Page 32 of PSYCHOlogical

It was a question I could answer without feeling guilty. “It wouldn’t surprise me, no.”

“What about Taggert?”

“Same.”

“CW?”

“Who?” I asked.

“Wilson.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Jesus.” He forced a sigh. “There’s only one left.”

“Payne,” I said.

“Somalia, or no?” he asked.

“I’m surprised he isn’t there already.”

“What if I got shipped out?”

“I’d be shocked beyond belief,” I said.

“Why?”

“Because you’re the only one in the program that has the capacity to feel emotion.”

“I think finding out about Shephard made me look at all the men a little differently,” he confessed. “I feel like an idiot for believing all this time that their heads were in the right place. I’m in it to make a difference. They’re in it because they enjoy it.”

“How did it make you feel to…” I paused. After a drink of wine, I rephrased my question. “Was it strange to consider shooting another Marine?”

“Not really. My world is different than most people’s, I suppose.”

“How so?”

“It’s pretty black and white. Something’s either right or it’s wrong. What he was considering was wrong. This time, standing against what’s wrong meant going against the brotherhood in the Corps. It doesn’t surprise me that I was ready to kill him if need be. I’ve been standing against what’s wrong since I was a kid.”

“Do you prefer missions where you’re alone?” I asked.

“The value in going alone is that I know no one is going to speak of the details of my missions. What I write in my report is what happened.”

“Do you lie in your reports?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” He reached for his beer before meeting my gaze. “I exclude details that would cause my mission to be scrutinized. The rest is my version of the truth.”

I chuckled. “You prefer working alone. I was just curious.”

“If eliminating the target is simple, I’d rather be alone. If the mission is complex, having someone else involved brings a certain value.”

“Because they’ve got your back?”

“Not exactly.”

I gave him a look.

“If the mission involves tactics that are questionable or a method that isn’t per protocol, the involvement of another participant allows corroboration of the story.”