by Dave Hazel
“Sir, I will take control of and responsibility for Airman Jones,” Jake said while looking at the fake name tag on Boris’s shirt. “It will not happen again.”
“I understand some leeway had been given to the men who had served with Mykal and had been stuck in Towbar’s world prior,” Diaz said and paused. “I don’t have a problem allowing freedom in that area. But this blatant disrespect will not be tolerated.”
“Yes Sir,” Boris said and looked away from Diaz. It was clear Diaz thought Boris was like Jake and Larry, left behind back in July. “It won’t happen again Sir.”
“What would you like us to do Myk?” The reporter dropped to the ground at Mykal’s feet. “We just heard what is going to happen,” he said as his cameraman came up behind him.”
“I want you two to stay here with Towbar and Captain Roberts. You don’t have the cammy paint on your face so they will spot you right away.”
“Are you going to sucker punch them? I would really love to catch that on film?” The cameraman asked. The man reminded Mykal of all the reporters he had seen in Vietnam War footages. “Let’s put a brand new tape in,” he said to the reporter while he removed the tape that held the interviews of the released prisoners.
“Sucker punch them,” Mykal chuckled at the choice of words. “Yeah, we’re gonna sucker punch them but they ain’t ever gonna get up from it,” he said and held his hand out for Boris to slap it. “You can film it, but from this little rise in the land. I don’t want them to see you.”
Finley and Kim returned. “Sir, the men are all ready and eagerly waiting,” Finley smiled proudly to Diaz.
“Mykal, my friend. If you get close enough to speak with the Sosos, I will give you a greeting to use,” Towbar said. “Say ‘Zizmon-Tarl sends his greetings from his home country’. I believe Zizmon-Tarl is behind their attacks and he is sending armies from around the world. They will know who you speak of and welcome you.”
“Let’s go,” Mykal said. He waved at all the men so they would look at him. “And be ready for anything.”
Mykal was the first to stand, rifle at the ready and he felt to make sure his revolver sat comfortably positioned in the holster. Boris quickly jumped up beside him. William had angered Boris and now he lusted to kill someone to get his frustration off his chest. The others all followed in behind.
“Remember, just be casual,” Mykal said as he walked keeping his eyes on the Sosos who stopped and watched them approach. “We’re coming to them like we’re allies. We’re not in a big hurry but if something goes wrong we kill ‘em all.”
*******
The small Soso camp stopped what they were doing and eyed the green strangers. The strangers did not attack. They reasoned they had to be the Goblin allies sent by Zizmon-Tarl. Only a few of the Sosos had been up close to the Goblins. Other than the size of their bodies there was nothing out of the ordinary. The Sosos knew they had green friends arriving from the other side of the world to aid in attacks. There would be other humanoid races, besides the Goblins, to help take the Pass to the south lands.
King Monahaknid (Mon-a-hak-nid), the Supreme Ruler over the Kings of all Soso nations announced that Zizmon-Tarl, the World Leader, would send forces to conquer the last rebellious nation. Since King Monahaknid had failed over the years to take the south lands on his own, Emperor Zizmon-Tarl had been compelled to involve himself and many of the nations under his rule to complete his quest for world domination. Zizmon-Tarl is a living god and all will bow down to worship his deity or will suffer the consequences. Emperor Zizmon-Tarl’s cruelty makes even the Sosos tremble with fright.
*******
“Pass it back to hold off on the 60s unless things get out of control,” Mykal said and never took his eyes from the Sosos who stopped everything to watch them approach.
“Uh-ohhhh, this is getting kinda scarrrrryyyy,” Larry snickered nervously in a sing-song way while never moving his lips. “I can’t believe they’re just standing there. They’re watching us like it’s no big deal.”
“Well they out number us more than three to one,” Jake replied. “They probably think they have the upper hand.”
Mykal raised his hand to wave. “Zizmon-Tarl sends his greetings,” he yelled so they could hear. He was surprised to see many of the Sosos lower their weapons. “Zizmon-Tarl sends his greetings from his home country,” he called out. Anxiety shook his entire being.
Many of them started to wave and relaxed their guard. Moving closer they saw this was just an overnight camp. There were just under three hundred and all of them bunched up together to greet the allies. Some called to them in the Soso native tongue which made no sense.
“Zizmon-Tarl sends his greetings from his home country,” Mykal replied and kept waving and smiling. “Get ready,” he called and waited till he stepped within fifteen yards of the nearest Soso. “Let ‘em have it,” he yelled and raised his rifle and started squeezing off shots. After his first shot there was a roar of gun fire that followed. In less than twenty seconds all the Sosos were dead or dying.
Roy Jr. spat on the ground and kicked a dead Soso in the head. “That’s for my baby brother you bastards.”
“Finish them off quietly,” Mykal ordered, referring to the few who were moaning and still alive. “Don’t waste ammo.”
The Koreans and the Green Berets pulled their deadly blades and went around checking all the bodies. Those still living were snuffed out quickly and quietly. “I want eyes open,” Finley yelled to instruct the men to keep alert and to continue looking in all directions. They could see miles in all directions except for the way they just arrived from.
The men all moved in and searched for trinkets to keep as souvenirs. Towbar, William, the reporter and his cameraman came from their hidden position. The reporter talked into a small hand held recorder, his cameraman videotaped the aftermath of the one-sided slaughter.
“Mykal, that is going to make the men look bad,” Lieutenant Finley whispered. “If the people back home ever see this, the anti-war people will have a field day.”
“The friggin scum sucking liberals that don’t have a damn clue what we’re facing out here,” Boris hissed hatefully. “They don’t have a friggin clue what the Sosos did to those prisoners let alone what they do to anyone they get their hands on. They’d probably be screaming ‘the Sosos have rights, the Sosos have rights’,” he mocked with a whiney sissified voice.
“I hear ya,” Larry scoffed with disgust.
“But that doesn’t change the fact that if that tape makes it home it will make us look bad,” Finley said quietly.
“Don’t worry about it,” Mykal smiled. “They don’t know it yet, but that tape ain’t gonna make it back home. Right Boris?”
“I’ll gladly fix that problem,” Boris said with a wink.
“Can I ask what the hell is going on here?” The reporter gasped in horror when he and his cameraman neared Mykal.
“What’s your name?” Mykal asked.
“David Brooks,” he answered and his cameraman walked on and continued to film remains of the bloodbath.
“David, we’re eliminating our problem. We don’t want other Sosos to find them and to tell them what direction we traveled in,” Mykal said.
“The only good Soso is a dead Soso,” Larry laughed.
“But this,” he pointed to the men finishing off the wounded. “This is uncivil. This is not right.”
“Are you for real?” Larry asked when Boris turned his head.
“Yes. This is not right.”
Boris turned and walked away before he exploded and allowed his rage to pour forth.
“You don’t understand what kind of savages these people are,” Jake said in a calm tone. “I’ve seen what they do to little children. Including newborns. Did you see what they did to those kids we put on the helicopters? You didn’t see what they did to the people we left behind at the camp.”
“But look what we’re doing,” Brooks replied in an almost hysterical tone.
“We’re becoming just as savage as they are. We are supposed to rise above that!”
“No we’re not,” Mykal disagreed. “We’re eliminating a potential problem. Do you know how far behind enemy lines we are? We can’t afford to have one of them tell the other Sosos where we are or which direction we traveled in.”
“I think you better stop,” Larry said.
“Stop what?” Brooks asked. “What am I doing?”
“It sounds to me like you’re siding with the Sosos.” Larry sneered and Captain Diaz walked away. “We sure as hell don’t want any Soso sympathizers in our midst.”
“I, um, what are you saying? I’m not a Soso sympathizer.”
“I’m just saying that if you’re gonna cry over Sosos maybe we should send you on your own and you can go interview the next group of Sosos you come across,” Larry suggested with a laugh making it hard to tell if he was serious or joking.
“Are you threatening me?” Brooks gasped as Larry folded his arms across his chest.
“No, I haven’t threatened you. But it sounds like you’re threatening me,” Larry laughed. “All I’m saying is you better be careful.”
“Yeah, I’d say you gotta watch your step,” Mykal agreed. “This is war. You don’t really know what we’re up against,” he said to show he wasn’t concerned for Brooks’s position.
“Is it because of this sort of activity that you didn’t want us involved with this operation?” He asked Mykal and turned away before giving Mykal a chance to respond.
“Myk, that videotape shouldn’t make it back,” Jake said in hushed desperation. “You know the media will make us look bad.”
“It’s not gonna make it back,” Mykal said with certainty but looked to William to see if he had any objections.
“I agree with you,” William said. “I’m sorry for not going along with this plan. I thought we would get ourselves into a situation we couldn’t handle. I’m sorry.”
“No problem. Just trust me and quit fighting me at every turn. Towbar, I may need you to have your men keep that videotape from going back to my world.”
“Tell me when you would like me to act, my friend, and I will have my men strike them down and take from them what you desire.”
“Myk, I’m not trying to fight you at every turn,” William replied and interrupted Mykal and Towbar. “But I feel as a Captain I don’t get any respect from you or your friends. Especially that sick bastard Boris,” he said and didn’t realize Boris walked back to their group.
“Yeah, we really need to get that tape,” Larry said and eyed David Brooks talking with his cameraman. “I’m gonna try to make sure I get on the same helicopter with them and I’ll throw the camera out,” Larry snickered. “Accidently of course.”
“I will help you, my friend,” Towbar offered.
“Keep screwing with me and I’ll show you what a sick bastard I can be,” Boris growled angrily to William. “I’m not in the friggin Air Force anymore. I don’t need to show you squat, let alone respect. You gotta earn respect with me mother--”
“Enough!” Mykal raised his voice and cut him off. “There’s too much going on. I don’t wanna hear fifty conversations at once. We gotta get back to the Pass.”
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” William replied. “I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized to Boris. “I don’t want to be at odds with our own people.”
“You better be sorry, cuz if you get in my way then I’ll do you as quick as we did those Sosos,” Boris threatened.
“Boris, come on, he just apologized. Knock it off. I don’t wanna be babysitting you two. I’ve got too much on my mind right now.”
“Boris, I’m truly sorry,” William humbly lowered his head. “I didn’t mean for that to come out the way it did. It’s just hard as an officer to be talked to the way I’ve been treated. I don’t want there to be hard feelings between us. Please, accept my sincerest apologies.”
“Alright,” Boris gave in after Mykal’s glare bore into him. He accepted William’s out stretched hand and shook. He watched William walk away. “What a friggin little wussy.” Boris smirked with his friends behind William’s back.
“Boris, I’m asking you as a friend, please, leave him alone.”
“Got it Sarge.”
“Let’s get moving,” Mykal called out. “Keep our eyes 360. If we can see them, they can see us.”
They were traveling again, continuing at a comfortable pace so as not to tire the group. They knew it would only be a matter of time and the helicopters would come to pluck them from behind enemy lines. Captain Diaz had his radio man keep in contact with the choppers. The main topic of discussion between Mykal, Jake and Larry was how much Boris had changed since the last visit to Towbar’s world. Boris had become a very disturbed and very dangerous person. Mykal radiated joy and happiness knowing his mission had been completed and it was just a matter of time for the shackles to be removed.
3.
Hours later they took a short rest break and they took the occasion to have a quick meal. Without being instructed the men set up a defensive perimeter and most of the men collapsed on the green grass. Patches of the grass turned yellow and brown. Towbar told Mykal the seasonal change usually occur around the end of December and beginning of January. The lush green would return mid-March when the temperatures start to rise.
Mykal walked off by himself to do some thinking. He sat down and took a drink of warm water from his canteen. Though the warm water tasted terrible it felt refreshing. William joined him despite Mykal’s desire for solitude.
William sat beside him and Mykal studied the balding man. The man sitting before him was an enigma. Mykal couldn’t figure him out. This adventure into Towbar’s world definitely pulled their friendship apart. As Mykal looked at William he wondered if they were ever really friends to begin with or was William a plant from the beginning. ‘Why is he even here? Is this just a part of his job? But how? They didn’t know we’d have a way back to Towbar’s world when they assigned him to me. Is he here to make sure I complete this mission? I just wished he’d be honest with me.’ He felt he couldn’t trust William.
“Hey Myk,” William finally broke the silence. “I really want to tell you that I’m sorry. I really am.”
“For what? Ah, forget about it.”
“No, I never should have opposed you. I knew from the start that you are in charge and I knew what I signed up for. Well, let me correct that.” He gave a smirk. “I didn’t really know what I signed up for,” he continued and readjusted his glasses. He looked comical with camouflage paint on his face. “I know what I agreed to and I’ve been a whiny little child about it the entire time. So, I’m sorry. If I’m being honest I think I’m struggling with pride. I’m having a difficult time taking orders from an enlisted man. I’m just being honest,” he quickly added as Mykal’s brows curled. “I know you’re no longer a sergeant. For this assignment you actually out rank Major Chick and I know I would never act this way with him. So please, accept my apologies and understand that you’ll not have any more problems with my attitude henceforth.”
“I appreciate that. And it helps me understand, since it was my former rank you had a problem with. Thanks, and don’t worry about it.”
“The only thing I ask of you is to keep Boris on a tight leash. I know he doesn’t like me and I know he’s not afraid to kill people since he’s never going back. But I know he will be obedient to you.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’ll be alright,” Mykal replied and waved his hand as if to brush it away.
“You know he can never go back to the real world, right?”
“I know and he knows too,” Mykal replied. “I wouldn’t let him go back. I gave my word on that, but he’s happy to be here cuz he knows what the alternative is.”
“It’s funny Myk,” William sighed. “I never really believed this place existed. In the beginning everyone thought you were crazy or just making it up. I have to admit I agreed with them. Th
en when it became apparent there was truth to your story I believed it, but I still found it hard to accept this place was real. Now look at me,” he said with a broad smile. “I’m here in this world that I heard you talk so much about. It’s as every bit as real as our world is. I think the real reason I volunteered to come along, I mean the real, deep down honest reason, was to prove this place didn’t exist. Well, once again I’m wrong. It seems like that has been happening a lot lately.”
“Yeah, look what this little trip did to our friendship.”
“We have been going after each other lately, haven’t we?” William asked and stared into the sky. “You don’t have to concern yourself with that any longer. I’m on board for whatever you say from this point forward. I mean that.”
“Well good, I’m glad to hear that.”
Towbar joined them. “I think we have rested long enough my friend. We should not stay in one place too long.”
“Yeah, we better get moving,” Mykal said after he looked at his watch.
4.
When they reached the river they followed the river south. Mykal knew if they followed the river far enough it would turn east and then they would find the ten abandoned vehicles vacated by the prisoners they freed. Mykal hoped it wouldn’t take that long for the helicopters to get to them.
Some of the men were tempted to go into the water to cool off. The dark, murky, slow moving waters caused most to not even consider getting too close to the river bank, let alone going in. Occasionally large ripples displayed something moving under the surface of the dark river. Everyone stepped a little farther from the water’s edge for fear of being taken by some unknown river creature in Towbar’s world. No one wanted to be ‘that guy’ who got eaten alive by some strange underwater monster.
“Oh no, look behind us,” a Marine yelled out.
In the distance to the rear it looked like a black cloud had formed. It wasn’t a moisture filled cloud, but rather an army of hatred and it moved toward them. Visibility and the flatlands enabled them to see for miles in all directions.