by Dave Hazel
“Don’t mind him Towbar,” Boris said. “Like always, Kurt’s big stupid mouth is getting in the way of common sense.”
“My men will gladly train any who would like to learn.”
4.
Their little party atmosphere drew the attention of others. The size of their gathering grew as others came out of curiosity to see how they could be having a good time with the enemy of overwhelming size standing at their door. Everyone laughed and joked, trying to make the most of their situation. They didn’t want to allow the threat of Sosos to rob them of living. Most took turns and introduced themselves and spoke of their origins back in the world. Everyone displayed pride when describing home and their part of the country.
“Hey Myk, I been meaning to ask you guys, why do you all call Putman, Shit Eater Putman?” Randy asked. A dead silence filled the air, followed by a roar of laughter.
“Yeah, he seems like a good ol’ boy,” Roy Jr. added.
“He’s a friggin goof,” Larry retorted before Mykal spoke.
“Yeah, a real dimwit dipshit like his buddy Mousy Black,” Rich quipped with disdain. Rich’s southern accent and Larry’s Boston accent showed the north and the south could agree on something.
“It’s a long story but it’s funny.” Mykal shook his head.
“And a little sickening.” Boris shuddered and they all started to laugh again.
“Tell us, tell us,” Roy Jr. prodded.
“See, when we work out in the missile field, we’re out there for three days at a time.” Mykal explained. “Most people bring their own food, but all the sites have a cook and plenty of food out there. They serve us what are called foil packs. They’re individually packaged frozen food. So you can have just about any meal you would like. They have chicken, corn, peas, mashed potatoes, desserts, steaks, you name it.”
“They taste like crap,” Boris chuckled and everyone laughed with him. “They’re basically individual parts of TV dinners.”
“Anyway, one tour Rich was working with Black and Putman’s team. He called and said someone stole his food,” Mykal said.
“Yup, dat’s a fact,” Rich said. “Putman and Black always ate everyone else’s food and would deny it. Even if your food had your name on it they’d still steal it. One time I’z workin’ wit dem guys an ol’ Black had a habit of pickin’ up other people’s cans of soda and drink it without asking. Well Black picked up ‘Scumbum’ Samuelson’s spit can and took a drink. No lie,” Rich laughed with a disgusted look. “Dat ol’ boy Black hauled ass outta that office so fast spewing crap right out his mouth. He had nass’y shit droolin’ down his chin and he puked his guts out. Needless to say after dat he never took someone’s soda without asking. Learnt him good.”
Mykal continued. “So when Rich called and complained that they took his food, I was joking around and said let’s get them with a shit cake. I was only joking.”
“But I thought it was a great idea,” Larry said and his head rocked back with laughter. “I said I’ll do it.”
“So we got one of the frozen chocolate cakes,” Mykal said. “Keep in mind they’re frozen and they’re individual portioned sizes. So we took the frozen cake out of the tin container and we sliced about a quarter of an inch off the top.”
Boris pinched his nose. “Larry actually went into the rest room and took a dump in the tin container.” Boris grabbed his face in disgust. “I couldn’t believe it.”
“None of us could,” Mykal laughed. “We thought Larry was just screwing around, but he really did it.”
“We all fell over laughing,” Kurt said while wiping the tears from his eyes. “For crying out loud it was still warm, and it reeked,” he shook his head in disgust. “I can’t believe I helped Larry put the top half of the frozen cake on it. We put the lid back on and you couldn’t tell. It was freakin’ gross!”
“You see the kinda stuff I gotta deal with?” Denny laughed.
Mykal continued laughing. “I made up a bogus excuse for my team, Boris and Kurt, to go to their site for some supplies.”
“When we got to their site,” Kurt explained. “I slipped back to the refrigerator and put it in the freezer and put a phony name on it and dated it a couple of days back, hoping they would think it was someone from a previous Crew.”
“We really wanted Mousy Black to get it, cuz Black was the real culprit,” Boris chortled. “But if you’re going to take someone else’s food without asking, you deserve what you get.”
“They pulled me aside to tell me what they did,” Rich guffawed. “I almost wet myself cuz I’z laughing so hard. When I got up in the morning, the foil pack was in the garbage and there was a bite missing. Black worked days so he’d been sleepin’, but Putman worked nights and he was up all night.”
“He didn’t, did he?” Roy Jr.’s face twisted in disgust to near nausea at the raucous laughter.
“I din’ see it go in his mouth,” Rich laughed. “But a bite was missing. I busted up all day, picturing his face when he started chomping on it,” Rich cackled amid the crowd’s groans.
“The day we got lost coming here,” Kurt continued to giggle and grabbed his side. “We pulled a prank with a decaying dead animal in his gasmask. Needless to say, he hates us.”
“Yeah, I got my ass chewed for that,” Jake said. “The LT went ballistic over the gas mask prank.”
“So did I,” Denny chuckled. “I got my ass chewed and I wasn’t even there.”
Suddenly one of the vehicle horns began to honk. A long steady blast sounded followed by three short blasts repeated over and over. Everyone within the camp rushed to the alarm.
The person behind the wheel kept sounding the horn alarm although several thousand people surrounded the Peacekeeper. The mass of people parted allowing Towbar, Mykal and Jake through just as Edwards, Light and Mansfield arrived. Only when Lt Light arrived did SSgt Bradford let up his emergency call to the Pass.
“What's going on Bradford?” Light asked. Clearly Bradford looked terrified and extremely nervous.
“Sir, it’s the Sosos,” Bradford wailed as he exited the vehicle. “The OP says the Sosos are moving. They're coming this way,” he screeched and waved his hands wildly. His panic began to spread like a wildfire. “The OP is returning, Sir.”
Towbar raised his voice. “People, listen to me.” He waved his large arms to quiet the roar that drowned him out. “Listen to me,” he bellowed.
Dread filled the Pass. The moment everyone feared was near at hand. Complaints, grumblings and questions were shouted out. The noise reminded Mykal of a rock concert where the main attraction showed up an hour late.
Mykal and his friends who had faced the Sosos several times helped Towbar quiet the mob. Kurt got inside the vehicle and blasted the horn and turned on the siren until the grumbling ceased. “Everyone needs to shut the hell up,” Kurt yelled through the public address speaker. “Towbar has something to say. Here Towbar,” Kurt offered the microphone so he could speak through the PA.
The roar of the crowd hushed. “Please, listen to me. You must do as I say,” Towbar said to the quieted mob. “We still have much work to do. The pit must be completed before the end of the day. The pit is going to be the most important weapon we have against the Sosos. The Sosos are half a day's march from here. That gives us plenty of time to ready ourselves. They will not attack today. They are moving into position to attack tomorrow or the day after. Understand this, they will not attack today,” he repeated for the benefit of Mykal’s people. “Let us work hard the rest of the day. We will be ready by the morning. My people, our new friends will amaze you with their combat abilities. They are gifts sent to us by the gods to stop the Sosos. Work hard my people. We know what is at stake.”
Mykal saw Ski vehemently shake his head at Towbar’s last statement. Mykal knew Ski wanted to argue ‘gods’ versus One True God of the Bible. Mykal hoped Ski wouldn’t start a religious argument at a time like this.
“What are the Bible thumpers arguing about?” Larry asked.
“Ski and his henchmen got a bug up their ass,” Sam scoffed.
“It’s gotta be a religious thing,” Mykal answered, glad to see Ski stopped his fellow Christians from speaking up.
“Oh boy,” Rich laughed. “Mousy Black is a die-hard atheist. He’ll go crazy if’n Ski says stuff ‘bout God.”
“Do not panic or lose hope,” Towbar continued. “Our army will arrive soon. I am confident we can stop the Sosos for a few days,” he declared, though it came across like an exaggeration. “Let us return to work. Tomorrow may be a grand day.”
The crowd broke up and everyone ran to the area of the pit where they worked earlier. They worked harder with increased anxiety now that a real deadline had been set. Knowing daylight could bring the first assault brought home how much their lives depended on all they accomplished in the few remaining hours.
“Hey y’all, woul’n it be som’fing if the fireworks start tomorrow?” Rich said when they took a short break.
“Why’s that?” Kurt wiped sweat from his head and neck.
Rich smirked. “Tomorrow’s the 4th of July boys.”
“I do not understand,” Towbar said. He looked confused.
“Back in our world,” Boris replied. “Tomorrow is the date our country celebrates its independence from another country that tried to control us some two hundred years ago.”
“So maybe tomorrow will be a day to remember for you and your people big guy,” Rich chuckled. “Too bad we could’n use dat nuke out there and finish those bastards off once and for all.”
“Hey hillbilly,” Kurt jeered. “If we used that nuke on the Sosos, it would take us out too, dumb ass.”
“I know you din’int jus’ call me a dumb ass, you--”
“Stop it!” Denny cut Rich off. “If they’re gonna attack tomorrow, let me have one friggin day of peace from you morons.”
Mykal laughed watching Kurt and Rich mouth silent verbal barbs at each other behind Denny’s back like disobedient kids.
5.
The pit had been completed by the time the evening meal had been served. After the “last meal” as some called it, Mykal and Towbar walked with Jake down the length of the pit. For the most part the depth was more than seven feet and in small areas the depth reached over eight feet. The average width stretched to ten feet. One pocket of industrious workers carved out an area with a width over eleven feet and their depth neared nine feet. That odd pocket covered a section of forty feet in length.
While they toured the line a multitude of locals thanked Mykal for coming up with the idea. A verbal petition had been started to name the pit, or that area of the Pass after Mykal. Mykal made it clear Roy Dosch deserved credit for the idea.
Food had been served as a snack during the evening. Mykal and his friends found it hard to eat. They sat in near silence. They were no longer laughing and joking. A somber mood filled the air. The mutual feeling throughout the Pass had the Sosos attacking the next day. All through the night, the people glanced repeatedly south to see if Towbar’s army had arrived yet.
“My greatest fear is to have the Pass fall into the hands of the Sosos,” Towbar said and shook his head. His tight facial features expressed genuine concern. “We have never allowed the Sosos into the Pass. This is difficult for me to allow Sosos into even this small area of the Pass. However, I do realize the importance, to make the pit at the narrowest width of the Pass. It would not have been wise to create the pit near the opening just to keep the Sosos from entering the Pass. I do not remember the last time I felt the feelings that are in me.”
“Well join the stinking club, big guy.” Kurt smirked. “It’s nice to see you’re human, er, uh, um real.”
“I know what you mean,” Mykal said, but chuckled at Kurt’s choice of words. “You’ll be surprised by what we’ll do to them.”
Mykal fingered the grotesque scar across his stomach. He thought back to how close he came to death just a couple of days ago. He wondered if he would be able to face the Sosos again. He felt like a survivor from an airplane crash about to board a plane for the first time since the crash.
“Really Towbar, you’ll be surprised by our machine guns,” Mykal repeated since Towbar voiced his concern. Re-assuring his giant friend seemed therapeutic for him. It enabled him to get past, and put aside, his fear of facing Sosos again.
“I will trust your words, my friend.”
“Hey Towbar, I need to ask you a question. I wanted to ask you earlier, what’s with that Doninka chick?”
“Doninka? What do you mean?” Towbar looked concerned at the mention of the servant girl’s name. “Has she angered you?”
“No, no,” Mykal said and explained the last conversation he had with the girl. “I don’t have the foggiest idea what I did wrong,” Mykal said and looked dumbfounded. “I clearly don’t remember saying anything that could have offended her, and I wasn’t trying to upset her, but somehow I did.”
Towbar rocked back and let out a deep hearty laugh. “You did not offend her, my friend. You did nothing wrong.” Towbar continued to laugh and slapped one of his large hands on Mykal’s shoulder. “I think she is fond of you. That would make her jealous of your wife.” Towbar continued to laugh and gently nudged Mykal in the ribs with his massive elbow. “She may even be falling in love with you, my friend,” he teased with a booming laughter that caught the attention of some townspeople. This odd sight had never been seen by the townspeople before.
“Uh oh. Gee-whiz,” Mykal sighed. He started to snicker at the giant’s infectious laughter. “That’s not really funny Towbar. I’m a happily married man. What would she want with me?”
“I am not a woman, nor do I think like one. I can not answer that question for you,” he said and folded his large arms across his chest. “I have not laughed in a very long time, my friend. I can assure you of one thing. This woman, Doninka, can be trouble for you,” he continued to laugh heartily. “She is one who usually gets her way.”
“Huh? Isn’t she just some servant girl?”
Towbar paused. He looked at those standing nearby. “I will explain at a later time, my friend. I am close to her family. She is stubborn, though not rude. When something has entered her thoughts she will not give up easy.” Towbar paused, put his hand over his mouth and doubled over to hold his laughter.
“I’m really glad this amuses you, my friend,” Mykal said and watched the giant’s pleasure at his expense. He didn’t know why Towbar thought this was so comical. “I don’t need that trouble. Let’s get serious now. Whadda ya think the Sosos are gonna do?”
“I believe they stopped when they were within an hour from the Pass. Obviously darkness prevents us from knowing this until daylight returns. At first light they will move closer. After they see my army is not here, and discover sufficient defensive forces are not in place, I believe they will attack.”
“But you’re definitely sure they won’t attack tonight? I don’t want everyone to think I misled them.”
“My friend, you asked me to trust you about the weapons I have not seen in use yet. I do. Trust me in this. They will not attack at night. Sosos fear dying in battle in the dark. They will fight at night only if they are provoked and attacked.”
“I just find it hard to believe that they’re afraid to fight at night,” Mykal said as Kurt, Boris and Larry moved closer to them. “Where we’re from we use the night for the element of surprise and it’s harder for the enemy to see.”
“When was the last time your people attacked them?” Boris asked, inserting himself into the conversation.
“We have never attacked the Sosos.”
“What?” Kurt did a double take. “What do you mean never?”
“Never. We fight defensively,” Towbar replied. “When the Sosos come to the Pass, only then will we advance on them. We are not a war loving people as are the Sosos. So we have never gone to their land to attack them. Thanks be to the gods we have won every war. I fear this time we have been caught off guar
d.”
“We’re not a war loving people either,” Boris said. “But when somebody starts something with you, you gotta do whatever it takes to end it. Sometimes that means taking the offensive.”
Larry shook his head. “To use a football analogy, you gotta smash ‘em in the mouth. You hit ‘em in the face hard enough and they’ll back off,” He said, slamming his fist into his open palm enthusiastically. “Here’s what you outta do, when your army gets here, attack them at night! They’d never expect it. Then go after them and don’t stop until you kick their ass all the way back to their Soso-bizarro-land. They won’t know what hit ‘em. Even though you say they never get scared, they’ll be running scared with their tails between their legs.”
Kurt put in his thoughts. “Then what I’d do, I’d keep going right into their country. Kick the living daylights outta them right in their own back yard. You won’t have any problems with them for a long time after that.”
“I appreciate these ideas, my friends. You have given me much to ponder. I will give it deep consideration. I will then discuss it when I return to Beramus, the Great Walled City.”
6.
Throughout the evening most grew anxious and fearful. During the watches of the night most discussions revolved around the likelihood of war breaking out in hours rather than weeks or days. Though not spoken out loud, the general fear shared by most, tomorrow could be the last day of their lives.
Despite Towbar’s assurance of peace during the night, the Visiting leaders wanted an increased sense of vigilance, knowing the Sosos had been on the move. The work of security would never be taken lightly since their careers centered on safekeeping of important resources. Towbar provided hundreds of his people to help keep watch during the night which enabled guards to pull two hour shifts.
With the looming threat just beyond the darkness most found it difficult to sleep. The majority of the Visitors voluntarily pulled at least double shifts. The only two not to participate were Edwards and Mansfield. They felt it beneath their position and they tried to convince Lt Light he shouldn’t participate in the watch with his men because it would demean his rank.