make it across safely, in order for your time to count.” His dark eyes swept the assembled ranks. “The reward for winning the first round of competition will be a field trip off the base that weekend. The last place team will do KP for the entire following week. Any questions?” When no one asked any, they proceeded on their daily run, which, now that it was three miles instead of two, left barely enough time for showers before breakfast. Thus, the boys found themselves almost jogging into the mess hall to make it on time.
“Maybe you do,” Duo growled in annoyance. “But after being wrapped around my fucking neck, the hair could use a little attention!” Heero lifted a dark blue glare to his teammate. “Maybe you should give it a little attention from a pair of scissors,” he blurted in annoyance. The indigo eyes widened indignantly. Where was this coming from? And where the hell did the Heero Yuy who’d been flirting yesterday go? “What’s with you, Yuy? What did I fuck up this time?” “Nothing, Maxwell.” Heero realized he was being particularly irritable with the braided boy, and tried to rein in his temper. After all, it was himself he was annoyed with—his own weakness—not Duo. And his goal was to be a good team leader, not a sarcastic jerk. “Maxwell, eh?” Duo’s eyes narrowed. “We’re back to that, are we? What happened to all that ‘male bonding’ we did?” “We’ve got a full schedule this week.” “Ah, so we can only ‘bond’ on visiting days?” “We aren’t here to ‘bond,’ Maxwell. We’re here to try to qualify for the Academy.” He gave his teammate a long look, his expression softening slightly. “That’s all that matters right now, Duo. When we get through this…if we succeed...” His voice trailed off, and he looked away. He wasn’t ready to make any promises. Duo couldn’t help noticing how similar that little speech was to the one he’d given Jason. He sobered, looking down at his plate. “Yeah, alright, Yuy. I get the picture. All business,” he sighed. Heero shifted uneasily, looking over to where one of Duo’s hands was flat on the table, within inches of his. It was so tempting to slide his hand over so they’d be touching…to offer some reassurance to the other boy. But that would be a direct contradiction to what he’d just said, so he resisted the impulse and sighed quietly. There’d be time to talk things out after they completed their training…and maybe by then he’d know enough about his own feelings to express them to the braided boy. Quatre eyed the team leader questioningly, picking up the sense of internal conflict. And the aquamarine eyes brightened with understanding. He could see why it might be hard for Heero to balance his attraction to Duo with the responsibility of being the team leader. He just hoped the Japanese boy figured it out before ruining any chance he might have with the volatile boy from L2.
Duo sprawled on his bunk wearily, still irritated with Heero’s renewed grumpiness. “I don’t know about you guys, but one way or another, I’m gonna enjoy a genuine shower this afternoon…and my ‘menacing’ hair is gonna get conditioner.” His indigo eyes dared Heero to argue. But the Japanese boy was looking at the chestnut braid trailing over the side of the bunk, and didn’t seem inclined to comment. In fact, he had to bite his tongue to keep from offering to help, so he busied himself at the laptop. Quatre gave Duo a knowing smirk. “I’ll go with you,” he volunteered. “It’s been ages since we’ve had more than a five-minute rinse-off.” Trowa was, and had been, in a particularly good mood—ever since he decided Duo was more interested in Heero than in Quatre. And he looked at the other two with a vague smile. “Hell, I’m in,” he offered. “Might as well have as many of us go as possible, with Kyle around.” He refrained from adding that any excuse to spend time with Quatre was good enough for him, but the quick, sly glance he received from Duo let him know the braided boy was wise to him. A sharp knock at the door interrupted their planning. “Come,” Heero said curtly, glancing up from the computer to see who it was. Warden Kushrenada stepped in, and Duo immediately sat up, casting a fleeting glance at Trowa. Shit! The drugs…the bastard probably knew about them, and was about to take down the whole team for Trowa’s blunder! Despite his cordial relationship with the warden, even Trowa looked apprehensive. “Good afternoon, boys,” Kushrenada said smoothly, taking in the room at a glance, and barely lingering on Duo’s hate-filled glare. “Studying, I see…very conscientious of you,” he mused. Then his attention turned to Trowa. “Barton, I heard the Captain has filled your schedule up this week.” “Yes, sir,” admitted the auburn-haired boy. “I’ve hardly gotten to see Nanashi at all.” “Ah, yes. That’s exactly why I’m here,” said the warden. “I wondered if you could spare a few minutes right now.” Trowa glanced at Quatre, who nodded quickly. “Duo and I can go alone,” he assured the other boy. “You go see Nanashi while you have a chance.” “Thanks,” said Trowa warmly. He jumped off his bunk. “I’d love to go with you, sir,” he told the warden. “Excellent.” Kushrenada’s gaze turned to Heero. “And Yuy, I believe I saw one of Chang’s lieutenants going from door to door. Your teams are being issued a survival pack for next week’s river crossing exercise. You’ll need to stop by Chang’s office to sign it out. For security reasons, one team member will be responsible for it; someone other than the team leader.” He turned a mocking look towards Duo. “Someone trustworthy,” he said with a deliberate sneer. Duo stiffened, glaring back. “Thank you for the information, sir,” Heero said coolly. “We’ll head over right away.” He looked up at Duo, blue eyes stern…warning the braided boy to behave in front of his enemy. “C’mon, Maxwell. You and I can go.” Without looking away from the hated warden, Duo climbed slowly off his bunk. “Sure you want to trust me, Yuy?” he said in a perfectly icy voice. “Of course,” came the quick, curt reply. Heero walked over and caught Duo’s arm just above the elbow. “Let’s go, Duo,” he said quietly, nodding politely to the warden and escorting his teammate firmly out the door. Once they were outside, Duo positively seethed with anger. “That arrogant sonofabitch, Yuy! D’you see why I hate him? He was just trying to bait me.” “You can’t let him,” Heero said firmly. “I know he gets to you. But you have to stay calm and use your head, or he’ll succeed in tripping you up so he can send you off to prison.” “What’s it to you?” Duo said sullenly. “You’ve been an asshole all day.” “I’m trying to help you…help all of us…succeed at this camp,” Heero reminded him. “Can’t you do that and still be a friend?” Duo demanded. Heero sighed in frustration. “I-I’m not sure,” he admitted cautiously. “I’m trying to be a good team leader. And right now, that’s more important than being pals, Maxwell. Do you understand that?” “I’m trying to,” Duo shrugged in response. “But…” He dared a sidelong glance at his teammate, wanting the relaxed, teasing friendship they’d had the day before back. Not to mention all the hot and heavy flirting. “Just…be patient,” Heero suggested. “Okay?” Duo nodded. “Not my best subject, Yuy. But I’ll try,” he smirked. “So what’s this all-important survival kit they’re assigning us?” “I guess we’ll find out when we get to Chang’s office.”
“I’m happy to do it,” purred the warden, his tawny eyes casting a calculating glance at the boy. “You have real skill with animals.” Trowa shrugged. “I guess it comes from working with them so much at the circus.” “Oh, I think there’s more to it—an innate ability,” insisted the tall man. They had reached the kennels by then, and Trowa went straight to Nanashi’s pen, opening the door and letting both Rusty and Nanashi give their usual boisterous greeting. Of course, Nanashi was, by far, the friendlier dog, but even Rusty was tractable and gentle with Trowa. The boy knelt to run hands through Nanashi’s fur, eagerly burying his face in the thick mane. “Good boy…you’re the best!” Kushrenada’s satisfied smirk went undetected, as Trowa hugged the dog. Kushrenada watched Trowa, a devious light in the tawny eyes. “He’s a beautiful dog, all right. It’s really a shame…” “What is?” Trowa asked absently, fingers caressing Nanashi’s ears. “Oh…nothing, Barton. There’s nothing to be done for it anyway.” “For what?” Trowa demanded, his attention suddenly focused on the warden. “If he doesn’t work out in the guard dog program, I’m afraid he’ll have to be put down.” “Put down?” Trowa turned to face the tall man, eyes wide. “Why?” “Well, you must understand, these dogs are bred for aggression; centuries of selective breeding. If they can’t perform their duties, they have to be destroyed.” “But why? Why not find him a home? He’s a wonderful dog!” Trowa said heatedly. “He’s smart, and friendly, and beautiful. There’s no reason to kill him!” “Ah…I see I’ve upset you,” said Kushrenada, putting an arm around the boy’s shoulders to steer him away from the pen. “The problem, Barton, is that with generations of selection behind him, sooner or later Nanashi would turn on someone. He can’t be trusted outside of the prison environment. And if he can’t do his job in the prison, there’s just no place for him.” “But you can’t!” Trowa cried in horror, pulling away, and taking a step back. “You can’t just put him down! He doesn’t deserve that.” “Of course he doesn’t, Barton. But eventually he will.” The warden shook his head sadly. “It’s a simple fact of life…as harmless as he seems now, when his true nature comes through, he’ll be vicious and unmanageable.” It almost seemed as if there was a double meaning to the man’s words, and indeed, he was thinking of the juveniles in the prison as he said it. They might be underage brats now, but given a few years of toughening up, they’d all be as vicious and unmanageable as a rogue dog. “That’s not true!” Trowa said harshly. “You don’t know that. He might be fine. I mean, look how good-natured he is. I don’t believe he’d ever turn vicious!” “Your faith in him is, admirable…if misplaced,” sighed Kushrenada, pleased by the panicked gleam in the boy’s green eyes. “I have to get back to my office, Barton. You stay as long as you like. Spend time with him while you can.” Trowa watched the man walk away, cold dread settling in his stomach. He opened the pen and went inside with Rusty and Nanashi, settling into a corner and letting both dogs curl up with him for comfort.
“While I’ve got you two here alone,” Wufei said quietly, “I’d like to compliment the progress your team’s made.” “Thank you, sir,” Heero said politely, noticing Duo’s tiny snort of skepticism. “You, especially, have surprised me, Maxwell,” added the Captain. Duo spared him a glance. “Likewise,” he said wryly. “I hear you surprised Miss Peacecraft as well,” Wufei added with a wicked gleam in the dark eyes. Duo looked up sharply, and then glanced at Heero for direction. He didn’t know whether to play dumb, joke around and be smug, or apologize. He had no idea how the officer knew about their little display at the visitor center. “I—uh—Heero seemed to want to discourage her visits, sir. I just wanted to help,” he finally blurted, quickly signing the bottom of the page and picking up the lightweight backpack. “Ah, so you aren’t—a couple?” Wufei asked with a hint of a smirk. Duo didn’t even have to lie about that one. “Hell, no.” As an afterthought, he added “Sir.” “That’s good to hear. It’d be a shame if I had to break up the team,” Wufei said casually. Heero gave him an inscrutable look. “Is there some regulation about relationships within teams, sir?” he asked, his tone cool. “Nothing in writing,” replied the Captain, eyes locked on those of his long-time friend. “But it’s considered unwise.” The Japanese boy wanted to throttle his ‘long-time friend.’ Wufei knew damned well what Heero’s preferences were…and he was clearly trying to determine Duo’s intentions towards the team leader in a not-so-subtle way. Goddamnit, Chang, stay the hell out of my business! “No worries there, sir,” Duo said smoothly, not even glancing at Heero. “Yuy’s all business when it comes to this boot camp.” He looked at the officer, smiling his patented smile. “Unlike ‘Maxwell the Screw-up,’” he added helpfully. “You didn’t look like one when you were sparring the other day,” shrugged the Chinese man. “Give me a chance,” Duo smirked. “I’m sure to screw up again soon.” Wufei scowled at that. “Are you trying to?” he asked sternly. “Naw, it just comes naturally,” shrugged the boy, hefting the pack over one shoulder. “Are we done here, sir?” The Captain nodded. “Just remember that kit is your responsibility. ‘Screw-up’ or not, you’re in charge of it. Don’t lose it, misplace it, or loan it to anyone. Understood?” “Sir, yes sir,” Duo said with a jaunty salute, glancing aside at his still-glowering team leader. “Ready to go, Yuy?” “You go ahead…I’ll be along shortly,” Heero said firmly, fixing a deadly glare on Wufei. “What about--?” Duo hesitated, not wanting to mention the conflict with Kyle in front of the soldier. “I won’t be far behind,” Heero assured him. “I just want a moment with Captain Chang.” Duo smirked. “Ah…well I’ll go then, so you can talk about me behind my back,” he teased, casting a sly glance at Wufei. The door had barely closed behind Duo, when Heero placed both hands on Wufei’s desk, leaning forward to glare at the other man. “What was that about, Chang?” Wufei looked up with raised eyebrows. “I was merely reminding Maxwell to keep his focus on his studies, rather than his team leader.” “And why would you even think he had any designs on me at all?” Heero demanded. “Perhaps the fact that he agreed to sit on your lap and make out in front of Relena?” Wufei countered. “He didn’t ‘agree’ to anything,” Heero retorted. “He just did it on the spur of the moment.” “Ah. I see.” “See what?” Heero’s eyes narrowed to a steely glare. “It was his idea.” “Meaning?” Wufei shrugged slightly. “I’m not entirely sure, Yuy. What do you think it means?” “It means he’s a clown and a smartass, and he wanted to help me scare her off. I told you this before.” Heero cocked his head to one side, studying his friend. “Or is it that you want to know if Duo’s seriously interested in me?” “Are you interested in him?” “I thought we covered this.” “No…I asked if you thought he knew it was just for show when you two did your little demonstration for Relena. Now I’m asking if you thought it was.” Heero stiffened at that. “First, it’s none of your business. Second, whether it was or not, nothing can happen until after this boot camp, because that’s the first order of business. And third, in spite of his flippant attitude, Duo’s an excellent team member, and he’s more than capable of keeping his mind on work.” “I know that,” Wufei said mildly. “And that’s twice now you’ve called him ‘Duo’ instead of ‘Maxwell.’ I also saw the expression on your face when he pretended to pass out in that chokehold.” His dark eyes were concerned now, rather than stern. “There is something there.” “Of course there is. He’s a friend and a teammate,” Heero said frankly. “So you’re going to wait until after boot camp to ask him out?” “Ye--. What?” A flush crept up Heero’s cheeks. “You underhanded skunk.” Wufei shrugged. “Perhaps. But I have ulterior motives.” He eyed the Japanese boy studiously. “I don’t want to see you hurt, my friend. What if Maxwell gets himself shipped off to prison? What will you do then?” “He won’t,” Heero said firmly. “But if he does?” “If he screws up that badly, he won’t be the person I think he is,” Heero insisted. Wufei sighed at that. “I hope he lives up to your expectations.” Heero shrugged. “If not, it won’t be the first time in my life I’ve been disappointed. I’ll get over it.” He gave his old friend a reassuring smile. Wufei returned it and then nodded, once again becoming the efficient Captain. “Well, then I suggest you get back to your team and keep whipping them into shape, Yuy. Next week’s going to be a challenge, even for you.”
“What? Why?” demanded the blonde, sitting up sharply. “K. says that since he’s not working out as a guard dog, they can’t keep him.” “Why can’t they place him in a home? I’m sure anyone would be happy to adopt him.” Quatre pictured Nanashi playfully tossing a ball around and chasing it the last time they’d visited the kennel together. He knew there wasn’t a mean bone in that dog’s body. “I told him that, but they have some rule about liability. They think eventually genetics would kick in and he’d turn on someone.” The green-eyed boy ran a hand across his eyes. “Damn it, Quatre…he doesn’t deserve that.” He sank down to sit beside the blonde. Feeling the stab of pain from his friend, Quatre put a reassuring arm around Trowa’s shoulders. “No, he doesn’t. Isn’t there some way to get around the rule? Some conditions under which someone could adopt him?” Trowa shook his head. “Kushrenada said no one could handle a dog like that if he became vicious.” Quatre frowned thoughtfully. “That’s not true. He’s not all that big.” A flicker of an idea began in the blonde Arab’s quick mind. “Hey, Trowa, you handle lions at the circus, right?” “Sure…all the time.” “So why couldn’t Nanashi go to the circus?” Quatre turned an intense gaze to his friend. “Maybe your sister could come get him…you should ask the warden.” Trowa considered the idea, some of the dread leaving his expression. “It might work,” he said thoughtfully. “I mean, we could guarantee that he’d never be loose where he might hurt someone.” He looked up at Quatre, green eyes alight. “That’s a perfect idea, Quatre. I know Nanashi will never turn vicious, but at least I could assure K. that we’d be able to control him if he did.” A smile spread across his face, and on sudden impulse, he hugged Quatre tightly. “Thank you, Quatre. You’re brilliant!” He pulled away, leaving a dazed blue-eyed boy staring awestruck at him. “I’m going to talk to K. right now!” He dashed out the door, nearly bowling over Duo, who was just coming in. “What the heck--?” Duo looked after the departing boy and then at Quatre’s stunned expression. “You okay, Quat? You look a little…catatonic.” He waved a hand in front of his friend’s face. “Anybody home?” “He…he…hugged me,” Quatre said, blinking and looking at Duo with a breathless smile. Duo raised an eyebrow. “Tro’ did?” Quatre nodded. “Wow…tall, auburn and silent finally made a move?” “Um…” Quatre’s face fell. “I’m not sure it was ‘a move’ per se…” “Then what was it?” Duo asked, giving Quatre a coy look. “Well, he was telling me they were going to have to put Nanashi to sleep, and then I--.” “Nanashi? Why?” demanded the braided boy. Quatre explained the situation the way Trowa had, ending with his idea to get Trowa’s sister to adopt Nanashi for the circus. “And then, he hugged me, and went to ask the warden about it.” Duo frowned, scratching his head. “You’re right…that’s not really ‘a move.’ But it’s an improvement, isn’t it?” He smiled wistfully. “I’d take that from Heero any way I could get it…” “Take what?” came a voice from the door. Duo didn’t even turn around. “Eavesdropping is rude, Yuy.” “What would you take, Maxwell?” asked the team leader, walking over to the laptop and glancing at the screen to see if there were any updates or messages. “Your bullshit, Yuy…I take your bullshit day after day,” Duo sighed, turning and walking over to his footlocker, where he'd tossed the survival pack. He picked it up, and set it on his bed, beginning to unpack and inventory it. Heero glanced at Duo’s back, and then at Quatre, giving the blonde a wry smirk. “Rope…” Duo tossed a coil of rope onto Heero’s bed. “Waterproof matches…” That packet went beside the rope. “Knife.” The braided boy plunked down on the bunk, opening up the folded weapon. “I stand corrected,” he sighed. “Dull knife.” He ran a thumb across the blade, eyeing it critically. “Hell, this would be fucking useless if you were actually stranded in the wilderness.” “Fortunately, we won’t be,” Heero shrugged. “It’s only a river crossing exercise, Maxwell.” “Yeah, but if we needed the knife for anything, it’d be worthless.” Duo scowled, folding the blade back up. “Hey, Quat, come for a walk with me.” “Where to?” asked the blonde, standing up. “The commissary. There’s a nice little knife sharpening tool there.” Duo smirked at his friend. “I’m gonna see if Mitch will let me use it for a minute.” “You two watch out for Kyle or Austin’s teams,” Heero cautioned, glancing up from the laptop with a vaguely concerned expression. Duo grinned, walking over and leaning his hands on the table. “Worried about me, ‘Ro?” he asked in a husky whisper. “Of course,” came the nonchalant reply. “We need four team members to win the competition.” The indigo eyes narrowed. “That’s it?” Heero looked up calmly, confident that Duo couldn’t tell that his proximity was making the team leader’s heart beat faster. “Should there be more to it?” Oh, but there was. There was so much more than team spirit involved in the way Heero felt about the braided menace. And it was all he could do to keep it to himself. “I guess not,” Duo sighed, straightening. He gave a last, suspicious look at Heero and then turned to Quatre. “Let’s go, buddy.” Linking an arm around Quatre’s, he pulled the blonde out the door with him.
When he decided the boy was sufficiently frazzled, he buzzed his secretary in the outer office and told her to let him in. “Barton…well, this is a surprise,” he said, with a pleased look on his handsome face. “Yes sir, I know. I just…I needed to talk to you about Nanashi.” “Oh…I see,” came the somber reply. “Well, do come in and sit.” Trowa walked in and took a seat opposite the elegant desk. “I know you said he had to be put down, sir. But what if…I mean…maybe there’s an alternative,” offered the auburn-haired boy. “I wish there were,” sighed the warden, sitting in his plush chair and fixing a carefully sympathetic look on his face. “Quatre suggested maybe if my sister adopted Nanashi, we could give him a safe home.” Trowa watched Kushrenada’s face for a response. “We handle lions, sir. I’m sure we could guarantee the public’s safety from Nanashi as well.” “Hmm, a novel idea,” crooned Kushrenada, his tawny eyes lighting up with inspiration. He’d merely intended to use the dog’s life as leverage with the boy, to get him to watch for Maxwell to break a law. But if he set up an adoption, and got Barton so emotionally invested in the dog that he was willing to do anything to save him, then the possibilities were tenfold. Perhaps the green-eyed boy would be willing to go a step further… “I’ll have to think about it, Barton. He’s a potentially dangerous animal.” “Yes sir. So are big cats. And yet we’ve never had an incident at the circus.” Trowa’s eyes were alight with hope. “I can promise you, sir, Nanashi would never harm a soul. Catherine could take care of him until I finish camp, and then I could take over.” “What about the Academy? If your team wins, you’d be going to the MSC Academy. Who’d be responsible for the dog then?” “I’m sure Catherine would take care of him as long as necessary.” Trowa shrugged slightly. “We don’t even know that Team Wing will finish in first place. I might not have to go.” “Well, there’s a lot to consider there,” shrugged the warden. “I’ll have to get back to you.” He smiled benevolently. “You go on back to the barracks. I’ll send for you when I’ve thought it over.” “Yes sir.” Trowa bit his lip uneasily. “Please, give it serious consideration? Sir, I really care about Nanashi…a lot.” “I can see that, and it certainly will weigh heavily in my decision.” “Thank you.” Trowa slipped out the door, and headed for the barracks at a brisk pace. Meanwhile, Warden Kushrenada smiled widely, taking one
of his finest cigars and pouring himself a glass of sherry to enjoy
with it. His day was certainly looking up.
tbc... |
