(THIS IS A FLASH BACK TO ABOUT TWO YEARS BEFORE THE ACTUAL STORY STARTS)
I pulled up to base and parked by my unit's barracks waiting for the Colonel to get there. I got out and opened the trunk and collected my gear bag and the rest of my things and closed up the trunk then activated the alarm and walked into the barracks. Upon walking into the barracks a loud voice was heard
"Attention on deck!"
Every soldier in the barracks stood at attention as Tyler walked to his old bunk and sat his stuff down and he looked at the unit and spoke.
"At ease, men."
Every soldier went about his duties after that comment as I checked his bag making sure everything was there. Right about the time I was zipping my bag back up I glanced towards the door seeing the Colonel and yelled out.
"Attention on deck!"
The Colonel smiled telling all of us to stand down.
"Marshall" Colonel Thompson boomed.
"Sir." I saluted and stood at attention as Thompson began to speak.
"At ease son." I relaxed and looked at Thompson.
"Tyler lets go speak in private." Thompson and I walked out of the barracks and down the street.
"Tyler your whole unit isn't really mobilized. It is just you." I looked at Thompson confused.
"Sir, I don't think I understand." Thompson smiled and looked at me.
"Son, those men weren't from your unit. Your unit is all still at home. You are the only one being deployed." I finally grasped what was going on and looked around before speaking.
"Sir, why was I chosen and not anyone else?" Thompson looked at me staring me down.
"Tyler it's because you are the best god damn soldier we have right now. You are the only one that can move without being seen. Shoot without being heard. Assassinate without being compromised. Son this order comes directly from the president himself. Go son grab your gear flight leaves in forty-five mikes." I walked into the barracks and grabbed my bags and made sure I had everything. I put my harness on inside of my uniform blouse and harnessed all my sidearms and buttoned my blouse back up. I made sure all of the weapons were loaded before I harnessed them. Thompson smiled watching me suit up with my firearm harness and wondered where my swords and knife were. Before Thompson knew it both swords were strapped to my back and the knife sheathed in my chest pocket. Next was the rifle, I assembled it and laid it on the floor of the limo as I opened the secret compartment and pulled out all the extra ammo clips for the sidearms and put them into the side pockets of my trousers. I put the Desert Eagle clips on one side and the p228 clips on the other side. Thompson watched as I closed up the secret compartment of the bag and then put the rifle back into the bag and closed it up.
"Colonel, am I going to have to worry about airport security?" I asked not wanting to have to be without my equipment that I just spent most of the limo ride putting on.
"No Tyler, there shouldn't be any problems at all." Thompson smiled as the limo slowed to a stop out front of the airport. I stepped out of the limo grabbed my bags and walked into the airport Thompson right behind me. We walked for a good fifteen minutes until we got to the airport security checkpoint and there were a couple guys from my unit waiting.
"Right this way Sir." Said two Corporals once they saw Thompson and I and waived us around the checkpoint and rushed us to the flight. Thompson stopped at the gate and I stopped as well.
"Well Tyler this is as far as I go. You do well over there. Come back in one piece." I smiled and spoke. "The only good Marine is a Marine with a weapon." Thompson laughed as he watched me walk down the tunnel onto the plane. I had found my seat and was on my way to Iraq…..
SIX MONTHS LATER
I was covered from shoulder to toe in sand watching a target through my scope finger itching on the trigger six months ago I was at home with my family and now I is in the heart of Iraq watching this target which happens to be my seventy-fifth confirmed kill. This isn't where I wanted to be but this was my job I am a Marine I am there to defend my country and kill anyone necessary to protect it. All I can do is do my job and hope that I can go home to my family soon. The target is moving in the scope. I have been given the fire when ready command so when ever the shot presents itself I can take it. After about another two hours the target finally exposed himself enough for me to take the shot. I regulated my breathing and then began squeezing on the trigger until the soft squeak of the suppressor sounded and I saw the target go down the wall behind him sprayed with blood. Confirmed kill number seventy five was the first thought that crossed my mind. I got my radio and communicated with base.
"Hayabusa to command repeat Hayabusa to command." I said into the radio.
"This is command go ahead Hayabusa." Command radioed back.
"Target is down confirmed kill. Requesting xfil." I replied.
"Solid copy Hayabusa, chopper will be there for xfil in twenty-five mikes." Command responded.
I then smiled and responded. "Solid copy command Hayabusa out." I laughed hearing the sound of the chopper getting closer within the next few minutes I was in the chopper and on base and on my way home before he knew it.
On the plane ride home I got a call from Colonel Thompson and his voice had a tone of sadness to it.
"Sir, is something wrong?" I said into the phone. After a few moments of silence Thompson began to speak.
"Tyler, they're gone." I immediately felt my heart sink into my stomach. I felt as if I was jumping to conclusions but all I could think was something had happened to Kelly, Dominic and Dante.
"Sir, who's gone? I don't understand." Thompson cleared his throat.
"Kelly, Dom, and Dante. They are gone Tyler. There was nothing we could do to help them. I am sorry." It took a few moments to set in then I realized. My family was gone. and they weren't coming back.
"Sir, are you positive it was them?" The sound of rustling paper could be heard in the background before Thompson began speaking again.
"Tyler, we checked, double checked and hell just to make sure we weren't wrong we triple checked it. It is them. Tyler, I am very sorry to have to tell you this but this is a first I have ever heard of this kind of call being placed to the Soldier about his family. And not the call being placed to the family about the Soldier." I tried to choke back the tears but it wasn't working.
"Sir, I appreciate you letting me know. I should be touching down in a few hours. We can talk more about it when I get back to base." Thompson heard the sadness in my voice. And he sympathized me. I had just served my sixth tour in Iraq and was anxious to get home to see my family only to find out hours before arriving back stateside that not only my wife, Kelly. But my two sons, Dante and Dominic were all killed. After a moment Thompson began to speak."
Alright, Tyler. See you when you touchdown stateside." With that the call disconnected and I thought to myself. I had lost a few men in combat. Why was this so different when it shouldn't be? It was different because these weren't men that couldn't go home and see their families anymore. It was because this Marine had to go home and live without his. I hung up the phone and then walked back to my seat and slouched down. I didn't know how I was going to live with myself without my family. They were my life. They meant everything to me. And now they were gone.
(Please Review Let me know what you think. This will be a very long story that I am writing. There will be updates as soon as I get them written. Thanks For Reading)