The Commander

OLD WOUNDS
Tagline--A commander buries the wounds of his past to help a member of his team find some closure with his father.

The storeroom was empty just as he knew it would be.
"Time to relax," he thought to himself as he pulled a cigar from his front shirt pocket.

He sat in the first chair he could find and began to take a series of short puffs. He waited for the cigar to catch before tilting his head back. It had been years since he blew shapes with his smoke. He decided he would give it a try. HA! He still had it after all these years. A small since of triumph ran through his body and touched something deep within him. He could not help but smile.
Why had he not noticed it at first? There sitting on the shelf in-between the boxes was the good shit, a bottle of Jim Bean Honey. He idolized its presence, which was evident by the sudden twitch in his hands and feet. He had remained strong, it not for himself then for her
"Ten years ago, I would have drunk this bottle and filled it back up with colored water. Hell, I would have done it five years ago," he thought to himself as he let out a quiet chuckle.
He reached into his pocket, felt around for a second and pulled out a small simple little piece of paper. The yellow edges showing that the photo was old. He looked at the picture, blew it a kiss, and let out a sigh before placing it back into the pocket reserved only for her. He could not help but blame himself for what happened.
Five years ago, he was a reckless hot head. Her death had made him find the calm within. Who would have ever thought that he would be running a base with over 10,000 soldiers? A job he didn't want, but one he's given his blood sweat and tears too.
Click! The sound startled him. It was coming from the main doors down the hall and was the only warning that company was coming. He had a few minutes at best.
"Damn! Busted already, he whispered. Looking to his left, he grabbed the bottle of apple juice off the floor, drinking carefully as to not break the glass container and throws the empty bottle in the trashcan behind him.
"How did they find me so fast, he thought.
"It had to be dumb luck," he insisted. He began to shake his head slightly, "somebody is watching me."
He could hear the footsteps coming down the hall now. Pattern recognition told him it was his second in command. He could tell by the skip in his walk every third step. It was very slight but if you listened closely, it was there. Taking one last draw of his cigar, he reluctantly puts it out and anticipates the arrival of his Second.
Tap Tap Taaap,....Tap, Tap, Taaap! Again, he smiled

" Commander are you in here?" he shouts
"Yeah, what is it Second" the Commander shouts, his steel grey eyes listening to the Seconds every move through the door.
The Second walked into the room as if he had an audience. Back straight, chin high, just like they taught us in the Academy. Even his salute was on point.
         "Second Jason, Sir, Reporting, We have a problem."
He returned the Seconds salute, "Is he in the garden?" asked the Commander eyes glued to the Seconds face.
"Yes, Sir" the Second replied. Taking a second to shift his stance slightly, He hated when the commander stared at him that way. "He's in the garden again, Sir."
"Damage Report?"
"Two doors, multiple windows, and three walls from what I'm told, sir."
"I can deal with that," He replied. "Let me talk to the kid. This is the third time this week. Maybe he is trying to tell us something."
"As you wish, Sir" answered the Second, saluting and turning towards the door. "Enjoy your smoke, Sir"
"Second." the Commander yelled catching the Seconds off guard, "You spying on me son?"
"No, Sir" He replied. Tapping two fingers to his temple "I just like to know where you are, since you like to disappear."
"Stay out of my head, Second" growled the Commander.
"Yes, Sir" Replied the Second already moving on to his backup plan of monitoring the commander movement. The commander was the only one on the base that he needed to have eyes on, at all times.
Silence filled the room as the Second's footsteps echoed down the hallway. Shaking his head in disbelief, he found himself smiling. He liked this Second, better than the last. This one never mentioned anything about his smoking on base.
"Well, let's see what's going on in the kids head." He whispered to himself and headed down the hallway.
         "Shit" he thought. The Garden is on the other side of the base.
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Lucas looked out across the garden lost in thought. At fifteen years of age when other young men were enjoying life's pleasures, he was learning the art of killing. He was a killing machine for the government. He knew duty and responsibility always came first, which is why he never complained.
It was the government's technology, No, his father's technology, that made him into the brute he was today, he thought. Seven feet tall and weighing close to 800 pounds. Next to the Commander, he was by far the biggest male specimen on the base. The garden was the only place on the base that he didn't feel like a tool, the one place he could see the past whenever he wanted.
The gardens holographic control panel allowed him to visit any place in the world but the only place he wanted to visit was home, the only real home he ever knew; a two-story brick building with a nice backyard deep in the heart of Houston, Texas. Well, there use to be a two-story brick home before the first set of strikes that began the War.

In an instant, he was alert. Before he knew it he was reaching up and grabbing for the Commanders throat.
"At ease son" the Commander said in a soothing voice." "You must have been deep in the shit"
Realizing whom he almost attacked, Lucas jumped to attention and saluted.
With his brown eyes slightly covered up by his blue hair and a look of guilt on his face, he muttered, "Sorry sir."
"No harm done" said the commander smiling broadly. "I'm the one sneaking up on you...Time for a haircut uh son?"
Lucas couldn't help but frown. The commander was always two steps ahead of him.
"Yeah I've been meaning to sir" Lucas replied standing in the doorway to the backyard of his house, the garden making a complete replica of Lucas family home before the war.
"I remember eating Sunday dinner with your mother and father here before things got out of hand," the Commander said. "Do you want me to bring your gear here so you can sleep?"
"No. Sir" replied Lucas with a distance look on his face." I miss them that's all"
He knew who Lucas meant. Before the war started, Lucas had seven brothers and sisters in his family. Now there were none. His mom went missing after the first strikes. Only his dad survived but he might as well have died in the war. After the disappearance of his mother, Lucas father devoted his life to his lab, which he never came out of. Movement out the corner of his eyes made him lock eyes at the Commander. The commander was looking at his closed fist.
"Damn,Damn,Damn!" he thought.
"Commander I'm sorry" Lucas whispered. How could he forget that the Commanders wife died in the first attacks?
For a second the commander's mind lefts his body.
He could remember how many times he had replayed those last moments and there were many.
A flash of light followed by his friends and family winking out of existence one by one right in front of him. He reaches out to grab her, to shield her only to watch her die in his arms. Not even a scrap of hair remained to cling too.
That was the last time he had tasted Jim Bean. He had to blame her death on something.
The silence didn't last long as the commander's look of calm restored itself slowly. A fragile smile enveloping his face.
"We both lost that day didn't we?"The commander whispers.
"Yes, sir, we did"
"I need your head on straight Luke"
"I might be young sir, but I know my duty. When the war's over then we'll talk about life on the outside."
Walking up to, Lucas the commander gives him a hard slap to the back of his shoulders. Sending him off balance for a second.
"The apple didn't fall to far from the tree with you, son" the commander jokes his spirits being lifted by Luke's words." Matter of fact the apple didn't even fall from the tree it grew on top of the other apples."
"What" Lucas says looking confused "What does that mean, sir?"
"It means I would trust you with my life and the life of my family if the need ever came up. That's what it means."
Silence.
"Thank you, sir" Lucas replies looking at his feet, not knowing how to express his feeling.
"Three days" the Commander says, "You got three days to go visit your father and get his god forsaken ass out of that lab. Carry him if you have too; just make sure he hasn't enhanced himself. Wouldn't that be something?"
Lifting his head to the sky, Lucas smiles
"Thank you sir" he says saluting the commander. "Three days is all I need.
As if on cue, the base alarms sound off.
"See you in three" say's the commander rolling up his sleeves. It had been to long since he'd seen any real action. Today that will change, the commander thought.