by Dave Hazel
“I need time to clear my head,” Colonel Fisher said and looked to the floor.
“No you don’t,” Mykal hissed. “The facts are on the table. You don’t wanna screw with me cuz I could be a motherless bastard if I need to be,” he threatened and paused. “Or if I’m pushed to be,” he added with an easing of his threatening tone.
“I don’t understand,” Fisher said and looked back and forth to Towbar and Mykal.
Suddenly Mykal disappeared and reappeared at the giant’s side.
“I don’t want to fight between us,” Mykal said in a more civil tone. “But I really do have a mission here and I will not allow anyone to interfere with that. I really do want us to work together. Major Chick didn’t have any problems. As a matter of fact, I thought he did a great job so far. Now, with you being a full bird colonel I don’t expect you to play second fiddle to him, but I would highly advise you two to work together. Bottom line is, we’re going to go fly over the Soso camp and see if we can gather any information that may be of help in finding Princess Doninka. I am going to do this with you being on board, and working together on this, or I promise you, you will be outta here before you know what’s hit you. And that means you will be outta here one way or another. I don’t mean that as a threat, I mean that as a cold hard fact. Cuz I’m not gonna allow the enemy to win. You say you’re here to help Towbar’s people. Well then help Towbar’s people. Work easier and not harder. Without rescuing the Princess Doninka, you’re making this so much harder. You better think it through. Towbar, please do me a favor and go get Major Chick and the others,” he said and deliberately winked to the giant before he walked out of the tent.
“Yes my friend,” Towbar said and quickly left the tent.
As Towbar left the tent Mykal spoke loud enough to ensure Towbar would hear what he said with his increased hearing. “Now with Towbar gone, what I will tell you is, don’t fight me on the things I know I have to do and I won’t interfere when you do all that you were sent here to do. Do you understand me?”
“Yes I do,” Fisher answered and wouldn’t look Mykal in the eye.
Something about Fisher reminded Mykal of Green Beret Lieutenant Johnson who also had a problem with Mykal’s leadership. ‘Maybe it’s a pride thing like that dimwit Johnson,’ he thought while he eyed the man who clearly didn’t want to be told what to do by someone of lower rank. ‘In my case, I don’t have any rank. This has gotta be driving him crazy.’ “I’m easy to get along with,” Mykal said when the silence became uncomfortable.
“Did that really happen?” Fisher asked referring to Mykal’s disappearance and reappearance as if he questioned his own sanity.
“That’s neither here nor there,” Mykal said and couldn’t keep from laughing. “Let’s just work together and I’ll make sure you accomplish your mission as well.”
Major Chick, Major Innes and Captain Taylor re-entered the tent with Towbar. The three Marines tried not to stare at Fisher since he was the commanding officer on the base. They clearly saw a look of defeat on the senior man’s face as if he had been scolded in front of a class room. Fisher seemed to feel embarrassed and stared at Towbar to avoid their gaze.
“Major Chick, I’m going to take some men and helicopters out over the Soso land,” Mykal said as if there hadn’t been a break in their first conversation. Mykal wanted to carry on as if nothing had happened. He really didn’t want to cause Colonel Fisher any embarrassment, but he wasn’t going to allow Fisher to interfere with his plans. “We have to try to find Princess Doninka and we don’t know where she could be. So it may be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Me and Towbar were talking and I don’t think they’re going to keep her nearby since we were successful in rescuing the other prisoners last month. So we’re gonna try to stir up some trouble. We have thirty-two days and with all that’s going on she is priority number one cuz if King Loankore gives himself up for her, the country will be lost. The son, Locod, will give the country over to the bad guys.”
“No problem here,” Chick said and didn’t even look at Fisher. “Just tell us what you need and we’ll help in any way we can.”
“Mykal, do you think they will try to take the Pass during this thirty-two day stay?” Major Innes asked.
“I really don’t know Sir, but I would say let’s treat the situation like they are going to attack every day.”
“We agree,” Innes said and nodded in agreement. “We will re-establish our Observation Posts, lay more land mines et cetera et cetera.”
“We will also work on digging more pits,” Taylor said. “They were extremely effective in the last battle.”
“If I may,” Towbar spoke up. “I do not believe they will attack until their High Holy Day. Or else they would never have given up the ground they gave up.”
“Great point Towbar,” Major Chick replied. “But we will be cautious and look for their attacks daily.”
Colonel Fisher remained noticeably silent during the rest of the meeting.
4.
“You heard me when you left the tent, didn’t you Towbar?”
“Yes my friend. I assumed you wanted me to hear your words. You know I have advanced hearing and you said it louder than your normal speech tone.”
“Yeah. I wanted to have Fisher think I’m gonna help him get what he wants from your people and your land, but I ain’t gonna help him to do anything,” Mykal said and smiled.
“I am extremely thankful and eternally grateful to you, my friend,” Towbar said softly and bowed his head.
“I meant it when I told you before that I put you above everything except for my wife and my two little boys. I have no loyalty to this government and the crap they’re trying to pull. Don’t take me wrong. I truly love my country and I love the military and all the wonderful men and women in the military, but these scumbag politicians can kiss my ass.”
“I appreciate your heart my friend. My loyalty is to you my friend.”
“Now we gotta focus on getting Doninka back. I’m really worried for her Towbar,” Mykal said and tried to hide his true emotions for the girl. “After what I saw the Sosos did to those two men I wouldn’t put it past them to harm her.”
“I, too, am fearful my friend. My fear is a restrained fear though. They must present her in order to take possession of the King. That is my only comfort in this situation. If she is not present in thirty-two days the King will not give himself over to them. I believe they are smart enough not to harm her until that day.”
“Well I hope you’re right. The helicopters and crews should be ready in the next half hour to forty-five minutes.”
“Hey Myk,” Roy Jr. called to him and he and his brother raced to catch up to them. “We just heard you guys are flying out over the Sosos. Do you mind if we come along?”
“Not at all,” Mykal answered and almost started to laugh. “You guys can come along with me any time, like I said earlier.”
“We appreciate that Myk,” Randy said. “We really only came back here for one thing.”
“And that’s to kill as many Sosos as we can,” Roy Jr. declared. “We’re not crazy, we just want revenge. We know killing Sosos ain’t gonna bring back Baby Ray, but I wanna kill them rotten bastards.”
“We really know it will help Towbar’s people with every one of the Sosos we take out of the fight,” Randy said and tipped his cowboy hat back and place a long blade of grass in his mouth. “Besides, we can legally kill them and nobody is gonna say a thing about it.”
“I hear ya,” Mykal tittered.
“And besides, we’re doing it for daddy too,” Roy Jr. laughed again. “He can’t be here so we promised to keep a record of how many we kill. I know we’re sounding a little demented, but daddy is really suffering over the death of Baby Ray.”
“You don’t have to explain to me,” Mykal said and laughed. Towbar didn’t express the humor they did, but for Towbar, battling the Sosos was a way of life. “I have my personal reasons for wanting to kill Sosos too.
You guys just make sure you let me know if you need anything. You guys are my team here. I don’t have anyone I can count on like before, except you two.”
“No problem Myk. You just be sure to let us know any time you’re going out because we automatically wanna come with you,” Roy Jr. said.
“We really mean it Myk. Day raid or a night raid,” Randy offered. “We won’t have any sympathy for any Soso.”
“No problem. Just be at the choppers in about thirty minutes and we’re gonna fly over the Soso camp and see if we can find any info that will lead us to Doninka.”
5.
The helicopters flew over the Soso occupied lands causing many Sosos to look upward at their approach. The Sosos knew from experience the flying metal beasts always brought death and destruction with them. Mykal wasn’t concerned about landing and going on a quick offensive to knock out some kills. Not yet anyway. He wanted information or clues to where Doninka was being held. They brought a total of twelve helicopters; eight UH 1D Hueys filled with men to do battle against the ground forces and four were the Cobra attack choppers should the flying dragons be in the area.
“Are we gonna kill any of the rotten bastards?” Roy Jr. yelled to Mykal while he looked over the side at all the easy targets.
“Yeah, in time. I wanna see if we can get any good leads and then we’ll open up on them,” Mykal answered which brought forth a low roar among those who heard him.
They flew over the bands and the pockets of Soso groups, but they didn’t see anything that would lead Mykal to believe there were any higher ranker leader types, or groups that would appear to have prisoners. Doninka wouldn’t be a regular prisoner. She was a true princess. Princess Doninka daughter of King Loankore III would have special value. Mykal believed they would keep her safe and would protect her at least until February 7th. He hoped they wouldn’t have moved her into the lands in the north. Their task of finding her and rescuing her would be made that much harder, but Mykal had already vowed to walk the ends of the earth to save her. He still blamed himself for her predicament for not taking her back to his world.
Mykal desperately longed to hold Doninka, not in a sexual or lustful way or in a manner that would show he turned away from his wife. He wanted to rescue her and take her from the clutches of evil and bring her back home. He knew if he would have only taken her back to his world for the five days he was there she would be safe and there would be no issues or guilt. He liked the girl as a friend and most of his friends were dead because of Towbar’s world and he wanted to spare her the fate of most of his friends. She had saved his life a number of times in battle and one time he thought she died trying to save his life when she was hit in the head with an axe.
Mykal knew deep in his heart if he wasn’t married and deeply in love with his wife Pam, he would easily fall for Doninka. ‘But does that mean that I have fallen for Doninka?’ He wondered. ‘Emotionally, have I committed adultery with her though I never once laid a finger on her physically?’ The confusion was as deep as his longing to find her. Pam truly was his rock and he would never jeopardize his relationship with the love of his life, but he couldn’t pretend the emotions he felt for Doninka didn’t exist. He hurt over the situation he could have prevented and it tortured him mentally to think what the Soso brutes could be doing to the lovely girl. He witnessed firsthand what the Sosos did to prisoners in their control in December when they rescued the people from his world from their hands.
‘Just to think of what those scumbags might be doing to her is driving me nuts,’ he thought while looking at the Sosos below. ‘I never touched her, but to think of some of those slimy, filthy, pieces of shit molesting her is killing me,’ he thought and wondered why it bothered him so much. He looked down at the magic ring on his finger and wondered if part of the mental problem was the ring tormenting his mind. He wondered if he would have to rid himself of the special ring before it destroyed his brain and common sense. He knew he couldn’t get rid of the ring, because of the ‘friends’ or rather enemies he had in the government would have an easy kill to get rid of him. ‘Screw them!’ He thought angrily.
“Hey guys,” he spoke into his mouth piece. “Tell the other choppers we’re gonna land and knock some heads in. Then tell me when they are okay with that and get us to an open area so we can open up on them, I want them to know that I’m back,” he joked. “But seriously, I want them to know that when we come flying by, these scumbags are gonna die.”
“Will do Mykal,” the co-pilot replied.
“You guys ready to take out some of these worthless low lifes?” He yelled to the Dosch brothers.
“You know it,” Roy Jr. shouted and held up his hand for Mykal to slap it.
“Good, you can thank me later,” Mykal laughed as the helicopter started to land. Mykal keyed the microphone to speak to his pilot. “Tell the men to get some target practice and to make every shot count.”
All the men dispersed from the helicopters quickly and set up a 360 degree perimeter since they knew the Sosos would attack from all sides. Those who had been in previous attacks also understood as soon as they had a target in sight, and were confident they wouldn’t miss, they were to take the shot. Those along for the first time, though a little hesitant, knew from speaking to others this was authorized. They were at war. Besides no one back home would ever know what was happening unless they spoke about it. But then everyone agreed they were fighting in self-defense. It was self-defense from the point of view they were preventing these doomed Sosos from ever reaching the Pass to be a part of the massive attack that would come in the near future.
While shooting at Sosos, Mykal realized his thoughts were all over the place. He was glad Towbar came along, but he hoped the giant couldn’t tell how badly he struggled mentally with Doninka’s abduction. Mykal knew he would have to tell someone just to get it off his chest. He aimed his rifle to the head of a charging Soso, ‘But it’s not my mind,’ he argued mentally and squeezed off the shot as if taking his frustration out on the hapless enemy. ‘It’s this damn ring. My mind is fine,’ he yelled mentally. ‘But damn it, I miss that girl.’
As Mykal clearly killed many Sosos without missing a beat, he knew the magic ring was causing his mental struggles. When he was back in the world, the ring helped him kill Percy’s team of ‘Untouchables’ and he was vicious about it. Sure it was kill or be killed, but with the ability to turn invisible it made it much easier and he enjoyed being mean and cruel. ‘But hell, they were gonna kill me. I just got them first,’ he argued mentally. “But it’s not just being mean,” he said out loud while taking a shot at another Soso.
“What was that Myk?” Randy asked. He was near Mykal and heard him say something.
“Nothing,” he lied and tried to cover for himself. “I just said these Sosos are gonna be mean,” he scoffed to cover his slip up of speaking his thoughts. ‘This damn ring is making me crazy.’
“You got that right,” Randy said and shot a Soso in the face with one of the family hunting rifles.
Mykal continued his mental dialogue. ‘These emotions just aren’t mean and vicious. I also get weak and sappy like a little sissy,’ he scolded himself mentally. ‘It makes me wanna cry and act all girlie at times,’ he snarled his thoughts and shot a Soso in the throat. When the Soso stumbled but stood there to grab at the fountain of red that spewed from his neck, Mykal shot him a second time in the forehead to kill him. ‘I gotta get to where I can control these damn emotions or I’ll have to get rid of this friggin ring,’ he thought and took several more shots. ‘Who the hell am I kidding? I ain’t gonna get rid of this wonderful piece of magic,’ he thought and started to laugh. Those around him thought he was laughing at the death and misery they dished out.
“Make every shot count,” Mykal yelled. “We’re leaving in just a minute,” he added when he noticed the forces surrounding them were growing larger despite the numerous deaths and casualties they caused.
Shortly after the men all killed sever
al Sosos, all the choppers were in the sky. Not one member of the team had been killed or injured though they had killed hundreds of Sosos in just a couple of minutes while they were on the ground. The four Cobra attack helicopters were ready for the flying dragons to come into the fight, but neither the dragons nor the Things were anywhere to be seen. Mykal concluded ‘those special weapons’ were probably moved back to the north away from the Sosos and their allies to prevent accidental deaths or maybe they were returned to their homeland on the other side of the world until closer to February 7th.
“Towbar, I think we oughta try to grab a couple of Sosos and see if we can get any information outta them about Doninka, the dragons and the other forces they have with them.”
“Do you think that will work my friend?”
“Well, I don’t know. But I’d say let’s try that or we’ll have to sneak into the camp during the night and blindly try to find her which will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”
“We should try as you suggest,” Towbar agreed. “The worst that will result is we will not find out any information.”
“Hey Captain Barstow,” Mykal spoke into his mouth piece. “Tell the other choppers I wanna try to capture a couple of Sosos and take them back to camp to interrogate them.”
“I’m up for whatever you want Myk,” the pilot replied into his ears. “Tell us what you want us to do and we will give it a go.”
“Alright, I wanna try to find a small group and we’ll surround them. Then hopefully we can keep from killing all of them. They usually fight to the death, but if we can scare them and grab hold of them we can take a couple without harming ‘em. Look for a smaller group of two or three that are separated from a big mob. “Even four, five or six of them. But no more than ten.”