I have to go on another mission soon. Holidays are over. I understand why we do it. Man, do they make sure we understand why we do it. Photos of random families and smiling faces bombard my laptop all the time via government email. It’s funny how they patronize us. It must have slipped their minds that they recruited us, because we were the best and brightest.1
2
I could probably run mental circles around the PhD whose job it is to make sure we stay in line. I guess they have reason to think we’re losin’ it. Rob has to lock himself behind a steel door at night. I don’t blame him. He has a wife and kid. 3
4
I wonder where we're going this time and how long we'll have to stay there? It’s probably just a quick paint mission. Satellite picked something suspicious up, or someone cracked and gave up a position. 5
6
Hah! You’d never see that in the brochure. It’s all about being a hero and serving your country, but they don’t tell you the stuff you have to do if you’re good enough. Christ, it’s only been five years. Five years. Thirty seven times. Christ!7
8
Rob says it’s getting’ harder to walk by those punks lighten’ up, shortin’ up, shootin’ up where he lives. He says we ought to take the demand away. Sometimes, I think he’s right.9
I wonder where we’re going this time? It doesn’t matter. Always the same. They’re infesting some village, some hotel, some warehouse, and there will be men and women and children. Here today, and gone tomorrow! Hah! Gone tomorrow. And, I’ll be done for a while.10


