by Dave Hazel
“What was that Myk?” A Marine sergeant asked.
Mykal realized he stood near the Marine when he made his declaration. “Uh, um, I’m just trying to pump everyone up,” he lied. “I said we’re controlling this friggin thing. The Sosos are not in control. We are. Got it?”
“Ooh-rah!” The Marine barked back and others joined him.
“Remember, the pits are another weapon for us. Don’t get trapped here. Use the pits and don’t be afraid to pull back.” He looked up and down the line and there were between eight and ten thousand of Towbar’s soldiers all along the dirt wall. “Towbar’s warriors are here to assist us leap frog back and they will fight Sosos trying to get out of the pit,” he said and was glad to see Towbar’s warriors and his soldiers getting along so well.
There were at least twice as many of Towbar’s fighters on the second line and even more along the third line. Farther back he saw far more of Towbar’s warriors and they appeared to be anxious to get into the fight. The Dwarven warriors were gathered behind and mixed in with Towbar’s fighters waiting to see if they would be needed. Since there was a communication problem Mykal and Major Chick wanted them to be positioned out of the way to see how the events unfolded. The relatively few Dwarven warriors who could speak the common tongue were spread out to strategic locations and were to be protected. They were the VIPs who needed to be kept safe and out of harm’s way.
Mykal looked overhead when the six helicopters flew to the rear of the Pass. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Want me to find out Myk?”
“Excuse me?” Mykal asked when he didn’t realize anyone was listening to him.
“Sergeant Mathis, Sir,” the Marine said to introduce himself. “We have a radioman right over there. I could find out where they’re going if you would like. The two of us take turns carrying that big radio around.”
“Sure Mathis. Do that,” he replied and looked to the opening of the Pass. It looked like a tidal wave of savages moving toward the mouth of the Pass. An audible roar seemed to build. Mykal heard a steady thump of a drum beat the Sosos used in the approach. Every fourth beat sounded louder as the Sosos stomped their foot and grunted on the fourth beat. Mykal felt an anxiousness building in his chest.
“Oh man, that’s intimidating,” Lance Corporal Corgan said. Corgan nervously rechecked his can of 40mm high explosive rounds for his M203.
“I hear ya,” Mykal agreed with a smile. “If we didn’t have our weapons I’d probably haul ass like a little girl,” he added with self-deprecating humor to lighten the mood.
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Sir,” Corgan said and shook his head with a freeing smile. “I was afraid I was the only one who felt concerned.”
“Concerned? I’m scared shitless.” Mykal forced a laugh. “If anyone tells you their not scared they’re either lying or a friggin nutcase. Just remember, we’re in control. But make sure you make use of your grenade launcher. The explosion of those HE rounds scares them silly.”
“Thanks Myk. I needed to hear that.”
“Sir, the choppers are going back to refuel and to pick up more ammo,” Mathis announced when he returned.
“Good, thanks. Damn, look at those savages,” Mykal said and shook his head with disbelief. The numbers pouring in through the opening of the Pass were more than he had ever seen staged for a first assault.
“Yeah, them boys looks like they are playing for keeps,” Roy Jr. said just as he and Randy dove against the dirt wall near Mykal.
Suddenly an explosion ripped through the mass. A couple of bodies were thrown into the air with a cloud of smoke.
“There are still some land mines out there,” Mykal laughed at the surprised looks the brothers gave him. Another went off and it caused them all to laugh. “See? There will be a few more explosions here and there, I guess,” Mykal chuckled and realized he was laughing at the death and maiming of people. ‘No! Sosos ain’t people,’ Mykal thought to correct his thinking. ‘They’re friggin animals. They all deserve to step on a land mine.’
“Fire in the hole in thirty seconds,” a voice yelled with authority. Several other voices repeated the same command.
“What does he mean by that?” Randy asked.
“They have five rows of claymore mines across the width of the Pass. When the Sosos get near the row of claymores, they’re gonna detonate them,” Mykal said and pointed to the claymores though they couldn’t be seen from their position.
“Each claymore mine is a directional anti-personnel device that shoots 700 steel balls about one hundred meters,” Corgan explained. “We have thousands of them planted out there.”
“Fire in the hole,” the first voice yelled again. The man turned a switch on a device he held in his hand. Suddenly several explosions ripped apart at once. Many claymores had been daisy-chained to the same detonator. Immediately following the mass of explosions were several other waves of explosions by the others who detonated their claymores. Clouds of smoke blocked the view for a few seconds. For a moment it seemed like the war ended, but the roar of the Sosos could be heard behind the wall of billowing smoke.
While the smoke of the claymores started to disperse, the army of Sosos still made their way through the haze. Some looked injured and some appeared to be dazed. Behind the wounded Sosos followed an ocean of evil intent on drowning the Pass. They stomped over the countless dead littering the ground.
“Don’t waste claymores on only a few,” said the commanding voice of Captain Little Hawk. “Wait until the next large group gets close. Riflemen, take out the stragglers. Open fire!”
Single rifle shots ripped across the Pass which took out the Sosos who survived the multiple blasts of claymores. Sosos were collapsing as fast as shots rang out.
“Claymores ready,” Captain Little Hawk shouted to prepare those with detonators in hand. All down the line of the pit voices repeated “Claymores ready,” to acknowledge the command was heard. “Fire in the hole,” the leader yelled and ripped his claymores open into the oncoming Sosos. Explosions erupted all along the Pass once again raising a cloud of smoke and dirt, laying out the wave of Sosos. The Sosos lucky enough to make it through the blasts were taken out by the marksmanship of those shooting the M-16 rifles.
The process was repeated three more times. Mykal was amazed at the countless thousands of Sosos dead, incapacitated and wounded. In a matter of only several minutes more than thirty thousand Sosos littered the ground dead or wounded, but it didn’t appear to make a dent in their numbers.
Mykal couldn’t understand how the Sosos could keep coming after seeing how their comrades had been cut down with such ease. But then he realized he wasn’t dealing with normal men. They were fighting against blood thirsty, war loving, fanatical savages, Sosos.
“Claymores are done, weapons ready,” Little Hawk shouted. His command was repeated down the line. “Wait for my command to pull back. Weapons ready,” he repeated. “Fire at will!”
Rifle shots, machinegun fire and grenade explosions ripped all along the pit killing Sosos by the hundreds. Mykal sighted his rifle on a Soso whose face was ripped to shreds from the claymore explosions. Without sympathy, or thoughts of the Soso earning a right to live by surviving the blasts, he squeezed the trigger sending the killing shot into the Soso’s forehead.
The Sosos lost men quickly. Their numbers were replenished just as quickly by the never ending river of bodies that flowed into the Pass. The roar of their war cry seemed to grow louder and their determination to take the Pass increased.
“What in the world is going on?” Roy Jr. asked Mykal while he reloaded his Thompson sub machinegun with another fifty round drum. “These boys ain’t lettin’ up fir nuttin’.”
“Damn, look at this,” Randy shouted and pointed.
The Sosos stopped and formed a line. The row of Sosos all carried what looked like wooden shields. The shields were crude in appearance and must have been a last minute decision in an attempt to stop the devastating
force wielded against them.
“Cease fire, cease fire,” Captain Little Hawk shouted.
“Captain Little Hawk,” Mykal yelled to get his attention. “Have the .50 cals cut them down.”
“Why are you gonna do that Myk?” Randy asked.
“Because it doesn’t matter how thick or strong that wood is. Those .50 caliber machine guns will rip them apart,” Mykal answered without looking at Randy. He watched Little Hawk speak the order into the radio. All the vehicles were equipped with communications.
“Men, watch this,” Captain Little Hawk said with a smirk then gave the command into his walkie-talkie. “Vehicles, open fire and show these idiots what we can do to their shields of protection.”
The heavy thumping of the .50 caliber machineguns erupted. The line of shield carrying Sosos were shredded like wet tissue. Wood flew in all directions as well as body parts of the shield bearers. Surprisingly, a few of the wooden objects caught fire and burned where they fell. A howl of terror rose from the Soso line, whereas shouts of triumph grew from the pit defenders.
“Whadda ya think of that? Good?” Mykal yelled to the bewildered general Towbar left in command at the center of the pit.
“Very good. Frightful,” the general answered. His bearded face could not hide the fact that he under estimated the visitors might and ability.
Mykal saw the Sosos were whipped back into position and forced to change direction back toward the pit by abusive leaders. He eyed one Soso with an arm dangling, just barely connected to his shoulder. The injured Soso turned away from the front line either from delirium or to turn away from the fighting. One of the leader types yelled at the injured Soso and seemed unconcerned for the severity of his wound. Mykal assumed the leader was ordering him back into position to attack. Mykal assumed the injured Soso must have refused. He watched the leader lob his head off with a sword.
“You friggin bastard,” he mumbled as he raised his rifle and took aim.
“Did you see that?” Roy Jr. asked.
“Sure did,” Mykal answered and paused. He squeezed off a shot. “Ah, damn it,” he moaned as the Soso leader grabbed at his throat and jaw. “He moved.”
“You hit him,” Roy Jr. laughed out.
“Yeah, but while he was barking out his orders I wanted to nail him in the shoulder so he could be wounded and see what it was like. He just moved and I caught him in the throat.”
“He had it coming anyway,” Randy shouted and pumped his fist.
“Oh damn,” Mykal gasped and a look of terror spread across his face. Mykal raised his right hand. It was a light shade of green and was twitching slightly. “The green fog.”
“Where?” Roy Jr. and Randy asked together and both looked in all directions.
“It’s far away, but I can feel it.”
“What does that mean?” Randy probed while the line opened fire on the charging horde of Sosos.
“I don’t know, unless Zizmon-Tarl is bringing more forces to their side.”
“I thought he didn’t know how to use it,” Roy Jr. supposed.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t,” Mykal replied. “But if he figured it out we’re gonna get screwed. But then again, that could have been him who made the green fog appear on us a couple of weeks ago.”
“Hold your fire men. We’re going to allow Towbar’s warriors into the battle,” Little Hawk shouted.
They all watched while the brutish soldiers of Towbar moved to the edge of the pit. Their yells of excitement and thrills seemed to echo through the Pass. Mykal’s men cheered them on while they hacked and chopped, slashed and stabbed any who tried to climb out of the pit. It was clearly a one sided battle. Many Sosos stopped in placed and raised their bow and arrows. Mykal’s men didn’t need to be warned though the Company Commanders, Platoon Leaders and Squad Leaders repeatedly yelled for their men to stop the archers. Not one Shay-lonk, death arrow, was loosed into the air.
Bodies were filling the first pit rapidly. The first pit was the original pit that saw action for the first time on July 4th. Countless bodies had fallen in that pit. Immeasurable gallons of blood had been spilled in that trench since the 4th of July. It turned out to be a great obstacle that inspired many more to be dug out behind it.
“On my command, be prepared to relocate,” Captain Little Hawk shouted and waited for his words to be repeated down the line amid the noise of gunfire. “Remember to go three deep,” he added referring to how far back they were to travel. His words were copied down the line. “Depart. Move, move, move.”
Almost all of the gunfire ceased as the men of Bravo and Echo Companies rushed to the planks to cross the second pit. They moved with precision and order. Towbar’s soldiers helped carry machine guns, cans of ammunition and then picked up the wooden planks after everyone crossed the pit so Charlie and Fox Companies would be in control of fighting the Sosos. There were thirty to forty sets of mini bridges spread all down the line for pits two, three and four. The man-made structures, little bridges, to cross the chasm of the second pit were taken away and moved past the third and fourth pits and put in place for the fifth pit. The mini bridges were in place and ready so the next maneuvering team would follow their example. The Sosos would have to cross the wide, deep pit manually, thus the pit would become a great obstacle.
“Do you see how this works?” Mykal asked one of Towbar’s generals who was there to supervise his men for Towbar.
“Yes,” the muscular warrior answered with his arms folded across his chest. “Very good plan Myk-kal,” the general answered and took a stance as if to push out his broad chest. “I am impressed. Your men are great warriors. I am very impressed,” he repeated. “I have never witnessed so many dead so quickly. I would not have believed it if I had not witnessed it with my own eyes. I am very glad to be partners with your warriors. All of Towbar’s generals are pleased to stand and fight beside such a great army. Though the numbers of your army is very small, they fight as a force one hundred times larger than they are. Towbar was not wrong in his highly spoken praises of your small army Myk-kal.”
“Thank you. Good,” Mykal said with a thumb up. “And we’re glad to fight beside you guys.” Mykal ran across the gangplank after Roy Jr. and Randy. Mykal looked back to see the general point his thumb up and look at it from both sides as if trying to determine the meaning of the gesture.
Mykal stopped at the next line of defense while all the men continued in the leap frog maneuver to the third position. The second pit and all the other pits after it were almost twice as long as the original pit. That forced the military men to be spread out further from each other. Mykal watched from the dirt berm as the vehicles with the mounted .50 caliber machineguns opened fire. The big .50 caliber machine guns were loud and very destructive, ripping bodies to pieces like play-dough people in the hands of an angry child.
“Mykal, I’m going all the way back with my men,” Captain Little Hawk said. “Charlie Company and Fox Company are here. Oh good, here comes Captain Landis of Charlie. Hey Danny,” Little Hawk greeted his longtime friend. “As you saw, they are coming full bore, so I wouldn’t wait too long to open up on them.”
“You got it Chief,” Landis said with a nod and a smile. “That’s his nick name from when we were kids. We grew up together near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and have been best friends since we were about nine years old. He’s native American if you didn’t know,” he explained to Mykal. “You keep yourself safe back there buddy.”
“You too pal. Maybe we’ll have a good stiff drink later,” Little Hawk said with a nod and a wink.
“After this, we’ll have a hell of a lot more than one stiff drink later,” Landis laughed.
“Damn, they’re not slowing down,” Mykal said while watching the vehicles carrying the .50 calibers make their way to the ends of the pits to drive to the next line of defense. “When we were here the first time they would hit us and pull away and come back stronger. Then they would do it again and again until
Towbar’s soldiers got here and then they backed off for however many months it’s been. Now it seems like they’re gonna hit us with everything and not stop.”
“We will do our part and allow Towbar’s soldiers and King Krago’s warriors to step in when we can’t do any more,” Landis replied while waving goodbye to Chief Little Hawk.
An enthusiastic shout lifted into the sky when the six helicopters flew overhead. The helicopters stopped above the mass of Sosos and hovered in place. The Sosos on the ground looked above, fearful of what would happen at the mercy of the metal beasts. Some, but not most, had the sense to run from under the metal birds when many rock shaped objects were tossed from within.
Mykal started to laugh when he saw the men aboard the helicopters tossing out hand grenades to the thousands upon thousands of curious on looking Sosos. A panic broke out as multiple explosions rained on the area below the helicopters. Mykal watched one Soso stop at a grenade that hit the ground. It appeared to have been a dud. The Soso bent over and reached to pick up the pineapple shaped rock. Just as the Soso touched the strange object, the explosion into his face ripped him apart.
*******
Fights began to break out when some Sosos tried to run away from the battle but the leaders fought and killed to prevent their fleeing. The leaders gained control and forced the mass to turn toward the pits. They attacked and charged forward despite the deadly explosions raining from the sky. They couldn’t understand how they could sustain such heavy losses so quickly without an enemy to stand before them to battle and melee with.
When some looked up to avoid the death that came from above, they received death blows from the front, but still no enemy there to inflict the pain and death blow. The only plausible answer to the horrified question was the vermin’s foul gods were fighting on their behalf, or worse. The enemy used magic against them. Magic!
Sosos were being denied, on a grand scale, an opportunity to earn a greater position in paradise. This just could not be. The foul little vermin will pay dearly. Slow and painful, they will pay.