by Dave Hazel
“Are you okay?” Randy asked and reached out to touch his shoulder. “Are you awake? Cuz you look like you seen a ghost.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m alright,” he answered and continued to shake the numbness from his hand. He truly sensed William was still alive and regretted that he didn’t kill him when he had the chance.
“We haven’t heard anything,” Mathis said when Mykal looked at him. “It’s still raining so if you wanna go back to sleep--”
“Hell no,” Mykal snapped and then laughed with the others. “I’ve had enough damn sleep and after that last dream I don’t ever wanna go back to sleep,” he joked and they continued to laugh at him.
A clicking sound started from the radio pack that was on the seat between Mykal and Mathis. “Yes Sir,” Mathis spoke in the radio handset, and then covered the mouth piece. “Shh, shh, please. It’s Captain Diaz.” He then returned to the radio. “We’re in the vehicle Sir, waiting for the weather to clear. Yes Sir, he’s right here. Myk, he wants to speak with you.”
“Mykal here,” he said when he keyed the button on the side of the telephone like handset.
“Myk, Captain Diaz here. Question for you. Have we determined when the trip back to the world will take place?”
“I’m not really sure. I’m waiting to hear from Towbar and waiting to hear from Major Chick. Why, what’s up?”
“I need to ask a favor of you,” Diaz said and paused.
“What is it?” Mykal asked and hope he wouldn’t ask for a special trip back to the world.
“Well, it’s not for me. Stand by one, please,” Diaz said and then passed the radio off.
“Hey Myk, this is Ski. How are you doing?”
“Hey Ski what’s going on?” Mykal asked and made a funny face to the others who were curious as to what the call was.
“Myk, I know you’re going back to the real world and you’re going to take all of us with you, but I need to know if you are coming back for sure and if you know when you’re coming back.”
“Yeah, I will be, and I’ll try to come back as soon as possible, but I can’t say for sure when.”
“I would like to know if you would be willing to bring me back with you.”
“What?” Mykal was confused at what Ski asked.
“I wanna go back to the real world but only if you’ll promise to bring me back when you return.”
“Ski, when I come back here, it’s possible I may never return to the real world so you might end up being stuck here for the rest of your life,” he said to dissuade him. “You’ve already been here for six months.”
“That’s fine Myk. I really believe I have been called by God to be a missionary here to these people of Towbar’s world. If you won’t promise to bring me back, then I will just stay here. I would like to return to say my final good-byes to my parents and my church and more importantly to get more Bibles and study materials to bring back here. Unless God tells me different later, I’m going to spend the rest of my life here.”
Mykal was stumped and his silence showed it. “Are you serious? Cuz that sounds crazy.”
“I don’t care if man thinks I’m crazy because I have to be obedient to God.”
“Ski, I don’t wanna force you to be stuck here.”
“You’re not forcing me to do anything. It’s my choice. If you won’t promise to bring me back then I’ll just stay here. I only hoped to say my final good-byes and to gather more tools to help in my ministry.”
The suggestion Ski made about final good-byes pricked Mykal’s heart since he never got to say his final good-byes to any of his close friends. He definitely didn’t want to rob Ski of that. “Ski, these people are backward, they’re ruthless and they’re ungodly.”
“And I believe that’s why God has called me to show them His love and give them a better way and show them the way to true salvation. I know in my heart of hearts that this is what I’m called to do. This is what God wants me to do with my life. I’m sent here to love these people with the love of Christ. And after meeting Apostallolind, and the way we met him I know God’s hand is in all of this.”
“Is that the Soso crazy guy prisoner that we rescued from the Sosos?” Mykal gasped.
“He’s not crazy Myk,” Ski replied and started to laugh. “He just looks crazy. And just so you know Myk, there were some prophets in the Bible who looked just as crazy as Apostallolind does and God used those men in a mighty way. We call him Apostle for short. But yes, he has confirmed what I felt God has laid on my heart about being a missionary here in Towbar’s world.”
“Are you kidding me? Is it because your nick name sounds like a word that they have?” Mykal asked and couldn’t get the image out of his mind of the frail looking old man grabbing Ski’s boot and calling him ‘Skee, Skee.’ I have to tell you Ski that sounds like something is not right.”
“Mykal it is far more than that,” he said and had to laugh because it did sound strange. “But if you’re looking at that, remember, my real whole name has a meaning in the Soso language that meant even more than that. And yes, if I did base my entire decision on that, that in itself would sound strange. But I know God has put it on my heart to me a missionary here for Towbar’s people and even the Dwarven people should I ever get the chance to tell them the truth.”
“Ski, seriously now. How many people have you converted so far?”
“None. But that doesn’t matter. It’s not about numbers. It’s not about how many people I lead to the LORD. It’s about obedience. I can’t win anyone to the LORD anyway. That’s His job. I’m just the instrument He has chosen to work through. I’m here to plant seed, water seed, and if God so chooses, then to reap His harvest.”
“Ski, what about your commitment to the Air Force?”
“I’ve prayed about it and I feel I’m supposed to be here Myk. So whether I would have died with all the others who died here during the battles or if I happened to get left behind when you take everyone home, what difference does it matter. All I want is to say my good-byes to my loved ones and to get some more tools to minister with. I would be a far bigger asset to the military reaching out to these lost people here in Towbar’s world than going back to be a ‘goon’ waiting for my time in the Air Force to run out.”
When Ski mentioned that it reminded Mykal of Boris and the others being ‘goons’ after they returned home. That also reminded Mykal that Ski didn’t know the truth about Boris, the Minot Air Force Base Massacre and the fact that Boris was supposed to have died in prison. After Ski returns to the real world he would eventually find out the truth and would expose the fact that Boris had returned to Towbar’s world. That could create serious issues with Jill/Percy and the President. Ski would never deliberately lie to help with a cover up. Mykal tried to think how to remedy that. ‘Maybe Ski being in Towbar’s world would be a good thing,’ he wondered.
“Ski, I don’t know if I wanna help because you sound like there may be a problem,” he said in order not to call Ski crazy, but he needed to stall to think this through.
“Myk, how much do you love your family?”
“With all my heart, but what’s that got to do with it?”
“So you know how much you would do for your family, right?”
“Yeah,” Mykal nodded and knew his love for Pam and his two sons consumed him and was the driving force that kept him alive.
“Well I love God with all my heart and I will lay down my life for my LORD. I love God with every part of my being and I’m just acting on that love. As much as you would do for your wife and kids I feel the same way about my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. All I’m asking is for you to bring me back when you return or I just won’t go back to the real world when you take everyone.”
“Alright, alright, if that’s what you really want.”
“It is and I thank you. God will bless you for helping me.”
“Ski, let me talk with Diaz.”
“Diaz here.”
“Hey Captain Diaz, did you hear
all that?”
“Oh yeah, we’ve talked about this and we’ve prayed together over this and we really believe God has called him to a life of ministry on a foreign soil. It just happens to be that the foreign soil where he’s going to minister is in another world. We’ll still be here so it’s not like he’s going alone. It’s possible God may call him home when we return after the war.”
“What’s going on?” Larry asked when Mykal ended the call.
“Ski is one crazy dude,” Mykal answered and explained Ski’s bizarre request to stay permanently in Towbar’s world because of God’s call of ministry on his life.
“I like Ski,” Larry said. “But man can that guy get on your nerves about his Holy Roller hell fire and brimstone stuff.”
“He doesn’t really talk about the end of the world, hell fire and brimstone stuff anymore,” Mykal disagreed.
“Yeah, not much anymore,” Larry laughed. “See what we’re doing right now?” Larry asked Roy Jr., Randy and Mathis. “You know just sitting here in the vehicle while it just rains and rains?”
“Yeah, what about it?” Roy Jr. asked.
“When me and Mykal used to work the missile field, I can’t tell you how many hours of our lives was spend just doing this. Guarding a friggin missile in a hardened underground silo that nobody could get to if their lives depended on it. Anyway, one tour a few years back, cuz both me and Ski were only airmen at the time. We were working together and we were stuck out on a site. The alarm wouldn’t reset and we had to stay out there for over twelve hours. No joke.”
“That’s true,” Mykal confirmed. “In our job we worked three twelve hour shifts.”
“Anyway, me and Ski went out there and relieved another team,” Larry explained. “And we were stuck there for about sixteen hours cuz a blizzard rolled in and nobody could come to us and we couldn’t leave it if the alarm wouldn’t set and then with the blizzard they wouldn’t allow us to leave for safety reasons. When you’re out there you talk. Well I asked a friggin question to be friendly,” Larry laughed at himself. “I done nothing but opened up a can of Ski’s religious whoop ass. Yeah he’s been a Jesus freak from day one. Honestly, thirteen of those sixteen hours was Ski ranting and raving about all that’s going on in the world and I’d better turn to God or I’m doomed. It ran the gamut. He was nice about it and every time I tried to make a valid point he beat the crap out of me with chapter and verse in the Bible. For all I knew he could have been making it up on me,” he added and they laughed at him. “Knowing what I know now, I know the guy knows his stuff. But sixteen friggin hours, in a vehicle, just me and him. Not me and some hot chick who was lonely, but him and his Bible revolver was loaded and ready and he shot the crap outta me.
“He made a bunch of good points that got me thinking. He got me to admit that I’m a sinner and then asked how would I explain it away when I die and had to stand before Almighty God? He said, ‘You know, while we’re sitting here we could freeze to death, or you could choke on that ham sandwich you’re eating, or while we’re talking a plane could be dropping out of the sky right now and it could be headed for us, are you ready? Honestly, that was the longest friggin shift I ever worked,” Larry said and the others laughed at him. “But to be fair, he did get me to think about a lot of things. He’ll be a good missionary dude here in Towbar’s world, cuz he won’t be where I’m at, back in the world,” he laughed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE 12/31/1983
1. Saturday, December 31st 1983
0038 hours, Camp behind the Pit, In the Pass
Mykal woke to the sound of the rain still falling on the vehicle. The colder temperature woke him and he knew it was late in the night. He looked at his watch to see it was 12:38 AM. He shivered and wanted to fall back to sleep but he knew he wouldn’t be able to. He knew the men pulling guard duty on the line would be cold. The four others in the vehicle were still sleeping so he tried to exit without waking them.
Mykal walked the line as the rain slowed to a slow sprinkle. Some of the men warmed themselves around small fires. Two-man tents dotted the length of the line and half the men were allowed to sleep. Towbar’s soldiers brought food to those trying to stay alert during the miserable hours of the night.
Some men complained, more as an exercise to keep busy than to voice true grievances. They’ve trained in harsher elements on a regular basis. Some of the dirt turned to mud which made sentry duty messy. After the rain had stopped for about forty-five minutes the clouds cleared to expose a bright moon that wasn’t completely full. When it seemed certain the rain ceased for good the men were allowed to leave in shifts to change into dry clothing.
Thousands of Towbar’s soldiers were on the front line doing their share of the new task of guard duty. They were not used to staying up all night and couldn’t understand the need for such precautions because the Sosos never attack at night or in foul weather. Towbar’s generals understood that Mykal and his people were not to be disobeyed or disrespected. They stayed awake during the night watching the darkness in what they collectively thought was an act in futility. But they all agreed they would rather lose a little sleep than face the wrath of Towbar.
Mykal made his way down the line to check on the men and give words of encouragement when the silence of night had been broken by yells, a couple of gunshots, and high pitched screams. “Attack, attack,” a panicked voice cried out. “They’re attacking.”
The line came alive. “Hold your positions,” Captain Oakenfold shouted. “Keep your eyes open. Watch your ground. Others are going to assist,” he shouted when a handful of men started for the commotion.
Mykal rushed to where the skirmish had broken out. Hundreds of Towbar’s soldiers rushed to the noise of gunfire and shouts of war cries and shouts for help. The near full moon lit the Pass up, but the responding vehicle headlights exposed the attackers. Mykal saw some of the men shooting their weapons and others were swinging their rifles like clubs because the enemy had gotten on top of them before they had been detected.
As more of Towbar’s soldiers arrived on scene and joined into the hand to hand combat, Mykal’s men were able to pull back and begin shooting the intruders. With vehicle headlights shining on the attackers he saw that it wasn’t Sosos carrying out the bold offensive, it was some of their allies, the little dark green Goblins.
A large number of the Goblins snuck up to the line and attacked one area to make a big push rather than stretch out the length of the defensive line. Their numbers were overwhelming and many were able to get past the defenders and attack them from behind while they were trapped in hand to hand combat.
Some of the Goblins started for Mykal and the soldiers rushing into the battle. “Damn it,” he yelled and pointed his rifle at the advancing mob. When he began to shoot, others joined him and shot at the Goblins. Mykal saw a number of their people were on the ground dead or wounded.
The little dark green creatures running under the moonlight over the battle field created an eerie scene. The creatures ran into the headlights of the on-coming vehicles, swinging their weapons wildly at the light beams. Their high pitched screams brought terror and confusion. If Mykal hadn’t smelled the burnt gunpowder from his own rifle he would have thought it to be another terrible dream.
Some of the men yelled and cried out when they were double and triple teamed and couldn’t fight off all their foes. After Towbar’s soldiers arrived and joined in the melee they neutralized the threat. The terrifying sound of a .50 caliber machine gun opened up.
“No machineguns,” Oakenfold hollered. “Cease fire on the machinegun. Stop him,” he ordered someone to run to the vehicle.
Mykal knew Oakenfold feared casualties from friendly fire. As devastating a weapon as the .50 caliber machinegun, it was too dark and the enemy too close. If the machine gunners opened fire on movement in the dark, friendlies would be killed or injured. His mind immediately raced back to Denny being cut in half by an M-60 machinegun during the first visit.
Mykal dr
opped to one knee and carefully squeezed off each shot. He knew he struck each target he aimed at. He felt something heavy fly by the side of his head and he was sure a Goblin threw an axe or a club at him. He moved so the enemy wouldn’t get a second opportunity at his position.
A couple of hand grenades exploded and Mykal seethed with rage. He feared his men would injure fellow soldiers by tossing the grenades in the dark so close to their own position. Just as he got ready to shout his anger, he was relieved to see about six men use slap flares. The six flares shot into the night sky to descend slowly by parachute to light up the area.
The six flares lit up the area like a baseball diamond illuminated for a night game. The light gave a reddish glow. The little evil creatures were easier to spot and shoot. Goblins and Towbar’s soldiers stopped what they were doing and looked skyward as if something supernatural occurred.
Mykal looked out past the pit and saw a sea of black movement. There were thousands of Goblins rushing in. This was an all-out attack. Mykal couldn’t see Sosos and he was grateful because their numbers at night time would be overwhelming. He was thankful they were a superstitious group of people.
“Get the machineguns on them,” Mykal yelled and pointed to the wave of darkness moving toward them.
Oakenfold must have heard him or made the same choice. Before the words left his lips, four .50 caliber machineguns opened fire on the advancing Goblins beyond the line so as not to put the men of Towbar One in danger. Suddenly several M-60s opened fire on the advancing mass of darkness. The immediate threat on the line had been halted and pushed back. All the men trained their weapons on the area of the first pit where the mass of movement could be seen under the slow descent of the red glow.
It surprised Mykal the Goblins didn’t carry any type of plank to bridge the pit. Goblins climbed over the dead bodies of the Sosos and helped each other in and out of the pit. If the situation hadn’t been so serious Mykal would have thought the scene to be comical. Goblins stood on each other’s shoulders two and three high. The creatures averaged just over 4 feet tall.