Weekly Expression #3 ~ BK

WE #3

Beka K.

Rose checked her weapon for the third time as they made their way in for a landing.

Two choppers.

Eight men and four pilots.

The smoke cleared as the chopper's blades tore it away to reveal the broken city beneath them. Civil war had broken out in this small Indonesian country. In the six months that the U.S and U.N allowed it to rage on, more than a million innocent civilians died. Finally, after  heartbreaking national coverage showing the desolation of civilian places of work, home, and schools, after seeing the live footage of dead children, the nation cried out in outrage and the president’s hand was forced into action. And now, Rose and her squad were the first wave in to try and silence the war that raged and bring peace to a fearful people.

She watched Chopper 1 land and as it emptied itself of it’s passengers, quickly departed and made ready for Chopper 2 to land. She grabbed her bag of medical supplies, not sure yet if she was ready to put what Medic Carter had taught her into practice.

She followed Case, Tex and Graham out of chopper 2 and ducked as they ran to the sidewalk to join with chopper 1. Team one had already cleared the building and they all made their way inside to gather themselves together and go over the mission one more time.

Graham laid down the map they had been given and the eight of them scoured over it. “Ok, listen up. The hidden weapon’s cache  is about a block and half west, take a left and another block down here,” he said as he pointed to our end point. “Our presence has probably already been detected. We have to take out that weapon’s cache. The rebels control that. That is how they kill civilians. Got it?”

“Yes.” Everyone echoed in unison, all nodding.

“Rose?”

“Sir?”

“Carter’s been teaching you, correct?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. We may need it. Alright everyone, let’s go! Howard?”

Howard didn’t answer. Rose sighed. She wasn’t too sure if she liked this guy or not. He was the newest member to the squad. She had been with these guys for two years. They were family and she wasn’t one to adopt a rookie to the pros.

Graham seemed annoyed. “Turner!” He nearly yelled.

“Sir?”

“You’re navigational specialist, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get to point.”

“Yes, sir.”

Howard pushed past everyone else and lead the group out the door and headed west. They all stayed low and close as they briskly walked quietly to their destination. The wind howled and blew debris and trash across the desolate street. They turned the corner and were soon snaking their way up the staircase. They all emptied into the upper room in confusion.

It was an empty room.

Had the cache been moved?

“Turner?” Graham growled.

“Uh…”

“Where are we?”

“Can I see the map again?” Everyone sighed as Turner poured over the map trying to find his mistake. She rolled her eyes and Tex noticed. He smiled.

She punched his arm. “Knock it off.” She teased.

“I can’t help it. You’re cute when you’re annoyed.”

“Shut up.” She looked away, embarrassed. They had made it this far without sharing their little secret. She always knew Tex would be the one to blab it out. Just not here, in the field.

Lost in the field.

The distant click made her freeze. Had she heard correctly or was she just confused from the sound of Turner and Graham arguing over directions.

She heard another sound. “Guys…” No one paid her attention. “Shut up!” She yelled. Everyone in the room froze and listened. Graham moved towards the window and peered out. He quickly turned around, face white. “Get out!!” He screamed.

Suddenly she felt Tex turn her around and shove her out the door. She was falling down the stairs when she heard the explosion. Bits of debris flew with her down the stairs, stinging her hands and face that were uncovered from her uniform. She hit the bottom and grunted as she straightened herself out. Nothing was hurting too bad. No broken bones at least. She pulled herself to her feet and checked her surroundings, gun drawn and ready. The bottom room was clear. She shut the front door and hoped that if anyone came in from the outside she would hear the squeaky noise it made.

Moaning from upstairs jolted her back to the reality of what had happened. Her ears were still ringing. She ran up the stairs and nearly stopped in her tracks. Movement in the corner on the far wall snapped her out of it. She ran forward and found Turner. He was bleeding from his arm but other than that he seemed unscathed. He was holding his arm, rocking and moaning.

Rose ignored him and scanned the room. One by one she went to her fallen squad and one by one she walked away with sadness.

She ran to Tex and rolled him over. She felt for his pulse. She sighed with relief. It was there.

She dropped her large pack to the ground and ran over to Turner. She pulled him to his feet. He still didn’t seem all there. She slapped his face to wake him from whatever state he was in. He seemed to blink out of it. “You’re walking out of here. Get your gun ready. We are finding that cache, blowing it and going home. Got it?” She ordered sternly. “Now, do you know where we are and where the cache is?”

He nodded.

“Good. Let’s get going.” Turner made his way to the staircase, his gun raised as he slowly made his way down.

Rose dropped to her knees beside Tex and shook him awake. Most of his clothes were singed. She hoped that was the least of his injuries. He shook his head and she helped him to his feet. She caught him when he nearly collapsed.

“What hurts?” She asked.

“Everything.” He looked at her and smiled.

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

She picked her bag back up and replaced it on her back. She put his arm around her shoulder and helped him down the stairs. He was limping from a wound somewhere in his leg.

They met up with Turner at the bottom of the stairs. “So where is it?”

“We came in too soon. The cache is down the block a little ways.”

“I’m shooting you if it isn’t.” Rose couldn’t be more serious but now was not the time to place blame. That was for later…

“Pretty clear. We’ve been quiet. Hopefully they think they took us all out. But still ,we need to make a run for it. You got the explosives?”

She nodded. “Enough to take out the whole block. It’s set for detonation by remote. So as soon as we are far enough away, I’ll blow it.”

“Alright. Let’s go!”

They were down the block in a minute. None of them wanted to be out in the open for long. This was a hostile area. She propped Tex up against the wall as she slung her bag off her shoulders. “Be right back.” She ran into the building, gun first. They had to make sure that this was the correct building. She rounded a corner and had her answer. Three rebels sat in the middle of a room full of guns, ammo and explosives. This place was going to blow sky high. She shot each of them before they had a chance to even look up. She dropped the bag to the ground and opened it. She set the code and the bomb came to life. The detonator was live and active.

Rose zipped up the bag and placed in snugly under some rifles. It fit so well in the room, even if more rebels entered they would not know it from one of their own. She jogged back down the stairs and out the door. Tex and Turner were waiting for her.

“We got it. Let’s go!” Again they ran down the block, with Tex’s arm around her.

They neared the first building where the rest of their squad lay dead. “Turner, hold up.” She called out. She handed Tex over to Turner as she ran up the stairs. She picked out each of their dog tags and personal effects she knew their families would want. Too many times had they each went over what the others were to do and send home if one were to fall. She never expected so many at once. She stuffed her pockets and said one last goodbye.

She came back down the stairs. Tex and Turner had solemn looks on their faces.

“How far will the blast go?” Tex asked.

“It will reach them.”

None of them liked the idea of leaving their friends bodies here to decay or be found by rebel scumbags who defiled the corpses of their enemies. There was no way on God's green earth she was leaving her squad to that.

The area was pretty deserted and they were lucky for that. As soon as they re entered and cleared their first meeting place, they stood silently together.

“Goodbye guys.” She said as she placed her thumb on the detonator. The blast was heard and felt even from their distance. They fell to the floor from the shock.

Thier choppers would be there momentarily.

One chopper would not be picking up any passengers.

Within minutes she could hear the choppers blades piercing the air. They exited the room and flagged down the choppers. Chopper one landed.

Turner was jumping in and she yelled to the pilot, “Chopper 2 can leave. This is all we have left.” The pilot nodded and spoke into his mic. She watched Chopper 2 take off.

She climbed in and both she and Turner began pulling Tex in. He grunted in pain.

A concession of shots rang out and she heard them hit the metal exterior of the chopper.

As soon as Tex was in, chopper 1 took off.

“Rose…” She looked down at Tex who was bleeding from two fresh wounds in his torso. She shook her head.

“No, no, no.” She pleaded. they were supposed to be safe now! He couldn’t die just as they were getting away!

She ripped open his shirt. The locations of the bullet entries sentenced him to death. There was no way he would survive the thirty minute chopper flight to the next station.

“Tex…” She lost her words as she grabbed a jacket and tried to delay the bleeding.

He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek.

“It’s okay.” He said.

She shook her head. “No it isn’t.”

“You’re pretty...awesome. Pretty too but you're awesome.”

She laughed as the inevitable tears began to fall from her eyes. This much death was too much.

“You’re pretty awesome yourself.”

Tex smiled as his hand fell to the floor of the chopper.

She checked his pulse and closed her eyes as she found none.

She looked up at Turner who sat in a seat staring mindlessly into the air.

How could he have been so careless? His mistake cost the lives of her entire squad.

She would never forgive him.