“Apparently you pissed someone off at some point so they sent us,” I replied not able to help myself.
Her blue eyes and face, although covered in sweat and dirt, were quite attractive but the sound of the rounds buzzing overhead kept my thoughts in line. A line stitched its way across the top of the rise pelting us with dirt clods and dust. I buried into the dirt trying to actually get my back flush with the ground.
“Viper Six, Viper Five,” I barely heard the ATL say over the radio.
“Viper Five, go ahead,” I answered as the shower of dirt ended. I was thankful there weren’t mortars at this point or the only thing left of us would be picked up and put in buckets.
“We have visitors coming up on the east side from the south, platoon strength,” Viper Five said.
“Roger that. Pull back and set up behind them. On my way shortly. Viper Six, out,” I responded.
“Well, crap! There goes our way out,” I said.
“What do you mean?” She asked.
“Tangos in platoon strength coming up on the east side from the south,” I answered.
Sergeant Connell turned and yelled, “Corporal Hedges, we have unfriendly company coming on the east side from the south. Keep their heads down.”
“What unit did you say you were from?” She asked turning back to me. The soldiers around us were sending semi-automatic fire out to the tree lines on all sides.
“Yeah, let’s cover that some other time, shall we?” I answered. I looked around as best I could being pressed down. The circle of troops was closest to the north tree lines so I thought that may be our best way out.
“Okay, our goal is to get to a landing zone a few klicks to the north,” I say showing her on the map. “I’ll leave you my radio and head back. We’ll circle around to the north and clear a hole for you. Try to get the wounded that aren’t mobile onto stretchers. The cheek beating will have to be intense and we’ll have to move fast. We have helicopter assets on standby but for some stupid reason, they can’t assist with keeping our backsides clear.”
“Okay. The wounded are already on ponchos. We’re getting low on ammo so it’ll have to be soon. I’ve already given the order to conserve but we’ll lay down cover fire for your dash out of here,” she said.
“Viper Five, Six here,” I said into the radio.
“Go ahead, Six,” My ATL responded.
“What’s the situation there?” I asked.
“Tangos are moving to the tree lines and infiltrating north. It looks like they’ll link up with the north line soon,” he responded.
“Any place still clear? I’m on my way out,” I asked.
“It looks like the Northeast corner is still clear if you hurry,” he answered.
“Okay. I’m leaving my radio here and on my way. Don’t fire and meet me twenty-five meters inside the tree line,” I told him.
“Copy that. Viper Five, out.”
I took off my radio and handed it over.
“See you on the other side,” I said.
“Cover Fire!” Sergeant Connell shouted.
The intensity from our side picked up considerably and the return firepower diminished to a degree. I rose and started running in a crouch towards the Northeast. I just as suddenly stopped with my boots almost skidding across the torn up field. Returning, I plopped back down next to a rather startled Sergeant Connell.
“Mr. Walker, or whatever you are, the woods are that way I believe,” she said pointing in the direction I was headed.
“Yeah, I came back to ask for your number and see if I could treat you to dinner sometime,” I said even surprising myself.
“You’re kidding, right?!” She responded with an incredulous look on her face.
“No, I’m quite serious,” I replied.
“If I give you my number, will you then get the fuck out of here?”
“Yep.”
She gave me her number right then and there. I reached down, pulled my knife from its sheath attached to my lower leg, and scratched her number into the crane stock of my M-4.
“And your name? I mean besides Sergeant Connell,” I asked hesitating with the point of my blade against the molded plastic.
“Lynn. Now get the fuck out of here,” she said shaking her head.
The sound of the firing was intense. Yells from the soldiers nearby added to the field filled with sound. Green and red tracers streaked across the battlefield. I began my run once again. Bullets impacted the ground at my feet and I heard the occasional zip as others passed close by my head. I concentrated on only the run and the trees to my front. It seemed like there was no way my body could fit in the open field without coming into contact with the steel filling the air but I made it and plunged deeper into the dense undergrowth of the jungle to be greeted by a boonie hat rising above a large patch of fronds.
We made our way around to a position behind enemy soldiers inside the tree line to the north. We found one end of the line and, with ourselves on line, began to systematically roll them up from behind. Our suppressors weren’t heard and they had no idea we were there. We stayed back in the jungle until we cleared most of the north line. It wouldn’t be long before they realized that the north end wasn’t firing so we didn’t have the luxury of time to roll them up entirely.
“Atlas 21, Viper, over,” I said taking our spare radio.
“Viper, Atlas 21, go ahead,” Lynn responded. The firing through my earpiece when she had her mic open was loud in the background. It mixed with the firing we were hearing but slightly out of sequence.
“The way is clear. Move your folks. We’ll cover the flanks and fold up behind you. Head north to the LZ,” I said.
“We’re on the way. Atlas 21, out,” she replied.
They made their way across the field and through our flanking line. We folded up behind the fast moving soldiers. Enemy soldiers ran across the field in pursuit and we heard others crashing through the jungle to either side. Setting short-timed fuses in claymores, we put these to the side and rear to slow any advance and make them think twice about running after us. We then took off on the tail of Atlas 21. Bullets smacked into the trees around us as fire continued to be directed our way. Five loud, ground shaking explosions filled the air behind us. The rounds that followed us tailed off. We planted our remaining claymores, with both timed fuses and trip wires, in our path and off to the side of it as we made our way north.
Several explosions later, all fire in our direction ceased. I notified Eagle that we were inbound to the LZ. Lynn radioed that they had made it to the LZ. We were ten minutes behind with our pickup fifteen minutes out. In short order, we were all picked up and airborne. The adrenaline and exhaustion of the day swept over me. At that time, a cold beer sounded like the best thing in the world. I looked down at the number and name etched into the stock of my M-4 and smiled. Looking out of the open door to my right, I saw another Black Hawk in formation. In the open doorway sat Lynn, her helmet off and her short blond hair hanging limply. She was staring at the steel floor and looked up. I gave her a head nod which she returned and smiled.
The slamming of a hatch on one of the Humvees is startling. “Yeah, good times,” I say as we both snap out of our remembering at the same moment.
“It was certainly interesting,” she replies.
Whispers of the Mind
The sound of hatches being closed echoes across the silent lot signaling it’s time to go.
“I love you, Lynn,” I say leaning over to give her a kiss.
“I love you too, Jack,” she says.
With a final squeeze of her hand, we separate and I make my way to the Humvees and awaiting teams.
“Make sure to keep intervals and the guns manned,” I say with the chill of the morning seeping through my fatigues.
