Free Revealing Revelations by Ric Nero

hand!” His ‘save your soul’ theatrics seemed to have worked, seeing as how everyone has now returned to their previous conversations.
    “Good job, Father Todd.” He turns back around, but I get up to leave.
    “Thomas, wait.” He tries to half whisper half yell. “Even here even now, there are examples around us here,” he says frantically. He points at the liquor bottles behind the bar lined up against the mirror “There the bottle with shapes of naked women called Conjure, Cîroc, Nuevo. Just think, what do these names mean and where do they come from? These things don’t strike you as odd?”
    I don’t want to hear any more. But the fact remains he knew about the T.O.C and he could have easily given us up. So I chose to entertain the priest a bit longer.
    “So, let’s say that whatever you’re saying is true. What part do I have in it?” I ask him.
    “Simple, the same thing you are doing now, researching and reporting just in another manner. Have you ever asked yourself why things happen the way they do on this base or in the Middle East for that matter?” he asked me.
    “Everything happens for a reason,” I said.
    He laughs. “Dear boy, that is something we both know. But why is that? And who makes these choices, is not that the whole reason why you do what you do here?” he asks me, challenging me to think more into things. He starts to become flustered. “I think you even came to this question time after time in your propagandic discoveries.” He leans forward putting all his weight on folded arms on top of the counter top. “And each time you think about this question you come to a dead end, oil is no more than a small piece of the puzzle, my friend. They’re even conspirators around even you, soldier, this you should think about,” he said, sipping the last of his Coke and walking out of the bar.
    “All this for nothing,” I told myself. I couldn’t believe I got worked up over nonsense, yet the ride back to the barracks was a blur. Only thoughts that kept going through my mind was how did he know so much about me working for the Tower of Commands. And what did a man of the cloth have to do with me? My curiosity was my judgment’s spokesperson lashing back out for the choices I made.
    I lay in my bed unable to sleep, starting to wonder if I should’ve looked more into it. I close my eyes trying to catch a little snooze before I had to wake up. It doesn’t work. I open my eyes and look at a small spider in a web in the crevice wall and ceiling connect. “Spider and its web.” I jumped up and called Shane, but he doesn’t answer. So I just wait patiently until I fall asleep or until it was time to go to P.T.

 
     

    The morning was the usual six-thirty P.T. session. Five mile ability group run, I felt as though my mind was elsewhere. I couldn’t connect and play soldier today, my drive was gone and I wasn’t the only one to notice.
    “You okay, Battle?” a concerned Benal asks walking to meet me on the grassy P.T. field.
    “I’m just tired of everything,” I told him.
    “I know, bro. We all been through a lot. We all go through this phase sometime or another, but honestly, we all never thought you would have this problem. We always saw you as the poster-boy model soldier. So if anyone will be alright it’s you, bro. We’ve been through basic and mechanic school together, so trust me, I know you’re strong, you’re just bored that’s all. Besides, if you need anything I got you, Battle. Even if you just need to get things off your chest. But hey, I’m headed to the dfac before they get packed, I’ll see you at work later, bro,” Benal said jogging over to his car. He was short and stubby so thinking about him rushing to the mess hall would almost seem comical, but there are other things on my mind. He was right, though. Since the first day I stepped in the Army I met him and we’ve been together ever since. He understood me and I could trust him, but some secrets