Commander Blackwood threw his gun in frustration as he pushed me aside. His dark eyes were wild with rage as he spat, “You can’t get anything right, huh? What is wrong with you?” Blackwood sneered at me.

I stared at him, stunned. “Wh-what do you mean?” I stuttered. I flinched when Blackwood raised a hand, readying to strike me.

Don’t back down. Only weak men do that, I remembered my father telling me.

Lifting my chin, I said in a less shaky voice, “Sir, what did I not do right?” That’s when Blackwood slapped me.

“You’re just a boy!” He roared. He shoved me hard and I staggered backwards. “You’re not twenty-four! You liar! You’re younger than that! Obviously! And how come you can’t shoot a target that’s five fucking yards away, huh? What the hell is wrong with you?” Commander Blackwood raged, slapping me again.

Tears burned my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Shaking, I managed to whisper, “I’m sorry,” which caused Blackwood to deride me. I held Fili Mi tightly and aimed it at the target but failed to fire when my finger slipped from the trigger.

Blackwood let out a screech of pure enmity. He ripped the gun from my hands and shook me like a doll. Blackwood said, “I had enough! I did! You’re going to get all of us killed! Then what do we do?!” He released me and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing noisily.

“I’m tired of teaching young people to do this and do that. I mean seriously, don’t you have a life? Don’t you know what to do?! I’m human, too! I can’t just. Ah!” Blackwood tore at his hair.

I had never seen Blackwood this agitated before. It was quite a sight, I had to say. But it was frightening because I was afraid that he might strike me again.

He picked up his gun, aimed it at the target, and fired. “That’s how you do it! See?! See the way how I’m holding the gun?! See how my body is tilted towards the direction I want it to go? See how I’m staring at the target and not at someone else?!” Blackwood faced me. “Your gun is longer than mine, okay? You should have an easier grip on that rifle! I have a handgun! It’s different yet they both fire when your finger is on the trigger, right?!”

I nodded hastily.

“Good!” Blackwood pocketed his gun and grabbed my wrist. “Now follow me and let’s do a different practice! This time with a mannequin!” Blackwood dragged me to a different part of the camp.

He came to a halt in front of a stuffed mannequin with a circle on its stomach and face. Blackwood pointed at me and at the mannequin. “You,” he said furiously, “will fire your gun at the mannequin’s stomach. Do you hear me, boy? If you fail to shoot such a large target, I’m going to pin you against that tree and fire your brains out, do you get it?!” Blackwood snarled.

I felt the blood drain from my face as I whispered meekly, “G-got it. S-sir.”

Aiming Fili Mi at the mannequin, I heard someone saying, “Abel! What are you doing to that poor soldier?” I lowered my gun and turned. It was a male nurse.

“Ugh, Noah,” said Blackwood, “I’m teaching the kid a lesson. How to fire a gun, see?” Blackwood flashed the nurse a charming smile.

The nurse rolled his green eyes, slowing until he was in front of Blackwood.

I couldn’t help but think, Blackwood’s first name is Abel? Uh, whoa. I mean, obviously he would have a first name, but I didn’t expect that it would be Abel.

Noah pursed his lips as he said, “You know... I couldn’t help but worry about you, so I just wanted to say do stay away from the other side, okay? From the border? Please?” Noah’s green eyes were filled with concern and pain for the Commander.

Blackwood’s hard look faded into something soft. “I won’t get hurt, Noah. Hell, I’m twenty-nine, nearly thirty. I know what I’m doing, okay?”

“And I’m your husband,” whispered Noah. “I don’t care how old you are, how experienced you are or whatever, Abel. I am your husband and as your husband, I will worry for you. Okay?” he grabbed Blackwood’s hands and kissed him. “Do be careful. I would hate to...lose you.” Noah pressed his forehead against Blackwood’s.

Blackwood has a... husband? Now I was thinking that I shouldn’t be listening to this conversation.

The Commander nodded and kissed Noah. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. Now you go before you get yourself killed.” Blackwood let Noah go and he smiled warmly as Noah waved and hurried back to the nurse’s cabin.

“Uh...” I said quietly.

Blackwood looked at me, his eyes going wide and his face turning pale. Then red. “You heard and saw nothing,” he growled.

I backed up, holding my hands up in defense. “Y-yeah. Heard nothing and saw nothing.” Yet you have a husband, I wanted to say but kept quiet.

Seemed strange for such a tough man like him to have a husband and not a wife. But, whatever?