CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
South Island, South Carolina
December 21
“Son, let me educate you on the subtleties of poker.” Steady puffed on a cigar and fanned his cards on the table. “See these two ladies here? They are queens. And they beat that dumpster fire of a hand you’re showing me.”
Steady, Tox, Herc, Ren, Chat, and Cam were on Steady's newly repaired deck, crammed around a makeshift card table consisting of a plank resting on two sawhorses. Platters of sandwiches and bowls of snacks, courtesy of Maggie Bishop, bookended the poker game. The folding card table Herc had commandeered from Charlie Bishop's garage served as the bar.
It was a cool night, an Atlantic breeze blew in, and the full moon hung low on the horizon. It was an idyllic setting for anyone, but for these men who had camped on frigid mountain cliffs, trudged through swamps, and slept in critter-infested jungles, it was heaven.
“Whatever.” Herc Reynolds shoved his pair of nines into the center of the table.
Steady grinned around his stogie and gathered the chips.
Cam tossed his cards back. “Let somebody else deal, Steady. I’ve had shit hands all night.”
Tox shoved his shoulder. “Cam's just grumpy he has to look at our ugly mugs across the table.”
Herc reached for a sandwich. “Gemini March. Jeez, I had her poster above my bunk at sniper school.”
“And I bet you hit that target a few times.” Steady's jibe was met with a shower of popcorn from Tox.
“Dude, spare us that image.” Tox puffed out his cheeks in a fake gag.
Cam gathered his cards one at a time as they were dealt. “Who's the craziest woman you’ve ever met?”
That popped the lid on a can of worms.
Chat slid a hand across his bald head. “Who wants to go first? Steady? The omelet girl? Ren? The screeper?”
“Okay, elaborate.” Cam urged, happy to have the attention off of him.
Steady just stared at his cards. “Suffice it to say, I was getting raw egg out of shit for weeks.”
“What's a ‘screeper’?” Herc asked around a bite of a turkey sandwich.
Ren banged his forehead on the table. “Screamer, weeper.”
Tox did his best impression. “Re-hen-hen-hen, Re-hen-hen-hen! I didn’t know if you were railing her or killing her.”
Ren still had his head on the table. “She was doing that before I did either one, so, trust me, it was a tough decision.”
Ren popped his head up and laughed out his question. “Remember that chick who showed up at the base claiming to be Tox's wife?”
Steady slapped Tox on the back. “And she didn’t know his real name.”
Herc sputtered, “Who did she say she was? Mrs. Tox?”
“Yes!” Ren laughed.
“So, take that crazy and multiply it by ten.” Cam traded two cards to the dealer.
Herc smirked. “Still might be worth it.”
“I don’t know.” Chat fanned out his cards. “Things worked out for her pretty well in the end.”
“How so?” Cam asked.