Chapter Twenty-One- Citadel
"I ain't never setting foot in another fucking bird again, so help me"
"We're in the middle of vc fucking central"
"So your surprised?" Cherry patted the bandage he had just tied around junior's leg and stood up.
"Four fucking days!" Junior exclaimed angrily. Behind us the surviving pilot was tinkering with the radio, attempting to call for help.
"Well i've had enough of this shit-" ragman took a final toke of his cigar before stubbing it on the ground. "We can either sit here and wait to be killed or.." Tank treads suddenly rumbled behind us and a tank roared its way through the village gate.
"Look out!" we leaped to the side behind a house just as the tank fired at the chopper. The pilot was too late and both he and the chopper exploded.
"Shit!" my heart raced as we hid behind the house. What the hell were we gonna do? I threw my eyes across the back of the village and with joy, noticed a tank. It was a civilian model, capable of launching 6 consecutive rockets at a time before having to cool down. It would have no trouble taking out the tank that steadily rumbled forward to us. Before us were screaming villagers, running wildly into houses.
"Over there! An APC, civilian model!" Ragman gave me a thumbs up.
"Alright boys. get in that APC!"
It was only centimeters away from us and we launched ourselves into it quickly. I planted myself into the gunner's seat, hoss taking up the rocket launchers behind me. Ragman jumped into the driver's and flipped the tank into gear. The other tank appeared in our line of sight and i was forced to duck into the tank as hoss activated the missile's; the entire thing shaking as each rocket was launched.
The other tank didn't stand a chance and the entire thing was misshapen and black as charcoal once the rockets were finished with it. Phew. I wiped a bead of sweat of my face and popped my head back up through the hole above.
As the smoke cleared from the burning tank, i could see a trail leading away from the village. It must lead to the city. I leaned back and awaited ragman's orders.
Below me the tank slowed to a halt and i heard ragman step out of the tank.
"Let's search the area for supplies" cherry and junior also left the tank and started scrounging in the houses. Remaining villagers were cowering on the rock hard earth, slowly bringing their hands away from their heads to look if the area was clear. They didn't seem to concerned by us.
"Hey lessa, aren't you coming?" cherry called.
"Nah, i'll stay up here in case the enemy appears"
"Same here" hoss said. Oh, i'd almost forgotten about him. I then felt a hand on my leg.
"You better not try anything" i snarled from gritted teeth. The hand withdrew instantaneously.
"Good" i leant over the exterior of the tank and basked in the flames of the sun. My hair falling in waves over my face. It felt nice, maybe i should let it grow out a little. Would cherry like long hair? why do i even care. I'm not trying to impress him, i'm only going to have to leave as soon as this war's over.
"Ah.." i sighed deeply as cherry and the other two returned. They swung supplies into the back and got in.
"Here lessa"
"Hmm?" Ragman passed up an RPG-7.
"A rocket launcher? I've never used one of these before" It was thin in width but was pretty long. I stroked its harsh lining. This was the thing that caused us a lot of trouble back in the jungles we'd passed through.
"Don't worry about that, it's easy enough to figure out. I found it back in one of the huts. Seems these villagers were prepared" He withdrew back into the front of the tank.
"Sure thing sarge, whatever you say" i rolled my eyes. I pulled myself up to a standing position as ragman threw the tank back into gear, rolling up the jungle trail. The treads grinded up dirt which soon turned to patio slabs as the city rolled up into view. We passed through the proportioned gate and were greeted by a welcoming committee of vc. I slung the RPG-7 over my shoulder and grabbed hold of the machine gun in front of me. It was a greeting exchange of bullets.
"Say, hoss-" ragman said casually as he mowed down a few vc.
"Yeah sarge?"
"How many of those rockets we got left?" Hoss shifted behind me to check.
"18 sarge"
"Alright then, hows abouts we greet them with a little explosion?"
"You bet sarge" Oh great, not again. The tank shook violently as the rockets were released into the wall ahead, scattering vc bodies all across the path ahead of us. I struggled to hold onto to the gun, pausing my shooting so that i didn't fall out.
Ragman swung the tank to the right and we passed through a city arch into a stadium type area. Apparently things were getting serious as a tank sat waiting in the centre.
"Blast it!"
"Oh fuck this!" I ducked down into inside and desperately clutched the interior of the tank. It felt like the entire thing was tearing apart from the outside.
After a couple minutes of this, the tank stopped shaking and it was quiet outside. It seemed somehow we were still alive.
I popped my head back up through the hole again and a destroyed arena caught my attention. The only thing that was still standing was half a house beside a towering gate.
Thank god we're still alive. My body relaxed a little, the RPG clashing with my hip.
"No time to rest soldiers, we gotta keep moving" ragman said as if he could sense that i had relaxed. We groaned but dutifully clambered down and out of the tank. We couldn't get through the gate with the tank, but the half-destroyed house probably provided a way around it into the middle of the city.
I cocked my gun, following behind hoss and junior. Luckily the lower part of the house was still intact, a corridor leading around the gate and outside into the centre of the city. It was dark inside and the sunlight was harsh to my eyes as we stepped outside again. This time the houses were a bright yellow, contrasting to the blackened city's we had seen so far. There were yet to be touched by destruction, the dull sounds of gunshots and booming in the distance.
Strangely the centre of the city was silent, no NVA soldiers to be seen. They must be residing within the houses.
I was no longer tired, the scent of something hung above us, clinging to every being. A taint of something only created in war, the scent of victory. But which side was it for?
Only time will tell.
I felt the others on guard, hyped by this feeling. We slunk into the house in front of us, my stomach tightened in relentless knots. The downstairs was just one room, tables and chairs scattered across the tiled flooring. A radio tossed aside, papers streaming from a table to a floor. My heart returned to its thumping state and i had an urge to cling to cherry. It wasn't fear, i couldn't tell what this new feeling was.
We fell to complete stand-still when footsteps paced above. They were upstairs!
The stairs themselves were shrouded in darkness, my eyes could see through it, but only just. After all, the light of night is nothing to one who has been smothered in darkness their whole life.
"Guys, stay here...i'll deal with them" i whispered, unwrapping the RPG-7 from its hold on my shoulder.
This would come in use after all.
"U-ah-..okay" ragman was stunned but i think he understood.
"I'll be fine" i told cherry. I walked past him as he reached for me, but this time i dodged his grasp.
The stairs were solid and enabled me to creep up them easily, not a sound being made. From what i could see, there was only one room up here too. It was enveloped in a sea of dark blue, i wondered how the vc could see. I dropped lithely to the carpeted floor, placing the RPG-7 in front of me. It extended into the doorway of the room.
I tilted it up a little into dead centre,
"Gedi-" 'Whoosh' the rocket left and almost dragged me with it. I struggled to stay to the floor, as my whole world went bang.
'BANG!' the room seemed to shift sideways and i flung out a hand to the staircase to keep from falling. The whole room upstairs seemed to be coming apart.
"Holy cow!" hoss yelled as he slipped across the rocking tiles. Upstairs was a scream before the shaking stopped and dust fell to settle on the stairs.
"Lessa!" hoss roared as he scrambled up the stairs, ragman and junior storming after him. I was frozen, c-could she have survived an explosion like that. I hadn't even thought about that when i let her go! Is that why she turned away from me? No, lessa!
I willed my feet to move and i ran up those stairs faster than ever before. It was only 13 steps but it seemed like an endless elevator.
I panted as i reached the top, darkness smothering me, but no one to be seen. I could just make out the former room, half of it was gone and sunlight sprung in from the missing wall.
I then saw them, four silhouettes of shadow in the sun. Stood tall on a balcony outside. I inched towards them, them motionless; watching the events below. I stopped when i reached lessa.
We stood above the arena we had obliterated, two sides of men below. Both were shooting til only one was left. A last bullet flying, impaled the final NVA soldier, and a roar of approval from the last living soldier on our side. I watched in disbelief as he darted forward to a flagpole, whipped out a flag; and tied it to the pole.
Its colours were blue, red and white. The flag of freedom.
More soldiers arrived and cheers were raised raucously below us. W-was it over?
Ragman's hand appeared at my shoulder. I turned in surprise. His face was masked, a straight line of mouth.
"Well soldiers, we did it"
N-no!
"That's it! We did it! We fucking did it!"
The war was over,
But it couldn't be, could it?