The next day was Saturday and they spent morning training the Afghan Army unit again. To everyone surprise, they actually got it right just before lunch. They did a few more runs through the mock-up compound and they were starting to look professional. As a reward, everyone was given the afternoon off. Jan had duty so she was stuck doing medical things so Wonder and Emily headed off to do laundry.
The laundry mat was right next to the game center so after throwing their stuff into the washing machines they headed over.
“Oh my god, they have the dance machine!” Wonder said heading to the dancing game. “We have to try this.”
All the games were free so Wonder jumped up onto the machine and hit start. She was really good. So good in fact that she added a few moves. Before long they had a bunch of people surrounding the machine challenging Wonder to a game. Wonder lost to a skinny nerdy guy who did some crazy dance moves and an almost full split. Emily wondered around and found a bunch of computers. While they did not have her game they did have some really fun first-person shooters.
They ended up staying most of the night there and Wonder found herself a friend. The nerdy guy who beat her at the dancing game ended up challenging her most of the afternoon. Wonder won a few and lost a few but she laughed a lot. At the end of the night, the nerdy guy was sweet and bought her dinner. Emily smiled as her friend argued with her new friend about what the best dancing machine out there was. “Who knew that Wonder is such a nerd.” Emily thought while Wonder waved her hands around to emphasize a point.
Emily ended leaving by herself. Wonder said she was going to stay a bit to hang out with her new friend. After putting her clothes away Emily headed down to the front office. She found an open computer and with a little searching, she was able to sign herself up for Latin American Spanish language classes. She spent the rest of the night doing modules. She only got a few hours sleep that night but she didn't have any nightmares.
Saturday she ended up pulling barracks duty so that meant she spent the morning cleaning the barracks. Being the lowest ranked person in her duty crew meant that she ended up doing all the annoying chores like washing the windows and vacuuming the hallways. They even had her stripping the wax off the foyer floor and re-waxing it.
“Welcome back from the suck now do your chores.” Emily tiredly thought to herself while chipping old wax off the floorboards. “Its like they saved all the crap jobs from when I came back on duty again.”
It was well into the afternoon by the time she was done with all the crap jobs that needed to be done. She sat down in the office and started her Spanish languages just for something to do. She must have done something right when the First Sergeant came by he didn't interrupt her from her training. She didn't have to leave the office to get dinner either because Wonder came by with a carryout tray for Emily. Wonder stayed a little while in the office passing the time before heading out to find something to do.
She stayed up late learning Spanish before she went to bed but she still woke up in the middle of the night scared out of her mind from a nightmare that she couldn't remember. She groaned with frustration and let herself fall backward in her bed. She slid Righteous back under her pillow and rolled over to go back to sleep. She was starting to dread going to sleep.
Sunday had her in front of the armory sergeant trying to explain why she was on her third rifle. He was out when she had gotten back a few days ago and requested a new M9. He finally tracked her down. At first, Emily thought he was going to explode in anger but instead he showed her his social media website where he had befriended the Marine armory Sergeant who had hung her rifle up in his office. It was on his home screen. He thought it was hilarious but he did make her break out all her equipment and had her do a clean and inspection drill before he let her go. Emily spent the night doing her language programs. Stopping only just a little after two in the morning to go to bed. She slept through the night with no nightmares.
The Live Op turned out to be a live training op. The brass still didn’t trust the Afghan unit. They drove off base to old broken down and abandoned family unit compound. The compound had signs of being an old FOB but was now just a bunch of broken down buildings surrounded by a wall that had large gaping holes in it. They placed some wooden targets inside the walls and buildings. The Afghan soldiers were going to use live ammo and flash bangs grenades which had everyone on edge. The powers that be decided to split the Afghani unit with the third platoon for the training runs.
Emily was sitting by the trucks with Jan just outside the compound while Wonder ran through some dry runs with the Afghan soldiers. Emily was glad they were doing dry runs without the use of live fire because it was a comedy of errors. If it wasn't the enlisted screwing it up it was the Afghan officers who stood in the line of fire to yell at their troops. Emily was translating what the officers were saying making Jan laugh.
Emily had done one dry run with Sergeant Sakhee Odeh but unlike his compatriots knew his job. She had been sitting with Jan for nearly two hours before they called a hydration break. Wonder stomped by grumbling under her breath heading towards the back of the truck to get a sports drink. Emily quickly stood up and grabbed her bag and headed towards Wonder.
“Hey, I got something for you,” Emily said stopping Wonder before she could get the back of the truck. Wonder looked done in. She was sweating and red. On top of that, she looked pissed. Emily opened her bag and pulled out an extra large Taurus can. “It'll rot your stomach but it tasted just like liquid crack,” Emily said handing the caffeinated drink to Wonder.
“Oh god, you're the best Never!” Wonder said grabbing the can and drank the whole thing at once.
“I still don't understand how you can stomach that stuff,” Emily said shuddered making Wonder laugh.
Wonder yelled out her war cry and crushed the can on the side of her helmet. Emily stepped back and laughed. “Oh god, that hit the spot. Thanks Never.”
“No worries,” Emily said smiling. She grabbed a sports drink and headed over to where Sergeant Sakhee Odeh was standing by himself. “Sergeant Odeh, would you like a drink,” Emily asked him in Farsi. She raised the sports drink to throw it to him when the world went black.
Emily opened her eyes. She was on her back. Her ears were ringing and everything was muffled. She sat up blinking. She was really tired of getting knocked out. She was about twenty or so feet away from where she had been standing. The tucks that had all the food supplies were bent and twisted. Large gray smoke was billowing out from it. There were people all around her on the ground. Most of them were not moving. Emily looked over to see Jan bending over someone frantically doing something to their chest. She was just inside the wall of the mock compound.
“Oh, she is putting a bandage on that guy's chest.” Emily thought to herself. Everything was oddly disconnected. Emily looked around for her rifle. “Where did I put my rifle. I know I had it just a few seconds ago.” She found her rifle behind her. The shoulder strap was broken and it was covered in dirt but it looked ok. She stood up and grabbed her rifle and headed to Jan.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
She had taken a few steps when her hearing started to work again. She heard a bunch of people screaming and gunfire all around her. She was looking at Jan when the building behind Jan exploded. Jan never looked up she just continued to work. “That wasn't an RPG.” Emily thought turning to look to her left. There was a field of green grass about the size of a football field. At the end of the field was some trees and coming through the trees was a tank painted Afghan military brown. “Why is an Afghan tank firing on us.” Emily thought to herself as she ran toward Jan.
Emily paused as she came to a downed soldier in American Army uniform. She didn't recognize him because he was covered in blood and dirt. His leg was mangled and there was a large cut on his left side of his face. Emily looked down at his eyes and saw that they were aware of and focused on her. She reached down and grabbed him by the collar and dragged him on handed towards Jan.
“Jan!” Emily said when she reached the safety of the wall. Jan looked up and saw what she was dragging. She raced over and started working on the down soldier. Emily looked back and saw a few more people down so she raced out and grabbed the nearest person and dragged him over to where Jan was. Emily paused by the wall looking for Wonder but she couldn't see her. She raced out and this time felt the sting of bullets hitting her on her right-hand side. Using her body as a shield she grabbed the next person and dragged him behind the wall.
As she was dragging the downed man she saw a female figure behind the burning truck. Once she got the wounded soldier behind cover she raced out again. The female figure was Wonder and she was breathing weirdly.
“Wonder!” Emily shouted. Wonders eyes turned towards Emily full of terror. “I got you!” Emily shouted at her and grabbed her under her armpits. Emily picked Wonder up and using her body as a shield raced towards Jan. She repeatedly called to Jan as she came back behind the wall. Jan looked up and raced to Wonders side.
Emily looked on as Jan ripped open Wonders shirt exposing her for all to see. There were three small holes that were leaking blood on Wonders stomach and chest. Wonder grabbed Emily's shirt. Emily looked down at her. “It's ok. Jan's here she is going to fix you up. You're going to be Okay.” Emily told Wonders smiling. “Jan is a great medic she's got you,” Emily said running her fingers over Wonders' hair.
“Never!” Someone yelled and grabbed Emily's shirt. “We are pinned down. You have to do something about that tank.” Emily looked up to see the First Sergeant yelling at her. Even as he spoke part of the wall exploded inwards knocking a few people back. Several of those people did not get up again.
“I'll be right back,” Emily said to Wonder. Wonder did not let Emily's shirt go. Her eyes were filled with fear. Emily gently removed her hand from her shirt. “I have to take care of that tank or we are all going to die. I'll be right back. Jans got you. You're going to be fine.”
Emily moved away from her friend and looked back at Jan. Emily had never seen Jan look so serious. She was pulling a really long needle with a see-through do-hickey at the top. Emily watched in shock as Jan plunged the needle into Wonders' chest. “Wow, that's just like pulp fiction.”
Shaking her head Emily hurried to the wall and looked past it to see the incoming tank. It was already halfway across the field. Surrounding the tank were a bunch of infantry soldiers who were using the tank as cover. They were all dressed in Afghan Army uniforms. The tank was American though with modern computer-assisted targeting systems.
“I have to run half a football field right at a tank that can fire scary accurately with about three seconds reload and aim time. How the hell do I take out that.” Emily thought to herself as the tank fired another round. Something behind her exploded. Emily didn't look away. “I need a grenade. Someone give me a Grenade.” She shouted looking to the troops that were still on their feet.
Several people tossed grenades towards her and she scooped up one and put it in her pocket before turning towards the wall. She took a deep breath smelling something burning. Strangely it smelled good like a campfire. Emily closed her eyes and prayed. “God, if you're up there keep, Wonder safe. I don't care about dying anymore. I just want to live long enough so that Wonder and Jan make it back home safe.”
“Screw it.” “Bonzi!” Emily shouted as she raced out from behind the wall. Emily felt so alone as she raced out from behind the wall. She could hear the snap and crack as bullets passed her and occasionally felt the sting as they hit. She had taken about a dozen steps when she saw the tank's gun shift towards her. She immediately turned and ran to her right. Second later something push against her back hard knocking her forwards. She tucked and rolled as the world filled with burning debris. She was on her feet again and racing towards the tank before she realized it.
She switched her rifle to full auto and fired from the hip at any infantry that poked their head out from behind the tank. It slowed her down but she did take out a few soldiers. When she ran dry she dropped her rifle and ran empty-handed zigzag towards the tank. She could feel her heart beating in her chest and weirdly enough she could feel the cool air blowing across her face as she ran.
A stray thought crossed her mind almost making her smile. “Winter is on its way.”
She knew she made the mistake less than a second before the tank fired. Instead of dodging away from the tanks line of sight she misjudged what the tank was going to do and ran directly into the line of fire of the tank. The explosion picked Emily up and tossed her backward. She felt something liquidity splash across her left leg then her leg exploded in pain. “He is firing SK rounds.” Emily had time to think before she landed hard on the ground.
For a second she just rolled on the ground grabbing her leg. It was on fire. She knew she had to get up and move while the tank was reloading. In her head, she started the countdown from three seconds. Three Mississippi. Emily rolled onto her stomach. Two Mississippi. She got to her knees. One Mississippi. She was on her feet running again to her left as she felt the explosion behind her. She felt the superheated air on her back and felt the hard push as the shock wave raced past her. She stayed on her feet somehow and ran that last few dozen feet towards the tank.
She pulled out Righteous and raced around the tank towards the infantry that was hiding behind it. They never stood a chance. In less than four seconds everyone behind the tank was dead. The tank never stopped driving towards the compound. Emily kept running around the Tank not letting it target her until she was directly behind the gun. She jumped up on top of the tank grasping the machine gun beside the turret with on hand and Righteous with the other she slammed Righteous down on top of the top hatch.
It left a dent but didn't penetrate the armor. Swearing Emily raised Righteous over her head with both hands and with all her strength she brought it down on the top hatch. This time it penetrated the hatch but the hole was really thin and there was no way a grenade was going to fit in it. Frustrated Emily slammed the Tomahawk down again and again on the hatch until she finally had a holding big enough to drop the grenade in.
She pulled the grenade pin and let the arming lever pop off. She pushed the grenade through the hole only to have the grenade get stuck halfway through the hole. She had to hit the grenade with the handle of Righteous to get it all the way through the hole. She ducked behind the turret. There was a loud metallic bang and smoke started to flow through the hole she made on the turret. The tank stopped dead in its tracks.
She was still standing on the tank when she heard a metal clank and two men ran out from underneath the tank. One stopped immediately holding one hand up in surrender while his other hand clutched his stomach. The other ran for the trees. Emily took out her pistol and careful shot the running man in the back of the head. He dropped.
“I surrender. I am hurt. Please don't shoot.” The other man said in broken English. Looking at his collar she realized he was an officer and must be the tank commander.
Emily slid down from the tank and stood before the soldier. “Place your hands behind your head and get on your knees.” She told in Farci.
“Please help me I am injured.” The man said in broken English taking a step towards Emily. Emily looked down at his stomach. She couldn't see his wound but his hand was inside his shirt.
Raising her pistol her repeated herself. “Put your hands behind your head and get on your knees or I will shoot you,” Emily told him in this time in English. She took a half a step backward and bumped into the tank.
“Die devil bitch!” The man said while raising his shirt. He was holding a block of explosive and the detonator in his hand. Emily pulled the trigger at the same time as the man pushed the detonator. Her body bounced back over the tank.