Hudson swung his binoculars over. The guy had his phone up, doing that thing where you angle it to get your good side. "What the hell does he need a selfie fornow?"
"Probably updating his socials. 'Felt cute, might simulate enemy combatant later.'" Reed chuckled.
Hudson stuffed his knuckles against his mouth. His shoulders shook, his eyes watered, and Reed made this weird silent wheezing sound that was somehow even funnier.
"Stop," Hudson gasped.
"You stop,” Reed shot back.
Yeah, they were nailing the whole "professional" thing.
"Okay, three guys moving northeast," Reed murmured, back to business, scribbling notes in his field book. "Carrying what looks like supply crates. Probably heading for that equipment depot we marked earlier."
Hudson tracked them, noting their positions, their route, and the way they moved. Sloppy. In fact, the wholesimulated enemy force seemed sloppy, which meant this exercise was probably more about patience and observation skills than an actual tactical challenge. "Got it. You wanna move to that ridge point or stay here?"
"Stay here. Better sight lines, and if we move now we risk getting spotted by Phone Guy."
"Roger." Hudson paused. "Should we call him Phone Guy in our report?"
"Sergeant Kowalski's gonna lose his shit if we turn in a report calling someone Phone Guy."
"Feel like it would be worth it."
Reed bit his lower lip, stifling another laugh. "You're gonna get us both recycled back to week one."
"Nah. Kowalski loves me."
"Kowalski thinks you're a pain in the ass."
Hudson smirked. "And yet here I am, top of the rankings. Weird how that works."
Reed punched his arm. “Asshole.”
They settled back into position, and Hudson let his mind wander while keeping his eyes on the open ground. It was weirdly peaceful, in a way. Just him, Reed, the Montana wilderness, and the sound of wind through pine trees.
And Phone Guy, of course, now bent over with his hands on the grass and ass pointing at the sky.
"Is he doing yoga?" Hudson whispered.
Reed raised his binoculars. "Holy shit. That's downward dog."
"In the middle of his guard shift."
"This is the worst enemy combatant I've ever seen."
"This is thebestenemy combatant I've ever seen. This dude’s having the time of his life."
Reed made that wheezing sound again. He shiftedbeside him, adjusting his position. "So anyway, back to the dating thing. How did Julie handle the break-up?"
"Fine. Why?"
"Just asking, man. Making conversation."
Hudson stayed focused on the clearing, tracking movements. "She’s fine. We’re fine."
"Okay. That’s…fine,” Reed said mockingly. “By the way, Novak bet me twenty bucks Shaw’s got someone back home. You know anything? I’m trying to figure out if that ice-cold act actually lands with the ladies or not.”
Hudson stilled, ignoring the weird flip his stomach did at the question. "How would I know?"
