Jul/15/04...

0900am...

The road to Bichear Al-corely...

“Sir, how much longer?” Came an eager voice behind me. I stop and turn around to find Private Tomas 'Flash’ Richardson he was wearing his standard gear and was hold an M4 with an ACOG sight and grip. I look him dead in the eyes and give him a, “Shut up,” glare and turned back around going back to walking. I haven't heard from him since.

We are walking on a desert road, sand on one side of us and sand on the other, the town loomed in the distance. I was forth in command in this squad, Staff Sergeant Miller was leading us. There were five of us in this squad, all of us had code names, Our sniper and spotter names are “Scopes” both of them. Private Richard was “Flash”, Staff Sergeant Miller was “Thunder”, and I was “Hawk”.

It had been a horrible walk here, the reason we didn’t take the hummers was it would bring too much attention to us and the POWs might have been moved. So we went out on foot. I didn’t say much, I couldn’t say anything at the time, I was just silent, probably because I was walking into a town filled with so many insurgents they were just dying to meet us, the sun was so fucking hot I swear the rubber of my boots were melting off, and top it off, I’m in the middle of fucking Iraq.

I tried not to dwell on the last one. This place was my second home, I just had to deal with it. The marines were my family now, I just had to keep my comrades close, and my enemies closer. I come to find that, even though I am still very alive, I know as I signed those papers, I was already dead. And the sooner I realised that the better.

The sarge put his hand up and signaled for the squad to stop. Everyone grinded to a halt and got down into a crouching position.

“Everyone, get down, I hear a patrol.” Came the sarge in a loud whisper. He quickly went prone and, following his example, I did as well. I could hear the chatter of Arab voice coming closer down the road. I picked my head up just enough to see them. They were the Taliban, they wore turbans on their heads and kevlar vests on their torsos. Each one carried an Ak-47, one of them even had a scope on his. As they passed I saw the sarge signal for us to get up and move forward. Slowly and carefully we rose, trying not to make too much noise. As the patrol was no longer in sight, we resumed our walk, as the south gate was in view.

Pushing up against the wall next to the gate, our radio picked up communications from Bravo 1-3.  

“Bravo 1-2, this is Bravo 1-3, do you copy over?” Came a voice followed by static. Miller picked up his radio.

“We got you 1-3, send traffic over.”

“We are in poison, on the north entrance, no sign of insurgents, how about you?”

“Small groups, bunched together here and there, nothing we can’t worm our way around, we will see you at the town hall, over and out.” Miller put his radio down and signaled for us to follow him.

He proceeded to move into the town and hid behind a building. Slamming against the wall and checking,around the corner, he saw a group of people leave the streets and head into a building down the road, now was our chance to move. Returning to his original position he signaled for us to move up next to him. I held my breath as I dart toward the waving marine across the road, squad in tow. My mind raced, I didn’t know if someone saw me or if a sniper was pinned on me, but for that four seconds, I didn’t have any emotion whatsoever, I could feel my heartbeat against my lungs as I ran. I dove for cover as the squad came up behind me and lined up along the wall with their weapons drawn. Re collecting my sanity I put myself on the wall. Miller looked back to the two marines in the back of the pack and signaled for them to come up. Both scopes came up and kneeled down next to him.

“You two, up there in that building, now, wait for my signal, you can provide suppressing fire if needed while spotting targets for us to take out, got it?” The sarge said in a quiet and gravelly voice. The two nodded and got ready to go.

The sarge looked around the corner again and motioned for them to move. The two ran across the road into an abandoned building. A few seconds passed as nothing happened. Then, on the second floor we see a flashing light, indicating scopes were in position.

“Alright, lets move.” Came the sergeant as he doubled back toward the end of the squad disappearing behind the wall, I followed quickly and quietly.

When I turned the corner, I got a sensation of nostalgia as I remember the mission in the dream. The alleyway I was in looked exactly like the one in my dream. Except this time there was no noise, no gunfire, no screaming, no pain, yet. We moved for a few more moments until we stopped at another road, To the left of us was town hall, its sandstone looking dome pierced the sky as the remaining windows below it glistened in the light of the morning sun.

Then I noticed something else, another flashing light came from a hallway down and across the road from the building. I tapped the Sergeants shoulder and pointed out the light, he looked over to it and signaled back. It was 1-3 and they were ready. Miller made a couple hand signals to the group across the road, as they did the same. We couldn’t use our radios with the threat of someone hearing them. Tapping me on the shoulder I tapped Flash behind me then he tapped mine and I finally tapped Millers, Millers nodded.

This was it, we were going in.

“Okay, here we go, lets move quietly.” Saying that, the sarge moved out of cover and darted for the doors of the Town hall.

I turned the corner and almost ran faster than him to get to safety, turning over to see 1-3 doing the same. The sarge blew open the doors to the Hall with his foot while me, flash and the sarge took out the three unsuspecting insurgents with our knifes. The door across from us collapsed in revealing five marines with their guns aimed.

“Good to see you 1-2, have a nice walk over?” Came a marine leading the others.

“Oh it was just wonderful.” Came the Sergeant sarcastically. A few laughs came from the others as we grouped together. I tried to shut the door behind us, but it sort of hung there, so I did the best I could. Returning the group they had already started up stairs.  The stairs creaked as we made our way up Every sound sounded louder and louder each time we took a step, it was nerve wrecking. Reaching the top floor Miller took out two guys that weren’t looking and I took out another that turned around to find out why his friends fell to the ground. It was intense, the adrenaline of me pulling the trigger and ending a life, at first you feel sorrow and you feel bad for the poor bastard. Then you remember that, he wanted to do the same to you, so that makes me sort of ease the killing factor. There are two door infront of us, on lead to the balcony the other lead to the room where they POWs were, we just didn’t know which one it was.

“Scopes, do you have a visual on the POWs?” Miller said into the radio. It was dead silent for a few moments then it came back,

“Yes, my side, there in clear sight, use caution, I see multiple insurgents fucking around in the room with them, chose your targets well.” Came scopes as the radio went silent again.  We chose the door on the right as huddled around. Miller used his foot to kick in the door. A mixture of screams and gunshots rang out in the air as we entered the room. I offed two and the sarge got the other three. I got over to the POWs and took the band off their eyes and untied there wrists from the chair, they first were resistant but realized the marine look of the sarge trying to calm them down and let me finish.

”Thank god you bloody yanks showed up, these guy were getting on my nerves, and even destroyed a few in the process.”

“You guys still got your gear?” I asked. The commandos looked around for a second and focused on a pile of armor and rifles lying on the ground in the back of the room on a table.

“Yeah hold on one moment we’ll be ready in a second.” The soldiers ran back and began to suit up. But just like that, an air raid siren went off, as all I heard was the ear piercing wail of the alarm.

“Fuck! They know we’re here! We’re going out loud!” Millers yelled smashing out one of the windows of the room and planting his M249 on the windowsill. Doing the same I ran over to the next window and smashed it with the but of my gun and shielded myself from the falling glass as I rested my rifle on the sill taking aim for the streets below. One of the commandos joined me. The one thing I could remember to calm my sanity was “Fire Your Guns” by ACDC

“It’s gonna get worse before it gets better.” He said out loud.

“Well, you got the skills, now use them!” I said open fire on one of the taliban soldiers in a building across the street, none of them did anything, only a few landed a hit, the only reason I could tell that was from a noticeable red liquid spray the wall behind it. I just shot, I didn’t even aim for shit, I saw something move, or a glint and I opened up. I knew I hit a few times, but not all the time.

“Overlord, overlord this is Bravo 1-2, we secured the POWs and requesting a air pick up, over.”  came the sarge from across the room.

“Copy that Bravo 1-2, sending a UH-1Y to your location, E.T. ten to fifteen minutes, overlord out.” Putting the radio back into its slot Miller returned to the sill and opened fire through the window.

“Sargent Miller, this is scopes, Should I get to town hall?” Came scopes over the radio.

“Yes, and hurry up command is sending a chopper for us.” Miller yelled, you could hear his voice crack over the radio.

“Alright sir, moving uuUUH SHI-,” His voice was cut out by the sound of an whooshing noise. Looking at scopes building I could see a stream of smoke hit it as it’s second floor was destroyed.

“FUCK, NO!” I yelled over the sound of machine gun fire. “Sir! Scopes is down!” Miller looked over to the now smoking second story of the apartment. His eyes widened as his fist balled up and slammed down onto sill, white teeth shown as his canines shined in the light as he grinned them together.  

“YOU FUCKING SAND EATING BASTARDS!! NOW YOU DIE!!!” He yelled as his rage emptied out into a stream of hot lead leaving his gun hitting the soldiers below us. Each one looked up in terror as all they saw was death in the shape of a little sheet of lead. Each one fell, every single one fell in the street. His gun went silent as did the battlefield for a few seconds. I looked over as he back up from his mounted gun as he breathed heavily. His hands were shaking in rage, his eyes could be seen through his glasses, and his pupils were smaller than before, as if something had broken him.

Then like clockwork another RPG sounded off and hit the side of the building, knocking me off my block throwing me back and making me smack against the wall. My vision was blurred up for a few seconds as all I saw was muzzle flashes and figures standing in the opens of the wall.

Regaining my sight I drew up my rifle, reloaded, and ran back to the fight, my rage boiled over me as a furiously opened fire on the few soldier remaining in the fight. . The chopper could be seen off in the distance, it was the most beautiful thing I saw all day. Then another song began to play in my head, “Hit The Lights” by Metallica.

“Everyone focus your fire on the RPG teams, provide cover for the chopper, don’t let him crash!” Miller yelled. Hearing His orders I found the nearest RPGer and gunned him down just as he laid eyes on the chopper. Five more minutes passed of the same thing over and over again shoot, shoot, reload, repeat. The chopper was upon us and the taliban were really noticing it. The chopper stopped and hovered in front of us.  

“Alright lets go!” I yelled as I made the death defying leap across the gap between me and the chopper. Everyone one else followed, except the sarge.

“Come on sir, lets go!” I yelled over the sound of the chopper. Miller looks to his right as I hear Abric voices coming up the stairs.

“No, go without me, this is for you scopes!” He yelled as he ran into the room with the stairs. I was going to go get him but an explosion blew up the doorway leading in.

“We need to go now!” Yelled the pilot as the chopper picked up speed and flew off. I just stared at the burning building as we flew off. My face motionless as tears for the first time in long time formed in my eyes, he risked his life, for our safety, his death will not go un-avenged.

“Sir?” came a voice. It was Private Richardson. “Wheres Staff Sergeant Miller?” I didn’t want to admit it but I had to tell them, I was the last to see him.

“Miller is dead, along with Sergeant Leavitt and Sargent Granger.” The rest of the chopper ride was quiet. Nobody talked.                                                    

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