by Dave Hazel
“Spoken like a true Mah-Reen,” Lieutenant Fortuna barked. “The entire United States Marine Corps is an elite fighting force.”
“Can I getta Ooh-Rah?” Tufano laughed with his hand to his ear.
Suddenly as if on cue dozens of other Marines barked with the three lieutenants. They all shouted and called out a menacing “Ooh-rah! Ooh-rah!”
Mykal started to laugh.
“Semper fi baby,” another Marine shouted while still eating his breakfast.
“I appreciate your answer,” Mykal said and found it hard not to laugh. “But would any of you happen to know what his beef with me is all about?”
“Yes, back to Lieutenant Johnson. He’s a grade A dumb ass.” Grebb answered. “Correct that. Army Green Beret Lieutenant Johnson is a grade A dumb ass,” he added and they laughed with him.
“You know what ARMY stands for, don’t ya?” Miccols asked. “Ain’t Ready to be Marines Yet,” Miccols shouted and received many hoots and yells with laughter
“Honestly Myk, he does make a bad name for the couple of good Green Berets that are out there,” Tufano snickered again. “In all seriousness, the only thing I could possibly attribute it to,” Tufano replied in a serious tone. “He was prior enlisted and became an officer. The scuttlebutt is he had a difficult time and almost washed out of his OTS. Officer Training School if you didn’t know that Sir,” he added. “He fought and fought and almost didn’t make it. And now here you’ve gone straight to the top without having to go through OTS.”
“So besides being a genuine grade-A, 100% pure, dip-shit Army puke,” Grebb said with a smirk. “It sounds like he’s a jealous little prick on top of everything else.”
“You know we’re kidding about the Army, right?” Lieutenant Miccols asked. He continued after Mykal nodded. “We don’t have a problem with the Army, but we have heard a number of things about Johnson. I would honestly assess the entire situation with him as his problem. There is nothing you have done. He is the problem. There are a great many stories floating around on how as soon as he became an officer he became a holy terror to any enlisted personnel he came in contact with. It ended when he jumped all over a Sergeant Major who had been in the Army well over twenty years. Sergeant Major is an Army E-9 in case you didn’t know Myk.”
“Oh brother,” Mykal sighed. “Did the Sergeant Major beat his ass?” Mykal joked.
“No,” Miccols answered. “But he wisely went to the commander and within the hour Green Beret Lieutenant Johnson apologized to the Sergeant Major and he had a quick attitude adjustment.”
They all roared with laughter. “Well thanks, that clears up a lot for me,” Mykal said with a thumbs up. Sergeant Mathis approached them. Mykal remembered he spoke with Mathis the day before. “I just couldn’t figure out what I had done to Johnson, but this explains a lot.”
“In all seriousness Myk,” Captain Landis spoke up. “Ignore him. Don’t let him get to you, and if he’s a problem let myself or Major Chick know. We’ll make sure he’s put in his place.”
“I really appreciate that.”
“When things calm down we would like to sit and have a beer with you and shoot the bull about your first trip here,” Tufano requested and the others agreed enthusiastically.
“Sure. That’d be cool,” Mykal said. He knew that prior to his sudden rise to fame they wouldn’t have wanted to spend any time with him. Now they wanted to have a beer and swap war stories.
3.
“Hey Jake,” Mykal greeted his convalescent friend with an encouraging smile. “How you feelin’ today?”
“I feel like shit. Wha’d you expect? Do you think I’d be up dancing and singing and having a great friggin time?”
“Hey buddy,” Mykal replied calmly and continued to smile. “I didn’t come all the way over here to be bitched out. I wanted to see my friend.”
Jake hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “I’m sorry,” he finally spoke and turned his head causing himself to wince. “I’m still in a lot of pain. I don’t mean to be a prick but I’m stuck in a frickin cot and I can’t do anything.”
“I’m sorry about that, I’ll see if I--”
“No don’t,” Jake stopped him. “Everyone’s busy. I know there’s a shit storm coming and I don’t want people playing nurse maid to me. I just wanna go home,” he said and turned to face Mykal. Jake looked upset, angry and frustrated.
“No problem buddy. Just hang on and be patient with me.”
“Myk, I’m really friggin worthless here,” Jake barked and slapped the side of the cot. “I can’t help anyone. I’m stuck in the damn bed and I’m a prisoner waiting for the Sosos to come. I’m useless and I’m really as good as dead. I just wanna go home. Can’t you just zap me and the others outta here real quick?”
“I can’t Jake. Trust me. I’ll get you outta here. Just hold tight a little longer. Look, you’re my number one concern. I promised Jana that I would make sure you make it back home and like I told you, that’s a promise I’m gonna keep,” he declared and suddenly feared something would happen to make him break his promise. So many bad things have happened to all his friends since being mixed up in Towbar’s world. “I have to wait. Don’t repeat this, but Towbar isn’t here and I have to wait and see what is going to happen. I don’t wanna leave and have all the bad stuff hit while we’re back in the world. I promise you Jake, if it comes down to it, I’ll take only you home, but I wanna get everyone outta here that deserves to go. I won’t break my promise to Jana.”
“Thanks,” Jake sighed. “So was she really glad to hear that I was alive and well?” Jake asked him for the umpteenth time. “Do you think she’ll accept me if I’m crippled?”
“Jake, come on. Stop. You know she will and I told you a hundred times she’s more than happy that you’re alive and can’t wait for you to get home. Besides, you ain’t gonna be crippled.”
“The doctors all say it doesn’t look good and that I need surgery right away. I even heard someone say I might lose my leg over this.”
“Who said that?” Mykal asked. After Jake had been brought in and treated by the physicians it was made clear his injury was serious, but there was no threat to Jake losing his leg.
“Well, I don’t know. But I heard it. I’m sorry,” Jake sighed and shook his head while placing his hand to his forehead. “I think the medication they have me on is making me think out of control. I’m feeling sorry for myself and acting like a baby. Tell me everything she said when you talked to her,” Jake begged like a child requesting a favorite bedtime story to be read again. “Did it really cheer her up?”
“Alright, alright,” Mykal gave in with a laugh. “I’ve told you all this a hundred times already. But when I…” Mykal repeated the information to Jake and watched as tears of happiness pooled in his eyes. He wasn’t sure if Jake’s emotional response came from the information, the medication, the pain of his injury, his increased fear, or a combination of everything. Mykal didn’t like what had become of his former supervisor, and more importantly his close friend.
“…And then once we knew we were coming here, I promised her that I would bring you back,” Mykal finished and saw by Jake’s expression that his words about Jake’s wife Jana worked better than the medicine the doctors had him on.
“Man, I love that girl,” Jake whispered and rubbed his eye, pretending to tug at an eyelash. “I owe you Myk. I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
“Do you wanna pay me back?” Mykal asked.
“Huh? What? Yeah.”
“You can repay me by trusting me and having a little bit of patience. I know this is tough for you but I’ll get you outta here as soon as the situation allows. Okay?”
“Sure, but I’m still gonna bitch at you and tell you when I’m pissed off.”
“Mykal,” Sergeant Mathis called to him as he stepped into the tent. “You’re wanted at the lines.”
“Are they attacking?” Mykal asked.
“No Sir, it doesn’t lo
ok like it yet. From what was said over the radio there is just a lot of movement taking place.”
“I gotta go Jake. I’ll try to get back later.”
Mathis drove Mykal to the second pit which was now the first line of defense. Mykal saw movement out past the opening of the Pass. It looked like the Sosos were fighting among themselves, but he realized it could have also been a celebration of some kind. Helicopters were being put in the air to fly overhead to get a better idea. The temporary Observation Posts reported three or four land mines have exploded and that created the current activity taking place.
“Why haven’t they attacked?” Mathis asked Mykal.
“See those dark clouds way back there?” Mykal pointed to the north. “Those clouds are bringing rain and Sosos don’t fight at night and they don’t fight in bad weather. So it looks like we’ll get another day of rest unless their allies try to attack during the bad weather.”
Mykal froze and looked at his trembling green hand. He believed Towbar and the Elves had just departed. He regretted not saying goodbye and had an overwhelming fear that he would never see the giant again. He wanted to get away so his emotions wouldn’t be exposed. He realized that he had no location to focus on even if he wanted to join Towbar. They were truly separated.
“What is it Myk?” Sergeant Mathis asked.
“Nothing, just watching to see if they’re going to try to attack before the weather hits.”
Within minutes Mykal was joined by many others, the Dosch brothers were the first and then Captains Diaz and Oakenfold and their Platoon Leaders. “What’s happening? Are they going to attack?” Roy Jr. asked for the group.
“I don’t think so, but if they do it won’t last long,” he answered. He pointed to the storm clouds and explained.
“Sir, Major Chick is on the horn,” Mathis spoke to Diaz. “He wants to know the status. He did say the forward Observation Posts confirmed Sosos have set off some of the remaining land mines and that may be what caused the hysteria.”
Diaz returned from speaking on the radio. “Major Chick, Major Innes and Captain Taylor are going to the rear with the non-combat personnel,” Diaz said. “They will monitor events from the rear.”
“Now, we’ll just wait and see,” Mykal said and saw Lieutenant Johnson eyeing him with disdain. “Sergeant Mathis, I need you to give me a ride,” Mykal said as he walked to the vehicle. He wanted to get away from Johnson, one of the Platoon Leaders under Oakenfold.
4.
Mathis and Mykal sat in the vehicle away from the others. “So do you really think they won’t do anything?” Mathis asked.
“I really doubt it, cuz look how fast those clouds moved in. You can see it’s pouring on them way back there,” Mykal said and pointed. “I think if they were gonna attack they would have hit us fast and ran out, but it looks like they’re gonna wait it out. I’ll tell ya what, after the weather clears I think they’re gonna throw everything at us including the kitchen sink.”
“I can hardly wait,” Mathis scoffed. “So how many do you think we’ve killed so far? About a million?”
Mykal couldn’t keep from laughing. Mathis sounded and looked like a naïve young teenager who reminded Mykal a little of Franklin Perry. Mathis however was a Marine Sergeant in his mid-twenties. “I wish. I think we killed about seventy thousand, maybe more. I could be wrong.”
“That’s all?” Mathis asked and looked scared.
“That’s a lot, but there’s a whole lot of them out there.”
“Myk, honestly, do you think we’re gonna die here?”
Something about Mathis’s worried expression reminded Mykal even more of Franklin Perry which brought about mountains of guilt. Mykal still blamed himself for Franklin Perry’s death.
“No, not at all,” Mykal said with a confident shake of his head. “Towbar’s soldiers and the Dwarven people are going to take over before it gets bad for us and then we’ll drive away and I’ll take us outta here before they overrun us.”
Suddenly the back seat door opened. “Hey can we join you?” Larry asked. He stood with Roy Jr. and Randy.
“Yeah, hop in. You scared the crap outta me,” Mykal answered. “Where’s Sam and your dad?” he turned to the brothers.
“Sam’s with Jake,” Larry answered.
“And our daddy is with ‘em too,” Randy said.
“See that rain coming in?” Larry asked and rubbed his hands together as if feeling a chill.
“Yeah, so it should be quiet for a little while. Where’s your yellow station wagon at?”
“You mean the Yellow Bomb as everyone is starting to call it?” Roy Jr. snickered and removed his cowboy hat. “Some reporters asked if they could use it so outta the kindness of my heart I let them have it. Damn it,” he hissed and tried to rub the smeared blood stain off his cowboy hat.
“Are you kiddin me? Screw them media bastards,” Larry huffed. “Especially that fat pug looking dude that said we’re like Hitler.”
“You mean Chris Schultz. And Roy you know they weren’t all that kind to you back in the world,” Mykal reminded Roy Jr. “I’m actually fed up with the media, cuz they really don’t care about the truth. They only care about a story that’s gonna make them look good. Don’t get me started.”
“I told him not to let them use it,” Randy said. “We were standing right there when Myk told them boys they were on their own if they wanted to stay up at the front.”
“I know, I know,” Roy Jr. said sheepishly. “I’m just an old softy at heart.”
“Softy?” Mykal said and did a double take. “That’s BS.”
“Alright, alright, one of them reporters gave me a hundred dollars to use it for the day,” he admitted and they all laughed except for Randy.
“What the hell? You’re holding out on me and daddy?”
“I’ll give you half. Just don’t say nuttin’ ‘bout it.”
“Well listen, I’m gonna try to take a little nap,” Mykal said as rain drops started to sprinkle on the windshield. “I haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately. If anything changes wake me up.”
Mykal watched as the rain moved in and blurred his vision of the Sosos and then stopped his vision of the Pass opening. Soon he couldn’t see past the windshield. The constant tapping turned to drumming on the vehicle. The steady beating of rain drops became soothing and made it easy to doze off. Mykal still felt uneasy that the Sosos may try a sneak attack during the foul weather. The uncertainty of who the Soso allies were made his uneasiness strong. He didn’t know if the foreigners would operate differently. Mykal remembered the dark green faces of Goblins he killed and wondered if they would attack during the storm that unfolded. He knew the Marines and soldiers on the front line would be alert and they…
5.
Mykal woke up to a horror he never expected. His head throbbed as if he had been kicked squarely in the head. He laid face first on the ground and it felt like his head was bleeding profusely. His hands had been tied behind his back with the binding so tight that his right hand had gone numb.
‘Where is everyone?’ He wondered but he couldn’t open his eyes to see where they were. ‘Was there an explosion? What happened? I don’t remember,’ he thought and realized he was moaning to the pain that wracked his body. ‘Are my eyes swelled shut? I can’t see. I can’t move.’
“There you are you little bastard,” an evil voice snarled at him. The voice sounded somewhat familiar.
“Who’s there?” Mykal asked.
“Who do you think? I told you I’d kill you,” William growled with glee in his tone.
“What happened?” Mykal asked to stall for time. He tried but he couldn’t reach for his revolver. ‘The ring,’ he shouted inside his head. He tried to think of himself invisible, but he could tell nothing happened. He rolled over onto his back, but his eyes wouldn’t open.
“Are you looking for thissssss?” William hissed with an evil laugh.
Mykal couldn’t see it, but he knew William held his
ring. “Whadda you want?”
“You left me to die, but my new friends are going to help me get revenge,” he said with a diabolical laugh that sounded like something out of an overly dramatic Hollywood production.
“We can work this out,” Mykal said but as his words left his lips he felt the long blade of a sword stab into his stomach and rip through his back. The gut wrenching pain overwhelmed him and his yell stuck in his throat. He reached desperately for the unbearable pain but his hands were secured behind him.
“How’s thissssss?” William hissed between clenched teeth and twisted the blade.
Mykal wanted to holler, but the sound wouldn’t leave his mouth. His insides felt like it erupted in flames. The pain had a vice like grip and he felt like he was being pushed beyond what a human could endure. He couldn’t see, and he couldn’t reach for the pain.
“Please stop,” he whimpered weakly.
“Myk, Myk. Myk wake up,” Larry’s voice called but Larry’s voice sounded like he was in a tunnel miles away.
“Help me,” he whispered to Larry’s distant voice.
“Myk, wake the hell up!” Larry yelled while shaking his shoulder from behind.
Mykal’s eyes opened to the sound of the others laughing at him. His head leaned against the window and his right arm was pinned under his body against the door. When he realized it had been a nightmare he bolted upright and tried to shake the numbness from his hand and arm. The first thing he looked at was his middle finger on his right hand, and felt so relieved to see the gold band still on his finger.
“Oh, whew!” He sighed and wanted to laugh but he still trembled with agonizing fear.
“You alright Myk?” Roy Jr. asked while they were all still laughing at him.
“Oh man, that was the freakiest dream I’ve had in a while. Whew, boy, am I glad to see all your ugly faces,” he said.