[The Lone Gunslinger, Chapter 5, Ribbons and Rattlesnakes] [A Rattlesnake in the forest] "Long-trailer turning onto the straight-away," says Thunder over the Com-link. "Open-top turning onto access road," adds Feeder. "White van passing point three," reports Rock. I listen to the reports from my classmates, and then push the microphone button at my throat. "Any markings on the white van?" "Nolan's Office Supplies," replies Rock. "Roger, and be advised, I see Beastie Cat trail about a half-mile to Rock's rear," says Misfire. "The blue short-trailer is pulling into the warehouse now," Sprint reports. "Misfire, what do you got on satellite? I ask. "Thunder has four Beastie Cats two-hundred feet to his left and closing fast, I don't see any more trucks for twenty-miles, you're safe to pop a red flare and clear your position again," replies Misfire. "Red flare popped, and, by the way, my position out here sucks, I want Misfire's job next time," insists Thunder. "I see the flare, Beastie Cats are moving away," says Misfire. "Feeder, two hot-spots coming towards you from the south." "There must be some satellite delay, I see 'em below me, it's a mama brown bear and cub," replies Feeder. "Oh great," says Thunder, "that means the Beastie Cats were closer than you said." Misfire has the best position; he is back at the Command Center, toasty and warm, watching everything on the satellite. Thunder is thirty-miles out on the prairie in the bushes watching the main highway while Rock is half that distance and Feeder is off the access road. Sprint has the hardest job; he is in a tree outside the warehouse trying to see the cargo. I'm on a hill looking over Feeder and Rock's position and commanding the mission. We are each alone and on our own, but together we form a relay of surveillance points. "Dammit� Dammit� Dammit," says Sprint. "The white van pulled in and the driver has gone straight to the Commander's Office." "Hey, it wasn't me this time," says Thunder. "Surveillance point three, blue shirt?" Simon asks over the frequency. "I'm at point three," replies Rock, "but I have the green shirt today." "Roger, continue mission," replies Simon. I breathe a sigh of relief. The drivers are in on the training mission and if they spot one of us they get a bonus, but we all have different colored shirts and switch every day to keep the drivers honest. Obviously the driver tried to cheat and guessed, but guessed wrong, we haven't failed the training mission, yet. "Stay low, Sprint," I warn. "I'm in a tree, how do I do that?" asks Sprint. "The driver just came back outside and looks mad; he's scanning the trees hard." "Yea, that scumbag wants the bonus bad," says Rock. "Oh, come on, he has binoculars now," says Sprint. "It's within the exercise parameters," says Simon. "Illegal cargo runners would be scanning for law enforcement agents, adapt and over-come." We aren't law enforcement. I've learned a lot in the last month. We are a special elite military branch of the Gunslinger Order. We can't arrest, only detain until a Lord Gunslinger or member of his team or local law enforcement arrives to affect an arrest. But, of course, the general public doesn't know the difference. "Stay still, I'll come down my side and count the cargo from over here." I think the driver is getting too involved in the exercise. Horse is leaning against a tree dozing; I've never seen a horse lean against a tree to sleep before, she has some strange habits. I pat her on the neck and tell her to stay put. She snorts. I think she's annoyed I woke her. I leave Horse leaning against her tree and run down the hill. The white van is on the other side of the warehouse from me that I can run to without worrying about being seen. There is another hill between me and the warehouse and I need to hurry or we won't get a cargo count and fail the exercise, again. I get to the top of the second hill and start down towards the warehouse when Misfire shouts over the Com-link. "Hero, stop, there's a person between you and the warehouse!" I dive for the ground and roll behind a tree and key my Com-link, "Who? What are they doing?" "There is no one else involved in the training exercise," says Simon. "Ignore them and continue the mission." I peek out around the tree, the person must have heard something and turns around, it's Theodore Rattlesnake. What's Rattlesnake doing here? I should just keep going, but it's just too odd for Rattlesnake to be here. The walk down the switch-backs is a long walk to get to the warehouses from the main camp and isn't a casual walk. And, I've been very annoyed at Rattlesnake lately--I want to know what he's up to. I've started noticing Rattlesnake and Ace sneaking off together; he's just giving her way too much attention, eating meals together, walking in the forest together. Rattlesnake is twenty-three and Ace is seventeen, the whole thing is just wrong. I'm going to find out what Rattlesnake is doing. [Cat and Mouse] "Hero, what's wrong, you're not moving?" says Misfire. "They're almost done unloading the cargo; you gotta hurry," says Sprint. I know I should keep going. If I wait we won't finish the mission and will have to do it again, but the way Rattlesnake is standing just off the road, I want to know what's going on. "Alright, that's it, the cargo is in the warehouse, you didn't get the cargo count, everyone pull it in, we'll debrief at the Dining Cabin," orders Simon. "Training exercise failed; you'll do it again tomorrow morning." I can see the helicopter lift off the helipad to go retrieve Feeder, Rock, and Thunder from the prairie, but I wait, and watch. Rattlesnake walks out to the road just as the white van pulls around the warehouse and stops next to him. The driver gets out and walks over to Rattlesnake; the driver is carrying a box. I lift my binoculars to my eyes so I can see better; I knew Rattlesnake was up to something. The box isn't too big, maybe the size of a big book. The driver opens the box and shows Rattlesnake the contents, he holds something up but I can't tell what it is. I see Rattlesnake hand the driver... money? ...Rattlesnake is buying something from the Black Market. I knew it! I'll show Ace what Rattlesnake is really all about, then she'll like me. "Hero, are you coming?" says Sprint over the Com-link. "I'll meet you at the Dining Cabin," I reply. Rattlesnake tucks the box under his duster and hurries back into the woods. I get up to follow and carefully stay behind the trees. The van attracts my attention for a moment as it stops again further up the road behind one of the warehouses, but I'm too interested in where Rattlesnake is going. The trees are thinner at the bottom of the hill, and I don't have full camouflage, my position was supposed to be command and control. I watch Rattlesnake circle around towards the switch-backs that go up to the main camp, but that would take me away from where Horse is waiting. I'm going to lose Rattlesnake if I go back to get Horse. I look back and forth trying to decide--no, I can't leave Horse. Maybe if I hurry I can get Horse and catch-up, but I have to wait for Rattlesnake to circle past me. Rattlesnake stops between me and Horse and looks up the hill, then down where I am. I know he doesn't see me, but I think he senses someone is out here. I hear his footsteps as he moves on then the forest is silent. I know better than to move, it's become a game of cat and mouse. I learned this lesson from Simon sneaking up on me during the camouflage training. Rattlesnake is waiting for me to move and give away my position. I hear something to my left and further down the hill. Rattlesnake couldn't have gotten that far past me without me hearing. I don't even turn my head to look, I think he threw a rock to make me think he is below me now. The early snows have melted, but the ground is wet, and I'm cold, Rattlesnake could out-wait me if he wants, but I think he gets bored and I hear him moving away. I turn my head slowly until I can see the switch-back heading up the mountain, and then I see someone on horse-back. I lift my binoculars and... yes, its Rattlesnake; he left his horse back where it was safe like I did. The helicopter has returned, and the others will be on their way to the debriefing. I'll need to hurry to get there on time. I stand and sprint up the hill, and just as I reach the top I hear a horse charging through the woods, Rattlesnake tricked me. He pretended to be leaving but was waiting for me to move, the game of cat and mouse is back on, and I realize I'm the mouse. I might have been the mouse the entire time. Horse isn't far and I leap up on her, waking her again and getting a shake of her head for the annoyance. I kick her, and she must realize something serious is happening, she jumps into a mad gallop, and we plunge through the trees trying to escape. I chance a look back and see Rattlesnake; it's just a matter of time before he catches up. I don't think he knows it's me yet, it's light out but the sun is still low and the forest is a dark shadow. Then I run out of forest and emerge on a flat grassy range. I haven't been here before, but I think this might be one of the south ranges. I look back and can see Rattlesnake, but he's stopped at the edge of the range and is just a silhouette against the forest. "WOAH!! STOP!!" someone shouts. I have to pull up hard on the reins to keep from trampling over two Gunslingers dressed in black assault gear and holding automatic short-assault rifles. We don't actually use our revolvers or long-rifles in combat. The revolver is a weapon of intimidation; both the revolver and the lever-action rifle are just traditional weapons we carry as members of The Gunslinger Order for personal protection. "Can't you see the range flags?" shouts one of the Gunslingers. "You're one of the First Year Trainees, who's your mentor?" demands the other Gunslinger. "Gunslinger Simon, Sir," I reply. The Gunslinger shakes his head in disgust, "I wouldn't want to be you right now, go report to the Captain," the Gunslinger points at four assault vehicles at the edge of the range. I ride the direction the Gunslinger orders and seven other Gunslingers dressed in black assault gear stand and glare at me. When I get to the assault vehicles there is a Gunslinger in each turret, their .50 caliber machine guns pointing at the ground. Every yellow safety light is on now and a warning siren indicating a range cease-fire is blaring. "Fool boy, what the hell were you thinking?" shouts a Gunslinger with Captain bars on his uniform. "Who's your mentor?" "Gunslinger Simon, Sir." "You're Colonel Simon's kid?" I wasn't sure what he was talking about. I knew the Gunslingers used rank when they worked together, but we haven't covered how it works or who holds which rank. I'm a Trainee, everyone outranks me, and I sure didn't know Simon was a Colonel; everyone is just Gunslinger or Sir. I also thought calling me Simon's kid was a little weird, I'm a trainee, not a kid. "If you were anyone else I'd put you in handcuffs for this stunt and drag you to the Commander's office. Now get off my range and report immediately to the Colonel," shouts the Gunslinger Captain. [Ribbons and Lies] The ride to the Dining Cabin seemed to take forever. The Commander's all-terrain vehicle is parked outside, and that's rare, he usually rides a horse. I guess he was in a hurry to get here ahead of me, I'm in trouble and I know it. I tie Horse up to the hitching post and walk up the old wooden steps to the porch that wraps around the big log-cabin building. The other boys in my class are visible through the window, already sitting at a table, and Commander Conrad and Simon are talking--this is going to be bad. I push the door open and walk inside; my head hung down in the well-practiced posture of a meek bound-orphan. There are other Gunslingers, and trainees from the second and third year sitting at tables eating their breakfast. I'm going to get chewed out in front of everyone; it doesn't get any worse than this. I think everyone is staring at me. Simon is remarkably calm when he turns to me; I don't see anger on his face. "You want to explain what you were doing in the middle of a live-fire exercise?" "It was an accident," I mumble. "Hold your head up and speak plain," Simon scolds me. I lift my head and repeat. "It was an accident." "The exercise you interrupted was the last chance that Assault Team had to practice before deployment," says the Commander. I think he does look angry. "I'm sorry." "You're on Range duty for the next week so you can learn to recognize an active range," says Simon. "Go sit with your class, let's get this de-briefing going, I have other things to do today." And just like that it was over. Everyone turned back to their breakfast, and I sit down with my class. Sprint nudges me. "What happened out there?" asks Sprint. "Nothing, I didn't make it in time." "Okay, well, I guess we do it again tomorrow." Misfire gives me an odd look, he knows I could have made it but wasn't moving, but he doesn't know what I was doing. I try to avoid Misfire's stare. Everything looks like it's going to work out, and I reach for one of the juice boxes in the center of the table when the door opens, and Rattlesnake and Ace walk in. Rattlesnake is holding the box I saw him buy from the guy in the white van. Ace is shoving Rattlesnake and trying to get the box from him. Rattlesnake and Ace sit at a table opposite each other, and Rattlesnake hands the box to Ace. My blood boiled instantly. Rattlesnake is buying gifts for Ace from the Black Market, the whole thing is too much for me and I stand and knock my chair backward, it tips over and everyone is staring at me again. "You're a dirty snake," I shout at Rattlesnake, my hand hovering over my revolver. Rattlesnake stands and stares at me, his hand on top of his own revolver. The students and Gunslingers eating breakfast at the tables between us gets up and scramble out of the way. "Hold on, what's this all about?" shouts the Commander. "I saw him buy that box on the Black Market, and now he's giving it to Ace," I point at Rattlesnake. "I've seen him being friendly with Ace; it's disgusting and wrong, he's too old for her, and now he's giving her gifts." Commander Conrad looks like he wants to laugh as Simon steps between me and Rattlesnake. "Simon, if we had any doubts before, there isn't now, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I believe we've been down this path before. I think when you were..." the Commander starts to say. Simon interrupts. "Yes, I remember. I'll deal with this." Simon turns to me, his eyes turn to that cold dead stare that I'm terrified of. "Where did you see Gunslinger Theodore buy the box?" Simon speaks a whisper that only adds to his terrifying appearance. "The man in the white van stopped, Rattesnake gave the man money and then took the box," I reply. "Sir, I think this is partially my fault," says Rattlesnake. "I knew someone was in the woods this morning and thought the Ravens were back and made chase, that's when he went onto the range, but I didn't know it was him until too late." "You should have reported the incident," says Simon. "I accept full responsibility for that," says Rattlesnake. "I was in too much of a hurry to meet with Ace and give her the gift." "You see," I say. "He admits being a dirty snake." "Quiet!" shouts Simon, and I flinch back. "Theodore, would you care to share what is in the box?" Ace pushes her chair back, stands, and brings the box over. She stops in front of me, and if I had any more room to move back, I would have. Before I can get out of the way, Ace slaps me hard across the face. "How dare you," Ace shouts at me. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Ace opens the box and shows it to Simon; the box is full of brightly colored ribbons, the kind of ribbons a girl would use to tie her hair back. "My birthday was last month but Tommy's gift didn't arrive until this morning," explains Ace. "Father used to tie ribbons in my hair; Tommy knows I like ribbons." We aren't supposed to ever say our real names, but Ace is angry, and I think she is using Rattlesnakes real name? Ace leans in close to me and spits on me. "I'm not having an affair with Tommy, you sick twisted horse dung," Screams Ace. "But...but...at the river, you were crying and...you were walking with Rattlesnake instead of with your class, and I've seen you walking together all the time," I say. "Tommy is my brother," Ace screams in my face. "Theodore Two-Step was our father," Ace's screaming is hurting my ears and then she shoves me and I fall back on the table. "Lone Gunslinger names are almost always passed from Father or Mother to the oldest child, you would know that if you didn't have your head shoved up your backside," Ace finishes by punching me in the stomach and storming out of the Dining Cabin. Rattlesnake points at me, "You stay away from me and my sister, you hear me?" Simon bends down and glares at me with those cold eyes. "Never in the history of the Simons has a Simon trainee not been a class leader, but you leave me no choice. You left your post during a training exercise, lied to your class, me, and the Commander. You spied on a Gunslinger, and then endangered yourself and your horse by running out onto a live range to avoid that Gunslinger in the pursuit of his duties--And then you accuse that Gunslinger of a despicable criminal act; all because of a fit of jealous envy." Simon grabs my jacket and pulls me up on my feet. "You are relieved as Class Leader, and you will serve thirty days extra-duty and thirty-days restriction," Simon turns to my class. "Thunder, you will assume duties as Class Leader, take Hero's horse to the public corral, he has lost the privilege to have a horse, and Hero is not to leave his cabin without an escort from a member of his class, is that understood?" All I can do is stand with my head down, my class won't even look at me and even those just eating breakfast and enjoying the show have turned their heads away.