Mykal's Deadly Perambulation

by Dave Hazel

  “Why don’t we get someone to detonate that nuke we left out there?” Monk offered. “It’s sitting out in the middle of nowhere and it would finish them for good.”

  Mykal looked at Spencer and Monk and remembered they were a part of the convoy that abandoned the Minuteman III nuclear missile when they first arrived in Towbar’s world. “The main problem with that would be getting someone near it.” He said and wondered if his ability to turn invisible would be an option. His mouth began to water with delight at the idea of using the nuclear missile on the Sosos, or maybe it was the idea of using the ring to be invisible.

  “Maybe you could bring back a couple of tanks to take a specialist out there to arm the nuke,” Spencer offered.

  “I’ll definitely think about that and bring that up,” Mykal said and wondered what the chances would be. It would involve fewer resources, but the peace loving lefties back in the real world would go ballistic if it ever got out. ‘But they’re not here, and they don’t have a friggin clue what’s at stake here,’ he thought to himself.

  Larry and Sam arrived at the tent with all the rescued civilians, some of the walking wounded and some non-combat personnel. Nordad and his men, the three Elves arrived with the Dosch family. Mykal was disappointed one of the reporters had his cameraman filming while he briefed everyone.

  “What I’m about to share is the tentative plan, as we’re waiting on more info.” Sounds of mortar explosions erupted in the distance. The sounds of the mortars being fired meant the Sosos were really on the move and closing in on the Pass. Mykal kept his composure since he knew the camera was focused on him. Inside he was terrified. He wasn’t sure if he had it in him to fight for the Pass again.

  “What does that mean?” A member of a camera crew asked.

  “It means the Sosos are closer than I expected. With my own eyes I haven’t seen what’s going on, so I don’t know if they’re throwing everything at us or if it’s just a feeler group to feel how we’re going to respond. Bottom line is, they’re close enough that we’re using the mortar teams. So this is probably the real deal.” Mykal stopped when he saw Bravo Company Commander Captain Little Hawk approach his position with a number of his soldiers.

  “Excuse me Myk, I don’t mean to interrupt,” Little Hawk said when he saw the cameramen videotaping his briefing.

  “No, no, go ahead we’re gonna have to wrap it up anyway.”

  “As all of you can hear they are closer than they have been in the past and as a precaution we would like to evacuate all the non-combat personnel to the rear,” he said and pointed to the south. “Vehicles are being readied as we speak so if you people would follow these Marines here they will get you loaded up and moved out.”

  “We’re going to stay with you Myk,” Roy said for himself and his two sons.

  “You guys don’t have to,” Mykal replied.

  “We know that, but we have some unfinished business with them lousy bastards,” Roy Jr. responded.

  “Thanks guys, and if anyone else wants to fight I won’t stop you, cuz we’ll need every weapon.”

  “I’ll help,” Sam threw up his good arm.

  “Sam I’d like you to stay with Jake and--”

  “Screw you, you friggin bastard,” he fumed and turned away. “I knew you’d treat me like I’m a worthless piece of shit.”

  Mykal shook his head at Captain Little Hawk who looked at Mykal as if he was ready to respond to Sam’s insubordination. “He’s just frustrated.”

  “I’ll get him to stay with Jake,” Larry offered and left to follow Sam.

  “Let’s start filing out,” Captain Little Hawk said. “Follow these men. Myk, I will be at the command post,” he said and turned away.

  “You guys don’t have to be involved,” Mykal said to Nordad, his men and the three Elves. “You guys were kinda brought here against your will.”

  Nordad spoke for the little group. “Mykal, we are in agreement. We have learned much about these Sosos in the short time we have been here. We have made many friends among Towbar’s soldiers and we would count it an honor to fight side by side, not only with Towbar’s soldiers, but with your soldiers too. Savages such as Sosos need to be defeated at every turn and we will give what little we have to offer. For myself, I am eager to see how your people fight. I have learned much in the past few days and I would like to satisfy my curiosity.”

  “We would like to make a suggestion,” Leeno said, and in the midst of the chaos his voice still came across as light and airy, almost musical. “It will involve Towbar.”

  “What is it?” Mykal asked.

  “We can provide additional support, if you would be willing to use your magic to take us back to our homeland,” Starling continued. “We are confident we would be able to persuade our people to join in this war and help defeat the evil that threatens Towbar’s land. Without any question, we are the greatest archers in the world. Elves are superior fighters.”

  “We do not look to fight,” Blair picked up where Starling stopped. “However, when a fight is necessary we are a fierce adversary who does not know how to lose. When we ally ourselves with others we are extremely loyal.”

  “Okay, but I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

  “Mykal, in our homeland we have approximately four hundred thousand warrior Elves. We also have more than three hundred thousand who are female and we also have our young. Most of our females are considered in the warrior class when it is required to defend our homeland. We would bring them here to help Towbar. Only there would be a slight cost. Not monetarily. We would like land to move on to,” Starling proposed. “We are under a great threat from the evil in our part of the world. You have had only a snippet of a taste of the evil that rules on our side of the world. We would gladly relocate in land where there are other peoples that have not succumbed to evil around them.”

  “We would welcome living among humans and Dwarven people to escape the evil that is so prevalent in our part of the world,” Leeno said. “Over time we have become prisoners to our forest. It is not safe for Elves to venture far from the forest lands. A price has been put on the heads of any Elf. The world around our forest, our homeland is tightening and the pressure to escape is growing.”

  Mykal raised his hand. “I’m just a guest here. I would gladly give you anything you want, but it’s not mine to give. You need to talk to Towbar. I’ll do whatever I can to help, but I have no say in something like that. Look, why don’t you guys go find Towbar and see what he says about that. I have some visitors here,” he said and nodded to a large group of reporters and cameramen marching toward his position as if on a mission. “I’ll see you guys later.”

  Roy Jr. slapped his rifle across his folded arms. “Let’s see if they start something.”

  “Hey Mykal, can we have a word with you?” Jules asked when they surrounded him. “Are we being forced to the rear?”

  “I’m not gonna force you guys to do anything,” Mykal replied.

  “We were just informed by some military personnel to get onto the transportation heading south,” Jules said.

  “We were ordered to get onto the transportation that will head south,” one of Jules’s colleagues clarified from the rear of their group.

  “No,” Mykal said. “I understand freedom of the press and all that. You guys can do whatever you want, but I’m gonna make this crystal clear here and now. If you don’t go to the rear you are literally on your own. Your life is in your own hands. We’re not gonna have the time to babysit. I’m telling you, you don’t know how bad the crap is gonna be when the shit hits the fan around here.”

  “I’m sensing that negative attitude again Mykal,” Jules said with a smirk.

  “No you don’t cuz I don’t have a negative attitude. Even after that Schultz character compared us to Hitler, I’m not holding a grudge and I don’t have a negative attitude. Hear me loud and clear, it’s not a negative attitude I have with you guys,” he deliberately repeated and tried to loo
k in all their faces. “You guys feel you have a job to do. Fine. You have the freedom to do what you want, but we have clearly given you an option where you can go to safety. If you choose not to take that option, I want all of you to know, you are literally on your own, and your blood will be on your own head,” he said as a threat. “I just don’t want my men risking their lives over someone who’s out there for a great story or some good film footage. I thought you guys would be happy with all the stuff that you covered so far.”

  “We are happy, but there is so much more out there. There is a story that needs to be told and we--”

  “Enough. I don’t need to hear all that. You guys can do what you want, but if you’re not in the rear you are literally on your own,” he repeated to stress the importance of what he meant. “I would advise being armed. I have stuff to do, so I’ll see you guys around. Good luck, whatever you decide,” Mykal said and turned away from them. The others followed him.

  “Them boys is crazy.” Roy Jr. laughed.

  “Ooh, do you hear that?” Mykal asked them. “The mortars stopped. So that means the mortar teams must be out of mortars and on their way back. Which means the Sosos and their allies must be getting closer.”

  2.

  Within a couple of hours Mykal and the others had their personal belongings squared away. The camp had been broken down and all the wounded and non-combat personnel were removed to deeper into the Pass. Most of the reporters and camera crews were behind the third barrier. A couple of the more aggressive reporters stayed on the front line at their own risk.

  Mykal heard the sound of scattered machinegun fire erupting outside the opening of the Pass. The distant sound of helicopters flying in and out of the Pass could be heard. He expected machinegun fire to cease now that the Sosos should be nearing the mine field area. After the mine field is exhausted, Marines waited beyond the first pit to detonate the claymore mines on command. The claymore mines were spread throughout the Pass. The plan was to allow as much as the explosive material to take out as many as possible. Then the first pit, the original pit, would be the first line of defense.

  “Look it that Myk,” Randy said with a smile as he tilted his cowboy hat back on his head. “Them helicopters are swooping down on the Sosos and it ain’t doing much to their numbers.”

  “Yeah, it’s like trying to shovel snow with a pitchfork in a blizzard,” Roy Jr. commented. It made him sound like an old country bumpkin.

  “That’s a good way to picture it,” Mykal agreed. “How’s your father doing?”

  “Oh man, daddy is pissed off that we made him go to the rear,” Randy answered and adjusted his cowboy hat. “He knows we love him and that’s why he listened to us.”

  “He’s still holding some bitter heartache and wants to kill as many of them rotten bastards that he can,” Roy Jr. added. “Myk, if you see daddy come back up to the front, please do us a favor and make him return to the rear. He misses Baby Ray so much that I’m afraid he’s going to allow himself to be killed while killing as many Sosos as he can.”

  “Yeah, I’m afraid of that too,” Randy agreed.

  “Alright, I’ll do my best. Listen, I’m going down the line to see how everyone is holding out, cuz they’re gonna hit us anytime now. Oh damn,” Mykal stopped and looked as the rapid succession of explosions filled the air. Explosion after explosion seemed to echo through the Pass and it made it clear the Sosos charged into the mine field. “Look at them bodies fly. You guys keep yourself safe and don’t take any stupid chances. I’ll see you guys back there later,” he said and pointed to them to make it clear that he was ordering them to make it back to safety. The clouds of smoke and dust filled the entire width of the Pass near the opening.

  “You too buddy,” Randy said and tipped his hat.

  Mykal ran down the line calling to the men of Bravo Company and Echo Company. They were the first line. The first line had the men bunched closer together. The original pit was made at the narrowest point in the Pass that was just shy of a half a mile across because of the way the mountain outcropped and created a chin and neck effect. All the pits after the first would have the men spread out much further from each other. Charlie and Foxtrot Companies were the second line. The third line was Alpha and Delta Companies.

  Mykal stopped where Captain Little Hawk of Bravo Company and Captain Cox of Foxtrot Company were gathered near a group of Army 82nd Airborne soldiers controlled the line of the original pit. They seemed to be giving advice to one of the younger soldiers. Mykal didn’t join in but he listened to the conversation.

  “…Yes Sir,” army Corporal Davidson said from his prone position. “I would just like any words of encouragement either of you could give Sir. I don’t want to let my brothers down, but I’m scared. Three of my close buddies were killed in that helicopter crash yesterday. I think I’ll give it my all, but since I haven’t tasted combat yet, I’m just afraid of being a coward Sir,” he admitted and dipped his head in shame. “I’m just being honest with you Sir, cuz I don’t want to be a coward and let my brothers down.”

  “Son, I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Captain Little Hawk said before Cox spoke. “Let me tell you something. You know that we Marines give you army dawgs grief all the time, and sometimes you dawgs try to return the favor,” Little Hawk said with a playful confident smirk. “But let me tell you a quote from a great General, and yes it pains me to admit it was an Army General,” he chuckled. “General George S. Patton once said, and I quote, ‘All men are timid on entering any fight. Whether it is the first or the last fight, all of us are timid. Cowards are those who let their timidity get the better of their manhood.’ Those were some great words of wisdom that we all need to hear son. I know you will do fine. You will not turn coward. Since you had it in you to bring it up as a concern, you are a big man. You will get through this and I, as a United States Marine, can proudly say it is an honor to fight side by side with you son. You hang in there buddy.”

  “Thank you Sir. Thank you,” Corporal Davidson replied and his confidence seemed bolstered.

  “Thanks,” Captain Cox said and winked to Little Hawk while giving him thumbs up of appreciation.

  Mykal walked by and decided not to get involved. He continued to walk down the line trying to do his part to encourage the men facing down the unbelievable odds before them. “Be smart and don’t be afraid to pull back, make sure we work together,” Mykal yelled out. “Let’s ensure we stick to our game plan.”

  The men were all leaning against the dirt walls or lying prone on top of the little walls that were built from the earth taken from the pits. The man made earthen walls stood two to three feet high so the walls wouldn’t be too tall to block the view of approaching Sosos. “Use the dirt walls for your cover,” Mykal yelled to the warriors from his world who hadn’t yet tasted combat. “When they start to breach the pit then we’ll pull back so Towbar’s soldiers and the Dwarven warriors will take over the fight. These pits are a great weapon against the Sosos,” he yelled as an encouragement since none of these men experienced battle inside the Pass and may not recognize the great advantage they held. “Remember! Towbar’s soldiers will help carry the weapons and ammo. And Towbar’s soldiers and the Dwarven warriors will fight them off while we pull back. Not only are we gonna wear their asses out, we’re gonna beat the shit outta them,” he shouted which generated a roar of euphoria from his men.

  He repeated the same message for different lengths of the first pit he traveled. This was the original pit and different areas of the pit brought back different memories for him. He could picture dead friends. He envisioned where and how they died. He remembered close calls he had at the pit. It still amazed him what a small number of people did to beat back the Sosos in the first major battle back on July 4th.

  His heart sank when he neared the area where his close friend and former boss Denny was cut in half by friendly fire. He remembered how Jackson “freaked out” on an M-60 machine gun and shot anything near his vehicle. He
recollected how he found Boris crying over him because Denny was like a father to Boris. The thought of Boris and Kurt and all the others who died broke his heart. He wondered if he had the right mental strength to continue as a leader. Looking around he wondered how many of these brave people, these young men who volunteered from his world, would be killed here defending the Pass.

  Mykal knew he felt a genuine sadness and loss over close friends, but many months had passed. Instead of the emotions easing up, he felt worse. ‘Why can’t I stop thinking about my dead friends?’ He didn’t know if the melancholy thoughts were just his emotional response to past hurts or was something else happening. He glanced down at the ring on his middle finger. The ring was such a great power, but could it be destroying his mind? He knew the ring created feelings of such intense hatred and anger. ‘But does it make me super sad too?’ He wondered. “I’ve never felt like this before,” he whispered to himself and didn’t care if anyone heard him talking to himself. ‘But, I’m not giving this up. I can’t give this up. I need it,’ he decided while fingering the precious gold object. ‘Am I a junkie with a new drug?’

  He realized an inner mental battle occurred while preparation of a real major battle seemed to be building. This same argument had been repeated countless times in his mind since he remained invisible for several hours under the mountain when he was trapped with the Goblins. Despite all that, he still had a craving to turn himself invisible. ‘The ring does have some kind of power over me,’ he admitted in thought. Diaz warned him about playing around with magic. Towbar warned him and even offered to help by taking it off his hands. ‘Yeah, right,’ he scoffed in distrustful thoughts. ‘Wait a friggin minute. Towbar wouldn’t do me wrong.’ He determined to use it only when he needed. He felt he understood what drug addicts faced when they needed their fix. “No, I’m gonna control this thing,” he said out loud while staring at his ring hand out before him. “It’s not gonna control me!”