The Soldier Who Gave Him Acceptance #4 The Soldier Series

Chapter One - Rumble In The Jungle

Chapter One - Rumble In The Jungle 

Stan splashed cold water over his face in the airport toilets, he looked at his reflection in the mirror, his grey eyes had a slight red tinge to them, his black hair cut short, the stubble on his strong jaw trimmed short. Closing his eyes against the stomach cramps that were plaguing his body, he picked up his bergen and walked out onto the concourse.  

He could not even blame Woof or Cigs for his current toilet predicament. He had not seen them for a few weeks. Had they been with him, he would have no qualms about accusing them of giving him laxatives in his coffee. No, this time they had not put anything into his drink, unlike when Woof put a crushed-up Viagra in his coffee just before a flight. This was the negative reaction his body was having to the anti-malaria tablets he had been prescribed by his doctor when he explained he was heading into the sss jungle. 

Looking out of the window at the gathered aeroplanes, Stan waited for his group of friends to arrive. They were all ex-special forces instructors. Apart from him, he was just the tag along.  

He had met the gang when he had been a contestant on their reality show, Special Forces: Have You Got What It Takes, along with the two girls who were the closest thing to sisters he had. He had won the show he had entered, along with Izzy. His other friend Kyla was medically withdrawn from the process, right at the end. Still, she got something worth more than winning the show. She met and married Kermit, one of the instructors. His other friend Izzy had married Cigs, another instructor, and the mole in his series. After the producers had called all three of them back, working as instructors, to film a special series, to help support the ‘Free Soldier B’ campaign when Woof was incarcerated at her Majesties pleasure, after taking the blame for Kermit, for shooting a murderous psychopath, who had been a contestant with Stan and the girls.  

That was when Stan had met her, Haley, the kick ass girl who had worked with Cigs in close protection. She had come to help hide him from ‘Mad Dog’ who was murdering contestants in numerical order. She was gorgeous, her tall 5ft 8 body muscular and lean, shoulder-length black hair always tied up in a high ponytail. They had hit it off immediately. Both of them had grown up in the system, rejected by their parents, moving from foster home to foster home. They had a deep understanding of each other. 

The friendship they shared had turned into something more, friends with benefits, and Stan had never experienced ‘benefits’ quite like it. But she worked away, months at a time in Iraq, and so the relationship could never progress. Unlike his friends, who were all married, or getting married, with kids, or having kids. He was the last man standing, still single, and hoping one day to find a girl who would accept all his insecurities and make his pulse race just as much as Haley did.  

“Stan!” Tank’s voice boomed across the concourse, the echo of the airport making it sound even louder, if that was possible.  

“You are here already bro”, Cigs grinned, slapping Stan on the back.  

“Yeah, been here an hour.” Stan laughed, his connecting flight from Glasgow into Heathrow had him waiting for his friends to arrive, given they all lived in the south of England.  

“Are you sure, Jess? I can come back now.” Woof’s voice laced with a concern you would never think he would have if you knew him, rang out, his phone against his ear. 

“He is still panicking about leaving Jess. Not helped by her morning sickness before we left.” Kermit smiled, although he knew how his brother felt, he hated leaving Kyla and their 8 month old baby Mia at home.  

Cigs placed his bergen against the edge of the long row of seats. 

“Anyone want a coffee? I need one. Elizabeth had us up all night again”. Cigs sighed about his newly adopted daughter. She had been born to a heroin addict, and the poor little mite suffered with withdrawal symptoms. However, the 6 month old baby was in good hands, Izzy was an ex-addict herself, and so she was perfectly placed to understand the trauma their daughter was going through.  

Pain erupted inside Stan’s stomach once more and, wincing, he rushed back towards the bathroom. A rumble of laughter from the guys followed him.  

Finished his business, he walked back to the guy’s. 

“Malaria tablets?” Woof asked with a grin. 

“I think I would prefer f*****g Malaria than this shit.... literally lots of f*****g s**t!” Stan groaned out.   

Woof burst out laughing and slumped into one of the chairs.  

“We have all been their bro.” he chuckled.  

Tank walked around beside him and took a seat.  

“So... have production told you what you are doing in this series?” Tank asked. 

“They just said I was back up.” Stan shrugged. 

“Yeah, so when one of the contestants V.W’s, you will help them through the jungle back to base. Given we are all missing our families, you will be busy.” Tank laughed.  

“Who is the mole?” Stan asked.  

“It is a female ex-solider this time round, I am sure you will like her.” Tank grinned, omitting the fact it was Haley.  

“Yeah, the Special Forces: Have You Got What It Takes’s Love bug may finally strike you Stan.” Cigs chuckled, taking a sip of the strong black coffee and allowing it to work its magic, waking him up from his soporific state.  

They all knew that Stan had the hots for Haley, and Cigs wanted nothing more than his sister to find peace and love. She deserved it after the life she had led. Both him and his wife Izzy firmly believed Stan was perfect for her, if she ever decided to give up working abroad. He had high hopes that she would do well on the show, and be asked to be a permanent instructor, thus giving her a solid steady and large income and help her finally put down some roots. 

Stan winced once more as another set of cramps hit his stomach. Groaning, he got up and headed to the bathroom again. As he stood up a loud and long fart escaped, making an older woman sitting opposite give him a look like he was the devil himself.  

“f*****g hell Stan, you best get an Imodium down you, else that stomach of yours is going to cause a rumble in the jungle that George Forman and Muhammad Ali would be proud of” Woof laughed. 

Turning round, Stan flipped the bird to his laughing friends, as he half walked, and half ran back to the toilet. 

Finally, the call came for the first of the four flights the guys would have to embark on to get to the jungle. It was going to take them over 24 hours to reach the camp the production crew had set up in the middle of the sss.  

“This is going to be the longest flight ever.” Woof sighed, as he once again texted his fiancée Jess to see if she was okay. He really did not want to leave her, as she was in the early stages of pregnancy with their twins. 

“Don't worry bro, I have just the thing to pass the time.” Tank grinned. 

He reached into his Bergen and took out a large box that contained his wayward son’s Matt and Leo’s favourite game. 

“Gooey Loui” Stan chuckled.  

“Get in!” Woof grinned 

"I f*****g love that game." Kermit chuckled.

“Right, you lot, let's get on this f*****g flight!” Tank bellowed. 

Grumbling, the guys all stood up and waited in the queue to begin the long journey, each of them wondering what the next month would bring.