Chronicles of Mattis: Episode Three

"F***ing politics, this is why I preferred killing people, it's much easier that way." Mattis, the Warrior Monk muttered to himself after getting called out on "60 Minutes". It was getting to be more and more and more of a pain in the ass to do what he needed to keep America safe from behind a 1970's era desk where men who he wouldn't trust with chemlights sat before him. This clusterfluck was unfathomable.He eyed his gear in the corner. A dirty plate carrier with blood splatters from his...more up close and personal encounters with enemies of the United States. It's not like he needed the armor. Let's be honest, he only wears it to blend in...to appear somewhat normal. The combat fighting knife, his service rifle (clean and lubed), 8 rifle magazines, 1 pistol magazine and another on his thigh rig where his pistol sat in its holster, first aid kit (ha like he'd need that), drop pouch. It was a relatively simple rig. For show mostly. Nothing special, all military issue.The phone rang breaking the silence. It was General Waldhauser, Commander of AFRICOM."Mr. Secretary, how the hell are you?" "Cut the shit, Tom," Mattis laughed "...you know I can't stand this shitshow sometimes, but I've got a job to do all these guys before me...academics, the lot of them, they've never spent one day in a fighting hole with a 19-year-old Marine. They made this job a lot more...interesting to say the least."Despite his obvious anger at the bureaucrats before him, he was smart to never lose his temper over things he couldn't control. He was there now and doing his job."Jim, we have a situation in Africa. Al Shabaab...""Yeah, those militants are out abducting girls, killing anyone that gets in their way.""Well I was thinking Jim, you need a vacation. Didn't you feel good after you slew all those bodies when they tried to kill you?Vacations. The mere thought of one when he had work to do disgusted him. Waldhauser, a warrior himself, could tell through the dead silence on the phone."...maybe a working vacation in say...Africa...in and around Somalia...we can claim it was an airstrike by Ethiopia, they're on board.""Africa...Somalia you say...Sorebrek, do you think we need a 'vacation'?"The Belgian Malinois wagged it's tail and barked while spinning in a circle."I guess we're going on 'vacation' to Africa." Mattis got up and grabbed his gear.The line went dead and General Waldhauser chuckled and told his aide "He's going to kill so many f***ing people."