by Dave Hazel
“There was a time when Apostallolind wanted to kill himself because he was so different and everything he tried to explain to others made him sound so off his rocker. He had suffered greatly at the hands of his own people just because they thought he was crazy and then when he refused to bow down to their false god. He didn’t think he could go on any longer.
“But then he heard Sosos talking of our weapons and machines and began to wonder if those were the pieces of his visions. When our people picked them up today he knew we were the people in green he was told about. When you guys brought them to the Pass and Larry called me Ski he couldn’t believe his ears because the Soso word Skee actually means ‘the one who knows the truth’ and it doesn’t mean who knows a truth but thee truth. When we got to communicating with the help of Towbar’s soldiers I explained to him that is just my nickname, because my real name is Stanley Winczewski he literally dropped on the floor and started to cry.
“When you say my name,” Ski continued with even greater excitement, “the syllables make up words in the Soso language that basically means something to the effect ‘The one who has been long in coming, you must pay careful attention to his teaching, the one who knows the truth.’ The truth I know is Jesus Christ died on the cross to take away the sins of man and I came to share that truth with a wicked and depraved nation. His name Apostallolind is a variation of the word we know as Apostle which means ‘one who is sent’. I don’t think it is a coincident that he is one who is sent and I’m one who was sent here to share all the truth I know about my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.”
“I’m totally blown away Ski,” Mykal said slowly. “I’m not into the religious stuff. You know that. I just don’t understand how your God could be the same God in this other world,” Mykal said and grabbed his forehead as if while trying to make sense of Ski’s words caused his head to ache.
“Mykal, God is bigger than anything we could ever imagine,” Diaz said. “I’m a born again believer and I am baffled by all this,” he admitted. “I’m not doubting because I believe I have a part in Ski’s mission here, or rather, God’s mission here,” he quickly corrected his statement. “God knew we were going to be here on this day, before we were born. God worked it out that Ski’s name means all those things in the Soso language and I’m--” he paused and took a deep breath. “I’m not going to question it. I’m just going to run with what God desires. I know God performed a miracle in my life from my injuries I received on the other side of the world. God chose me and Ski and the many Christians who are here as part of our force of Towbar One to be missionaries on a foreign soil. We just didn’t know it would be worlds away from where we live.”
“Wow, this is deep,” Larry said and that was all he seemed to muster. “This is deep.”
“Isn’t that kind of a stretch with his name, the prisoner?” Jake asked.
“You could make an argument about that,” Diaz answered and shook his head in agreement.
“But, he is called Apostle for short by his own people,” Ski answered. “He had no idea that the word in the Greek language means ‘one who is sent’ and it just so happens that our New Testament is written in Greek.”
“Okay so what is it you’re getting at with all this?” Mykal asked. “Is this gonna have any effect on me or our missions?”
“No, no, no,” Ski quickly answered. “You wanted to know what we found out, but I wanted to let you know we may have a different way of defeating the Sosos in the long term for Towbar,” he turned to the giant. “Once Apostle gets knowledge of the truth we can set him free among his own people and allow God to do the rest. They obviously would never listen to us and--”
“They’d kill him and rip him apart,” Larry scoffed.
“God is in control,” Ski replied. “They’ve tried twenty-eight times and failed and he believes God called him to share the Truth with his people.”
“Actually we’re talking long term,” Diaz reiterated. “They have one thing on their mind right now and that is to take the Pass. So we still have a war to contend with.”
“The two of them are still gonna be locked up, right?” Mykal asked.
“Yes. They are prisoners of war, but if the opportunity comes up where he can be sent back to his people armed with the Truth, we will run that by you. But besides that,” Ski said and started to laugh. “As our prisoners, they’re treated like kings living in luxury compared to what they came from.”
“Hey Myk,” a Marine called into the opening of his tent. “They’re waiting for you at the choppers. Are you up and good to go Sir,” the Marine asked since he was responsible to ensure Mykal was awake.
“Yes, I’m on my way. Thanks. And you guys, please keep me informed. I’ve got Sosos to kill,” he smirked and they all filed out of his tent.
7.
All eight helicopters left before darkness approached. Mykal hoped to get a couple hours of nap time after they land since he only slept for an hour and a half when he collapsed on his cot. He wasn’t going to allow himself to get burned out, but he really wanted to go along on the night raid. He knew he would have an opportunity to use his magic ring. He would have a legitimate reason. He’s not as skilled as the Silent Killers but he would be just as deadly and effective while being invisible. The craving desire to use his magic fired him up and gave him the energy he needed despite not getting much sleep. During the flight he kept fingering the ring and couldn’t wait to use it.
The flight was quiet. The only people Mykal knew very well were Towbar and Larry. Jake and the Dosch brothers decided not to accompany him on this mission. Most of the Silent Killers who escaped being transported to the other side of Towbar’s world were involved on this mission. Lieutenant Finley, Sergeant Freeman and Sergeant Thompson, all Green Beret Silent Killers who survived being part of the Lost Patrol came along as well as the lone Korean soldier who survived the Lost Patrol, Sergeant Lee-Lon participated in the mission.
This mission brought about the first excursion into Soso occupied territory for a squad and Squad Leader of Navy SEALs. This task brought volunteers from the French Foreign Legion and different soldiers from the Australian SAS. The objective was to kill as many Sosos quietly and to make it look messy for those who would find them in the daylight. Mykal wanted them to match the Sosos brutal viciousness to instill fear into the Sosos who supposedly never display fear. Mykal hoped the superstitious Sosos would mourn the fact their dead comrades would wonder aimlessly for all eternity for being killed in the dark. The media group was angry they weren’t allowed to bring any personnel along but Mykal made it clear, it was to be a mission of complete silence in the dark and there was no need to bring them along.
The experienced Silent Killers from the first mission into Soso occupied territory to rescue Americans had the responsibility to explain what the objective was to be. For every Silent Killer they would have a Marine partner to carry the Silent Killer’s firearm. Mykal felt he was more than prepared with an M-16 rifle, a .357magnum, a Glock 17 with a silencer that he took from the man he killed as part of the Untouchables. He also carried his magic sword and wore his ring that would turn him invisible. He knew he couldn’t use his rifle or .357 magnum unless their cover was blown.
Mykal wanted to get revenge on Sosos for his friends the Dosch family and for himself. Near the end of June the Sosos changed him forever. He would never be the same after the things he found in the two little villages of Jamison and Wussic. The things he had seen since turned his heart cold and calloused. He wanted to make the Sosos pay for that. He lost friends because of the Sosos and he knew what the Sosos would do if they got their way and took control of the Pass. Towbar and his people would be wiped out. ‘If that does eventually happen, these scumbags I get my hands on tonight won’t be a part of it,’ he thought while touching each part of his equipment to make sure everything was secured to prevent noise. He was so thankful to have all these professional, experienced, military people around him.
“Myk, are y
ou scared?” Larry whispered before they prepared to move out.
Mykal clearly saw Larry’s nervous fear, but he didn’t feel any fear. He realized this was the first time he didn’t really experience fear. He didn’t like it because it might make him do something foolish. He was looking forward to turn himself invisible to go on a silent rampage, but he didn’t want Larry to feel alone. “Yeah, I’m scared shitless,” he lied for Larry’s benefit. “Hey Towbar, are you gonna kill any Sosos or are you gonna watch these men do what they’re great at?”
“I will participate, my friend,” Towbar answered and pulled a long knife from his waist band. The massive knife looked similar to a Bowie knife. The blade gleamed brightly. “I plan to draw much Soso blood,” he said calmly but his lifelong hatred was unmistakable.
Mykal knew by Towbar’s physical strength alone he could sever the heads of any Soso with any blade.
Twenty-six of the eighty-three set up a defensive line outside the camp on a small rise in the land that gave a slight height advantage. The nearest Sosos were about a hundred yards away. The twenty-six men were M-60 machine gunners and M-203 grenadiers waiting for the signal and they would open fire to provide cover during their escape if detected.
The Silent Killers snaked through the camp. By the time Mykal entered the sleeping camp area he came across several dead Sosos who nearly had their heads cut from their bodies. Mykal wanted so desperately to get involved and kill, but he didn’t want the men to see him. With his ring on his finger he nervously thought himself invisible and no one noticed he wasn’t there. He walked off away from the group. The group snaked to the northwest leaving a trail of bloody victims with every step. Mykal looked over and saw some of the men actually remove heads from their bodies and stuck them atop of swords and spears driven into the ground.
Mykal pulled his magic sword and hoped, from previous experience, the sword would remain invisible so he assumed the fiery red glow would remain hidden while he stayed invisible. Mykal walked upon two Sosos sleeping nearly side by side. With his sword in hand he swung downward violently as if using a sickle on long grass. The blade cut through both necks and neither knew what hit them. Mykal was amazed that he severed two heads with one swing. He stared at his glowing blade and looked at the ground beneath him to see if the glow would be cast upon the ground. There was no light or shadow or anything that would reveal the glowing magic.
‘This feels friggin great,’ he thought but wanted to yell his excitement. The rage and hatred that pulsed through his being was indescribable. He knew it was the ring, but he didn’t care. He wanted more. He took the two heads and placed the hand of the other body into the mouth of each. ‘I wish I could be here when their buddies find them,’ he chuckled.
Mykal moved on to the next body sleeping in a curled up fetal position. He sliced and chopped several times leaving the man in twelve to fifteen pieces. He took the dead Soso’s sword and dipped it in the blood all around the body and then placed it into the Soso’s hand. The arm had been cut off from the shoulder. Mykal closed the hand tightly around the handle of the sword. ‘Maybe they’ll think he committed suicide,’ he chuckled in thought while he stuck the severed head onto the tip of the blade.
Suddenly Mykal heard the whimpering and crying of an animal. It sounded like an injured dog. He turned to where he thought the noise came from and there was a large tent to his south. Something or someone was alive and making noise. He had to check it out so it wouldn’t wake those sleeping and give them away. Mykal crept to the tent and he could hear a couple of men laughing. He heard the sound of something being struck and then the whimpers of an animal again. The men laughed.
Mykal rushed to the front of the tent to see three Sosos were drinking heavily. Mykal knew only Sosos of rank or high standing had tents. They staggered like drunks and several empty skins littered the ground. Mykal was shocked to see several dead animals on the ground. They had been cut in pieces. A couple looked like dogs, a couple looked like goats and one of the dead animals was a very large sheep.
Near the feet of the men was a large dog that was obviously hurt. It was the animal that whimpered. The animal’s front left paw had been cut off and lay on a small wooden table in the tent. The large collie like dog lay on its side and bled from its mouth. Several areas of the animal’s fur had clearly been burned. Mykal watched one of the Sosos wind up and kicked the animal in its ribs. That was the same sound he heard earlier. The poor thing whimpered and couldn’t move from the abuse.
Mykal knew the ring of invisibility caused his emotions to spiral out of control, but his heart broke for the animals, especially the injured dog still suffering abuse at the hand of its cruel master. Mykal wanted to cry and reach out to comfort the poor animal. ‘I love dogs and I would never want to hurt a dog, but I’m not an animal rights whacko. Why am I feeling so tore up by this?’ He wondered why his emotions were so strong over animals.
While invisible and the three were laughing it up at the expense of the defenseless animal, Mykal walked into the tent. Quietly and smoothly he took a dagger from the sheath of the one who kicked the dog. Mykal waited for the opportune time. Each moment that passed he sensed a violent evil in him grow. His anger boiled out of control. He wished he could tie them up and take his time to abuse them the way they abused these poor animals.
One of the two others tilted his head back to drink from a skin. Mykal wound up and plunged the dagger into his throat with a mighty thrust. He felt like he had bombs in his fist and believed he could have punched the Soso to death. With gritted teeth he watched the Soso who had been stabbed in the throat fall over choking and coughing. The blade protruded from his gullet. Mykal knew he pounded the point of the dagger through the back of the Soso’s neck. The coughing and choking sound came across as if the Soso swallowed wrong.
The third turned to the noise, he clearly saw the dagger in the throat of the second and turned to the one who kicked the dog and growled his question to him in an accusatory fashion. The one who kicked the dog replied in a defensive manner. Mykal guessed the third asked the dog kicker what he did and the dog kicker appeared to deny attacking their friend. The mortally wounded friend lay on the ground choking and gagging in his drunkenness while he grabbed for the dagger in his own throat. The third dropped to the ground in an attempt to help his injured friend who thrashed wildly due his devastating pain.
Mykal pulled his Glock 17 with the silencer attached and placed it near the side of the concerned Soso’s head. After a brief sound of someone spitting air the kneeling man flopped over and blood gushed from his temple where two little holes suddenly appeared. The dog kicker took a double take, looked hard and appeared to be shocked. The only noises audible were sad whimpering of the abused dog and the gurgling choking of his friend who had been stabbed in the throat with dog kicker’s dagger. The dog kicker looked at his skin of intoxicating drink as if his answers swirled inside the bag intoxicating fluid. Dog kicker then he knelt to check both of his drunken friends. He tried to say something to the injured man, but Mykal couldn’t understand the Soso language.
The man wallowing in his own blood with a dagger sticking from his neck seemed to be asking the dog kicker to help him. The dog kicker moved closer to assist his friend. While the injured Soso tried to speak Mykal shot the injured man in both eyes. The dog kicker barely heard anything but he saw the sudden injuries appear. His friend’s eyes seemed to explode before him and his friend died. The dog kicker stumbled back from his kneeling position and sat on his seat. He stared at his dead friend’s injuries and remained speechless while he tried to understand what happened.
Mykal punched the dog kicker on the side of the face as hard as he could right on the chin which almost dislocated the Soso’s jaw. The Soso dropped unconscious and fell over to his side. Mykal had a sudden plan for the bully animal abuser. In one corner of the tent there was a long length of rope that had been used to tie up some of the animals. Mykal wasn’t sure how long the Soso would remain unco
nscious so he had to hurry. Looking over at the dog that suffered he burned with rage, while his emotions of sorrow for the animal nosedived. The animal couldn’t survive without emergency veterinary treatment and he couldn’t risk carrying the injured animal around for fear of it making noise and exposing the Silent Killer force.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered and fought to keep the tears from falling. He placed the silencer to the dog’s head and squeezed the trigger. Suddenly the animal’s head flopped to one side and the tongue flopped out on the grass. The dog’s hind legs kicked several times which caused Mykal to lose it and he started to cry. “I’m so sorry. Poor thing,” he whispered. “I would never hurt you on purpose. This bastard is gonna pay. He’s gonna friggin pay.”
Mykal quickly tied the Soso’s hands behind his back. He tied them tight and knew the Soso was secure. He took a piece of cloth and balled it up and shoved it in the Soso’s mouth then took a sleeve off a raggedy shirt and used it to tie the gag in place around his head. Mykal remained invisible and thought of some gruesome things to do to the animal abuser. When the Soso started to come to from his unconscious slumber Mykal whispered to him while he stayed unseen to the Soso’s eyes. “Don’t make a sound. Do you understand what I just said?” Mykal whispered while he pulled the Soso’s head back by his hair.