Page 107 of Dead Fall

“I signed up about eight months ago. Jacks and Krueger got in about six months ago and Biscuit four.”

“Interesting. What about your call signs? Did you guys pick your own or were they given to you?”

“It’s a camaraderie thing,” said the man. “You get a call sign from fellow soldiers within the first couple of days.”

“How’d you get yours?”

Hookah held up his cigarette. “I guess my guys thought I smoked too much.”

Harvath smiled, remembering what he would have called the man. “Could have been worse. What about the rest of the team?”

“Jacks had a bunch of Union Jack patches on all his shit, so that’s where his call sign comes from. Krueger arrived with something like eight knives and got named after Freddy Krueger from the slasher movies.”

“And Biscuit?”

“He grew to be a fat motherfucker after getting out of the Canadian Army. I meanmorbidlyobese. Nobody believed him until he popped a picture up on his phone of what he used to look like. He wasn’t three hundred pounds, but he was close. One of the guys said he was just a biscuit under and the call sign stuck. The doctors had told him that if he didn’t get his act together, he was going to die. So what did he do? He dedicated himself to getting back into fighting shape and then rewarded himself with coming to Ukraine and joining the legion.”

“That’s some interesting psychology,” Harvath replied.

Hookah shrugged and took another pull off his cigarette. “Peoplehave all sorts of reasons for doing what they do. I think Biscuit had a hard time readjusting to civilian life. A lot of guys are in the legion because they believe in the mission, but there are those who also just miss the action. Probably a bit of both for many. What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. Why are you here? Miss the action? Believe in the mission?”

“I definitely believe in the mission,” said Harvath. “I also think that I’d probably go crazy without the action.”

Hookah nodded as he blew a cloud of smoke into the air. “I hear you. Nothing worse than being aformeraction guy. It’s certainly a lifestyle that’s hard to walk away from.”

“Agreed.”

“How’d you get your call sign? When the legion told us we’d be linking up with you, they said it’s Norseman?”

Harvath smiled again. “I got it back when I was a SEAL. I dated a few Scandinavian flight attendants and it stuck.”

“So you’re one of those guys.”

“What guys?”

“You brought your own call sign with you.”

“And?” asked Harvath. “Is there a problem with that?”

“There’s noIinteam, but there isme, right?”

Harvath chuckled. “Are you going to bust my balls because I didn’t get a call sign here?”

“No, sir, Captain. I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Sure you wouldn’t.”

“Even if we wanted to give you a new call sign, it takes a couple of days to get to know you, so…”

“I’m safe.”

“And you’re Norseman. For now.”

“Good,” said Harvath. “That’s one less thing for me to worry about.”