The rookie guards were at a double table nearby, still congratulating and welcoming Seth, and the Level Threes were on the other side of the Boss' table, looking glum, as they listened to the happy voices.
Doug and Neil sat across from Kenn, and when Adrian pushed his mostly finished tray aside, the others did too. "Mini meeting and we can skip it later."
Notebooks and pens came out, and Adrian got busy, not lowering his voice. It was crucial to his plans that the camp thought they knew how he ran things. "Sitrep on your run."
"We got everything on the lists, except gas. All the stations were dry or destroyed."
"Alpine?"
"Just like all the rest. Nothing alive. We took pictures."
"Okay. That's it. Who's ready to shoot something?"
The men laughed, the boasting loud, and Adrian saw Doug hand Kenn his envelope with an apologetic nod that he was glad to see the Marine accept casually, as if Doug hadn't insulted him, when clearly he had. Things were looking up.
10
"All right, let's get to it." Bonfire warming his back, Adrian stood in front of two teams of men, his Army, and raised his bottle. "Rookies! Congratulations on passing!"
All the men cheered, one group much louder than the other, and they all drank together.
"You are now Level One Eagles. You boys get to choose your leader tonight and I'll need a name before this meeting's over."
He raised his bottle again. "Level Three Eagles, congratulations on passing!"
There were a lot of surprised looks with the cheers and Adrian waved a hand at Kyle. "You made it past Kenn and while there were mistakes, you couldn't have won anyway. Seth was the wild card that you can't always be ready for. I consider it a success."
Both groups cheered fully this time, drank, and Adrian held up a hand as it lingered this time. "We have one more challenge tonight, a personal level test."
The leader waved a hand. "Come up here, Seth."
The cop left his beer and new friends, approaching Adrian with pride and confusion.
"You have demonstrated great thinking skills, excellent teamwork, and an above average slyness that American men have used to protect this country for centuries. As a reward, Kenn will give you a test. If you pass, you'll graduate straight to the top level and start with Kyle and his Eagles tomorrow."
The men all cheered, glad for him, and Seth raised a brow as he grinned. "When?"