Zack was seperated from Greg and Sam. All the better for the drill seargent to break the K-9's, as he called them.
There they were, ex-young men, all sporting varying degrees of fur. The guy next to Zack had front paws instead of hands - and, as Reddick predicted, was having trouble holding his gun.
Badly shaved, Zack looked worse than most. A hairy, dog-like young manin ill fitting uniform in the hot sun. With a damn tail down his pant leg. Fur itching, going through humiliation after humiliation from the human drill saergent.
"O.K, dogs, what are you?
I can't hear you!
"Dogs, sir. Wolves, sir. Animals sir." Zack joined the others half heartedly, wishing he could shoot the guy.
What are ya, poodles or Rottweilers? Louder.
Redditt and Mark stood at the back - stoic as ever, yet, suprising, not hated by the dogs. They risked their ass, for the others, on enough occasions to get grudging respect. Besides, they were dogs too - and if they turned on the saergent . . . .
Zack and the others flinched as the saergent blew a high pitched dog whistle - the guy with the paws used them to cover his ears.
The Saergent laughed. "LOUDER"
"WE'RE WOLVES, SIR. WE SHOOT, KILL, TEAR APART WITH OUR TEETH.
"What are you paid?"
"RED MEAT and BISCUITS, SIR" "WOLVES DON'T HAVE NO USE FO MONEY, SIR."
What do you do when your off?
"FIGHT EACH OTHER SIR (Zack rolled his eyes). TRAIN, SIR. WE'RE THE SHOCK TROOPS SIR.
That's what training seemed about - forgeting they were ever human, thought Zack (as he drooled over the thought of a nice juicy steak). He'd already learned his basic shooting, went through 8 obstacle courses a day, had gone on biduoac, and been shocked by the "dog tags," just to show escape was futile.
AND the fights. Zack was pretty good at those fights the saergent put them in - one with Reddick.
They had started out punching, Reddick showing him some tricks (he had made Beverley a promise), but in the head of the fight they started using their teeth, like wild animals. When they stopped, they were both covered in blood - but still to soon to the approval of the saergent.
"Good job, wolves. You'll be another Reddit in time - even more of an animal.
The saergent was joined by an even more brutal lietenant, who inspected the new company.
They came up to Zack.
"Rover, ATTEN-HUT"
Zack went up straight.
The Lietenant looked him over. "That the one."
"Nice dog, ain't he. Needs more training, though.
The Lietenant patted Zack on his head, and scratched behind his ears - Reddit and Mark signaled to him to do nothing, but Zack gave a angry groan - which came out as a growl.
He immediately whimpered as he felt the shock from his collar, and howled when he heard the whistle.
"AWOOOOOOOOO."
Zack stopped in shock. He rubbed his uneven face with his hand. He had never howled before.
"Yeah, boy," laughed the Lietenant. "That's what wolves do when they're upset - Hey, what's with this one?"
The "wolf" next to Zack, the one with the paws, was still in pain.
"Get some steak, CORP. MARK. Type W" ordered the lietenant. "You have my permission.
Redditt, Mark and half the corps went an ashen grey - letting the stubble on their wolf-like, but passably human, faces stand out more than ever.
"CAN You hold a gun, wolf?" asked the Lietenant, slyly.
"Yes sir, and shoot, SIR."
The "wolf" was about Zack's height, lean. He had been a surfer in his earlier life, before he had been conked on the head on the beach. Went by the name "Bud."
"Looks like you were overdosed," said the Lietenant. "We might owe you."
Mark reluctantly came out with a raw steak, holding back drool as he did so.
Zack tried to stop himself, but he began to drool, and his large nose began to twitch. "Stay" the saergent told Zack. "IF you know what's good for you."
"Now wolves, look here."
Another blast of the whistle - the lietenant made sure it was right in "Bud's" ear.
Bud howled in pain, and Zack bit his lip in a desperate attempt not to join him.
The Lietenant put the steak under Bud's nose. It began to twitch, like Zack's, then more, then more.
Bud's face lit up with fear - then, it was no longer a face.
His teeth grew larger, his nose turned a solid black - pushing out into a slobbering muzzle.
The lietenant dropped the steak, and stepped a few paces back.
Bud tried to get a hold of himself - but it was too late.
He screwed his paws to his eyes as they went an inhuman yellow. He started to totter on his hind legs.
Bud's tail ripped through his pant leg.
His muscles cracked, as he became four legged, and his bulk kept him from standing properly.
He finally fell to the ground, gobbling up the steak - before turning to his comrades of late, and giving a whine.
"Why you dirty bastards," muttered Zack, clenching fists - reluctantly obeying Redditt's deperate signals to keep still.
"Well, boy, looks like you can't hold a gun now. But we have room for you with the calvary. Well, speak, fella."
Bug tried to speak, but all that came out were assorted growls and barks.
The officer laughed.
"ROVER"
"Yes, sir," said Zack half-heartedly. The dog whistle again. "YES, SIR."
Take this animal to the B Kennels. It's stupid to keep it in clothes - take the rags off him.
"SIR? . . . YES, SIR!"
Zack felt sick as he took of Bud's cap, and ripped off what was left of his jacket.
"Private," smirked the Lietenant.
"YES, SIR."
"THAT'll be you if you can't be trained to shoot.
"YES, SIR."
When he went to the barracks later ("A KENNEL"), Zack no longer felt sick, and a careful inspection showed no damage to him from whatever had been in that steak.
"No more damage," muttered Zack in his bunk, twitching his wolf ears, and reaching under his wife beater to scratch his hairy torso.
"Damn it," he muttered. He had been sleeping on his tail again, and was now bugged by the sensation of pins and needles..