Enlisting would offer him choices he would not have if he entered the Army involuntarily. Soon, Bert would have to make a choice so he took the recruiter’s card. Early in the afternoon, a car pulled to a stop at the pumps and the driver shut off the engine. The man watched Bert as he approached the car from the office. “Yes sir?” Bert asked. The heavyset driver had a moustache and wire-rimmed glasses. He regarded him curiously for a moment before speaking. “Fill it up,” he said. Bert inserted the nozzle and started working on the windshield. The man watched him. “Excuse me,” the man said. “Who works Friday nights?” Bert paused before he answered. The man looked familiar, although Bert knew he had never seen him before. “The manager usually,” he said. “What’s the manager’s name?” “Carl.” “Did he work last night?” The man’s voice held a threatening tone. “No.” “Do you know a Josh?” Bert felt a quick twinge of apprehension but remained cool and hoped his reaction did not show.
