gloria and the ride down

"It stinks in here," Gloria said somewhere in Georgia.

"You don't need to use that tone with me," she said that as I answered her in my obviously damaged mind.

"What tone, I just stated the obvious. Hundreds of men have used this van. There is a smell of tobacco smoke, farts, gun oil,and fear embedded in the upholstery. I doubt that all the orange cleaner in the world will ever get it out."

"So are you afraid?"

"This mission is undermanned, mostly under equipped, so yeah I'm afraid. Worst of all, as best I can tell they have chosen us like law rockets, we are completely disposable operatives. Someone just may know more than they are telling."

"Do you think you are supposed to die in Cuba?"

"This could be some kind of political statement more than a real mission. You know just to prove the boy wonder is willing to do something, without actually changing the status quo. This maybe kinda like a predator fired missile but with real people, nothing but symbolic."

"I will not have you killed just to make some political points," Gloria demanded.

"Not much you can do sweetie. This is real people stuff here."

"You could walk away," she said flatly.

"Not really, this is the beast I chose to ride years ago. Besides what's a one legged man to do, play ice hockey?"

"No of course not, go home and join PETA or something," she replied.

"Time to stop for gas and coffee," The mission commander said turning onto an exit ramp.