Chapter 42

I slept very late that next day. It was almost dark again when I awoke. I staggered out the door and went for a run in the dusk. The light wasn't good, but Dog came along to be sure I didn't fall off the running trail. I appreciated his company more than I would have Osborn. Dog didn't insist on talking about 'things'.

About half way through the five mile run, I just stopped running. I walked to finished the course. I tried to process that I was fucking rich. Not just a little rich, I was really fucking rich. I was rich enough that I never had to work again. Or if I wanted to work, I could do anything I wanted. I could mine for gold in Alaska or drive race cars.

I was most of the way back to the compound, when I decided that I didn't want to do anything else. At least I didn't have anything I wanted to do more than what I was doing at that moment. Dog and I walked back into the compound with our heads held high.

Osborn and I shared a late supper which came from a microwave. I had those things at home, so I wasn't offended. Even Osborn didn't seem to mind.

"So Osborn, it looks as if the settlement came through. They tell my by Friday I will be insanely rich." I said.

"Do I still have a job with you?" she asked.

"If you want, bitch and bitch investigations," I said with a grin.

"Okay, so are we staying in county seat, because if we are I want to move in with you." She saw my face and rushed on. "Not like that. We can just watch each others back. Working with you is dangerous."

"Well that much is true, but I don't know how long I'm staying here. I have to talk to Colonel Martin tomorrow and work out how we will function." I said.

"My god this place is so cool. I can't believe I will be working here," she said.

"You won't be. It's a subcontractor gig. They will just be one of many clients, I hope." I said.

"But I like it here," she said.

"Trust me Oz, you wouldn't like it here, if you knew the things that go on," I said. "But you do have a point. No sense you paying rent on a place for the next few months. I think I'm going to move the operation somewhere warmer,"

"You mean somewhere like Florida?" she asked all excited.

"I was thinking more like on the coast right here. We get warm southern breezes and hardly any snow on our own coast." I said.

"And it's close to the Swamp Dog headquarters?" she asked.

"Yes, but that isn't the reason," I said.

"Of course not," she said.

"Well we are through here now. In the morning I will meet with Colonel Martin and we will work out the details then I'm going home. We will have to decide about furniture and where to put you." I said.

"Talk to the Colonel first," Osborn suggested.

"It's late, you should go to bed. I have been sleeping all day, I'm not tired," I suggested without being asked.

After they all left, I started a fire in the big stone fireplace. It wasn't really cold just a little chilly. I sat by the fire with Dog. I wondered what the future would bring. I had a chance to go back now. It might well be my last chance to be someone of whom I could be proud. Which way would I turn. I had no idea what to do, or answers I could give Colonel Martin. I knew that I had tortured that man, because he simply wasn't a good man and he had information I wanted.

I broke Gingers finger just to get information, so I could bring her husband back to answer to the UN war crimes commission. Information that he didn't even have. It was all such a waste. I was willing to turn a human being into a vegetable and torture a woman who had done nothing. I had been willing to do all that not for principal, but for a group of men who answered only to themselves and Colonel Martin. If I really wanted to do something worthwhile maybe I should shoot Martin.

Even if I did that someone else would step up to do the dirty work for the world. Swamp Dogs were just willing to do things, Things that others knew needed doing, but had to much to risk. Well maybe I suddenly had too much to risk as well. Maybe it was time to really retire. Problem was I did it for a different reason. I was an adrenaline junkie, if I went too long without the fix, I would probably become one of those mass murders. Walk into a movie theater and take out a bunch of people.

"Fucking yuppies," I said and took Dog to bed with me. I was surprised that I slept so well.

I was up at five and woke Osborn. "Come on get dressed we are going to run."

I waited for her outside I wore a light sweater under the fatigue top. We ran for five miles in the twilight. I was surprised that Osborn came running into the parking lot only a couple of minutes behind me.

"Come on, lets go eat fucking powdered eggs and burned bacon," I said.

"Damn you make it sound so appetizing," Osborn said.

"Just wait," I said with a smile.

A minute after she put the first forkful of eggs in her mouth she asked me, "Was that really an egg once?"

"Yes, it's a shame to do that to an egg. Please don't try a glass of their milk. The sad thing is some of these people think that shit is food," I replied.

"God what the food must be like where they come from," Osborn said.

"That's how you are supposed to think of the food Osborn. Just don't say it too loud. Yes, it is better than some of the crap from where they are from, but they don't realize their food is crap." I said.