Corps Justice Boxed Set: Books 1-3: Back to War, Council of Patriots, Prime Asset by C. G. Cooper Read Free Book Online Page B

practice had grown to include most of the respected
country singer/songwriters in the area. Why go to a crowded clinic
when you can call your own doctor?
    Dr. Hadley had also been more than happy to
help Travis and SSI on occasion. This was one of those times.
     
    DR . HADLEY : Ok, Cal, we’re
pulling into the compound. How are you feeling?
    CAL : I’m
good.
     
    DR . HADLEY : Once we stop I’ll
have some of the guys lower your stretcher down and roll you into
the VIP quarters.
     
    CAL : Travis
is putting me in VIP?
     
    DR . HADLEY : You’d rather he
put you in one of the Quonset huts?
     
    CAL : Not
really.
     
    DR . HADLEY : Good. Now make
sure you don’t move around while they cart you in. Travis would be
pissed if I delivered his favorite cousin in a bloody
mess.
     
    CAL (resignedly): Alright, Doc.
     
    The ambulance pulled to a stop and Cal could
hear the driver getting out of the cab and closing the door. The
back doors were opened and Cal saw a couple of the roving security
guards moving in to help lift the gurney out of the ambulance.
    Cal looked around and felt the pull of home.
He’d spent plenty of time in the compound that his father had
christened Camp Spartan because of his fascination with the ancient
warriors of Sparta and because it was a fairly accurate description
of the spartan facilities.
    Much of the compound was modeled after
Marine Corps bases. You had headquarters and then separate
buildings for each division. Battalions were located on the lower
levels of their respective division.
    Cal’s father had put a lot of time into
hiring former military. He understood that these warriors craved
the familiar look and feel of military surroundings. That’s not to
say that the grounds weren’t state of the art. Cal Sr. had insisted
on having a top-notch facility while at the same time maintaining a
Marine Corps look and feel.
    The compound was actually more of a campus.
The mess hall was located behind the headquarters building and the
living quarters just behind that. One of the things the company
found was that many of the families of employees also enjoyed
living in close proximity, just as they had on military bases
around the world. As a result, a portion of the campus was devoted
to single-family homes for the families of SSI employees. There was
even a condominium compound for non-married employees.
    It was easy for spouses to come home for
lunch or meet their families to eat in the mess hall. Needless to
say morale was high as was retention within SSI.
    The exception to the Spartan décor was the
VIP quarters. Housed on the highest point of the property, the
structure looked like a huge hunting lodge resplendent with a
carved log exterior and large paneled windows. There were even
rocking chairs on the huge front deck for visitors to enjoy.
    The entire structure stood at right around
30,000 square feet with ten large guest suites. It was, therefore,
no wonder that the employees had taken to calling it The Lodge.
    Soon after SSI experienced its enormous
growth, Cal Sr. realized the benefit of having the ability to house
VIPs on site. It allowed visitors to see firsthand the inner
workings of Stokes Security International. If potential clients
weren’t sold after the initial presentation, they certainly were
after being wined and dined by the staff at The Lodge.
    Dr. Hadley directed the paramedics to take
Cal up through the ramped entrance. Cal noticed Brian standing next
to his car parked in front. The former corpsman walked over and
followed the crew into the building.
     
    BRIAN (whispering to Cal): Do I get to stay in here too?
     
    They moved into the inner sanctum of The
Lodge. An old fashioned bar, fully stocked, stood in the corner
facing a variety of comfortable looking leather chairs.
     
    CAL : I’m
sure they’re gonna put you in one of the suites next to where
they’ve got me.
     
    BRIAN :
Suite?
     
    CAL (laughing): Yeah. They’ve each got a couple bedrooms and a
nice living