The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10 Read Online Free

teams you picked ,” Sgt. Ryder told him as they sat in Hal’s office. “Captain?”
    “Huh?” Hal looked up. “I’m sorry.”
    “Deep in thought?”
    “Deep in dread.” Hal took the paper Sgt. Ryder handed him. “You didn’t say what you thought of my teams I picked out?”
    “I’m sorry. I like them.”
    “Good, I’ll start prepping them tomorrow. We might as well send out the Mathias scouts as well as the Wild Cats scouts. We should also be hearing from someone regarding the search for our men and Beginnings man. When is he due back for supplies?”
    “Tomorrow morning ,” Sgt. Ryder answered. “Boy, you are in deep thought. Usually you know exactly . . .”
    “Shh.” Hal held up his hand. “Listen. It nears.”
    “I’m leaving.” Sgt. Ryder started to stand up.
    “You’re staying. Prepare.”
    The re was a knock at the door, only one. It opened and Grace walked in. She looked back into the hall. “Wait there and don’t leave. I will not walk these streets alone.” She straightened her moo-moo style dress and closed the door. “Captain. Can we be alone?”
    “No ,” Hal answered as he sat down after playing the gentleman and standing on her entrance. “Elliott must be here. He’s learning the tricks of the reigns if I must leave.”
    Grace smiled some. “Elliott , that will be a welcome change. Perhaps you can make your men behave like civilized human beings.”
    Hal waited for it . He wanted it over with so he figured he might as well get it started. “I’ve spoken to my men. They said nothing out of the ordinary occurred.”
    This was a m istake on Hal’s part. Like a monsoon wind, she blasted him. Hal thought--only for a second--that he saw fire spit from her mouth. “Where do you get off taking their word over mine!”
    Hal leaned back.
    “Do you realize, Captain, that three of those men had dirt ... dirt imbedded in the grains of their skin? Dirt! Do you believe that? Dirt!”
    Dirt. Dirt. That word started to make him smile.
    “Is it any wonder you find yourself in this position?” Grace asked loudly.
    Upon her words, Hal seemed to leave that office and escaped the pain of that moment for the pain of another . . .
     
    “Is it any wonder you find yourself in this position?” Lucille, Joe’s fifth fiancée yelled at a fourteen year old Hal. Lucille was older than Joe. It was his experimental phase when he was tired of the young dumb ones. Of course, Hal never remembered that phase lasting past Lucille. She could have been attractive had she not been so nasty, yet she turned on the sweet as pie act when Joe walked in. “Are you listening to me?”
     
    “Are you listening to me?” Graces voice interfered with Hal’s memory.
    Hal snapped back. “Um, yes. Go on.” But Hal didn’t listen his mind went back to that day again . . . the day Lucille found a few innocent pornographic magazines and went after Hal.
     
    “Look at you. Is it any wonder I’m not shocked to death at this moment.” Lucille was in her bitching glory. “Do you really think I need to subject myself to this when I make a bed? Being your father’s slave? Working unappreciated for you boys? And you don’t care. Do you help? No. Look at you, Hal Slagel. You scream future rapist.”
     
    Hal snickered at his thought. Not at Grace, though it appeared otherwise.
    “Captain.” Sgt. Ryder called his name. “Any suggestions?”
    “Um . . . You said the man filling in for Peter was what?”
    “Pornographic.” Grace nodded.
    Hal tried not to laugh. “Sorry. Let me hear it all first. Finish.”
    Grace began to. She had a list. She rambled off on things such as preparatory actions not taken prior to arrival at the house. As Hal thought of how he would get his men out of this mess and forever save them from the ‘Grace’ torture again, he thought of how he got himself out of that mess with the porno magazines.
     
    “Robbie.” Hal walked into the second bedroom. Robbie sat with Jimmy on the bed.