Text snippet from the book

          “How long will you be?” she asked, her tone questioning why he had to leave so soon. She also knew that there   

was something behind all of this that she would never be privy to. This was her oldest son. She hardly knew him. “Oh, I don’t 

know,” he replied casually. The response was more truthful than he had ever intended. He packed and headed out as soon as he

could.

      Valeri boarded a train and traversed the thousand miles back to where he had just come from. He arrived late in the afternoon.

Valeri waited for the Major by his house, knowing that he would be working late that evening. At quarter to eleven that evening he saw the Major

walking home and approached him directly. “Good evening. Do you remember what I promised you? I am here  now to fulfill it.” Valeri addressed

him. The Major looked up recognizing the voice from somewhere. Valeri had always been one of those people that if he gave his word on something,

he would see that it was to be completed. The Major was caught completely unawares.

Valeri’s first punch broke the Majors nose. It was obvious immediately that the Major knew absolutely nothing about self-defense and this sort of altercation was well beyond his comprehension. After all, he was a Major in the military. He had rank. He had privilege. But out here on the street, none of that mattered. He had never prepared for this contingency. Valeri waited for the Major to attack him.

The Major swung with his right fist and Valeri ducked below it. He turned, grabbing the hand as it passed over him. He yanked down while turning, pulling the Major towards his back as he rose to an upright position. The Majors arm was over his shoulder. He thrust his right elbow back into the Majors ribcage, feeling the resistance and hearing a crack as two ribs were broken in the process.

The Major screamed and opened his right hand. In a quick motion Valeri grabbed his loose fingers with his right hand and bent them back towards the ground. He was rewarded with another scream and the sound of cracking as each finger reached the tolerance level, bone and joint tissue snapping. The man was in severe pain.

The Major also understood that he was way out of his league. Valeri bent down, lifted his opponent up onto his back, and then threw the Major over his right shoulder. He landed in a heap on the ground. All of the rage of the last few years was coming to the surface. Valeri reached down, grabbed the Majors ear, yanking him back to his feet. When Valeri’s arm reached full extension, he ripped the ear backwards, partially tearing it from the scalp. His balled up his left fist and then planted in the Majors back, right behind his left kidney. The Major arched, taking the punch and trying his best to get away. His best wasn’t good enough.

Valeri had lost all sense of where he was and who he was. He couldn’t discern any of the information that his eyes were relaying to him other than his target. The only thing on his mind was to hurt this man, and hurt him badly.

Valeri’s intent was not to kill, just payback. There was going to be lots and lots of well overdue payback. Maybe he would live and maybe he wouldn’t. That was for his gods to decide. Valeri’s brain was struggling for control. He wasn’t fighting Deuchmen anymore.

“No, you don’t want to do this.” His mind was attempting to reason with the nearly berserk fighter. “Hurt him, yes, but don’t kill him. That would really land you in jail. Just beat him and leave him be. He will have learned a valuable lesson.” His mind was trying to win him over to reason.

The Major had taken the kidney punch, arched his back, and fallen to his knees. Valeri grabbed his hair in his left hand and forced the man’s face down into his up swinging right knee. The Major fell back like a rag doll. Valeri began kicking him about the head and shoulders muttering something about his lineage and his utter and complete lack of knowledge.

The Major had been reduced to a whimpering ball of flesh, his hands covering his mutilated face. The victor opted to leave him there. Valeri felt nothing. There was no satisfaction in his winning. He had simply done what he had said he would do.

“Time to get out of here,” Valeri thought to himself. He started off toward the train station. It took him about ten minutes to get there and procure a ticket. Then the Military Police arrived.

“Hello, I assume you have come to see me off?” Valeri retorted wryly.

“What are you doing back here? I thought you were discharged?” one of the officers stated, recognizing him from his constant previous appearances at the military brig. His expression was quizzical.

“I came here to visit some friends,” Valeri replied. Since he was a civilian now, the military police could do nothing except hold him until the regular police arrived. Valeri knew this, but was also aware that they would probably hold him anyway. He was used to that.

The local police did arrive. They handcuffed him and took him to yet another cell. This was becoming habitual. He hadn’t been out of the military two weeks and he was already back in jail. At least the surroundings seemed somewhat familiar.

                                                  *          *          *

He waited three months for his trial in which time he was able to intimidate the other inmates to simply leave him alone. He was tired. Too damn tired, and he no longer cared if he lived or died. That would make him very dangerous. Nothing is more dangerous than someone who is willing to exchange their life for what they are fighting for, be it a cause, or just lack of care. There was simply nothing more for him to lose.

His trial date came and went and there had been no evidence to be brought against him. Nobody had seen the attack, provocation, or any other evidence that could place him at the scene. It was just the Major’s word against his. That had a very provable history.

Therefore, there was no provable crime. Valeri boarded the train and headed back home. This time the thousand miles passed very slowly, and Valeri again was lost in thought. What was he going to do now? He had no idea, but he did know that opportunities would present themselves. He now had the knowledge to recognize and seize those opportunities should they make themselves available. Maybe he had learned something over the last two years after all.

Upon his arrival his mother asked why he had been gone so long. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his head away.

“I was just visiting my friends,” was her son’s only reply. He had come back even more different than when he had left. The woman who had given birth to this child was now very afraid of what her child had become. She had reason to worry.