Nightmare-Z

by S. A. Lowry

  “What the hell man! Did our tires just go out! You gotta be freaking kidding me!” yells Dwayne as he continues to move forward while the steering wheel becomes harder to control and begins drifting in different directions indicating multiple flat tires.

  He immediately halts the bus. Riggs tells the group to leave their weapons inside in order to not demonstrate hostility towards the men in the watch towers whom are armed. Everyone hops off the bus. Dwayne goes to inspect the tires as Riggs and Andrew waves to the men in the guard tower. One of the guards, puts his finger up indicating them to hold on. Riggs waits patiently along with the others.

  As Dwayne walks around the vehicle, he informs the group that all four tires have been blown. He proceeds to back track his path and walks back to the dip he just went through in the concrete. What he sees inside are multiple strips of tire spikes angled perfectly to knock out the wheels of any intruding vehicle fast approaching the gate. Dwayne quickly swings his arms up in frustration and reports it back to the group.

  Once Riggs and Andrew learn of their now disabled vehicle, Andrew shakes his head in disapointment. Riggs shrugs it off and begins to laugh.

  “What the hell is so funny? We are screwed now!” yells Dwayne.

  Riggs turns around and addresses Dwayne and the group. “Calm down man. Just relax. We broke down in front of a prison with a bunch of humans who aren’t trying to eat us. Plus, that’s also a good idea. These cats are smart. Can’t wait to meet them,” he explains with ease.

  Dwayne raises his eyebrow as the gates open. Andrew now attempts to wipe the smurk off his face which is a result of Rigg’s last comment. He fails miserably.

  Once the gate is fully open, around five males in BDU( battle dress uniform or woodland camoflauge) coats and dark pants armed with various different assault rifles come walking out the gate over to their position. Riggs tells everyone to stay put as he walks over to the man in the center who is obviously the leader.

  The two converse for a few minutes in private until Riggs gives Andrew and the group a wave signaling them to come on in through the gate.

  CHAPTER 5

  Sweettooth The drive seems endless. Trevor and his men have been driving for what seems like almost a full day through the endless desert. Most of them think Trevor is lost, however, two break downs and three times back tracking later, Trevor still insists he knows where he is taking them. He does not possess a GPS nor a map.

  All he has is his instinct and whatever looks familiar from the previous times he has deployed to Iraq while sitting on the bus in Kuwait being bused to these various different bases. However, in the desert, it is difficult to adapt terrain association. Also, many of the times he stayed on these buses being transported during his previous tours, he stayed asleep in the back with his assault pack always propped up on his lap while using it as a pillow as so many soldiers have done before.

  Trevor is some how convinced that they are about to come up on the the former highway of death( the road which Republican Guard and Iraqi Army vehicles were congregrated, backed up and destroyed by the US Air Force trying to escape Kuwait during the first Gulf War, thousands of Iraqi invaders met their fates there ) which connects three main American military bases in Kuwait.

  Camp Buehring being the furthest, then Camp Virginia in the center and ultiminately ending in Ali Asaleem which leads straight to the main highway of Kuwait. Trevor believes, they will come up some where on the side or the backside of Camp Buehring. From there, once they arrive into the base, they will inform senior leadership about what has happened to them up north and hopefully receive sanctuary. This is the hope Trevor and his men are clinging onto in order to maintain themselves for the time being. Hunter informs his leader that the truck they are driving will be low on fuel soon if they don’t get to a fuel point in time. As it stands right now, the truck is on half a tank. Christopher leans over and tells the guys to get ready to walk if need be. Trevor reassures them that it will not have to come to that.

  Ringo and Price seemed to be knocked out dead asleep at this point as the vehicle moves along down the bumpy desert road. Nothing to pull security at Trevor decided a ways down the road as he told them to get some rest. Price brought his M240 Bravo into the cab of the vehicle earlier and passed it to the back so Christopher could lay it down flat. Ringo decided to sleep behind his M249 SAW as it stayed pointed outside the window. He secured the weapon to the vehicle ensuring it wouldn’t fall out by deploying the bipod legs on the outside of the door as he rests on the buttstock inside the vehicle.

  Gilroy, whom remains in between the two is seen resting on Ringo’s arm as he sleeps. Back a ways, Trevor switched out with Hunter so he could get some sleep. Once Hunter awakened from his nap, he went back to the driver’s seat. Reagal and Christopher remain passed out in the very back as well even in their seemingly uncomfortable positioning due to the lack of room.

  “Damn bro. It sucks being thirsty in the desert,” Trevor exclaims to Hunter, refering to the group’s lack of water.

  Hunter smiles.

  “Yeah it also sucks being smokeless and dipless in the desert too,” Hunter jokingly adds.

  “I second that motion,” Trevor concludes as he leans closer to the front of the windshield as if he spotted something.

  Hunter asks him if he sees anything. Trevor remains silent for a moment as the vehicle races forward. Moments later, Trevor asks Hunter if he sees what he sees.

  Hunter does not.

  Trevor tells him to look closer. Hunter now appearing annoyed thinking Trevor is some how messing with him, leans closer to the windshield like Trevor previously did. Now Hunter himself, can see what Trevor was talking about. It appears to be the outline of an apparent base off into the distance. Hunter now realizes how it could be easily over looked because all of the buildings are a brownish tan color, which blended in with the color of the sand and also the high sand berms built to erect a perimeter for the base.

  Trevor and Hunter aren’t sure whether or not it is Camp Buehring, however, at this point it doesn’t matter.

  Trevor begins waking up the rest of his guys with excitement and joy. “Wake the hell up shit bags! We’re here, whatever it is. It’s definately one of ours. I can see the DFAC from here. Hot chow assholes! I said wake the hell up!” Trevor yells as he smacks Gilroy on his helmet and begins tapping the other’s legs as they sleep.

  They begin to reluctantly awake in a cranky mood. “There better be broads in bikinis waiting for us when we get there,” Reagal says as he stretches out his legs while placing one of them in Christopher’s face. Christopher grabs his ankle and throws his foot in the other direction so he can have his own space.

  “Alright, alright geez, they can wear t-shirts,” Reagal takes it a step further.

  Price awakes laughing at Reagal’s morning joke.

  Christopher tells them they joke too damn much.

  Reagal counters and tells him he doesn’t joke enough.

  Trevor yells again and orders them to stop the bickering.

  “We are almost there, damnit,” he adds. Gilroy awakes and asks Trevor if they are approaching the base. Trevor tells him yes as Hunter looks back with an angry look and begins shaking his head at Gilroy’s comment.

  “You didn’t hear him the first ten times he said it you deuscher?” Hunter sarcastically asks Gilroy.

  As a result, Gilroy throws up his middle finger directed towards Hunter.

  Hunter notices it through the rear view mirror and returns the favor. Upon waking up, Price reaches for his bottom ACU leg pocket for a can of dip. Once he opens up the can, he is shocked to find out he has none left. Price begins cursing out loud and throws the empty can out the moving window.

  Reagal then proceeds to ask him what his problem was.

  An angered Price responds.

  “I’m all out of dip man. Those pogs better not have cleaned out the PX,” a frustrated Price exclaims.

  Reagal agrees.

  Ringo shakes h
is head.

  Christopher calls him a dumb ass.

  The vehicle is fast approaching the side of the base.

  Some time goes by.

  Eventually, the vehicle turns off the main road leading to the access road which brings them directly to the front gate.

  A big giant white sign reads, “Welcome to Camp Buehring”. Everyone in the vehicle cheers for joy once again as they push closer up to the ECP(entry control point) expecting to see security forces there giving them the single to halt. However, on the contrary, they do not. The gate is empty and left wide open. Nobody is manning the watch towers as well.

  As Hunter slowly drives the vehicle through the serpentine and over the Bradley Fighting Vehicle tracks used as speed bumps, Hunter looks around the empty ECP and begins to talk to himself.

  “What the fu . . . . ,” he begins to say as he is cut off by Trevor yelling at him to speed up through the gate as Trevor notices one of the security guards in a bloodied OD tan uniform stumbling towards the vehicle’s direction while moaning as he exits a portable bathroom.

  “Great. Those bastards are here too. There’s nobody left!” Trevor declares out of anger. Everyone in the back are now shaking their heads in disbelief. Only one who seems not to be effected by this is Reagal, who tells Price that nobody could have taken his dip at the PX if they are all dead. Nobody laughs. Christopher gives Reagal an angry stare.

  Trevor tells his soldiers to hold their fire unless they have no other choice. He does not want to attract attention.

  “Let that one be. He ain’t harming nobody,” Trevor adds as Hunter speeds up through the checkpoint. Price makes the suggestion to hit up the PX after the fuel point. Trevor agrees. Moments later, Trevor tells Hunter to follow the perimeter inside the base and circle it around until they see a fuel point. Trevor knows he saw a fuel point some where on the perimeter the last three or four times he has been here.

  Hunter obliges. As the vehicle skirts the perimeter, the group looks into the base and notices trash flying around everywhere from the heavy winds the Kuwaiti desert produces. It’s a bit ironic to Trevor and Christopher because all military bases usually uphold a high standard of cleanliness regarding matters such as trash on the premises. Obviously this place has been abandoned for awhile.

  As they drive along, Hunter thinks he spotted a fuel point. Trevor tells him it looks good as they decide to enter in order to hopefully load up on fuel. Hunter avoids the JP-8 line and proceeds to the MOGAS section. Trevor tells his men to keep their fingers crossed as he hops out of the vehicle to check the pump. The hose leads into the ground then disappears. Upon lifting it up from a lone drip pan, he depresses down upon the handle.

  To his surprise, gas comes flowing out. He quickly proceeds to place the pump into the fuel tank and begins fueling up the vehicle as Hunter turns off the engine. After about thirty seconds or so of pumping fuel, to Trevor’s dismay, he notices the pump has stopped. He quickly pulls out the hose and inspects the end for anymore flowing fuel. Nothing.

  “Hey, shot in the dark, but does anyone know anything about these fuel points?” Trevor asks his guys who are inside the vehicle as he pokes his head into Price’s window.

  Everyone shakes their heads. “Fueler, is not my MOS,” Reagal says. Trevor calls him a smart ass and informs him of the pump refusing to dispense anymore fuel. Everyone gets out the vehicle and begins walking around to see if they can turn on any machine or flick any switch which is needed to keep the fuel flowing. None of them can figure it out as they appear to be monkeys trying to turn a wrench.

  Upon realizing that they may just be royally screwed, Trevor walks over to the driver’s side and turns on the vehicle. He inspects the fuel gauge thoroughly. Moments later, he calculates the final reading as it stops at half a tank. A now concerned Trevor tells his soldiers to take off their ‘damned’ vests and helmets if they want to.

  “Just attach your mission essential equipment to your flick( throw over rack system which carries ammo and other equipment ) if you decide to down grade,” Trevor orders.

  Some take Trevor up on his offer as ballistic vests are seen flying into the back with a quickness. On the other hand, the others decide to stay in their full equipment as if they were clinging onto to it in a desperate attempt for a sense of safety.

  Once the soldiers are finished changing their load out, they hop back in the truck. Trevor tells Hunter to get back on the main road outside the gate. They will be heading to Camp Virginia next. Upon hearing this, Price quickly reminds Trevor of hitting up the PX before they leave for food, water and of course, nicotine. Trevor thinks for a minute in silence, then grants Price his wish.

  Trevor tells Hunter to cut through tent city and take the quickest route to the shoppette or PX area, which ever one he chooses. Hunter hops in the drivers seat as everyone piles in. Price has Christopher and Reagal pass up the M240 Bravo to him where he props it in his window shortly after. Ringo takes up the opposite position as well. Once everyone is inside the vehicle, Hunter takes off and cuts across the sand.

  At this point he isn’t even driving on a road anymore. He barrells through the sand as dust picks up shooting into the air behind him. Eventually, the group makes it to the area where all the holding tents are adjacened to eachother. Hunter continues to drive through them at a high rate of speed until Trevor tells him to stop for a moment. Hunter immediately brings the vehicle to a screeching halt dead smack in the middle of dozens of tents where soldiers are quartered while waiting for their chance to push north to Iraq. Trevor can be heard by his soldiers talking to himself once again in confusion. “What the hell is that. Man it looks bad,” Trevor tells himself as the rest of the group attempt to stare in the direction he is looking at.

  What they see, is a connex setup on the back of a flat bed trailer truck which is left wide open with soldier’s duffle bags and ruck sacks in plain view. Some bags can be seen still inside while others are scattered around the general area. The closer the group looks, they notice the bags forming a trail to the inside of a nearby tent.

  The bodies of a few soldiers, including one still inside the connex surrounded by the bags, are seen laying lifeless with apparent bite marks all over them. Some are missing limbs as it appears that something has been eating away at them for awhile. Some of the soldiers are so badly eaten to the point where they do not even look like they were human at one point. The grizzly find is startling to the group, affirming they were not alone regarding their recent plight in Iraq, However, how long it had been going on for still remains a mystery to them.

  Trevor orders Hunter to stop the vehicle just short of the open trailer with the bags in it. He tells them to stay inside while he takes a look around. Christopher on the other hand, doesn’t agree to this and decides to get out on his own accord. Reagal follows him. Trevor says nothing. The remaining soldiers stay in the vehicle while keeping watch.

  “Take your time sergeant, no rush,” Hunter sarcastically calls out.

  Ringo emits a worried grin.

  Trevor sarcastically gives Hunter a frown as he turns back towards the vehicle in response.

  “I just want some damn dip,” Reagal exclaims as he reluctantly hops off the back of the SUV while following Christopher’s lead.

  Trevor walks into the tent where the trail of bags lead all by his lonesome while Reagal and Christopher walk into the tent directly across from the one Trevor walked into. As Reagal cautiously walks behind Christopher at the high ready with his rifle pulling security, Christopher slowly opens up the door to the tent. He places his hand up in the air signaling Reagal to follow. Once inside, Christopher notices an extremely foul odor along with a room full of cots, soldier’s bags and equipment neatly dressed up as well stacked in front of their bunks.

  All of the bunks appear to have their bags neatly placed on the ground in front of them in a dress right dress fashion. Ruck sacks along with a single duffle bag, vest and helmet all neatly stacked in order. Everyone’s is the sam
e. As Christopher and Reagal push deeper into the room, they notice the cots have what appears to be ACU digital pattern poncho liners over them. Some have the woodland camoflauge as well. Nearly all of the cots, appear to have something laying in them hiding below the poncho liners.

  Christopher walks up to the nearest one holding his nose to keep the stinch at bay while Reagal keeps a beat on it with his barrel. Christopher slowly pulls down the poncho liner, to reveal in horror the pale face corpse of a dead soldier with his eyes widened. His lifeless body is cold and seizes to respond to Christopher removing the poncho liner. Christopher places his head down in sadness as Reagal stands there in awe. Reagal walks down the line of cots and undues all of the covers to reveal even more dead soldiers laid out in their cots.

  “Poor bastards. They just completely got left behind,” Reagal states in despair.

  Christopher remains silent for a few more minutes.

  “Nothing we can do here now. Lets go back outside and see what Wilcott is doing,” Christopher adds.

  Reagal follows. As they walk outside, they avoid eye contact with the remaining members of the squad inside the truck whom are now glaring at the pair while trying to figure out what they just saw inside the tent.

  “Reagal looks like he is about to puke,” Hunter tells Ring from his driver’s seat as he stares outside his window. Ringo, Gilroy, Price and Hunter watch on as they try to make sense of the situation. Reagal and Christopher decide to walk over to the tent Trevor is in to see how he is doing and to inform him of what they just discovered. As they approach, they notice Trevor standing by the doorway staring into the room silently.

  “Hey Sergeant you won’t believe what we just found back there,” Reagal states with a sense of urgency only to be met by Trevor’s hand being placed up in the air demanding silence.

  Christopher and Reagal both halt dead in their tracks behind Trevor to direct attention to what he is gazing at. Once the two soldiers take their first step into the room, the unbearable stinch of dead corpses hit them like a brick wall.