Troy Burroghs: Eagle Eye

I’ve learned in life you got to have an eye like an eagle and senses like a panther to survive. Oh yes, it’s that kind of a world my friend. Survival is the name of the game. People like me need to be one step ahead of the other person. Got to have the edge you know. Life teaches you the hard way if you don’t listen at first, you may lose your edge. I know this for a fact, because I came from a school down in Missouri, if you get my drift. In my life I was in the Army three different times. Just like Muhammad Ali winning the championship three times. You can do it, it’s a simply fact, mind over matter. And this is where my story starts, the third time I was in the Army. This is what I call a happening.

I went for training up to Camp Ripley. I got a private room being a staff sergeant. During this two-week training period, I ended up going to a few military meetings; doing some paperwork, and some drills.

Being a Staff Sergeant, I got to have a private room. It was on the third floor of the barracks. One of the two brothers I had met during some of the weeks training, noticed I had $300 on my money clip, these two brothers had a room under me on the first floor along with two other dudes; and as I carried my groceries up to my room they watched me intensively. They had evil eyes: evil, evil eyes. I had to go up three flights of stairs. The older brother came to my rescue, said he would help me, me being a little short winded, I said sure. But you get them senses you know, I did anyways, and I should have said no, especially with them evil, evil eyes I had noticed. But that is history now. I said, “Yes.” And so he grabbed one bag of groceries and climbed up the stairs like a bird: he didn’t smoke I suppose.

When I finally reached the top, walked through the door, I noticed my groceries were all over the floor, some lying about on the table, but all were out of the bag, and the bag wasn’t ripped. I then put my bag down and started to pick them up thinking the young lad must have fallen or something. Then I turned around hearing some footsteps behind me, and there they were the Death Brothers. They were both smiling at me, a smirk, and they were testing me to see what I would do, and how much power they had. I smiled.

Then I said, “This wasn’t necessary,” and they stepped in closer. I smiled a bigger smile, and commented on how nice their mustaches were. Then they stopped. They must have thought it was better to leave it for the evening, whatever they had in their young minds, only the Big Guy upstairs knows. Perhaps the glorifying comment got to them. And I think it was that clip of money they were after. But I gave them the sense I was easy prey, and you can’t throw your secrets to the swine you know, because I wasn’t easy prey.

As I fell to sleep that evening I had set a plan B in motion. It was 2:00 AM I was awakened. I heard the door open and a shadow come into my bedroom, I mean I didn’t hear the shadow, I heard the person who was a shadow to me, because that is what I say. Anyhow, then two shadows stood there and the voice of the older brother sounded,

“We…ee com…come for rrr the money,” it didn’t sound too spooky to me, but it did to them I think.

I said with a trembling voice, “Come forrrr theee mon.eeey, please come over here and geeet it.” I tried to sound scared.

I held the money clip out to him and as he went to take it, I pulled out my .357, six-inch barrow pistol and within a flash I shoved it in his mouth, cracking two teeth, like a guy I head of called Arizona Blue. Then the other brother started crying, saying,

“We were just kidding,” and I said, “I’m not!” And I said, “This was no Paces Bill, crap, this was Arizona Blue stuff, and they were going to die.”

Then I ordered the other brother to empty his pockets out on the bed, take off his cloths, and to take the money out of his brother’s pockets also and do the same thing, and he did. I then told them they had ten-minutes to get out of town: I mean out of Camp Ripley or I’d come looking for them in the morning.

I ended up with $700 plus my three hundred, plus they went AWOL. And that is the beauty of it. And now if we had gun control, I might just as well have kissed ass, I mean my money good-by, and handed it to him with a smile. And for an appetizer, watched them spend it at the PX buying crap, and the judge saying: “We’ll do you got proof these two robed you, bet the shit out of you, no need for a gun you know.”

Written: 7/2002/Revised and edited: 1/4/2006