By 0630, the midnight blue Ford pulled into the Special Ops parking lot. A well polished U. S. Army Ranger stepped out of the midnight blue open door. Jamal locked the door of the truck and retrieved his gear from the pickup bed. He slung the backpack over his shoulder and proceeded for the entrance of the white marble building. He was greeted by Sergeant Derrick Shelton as he walked up the white marble steps of the Special Operations Division building.

‘Good morning, Rick.' Jamal greeted the sergeant. Jamal inquired, ‘I have not seen you in weeks. Where have you been?'

‘I was on leave, Jamal. I had to go home to Tulsa because my brother got in some trouble,' answered the sergeant. Derrick Shelton was a full-blood Creek Indian from Oklahoma. He had enlisted into the service in 1994 and had made the rank of staff sergeant last year. The two close friends talked for another four minutes before Jamal entered the building.

The highly polished tan tile floor, with the embossed ranger symbol in the floor, gleamed brightly in the morning sunlight that flowed in through the glass windows of the lobby. Captain Jab's office was the third office on the left of the meagerly furnished huge lobby. Jamal opened the office door and walked in. Sergeant Major Wilson as usual was not at his desk as Jamal entered. The office was quiet because no one had arrived. So Jamal picked up a copy of the Army Times and started to read.

The time slowly passed as Jamal patiently sat behind the office clerk's desk and waited for someone to arrive. The square black digital clock on the wall read 0655. The first person to arrive was the office clerk. She was a twenty-five year old woman from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Corporal Elaine Williams gracefully walked into the office and spoke to Jamal. ‘Good morning, Jamal,' Elaine seductively said as she sashayed across the room.

‘Good morning, Corporal Williams. How are you this morning,' he replied as he quickly but thoroughly examined her well-built 118-pound frame. Jamal stood and offered the corporal the chair.

‘You do not have to be so formal, Jamal. The captain will not be here until at 7:30,' she informed Jamal as she walked around the gray metal desk and took her seat in the black leather office chair.

‘Hey, uh, do you know where the captain is sending me this time?' Jamal inquired because he knew that Elaine was the person to open all the communications that came into Captain Jab's office. The mission assignments for all the covert operations teams were sent through secure communications from General Parker's office up on the third floor to the various unit offices throughout the building. By 2003, over twenty covert special operations units were housed at the white marble building.

Corporal Williams quickly lied, ‘Jamal you know that I do not have the security clearance to see that stuff. Anyway, the captain will be here soon. Hey, how about escorting me to the mess hall for breakfast?'

Elaine always had a thing for Jamal. She first met him as he cleaned the office for a few months. She had lived in the same barracks as him, when she first arrived a year and a half ago. However, he eventually moved out so she only saw him when he came into the office.

‘No thanks, my fiancée cooked breakfast before I left the house,' he informed her.

Elaine eyes grew wide with surprise ‘Fiancée? When did this happen, Jamal?' she questioned.

Jamal said, ‘ Oh, I asked her last night. Patrice said yes right away.'

‘Well, congratulations, Jamal. I did not know you were even seeing someone.' Elaine said, ‘Well, I am going to get some breakfast. The captain should be in a few minutes.' She walked out the office door into the lobby of the Special Operation Building.

Captain Jab arrived in the parking lot of the building as Corporal Williams was exiting the entrance of the building. He drove a reddish-brown 2001 Toyota Forerunner. ‘Good morning, Corporal,' he spoke to her as she was coming down the stairs.

Elaine was engrossed in her thoughts and had not notice the captain until he spoke to her. She quickly saluted him and replied, ‘Oh, I am sorry, sir, good morning. Corporal Walker is in the office waiting for you.'

Captain Jab noticed the tears streaming down Elaine's soft cheek. He inquired, ‘Are you okay, Elaine.' He offered her is white silk handkerchief.

Taking the handkerchief, she replied, ‘Yes, sir, I am. Corporal Walker was telling me he is engaged. I guess my emotions just overwhelmed me. I am heading to the mess hall, do you want a sticky bun or something?'

‘Yes, that will be great. Thank you Corporal,' he said and started up the stairs to the office.

Corporal Williams turned and headed toward the mess hall as the tears continued to flow down her cheek.

Captain Jab opened the office door at 0730. The morning was just starting for him.