"We doing this or what?"

Conner looked up to see Viktor leaning against the hood of his car, staring at him with his brow arched. He looked more than cocky standing there in his cargo shorts and green tank. Viktor's chest puffed out aroudn the same time three girls walked by them. They giggled when Viktor winked at them.

"Hello, ladies." Viktor mimicked tipping his hat toward them and they all three just about swooned. His twin was laying it on thick.

Conner shut the trunk and walked around to where his brother was. The girl's eyes went round. He and Viktor were identical twins. You coudln't tell them apart. Drove thier mama crazy.

He heard the brunette's breath hitch as he passed by her and he winked, the blush streaking her cheeks charming.

"Hi." The blonde was the boldest one. She waltzed right up to Viktor. "I'm Suzy."

"Suzy, girl, I'm Viktor and this good looking son of a bitch is Conner."

Conner ignored his brother's attempt at sounding cool.

"Pleasure to meet you ladies." He kept his voice low. Women loved deep, gravelly voices. "I need to steal him for a while, but we're heading down to the beach a little later. Care to join us?"

All three of them forgot about Viktor and turned toward him. They had the look. The look that said instant lust.

"We'd love to," Suzy purred. "Look for us by the second lifeguard tower."

Conner winked at them and then stolled into the Marines recruitement office.

"How the fuck do you do that?" Viktor huffed as he followed him.

"Do what?"

"Fucking steal my women before I even have a chance to make them mine?"

"I'm just that fucking awesome." Conner laughed as the two of them made thier way to reception. A man in uniform sat there, working at a computer. It took him a minute to notice the two of them standing there, but when he did, his eyes bounced between them.

"You're both landing on Ross's watch."

Viktor and Conner stared at him. "Sir?"

"Sorry, I'm Sergeant Wilkes. You boys are here to join up?"

"Yes, sir." Viktor nodded.

Two clipboards were shoved at them. "Fill these out and we'll get you back to the Captain for your interview."

"What did he mean, you think?" Vik asked as they took a seat and started filling out the paperwork. "Who the fuck is Ross?"

Conner shrugged, focused on answering his questions.

This was big. They were actually doing it. He and Viktor had talked about joining the Marines once they graduated. Their papa was in the Marines. They grew up in and around military bases in Russia most of thier lives. Their parents sent them to live with their uncle to finish thier education once they were old enough for high school. Conner loved the freedoms the United States offered. He loved Russia, too, but Russians didn't have the same rights as Americans and and while he had dual citizenship, he couldn't see himself ever going to back to Russia permanently. America was home now. Viktor felt the same. Their father would be here if not for their mama. She refused to leave Russia.

"You nervous?" Viktor whispered.

"Shit no. You?"

"Hell to the no."

They were both fucking liars and they knew it.

"We could walk out now and no one would ever know." Viktor's pen paused and Conner glanced at him.

"We'd know."

Viktor nodded and went back to his form.

This was something they'd dreamed of doing since they were little boys. Conner still had his little green soldier men in a trunk in his uncle's attic. Didn't mean he hadn't thought long and hard about this choice. It wasn't just a four year commitment. It was an oath he'd take to defend the country he loved, to work hard for the men in his unit, to be brave and strong. It was a lot of responsibility. Was he ready for it at age eighteen? He honestly didn't know, but this was whree he was supposed to be. That much he did know.

Once the forms were done, they handed them back in and waited.

Conner looked around. It was a generic office with a few recruitment posters on the walls. Drab seating graced the waiting room and could use some refurbishing. White tile floors were scuffed from countless shoes. The tan walls were cracked and peeling in a few places. One would think they'd put a little more upkeep in the place where they were trying to inspire young men and women to join thier ranks.

"Kincaid, Victor!"

Viktor snapped to attention, used to that tone from thier father. He glanced at Conner nervously and stood. Conner gave him an encouraging wink. Viktor's spine straightened and he walked toward the man waiting by the door that led to the back offices.

Well, it was probably for the best Viktor went first. He was nervous and sitting here waiting might have driven him back to the Jeep. He had more doubts than Conner did.

Conner leaned back and closed his eyes. Might as well relax. He wasn't sure how long Viktor would be.

A few minutes went by and the bell over the door jangled as someone came in. Conner cracked an eye and watched the newcomer waltz up to the reception desk. The same clipbard was shoved at him and the guy shook his head. He'd better get used to rudeness or he'd never survive bootcamp. The drill sergeants weren't just rude, they were brutal task masters whose sole job was to break them down and then put them back together again.

He sat down next to Conner. "Hey man."

'S'up?" Conner sat up and yawned. Damn, he should have went to sleep earlier last night, but he had a very gorgeous girl in his bed. Since they'd be leaving in the morning to head back to his uncle's farm, he figured why not enjoy all the time he had left?

"I'm Ryan Calder." The guy thrust his hand out and Conner shook it. He had a firm grip.

"Conner Kincaid. You know what you want to sign up for?"

"Infantry. I know it's the lowest class there is, but my father and grandfather were both infantrymen."

"And you want to honor them."

Ryan nodded, his brown eyes nervous.

"I get it. My father is a major. He started out as a pilot and he's been a drill sergeant, and now he's doing something classified."

"You going to be a pilot too?"

"Not sure what I want to do. Figured I take the test and see where I land."

"I'm not good with tests." The guy shifted in his seat. "I just want to make my dad proud."

"You will."

"Kincaid, Conner!"

Conner stood. "Good luck, dude."

"You too, man."

Conner made his way past the reception desk and followed the man down the hallway and to another office where he was told to wait. Staff Sargeant Porter would be with him shortly.

This office was a little nicer than the waiting room. At least the chair he sat down in was comfortable and the paint wasn't peeling in here. The desk held a picture, a computer, and a stack of papers. Neat and tidy. Definitely the desk of a military man.

The man who came through the door rivaled his own father in height. He might even be a few inches taller than Ronin Kincaid and that was saying something. Standard military hair cut and a clean shaven face showed off the scars that ran from his ear down the side of his neck. Maybe combat, maybe something else, but it gave him a slightly dangerous air.

"Have a seat, son." A voice like gravel came out of him testifying to a pack of smokes a day. His own father sounded a little like that adn Conner knew for a fact his old man could sometimes go through two packs of cigarretts in a day.

Conner sat, his back ramrod straight.

The staff sargeant took his own seat and looked over the paperwork Conner filled out. "You have family in the core, son?"

"Yes, sir. My father. Major Ronin Kincaid. He's stationed in Russia right now."

"YOu grew up in Russia?"

Conner nodded. "My father wanted us to attend high school and college in the states, Sir."

"So what brings you here, Conner?"

"I want to join the service, Sir."

A half smile tilts the staff sergeants lips. "That much I know, but I want to know why you want to join the service."

"My father instilled in us how important it is to serve. My brothers adn I grew up admiring him. He's the strongest man I know. He taught all we know and I want to do him proud."

"That's a noble calling, but it doesn't tell me why you want to join. Family duty and following in your old man's footsteps aside, give me one single reason why you want to join the core that isn't about any of that."

Conner frowned. Weren't recruiters supposed to do any and everythign they could to sign people up? This guy was sitting here questioning him.

"I..." Conner cleared his throat. "Isn't duty and honor good enough reasons?"

"They are, but I've seen men fall apart because they never looked past duty and honor. Sometimes, the strongest men are the ones that break becasue they weren't in it for themselves, but because they were following in their father's footsteps. It has to be about more than that if you're going to survive boot camp."

He'd never thought of it like that. He and Viktor always knew it's what they were going to do. They never questioned the why of it.

"Well, Sir, my brother and I have dreamed of this since we were little kids. And it does come down to the sense of duty my father instilled in me, but it's more than that. I want to help people, to protect people adn what better way than with the US Marine Core? I want to serve not because my father wants me to, but because I want to. I'm not sure I can explain it better than that."

"Let me ask you another question. Your Russian accent is pretty thick. Why join the Marines and not the Russian military? I'm gathering from your paperwork you grew up on Russian soil."

"I did. Came to the states the summer I turned fifteen. I've come to love the US since I came here. This country cares about its citizens. There are freedoms here we will never have in Russia and those freedoms are worth protecting, Sir."

The staff sergeant nods. "Any idea what job you're thinking on?"

"Well, sir, I was thinking I'd take the test first and see what was open to me before nailing it down."

"Your brother wants to be a pilot."

"Of course he does. Papa has had him piloting planes since before he was legally old enough to fly one. He loves being in the air."

"You don't?"

"I'm better with guns."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, sir. I'm a good marksman."

"We don't have a sharpshooter's specialization."

"I am aware, Sir. That's what I would have chosen were it available."

A very calculating look comes into the staff sergeants eyes. "You're aware of the history of the marines?"

"History, Sir?"

"The Marines were and are a part of the Navy, but that's a discussion for when we get your test scores back."

What was he thinking? Why would he mention the Navy?

"I guess we need to get you scheduled to take your test. Your brother said you were supposed to be leaving Virginia Beach tomorrow?"

"We can stay a few days longer if we need to."

"Good. I want you to go here on Wedesnsday and take the test. I'll call you once I get the scores back."

The staff sergeant stands and Conner does as well. He shakes the man's hand.

"How good are you with a rifle?"

"I can hit a squirrel at three hundred yards. Head shot, sir."

The grin comes back. "Let's hope you get the score I'm counting on son."

Conner had no clue what he was talking about, but he didn't care.

All that mattered was joining the core.