 The company's commander, Captain Pratt, allows Endore to act independently because, after many of these nighttime excursions, the soldier has returned with useful information.However, Endore is also knifing to death enemy soldiers and, as Loomis himself witnesses during a night patrol, conducts an odd circle-ritual around each of his murdered victims.The other men in the company steer clear of Endore and warn Loomis, who is prone to asking probing questions, to not "mess with that guy".