Katie reached up and removed my cover and ran a hand across the stubble on my head then replaced the hat. There was something exciting and joyful and sad bouncing around in her eyes as she smiled. “I guess this is goodbye for now huh Kenz?” I placed a hand on her cheek and nodded once. She tilted her head. “I never thought I'd say these words to someone, but, I love you soldier girl.”
I blinked once as heat filled every corner of my being. I smiled down at her then bent and picked her up around the waist and stood. “I'm damn... umm, darn sure I love you too.” She grinned and took advantage of the close proximity of our lips and kissed me passionately. I got a little weak in the knees. She did things to me nobody ever had.
I set her back down then her eyes almost pleaded when she asked, “Come home soon?”
I grabbed my bags and nodded, then smiled. “Sure thing Valkyrie One.”
She giggled then said as she got back in her car, “See you from above next week Dead Shot.” Then I stood there watching her drive off. Next week? Did she know something I didn't? Then I snorted at myself. Of course she did, and it is best not to ask. It made me grin knowing my angel would have eyes on me.
***
Before long I was in the air. Packed into the cargo hold with various supplies and what felt like a platoon of Marines.
One looked over, his name tag read Martinez, and he asked, “Infantry?”
I put a bored look on my face and replied blandly, “Forty-second.”
He made a bitter face and made a fanning gesture with his hand. “You're stinkin' the place up ground pounder. You know the US Marine Corps are first to fight. We make things safe for you soft soles to follow.”
I smirked at the familiar banter. “Yuck it up leathernecks. We clean up the messes you boys leave behind. I had a dog like that once.” Gaining me some “Oooooo”s and some chuckles.
He offered a fist and a smirk and I bumped it with mine. Then the man beside him squinted at me and sat up a little straighter then looked away and whispered something to Martinez. The man looked at me like he was appraising a new car, his eyes lingers on my name tag. He mutterd, “No shit?”
Now what? Then the man asked, “Meyers... as in THE Meyers? Dead Shot? Eighteen confirmed kills?”
I blinked, they knew me? I nodded once, then he looked around. “Well, shoot men, we have ourselves a gen-u-ine hero here.” I sighed, then he added, “If you ever want a real job, the Marines can always use a good soldier.”
I snorted at the man and said, “No thanks Martinez. Doesn't Marine stand for Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not Essential? I'm afraid I'd just be too brainy for you.” This got a chuckle from him and a few of the others to offer an “Oorah!”
I just laid my head back and closed my eyes. I listened to the men banter to each other and tell tales of battle or sexual conquests and the like with each other until I fell asleep, lulled by the sound of the massive engines pulling us through the sky.
By Zero Seven Hundred the next day and two plane hops later, I found myself in the back of a M1152A1 rumbling down the road to Camp Guinevere in the ungodly heat. Once I checked in at base, I drug my weary arse to the barracks. I stepped up to my rack and almost snorted at my Bugbats strewn about their bunks. I raised my duffel to shoulder height then dropped it on the ground with a thud.
Besides some disgruntled mumbling from other sleeping soldiers around us, Ortega shot straight up, “I'm up!” Dante groaned, and Larson started snoring louder. I grinned. Then Ortega blinked. “Dead Shot, you're back!”
I grinned. “Hey Kid.” The others were awake now and swinging their legs out of their racks and putting their feet on the ground. Taylor rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned. “Hey DS. Welcome home.” I snorted, but I guess this was home. This or some base just like it for two more years.
I said, “Hooah,” I bumped fists with each of them. Since I had already awakened them, we all just got ready for the day. I absently mentioned, “We're up in a couple days so make sure you got your shit together, I don't want to be dragging any of your lazy asses through a mission.”
Dante looked over as he was lacing up his boots while sitting on the edge of his bunk. “Orders?”
I grinned. “Nah, just a feeling.”
After hitting the mess for chow, we went to check with the duty officer to see what mundane tasks we’d be assigned that day. Before we could, the Chief stepped into the mess. He looked around and caught my eye and nodded once then said loudly, “Bugbats!” Then motioned his head out and then stepped out.
I grinned as we followed. Well, I'll be damned, Katie did know something. Larson comically raised an eyebrow at me as we walked. “You called it DS.”
I shrugged and said, “Yeah but admit it, life has been getting a little boring around here for you without me. Let's see what fresh hell they have dreamed up for us now.”
Chapter 10 – Taking Fire
Looking back, I know I should have knocked on wood with that comment about hell two days back as dirt and rock chips hit my shoulder hard from a near miss. I was on coms in VOX mode as I twisted out from behind the rocks and squeezed off a couple rounds of my own to stop the slavers advance on our position. “Guardian One, where the hell is our air support?”
The voice of an angel returned, she sounded almost amused. “Bugbat One, sixty seconds for Predator, and a gunship is inbound, two minutes.” I grinned and looked skyward toward a drone that had been shadowing us and shook my head, knowing she was watching. I could just barely pick it out high in the sky.
Then I looked over at the Kid. “Do something about the bastards dug in at our two o'clock, thirty yards.” He nodded once and I turned to Shorty and motioned with my head. He rolled over to take shelter by Dante, behind another rock outcrop, drawing fire. Kid popped up and pumped off a 'nade. Enemy fire thinned after an explosion. Damn the Kid is good, but he always looks like he's gonna shit his pants when we are under fire.
I signaled Dante and we all returned fire. Dante mowing down three that had almost got to my location with full automatic suppressing fire. I took out another.
Damn, how had they known we were scouting their base? I had an itchy feeling between my shoulder-blades like a scope was on me. I looked back, scanning the high ground for snipers. There was probably a nest up there somewhere and he saw us reconnoitering the camp and signaled them. The closest point with cover back there was maybe five hundred yards, with our backs exposed to it.
If there were a gun trained on us, I could only assume we were out of the sniper's range with any accuracy that's why he wasn't firing. Hell maybe he had fired on us and we just couldn't tell in the chaos going on around us. This was a damn big camp, perhaps fifty men. Our orders were to scout the camp, identify hostiles and the presence of any prisoners from their human trafficking activities. We weren't supposed to engage.
The best we could figure before all hell broke loose was that this was actually a training camp of sorts for them. Which made me sick to my stomach as some of the slavers shooting at us were barely more than kids. We had reported in that no friendlies were present.
I heard the familiar buzz of a prop and sighed in relief as I saw a Predator drone doing its slow motion traverse of the sky toward us. It always seemed like they were just barely moving through the sky when we needed them though I knew logically they were moving like a bat out of hell in their own terms.
No sooner had I finished that thought when I saw two plumes from it. I yelled, “Incoming!” We all ducked and covered ourselves behind our rocks. Moments later there were two explosions and shrapnel flew over our rocks. We capitalized on it and popped up firing. They were backing down the hill toward their base now with their eyes to the sky as the drone banked for another pass. I grinned, at whatever video game jockey was piloting the thing, most likely from half a world away. The Predator only carried two Hellfire missiles and he already expended them. He was keeping the attention on him and not us acting like he was going to strike agai
n.
Then my earbud went static for a moment then a raspy sweet voice said, “Bugbat One, how's that sugar? Gunship in thirty seconds.”
I grinned between shots; damn another body to add to my chains. Then I replied, “That'll do Valkyrie One.”
Then her voice got harder, “Bugbat One, be advised, thermal has a bogey at your nine. Five yards and closing.” I turned left then motioned my head and Kid switched places with me. I heard the countdown as I shouldered my weapon and pulled my ka-bar from its sheath on my leg. I pressed my back against the rock as I listened to the smooth countdown. “Four, three, two...”
Then I grabbed the barrel of the Kalashnikov as it came slowly around the rock, and yanked. The man came stumbling out and I arm hooked him, slamming him to the ground as I came down on him, my knees pinning his arms down. I was barely able to stop my knife thrust as I gazed into the terrified eyes of a boy who couldn't have been more than thirteen. My God!
I pulled back again, my mind reeling with indecision. He was just trying to kill me a moment before. Then I swung down and struck him soundly on the head with the butt of the knife, rendering him unconscious. I couldn't kill him. I exhaled a breath I had held too long as I looked at the boy. Then I resheathed my knife, kicked his weapon away, then pulled my M4 from my shoulder and returned my attention to the battle. A small portion of my mind telling me that I hope this didn't come back to bite us.
What kind of men steal young boys from their families and train them to become killers? My anger was rising and the adrenaline pumping through my veins fueled the anger. I started side stepping between my cover toward Dante's as they gave me cover. I looked at a few that were not retreating, categorizing them in my head, picking out the men from the teens and fire three shots before I made it to cover. Two more men dead at my hands.
I was furious, but it all bled away to relief as I heard the familiar whump whump whump of a gunship approaching the horizon behind us. The chain gun started firing as they passed the ridge. I saw sand and rock blasting skyward from there. I exhaled shakily. There must have been a sniper there like I had thought.
Then the chopper roared over us and that chain gun spat fire again, mowing down anything moving as it swooped toward the camp below. I could barely hear on my coms, “Bugbat One. Air support on site. Extraction team inbound.”
I nodded to myself and said in a faraway voice, “Roger Valkyrie one, the Cavalry has arrived.” I looked at my men and on a three count we all raised our weapons and strode out from behind our cover. We made our way down into the base where the gunship had already made three passes and was landing nearby for their fireteam to help us mop up what was left.
When it was over, I stared at the carnage around us. Ten enemy combatants who had surrendered were under guard, five wounded were being evaluated by the medic from the extraction team including the boy I had almost killed. I kept shrugging off a medic who was trying to look at my bleeding shoulder I pushed the man toward Larson, who had a leg wound that he apparently didn't notice. When they pointed it out to him, he said, “Huh. How bout that.”
I was lost in thought as we rode the chopper from the extraction point with the wounded. I don't even remember hearing the chopper's turbine or blades as we flew. I made sure Shorty was ok. It was a through and through and he was in good spirits. I relaxed a bit and let the medic bandage my shoulder where he pulled a couple rock chips out of the muscle. Nothing serious at all.
I argued until I was ordered to stand down, they were shipping Shorty and me off to an Australian medical ship to be checked out. The Chief met us at the airfield to debrief each of us before we left. When he got around to me ha said simply, “Ortega says you hesitated.”
I closed my eyes and took a breath then looked at the man. “I wasn't going to kill a child.” He took a long look into my eyes with a steely gaze, then he nodded once in satisfaction. Slapped my good shoulder and said, “See you on the flip side Specialist.” He saluted and I returned the salute then they led me to a transport helicopter for the journey to the ship in the Red Sea.
Chapter 11 – Surprise
After it had been determined my injury was minor and didn't impede my ability to do my job, I was cleared for duty. Shorty was sent to Germany for recovery. The chief wasn't sure if he'd return to us or be reassigned after he recovered. Until then, the Bugbats were grounded. He came at me with both barrels loaded, insisting I take some after action leave.
Hand to God, I swear to you that you could have knocked Chief Danes over with a feather when I grinned at him and said, “Ok.” It took him at least a five count before he could speak again. But then to be an asshole and ruin my gloating, he had to go mention that I was up for another goddamn purple heart as was Ortega. Danes had a pleased look on his face at the frustration of my own.
I was on the horn right after that to ask Valkyrie One what she was doing for the next week. It brought a grin to my face at how excited she was at the proposition of spending a few days with me. With the travel time, I'd only get three or four days with her.
That became the norm for the next two years. Every opportunity I had to take leave, I would be in Seattle, in my Katie's arms... or her bed. Hey, like you wouldn't make love to a beautiful woman any chance you got! I was falling for her, and falling hard. I hoped to God it was the same for her.
Starfire got a good workout every time I visited home, and I was even getting Katie good enough on a horse to try out a little trick riding with her.
Nana was enjoying my more frequent visits and I loved seeing her too. I felt guilty that my own neurosis had kept me away for so long.
Shorty had been transferred stateside and we were finally getting into a rhythm with our new rifleman, Pete Johnson, or Tin-Man now. The man couldn't live with the fact that I was a better shot than him. He practiced almost every day shooting tin cans. I showed him a trick to sighting while in motion and I have to admit he's starting to get good at it. In a few months, I'd think he'd be qualified to be hired for the Wild West Extravaganza.
The man is one of those rakishly handsome fellows, with dark hair and eyes that I can imagine other girls clamoring for.
One thing for sure, he wasn't a fan of my daily nightmares. He traded bunks with Dante to get as far from me as possible at night.
The Bugbats have only had seven scouting missions since we lost Shorty. I'm thinking that Big Brass is trying to ease us back into things with a new member of the squad.
I looked out the window of the plane as we touched down at the SeaTac Airport in Seattle. This was another first for me. Leave over the holidays. I usually volunteered for duty station on the holidays so my men could go home to be with their families for Christmas. But I never passed up a chance to see my Katie. Valkyrie One held a permanent part of my heart and soul now.
I couldn't believe that I had only forty-five days before I retired with twenty years in the Military. Anxiety was already eating at me, wondering what I was going to do with myself when I got out. I have already been approached by a half dozen security firms. I sighed sadly at that, I guess they like their killers.
When we hit the terminal, the flight attendants asked everyone to remain seated, then got a man in a wheelchair off the plane and announced, “Would everyone please allow our service members to depart first? We with Republic Airlines want to thank you and let you know how much we appreciate what you do for us. Happy Holidays.”
A Jarhead and a couple squids moved into the aisle as the people in the cabin applauded. I just shrank against the window but the motherly woman that shared my row, I had learned her name was Lacy on the flight, said, “Come on dear, that is you. Let the people celebrate you.”
I gave a heavy sigh then stood and made my way past her to the aisle. I smiled down at her and rolled my eyes, but she was nothing but smiles. How can you be upset with someone like that? I took the embarrassing cheers and followed the squids out. They seemed to be eating up all the attention, typical Navy.
I m
ade my way to the baggage carousels. Then I'd have to get a cab. Katie thought I was still in Africa, I wanted to surprise her for the holidays. I had something really important to ask her, I subconsciously patted the pocket on my BDUs that held the small box.
I grinned, watching the antics of a small blonde woman at the carousel trying to pull some large suitcases that had to weigh as much as her off of the belt. She was having problems with the last one. She had a smile on her face that just made you want to smile too. I saw my duffel coming around and she looked to be getting a determined look on her face to attempt a second try at her last suitcase that was a few bags before mine.
I gotta tell you, that look of determination on her face was adorable. I grinned and stepped next to her, and when her suitcase went past I snagged it with one hand and pulled it off the belt for her. Good God! It must have weighed close to sixty pounds, what did she have in it? All of her worldly belongings? The baggage tag on the handle read Victoria Davenport.
I smiled at her as I put the suitcase in front of her, and she bit her lower lip as she locked eyes with me. It was almost frightening, the intelligence I saw in her eyes, mixed in with excitement and almost profound sadness. The eyes never lie.
Then her blue eyes widened in some sort of recognition. Then they seemed to flicker back and forth like she was recalling a memory. The tiny lady offered her hand and she said softly with a hint of reverence in her voice, “Thank you Miss Meyers. And thank you for your service.” I caught the slightest hint of a British accent. She was looking at me like she could see inside of me, and that unnerved me. My throat tightened and I just gave her a nod. I quickly turned away and snagged my duffel bag from the conveyor, slung it over my shoulder, and made my way through the crowd.
I was able to snag a cab in short order, I glanced at my watch, it was just after Nineteen Hundred. She'd be home for the night. I wondered if I should go there first, Dad's, or Nana's. My fool mouth didn't wait for me to make a decision as I heard myself giving the cabbie Katie's address. I think it is because my fool mouth missed Katie's sweet kisses. I grinned at my logic.
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