It was a cold night in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Georgia. There
was a gentle breeze and I watched the branches of the trees swaying
overhead, catching glimpses of the starry sky. I was lying on my stomach,
gun pointing into nothingness, I blew into my hands trying to warm them up
slightly, still looking up at the sky, instead of focusing on the training
exercise.
"Do you think that if you think of someone hard enough, if means they have
to think of you?" My voice was low, almost a whisper, as I looked towards
Twombly who was lying next to me.
"I dunno.... Let me think." I listened to his steady breathing for the
couple of moments it took for him to work through what I'd said. "Who you
thinking of?"
"Dick Van Dyke."
"Hmmm?"
"You?"
"That chick from the 7/11." I giggled into my elbow. "What? Like Dick Van Dyke even knows you exist."
"But, baby, you ain't even said 'hi' to her, how she gonna think of you?"
"And Dick will?"
"Could happen." We lay silently for a couple of beats, "Who you thinking of now?"
"You."
"So it works."
"Hmmm?"
"I was thinking of you, so you had to think of me."
"Mmmm."
"Mmmm? Stop sulking."
"I was thinking.. .."
"Yeah?"
"What if we were thinking of each other, 'cos someone was thinking of us thinking of each other?"
"What?"
"I dunno."
"Maybe we should stop thinking?"
"Yeah." The silent, cold night was disturbed by the sound of gunfire.
I don't know why that moment passed through my head in those seconds after Wolcott's bird crashed, but I was brought quickly out of them and returned to what was happening now. It wasn't long before we were all huddled up on D'Tamissi's side of the street listening to him telling us what was happening. "Eversmann's Chalk is heading to the crash site, we're to follow. I want Ross, Ruiz and Yates to stay here; the convoy will pick you up and bring you to the crash site. Everyone else your with me, Hoo-Ah?"
"Hoo-Ah."
"Let's fall out."
We moved out, a tight unit, covering each other moving slowly but effectively along the street. I wasn't sure where we were heading; I don't think D'Tamissi knew exactly either. As we progressed, the gunfire we encountered grew heavier, and more effective. When I mentioned I was medic for Chalk 3, it wasn't out of choice. I'd only just started out and suddenly got thrown in the deep end by Captain Steele. "Shepards gone home, so as you were assistant medic your gonna be upgraded." His voice drawled over the sentence. "I understand you probably don't feel ready, but there's little you can do your as qualified as you need be in my book." He looked at me as if he were expecting me to burst into tears. "Hoo-ah, sir." So, when Joyce got hit, I was relieved that it was 'nothing more than a flesh wound', I pushed in some Curlex dressing before patting him on the back "Your good to go."
"Go." It was a nightmare, to put it mildly, getting our asses over to the crash site. Kowalewski and I held off the advancing crowd, while the Chalk moved down a street that we hoped would get us there quicker. *SNAP* I spun round and fired hitting a guy in the head, watched the blank stare on his face as he fell backwards, twitching, then turned back to the mob progressing up the street. "Cody. Come on." a voice called out after turning a corner. I ran towards the street corner *SNAP* *SNAP* Two Sammies ran out an ally catching me off guard, I kind of lost myself for a second, realizing I'd not make it to the corner. I stepped back into a doorway and fell through the door. Kicking it shut, there was a rain of gunfire that let shafts of sunlight burst through the tiny holes made. There was a pause, as he reloaded and I kicked at the door shut again, before slamming the lock down. Slowly I made my way through the room and into another before finding a back door. Opening it a crack sunlight poured in, I tried to look out, it looked empty, so I opened the door a bit more, the yard still looked empty so I pulled the door open fully and stepped onto the dirt. The ground gave way beneath me; it was then that I saw a kid and an older guy on either side of me. In that split-second of falling and seeing the two people, the kid had lifted his gun and bullets peeled over me. And in that split-second, the kid realized to late, that I wasn't standing anymore and his bullets where pelting the guy he was with. The young boy screamed, dropped his gun and ran to his friend trying to hug him and lift him up. I'd leaped to my feet by then, and stood, gun aimed on the back of the kid's head. I let the gun fall to my side, my breathing was shallow, my hands shaking, and I walked past but still kept my eyes on them till I was out of the yard.
I stood at the end of a building and watched a donkey calmly trot down the street. It stopped and looked at me, calmly it brayed, quietly I laughed. Glancing both ways I ran forward. "Nice donkey" I reached out and touched its soft, velvety nose. When I'd got across the road, I turned and looked back at the donkey, it was still watching me, shaking it's head making the bells on his reins jingle, it trotted on up the road. You sure see some funny sights. I'd been running for nearly an hour all the streets looked the same, and it didn't help that I had no idea where I was heading. Pressed up against the wall of the next building I checked for Sammies, and then checked for some cover. Further up the road there was an old burnt out car, taking a deep breath I ran forward, keeping my eyes on the hunk of rusted metal. *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP*
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I dived behind the car placing my gun barrel on the window I looked to where the shots had come from. I could see another burnt out vehicle, and the top of some heads, but weren't those ranger helmets? Oh great, so now I'm being shot at by my own guys? I'd better let them know "RANGERS"
"HOO-AH!"
"It's Cody! You fucking assholes!"
"We almost fucking killed you!"
"I know!"
"Well, come to us!"
"Fuck you! Come to me!" I watched them make for a spot just up ahead of me; I ran too, setting off just after Twombly and Nelson, hitting the wall hard I crouched down. "Sorry Cody." Nelson said squatting in front of me. Well, this is good; at least I'm not the only one who seems to of got separated from their chalk. I began to feel slightly better, and plus, it was nice not being on my own anymore. Twombly surveyed the next street from the edge of the crumbling wall, "Where you been? Never mind, you brought NOD, right?" he asked me.
I rolled my eyes "No, I didn't bring it. You know why? Because you said: 'You won't need that, dude, we'll be back in a half-hour'"
Twombly sighed "I wasn't exactly saying that to you." He looked back round the wall. "Man, we are going to need night vision." He said more to himself, than to Nelson or me. Nelson, was sitting with his back to us in a world of his own. "Nelson. Cover this way." I hissed, he didn't respond so I tapped him "what's the matter with you?"
"Huh?" Nelson turned to me, a vacant look in his eyes.
"Oh, he's deaf. It's my fault. I.... We need to get out of here."
"We can't be far from the crash site. Which way?"
"I thought you might know." He looked deep into my eyes then down the street. I shifted the weight on my feet, and let out my breath slowly before speaking "Let's move out." Twombles took off, and I covered him, I decided it would be better to hit Nelson when I left so that he wouldn't be sat there still in a couple of hours, he wasn't far behind.
"Dick Van Dyke."
"Hmmm?"
"You?"
"That chick from the 7/11." I giggled into my elbow. "What? Like Dick Van Dyke even knows you exist."
"But, baby, you ain't even said 'hi' to her, how she gonna think of you?"
"And Dick will?"
"Could happen." We lay silently for a couple of beats, "Who you thinking of now?"
"You."
"So it works."
"Hmmm?"
"I was thinking of you, so you had to think of me."
"Mmmm."
"Mmmm? Stop sulking."
"I was thinking.. .."
"Yeah?"
"What if we were thinking of each other, 'cos someone was thinking of us thinking of each other?"
"What?"
"I dunno."
"Maybe we should stop thinking?"
"Yeah." The silent, cold night was disturbed by the sound of gunfire.
I don't know why that moment passed through my head in those seconds after Wolcott's bird crashed, but I was brought quickly out of them and returned to what was happening now. It wasn't long before we were all huddled up on D'Tamissi's side of the street listening to him telling us what was happening. "Eversmann's Chalk is heading to the crash site, we're to follow. I want Ross, Ruiz and Yates to stay here; the convoy will pick you up and bring you to the crash site. Everyone else your with me, Hoo-Ah?"
"Hoo-Ah."
"Let's fall out."
We moved out, a tight unit, covering each other moving slowly but effectively along the street. I wasn't sure where we were heading; I don't think D'Tamissi knew exactly either. As we progressed, the gunfire we encountered grew heavier, and more effective. When I mentioned I was medic for Chalk 3, it wasn't out of choice. I'd only just started out and suddenly got thrown in the deep end by Captain Steele. "Shepards gone home, so as you were assistant medic your gonna be upgraded." His voice drawled over the sentence. "I understand you probably don't feel ready, but there's little you can do your as qualified as you need be in my book." He looked at me as if he were expecting me to burst into tears. "Hoo-ah, sir." So, when Joyce got hit, I was relieved that it was 'nothing more than a flesh wound', I pushed in some Curlex dressing before patting him on the back "Your good to go."
"Go." It was a nightmare, to put it mildly, getting our asses over to the crash site. Kowalewski and I held off the advancing crowd, while the Chalk moved down a street that we hoped would get us there quicker. *SNAP* I spun round and fired hitting a guy in the head, watched the blank stare on his face as he fell backwards, twitching, then turned back to the mob progressing up the street. "Cody. Come on." a voice called out after turning a corner. I ran towards the street corner *SNAP* *SNAP* Two Sammies ran out an ally catching me off guard, I kind of lost myself for a second, realizing I'd not make it to the corner. I stepped back into a doorway and fell through the door. Kicking it shut, there was a rain of gunfire that let shafts of sunlight burst through the tiny holes made. There was a pause, as he reloaded and I kicked at the door shut again, before slamming the lock down. Slowly I made my way through the room and into another before finding a back door. Opening it a crack sunlight poured in, I tried to look out, it looked empty, so I opened the door a bit more, the yard still looked empty so I pulled the door open fully and stepped onto the dirt. The ground gave way beneath me; it was then that I saw a kid and an older guy on either side of me. In that split-second of falling and seeing the two people, the kid had lifted his gun and bullets peeled over me. And in that split-second, the kid realized to late, that I wasn't standing anymore and his bullets where pelting the guy he was with. The young boy screamed, dropped his gun and ran to his friend trying to hug him and lift him up. I'd leaped to my feet by then, and stood, gun aimed on the back of the kid's head. I let the gun fall to my side, my breathing was shallow, my hands shaking, and I walked past but still kept my eyes on them till I was out of the yard.
I stood at the end of a building and watched a donkey calmly trot down the street. It stopped and looked at me, calmly it brayed, quietly I laughed. Glancing both ways I ran forward. "Nice donkey" I reached out and touched its soft, velvety nose. When I'd got across the road, I turned and looked back at the donkey, it was still watching me, shaking it's head making the bells on his reins jingle, it trotted on up the road. You sure see some funny sights. I'd been running for nearly an hour all the streets looked the same, and it didn't help that I had no idea where I was heading. Pressed up against the wall of the next building I checked for Sammies, and then checked for some cover. Further up the road there was an old burnt out car, taking a deep breath I ran forward, keeping my eyes on the hunk of rusted metal. *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP*
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I dived behind the car placing my gun barrel on the window I looked to where the shots had come from. I could see another burnt out vehicle, and the top of some heads, but weren't those ranger helmets? Oh great, so now I'm being shot at by my own guys? I'd better let them know "RANGERS"
"HOO-AH!"
"It's Cody! You fucking assholes!"
"We almost fucking killed you!"
"I know!"
"Well, come to us!"
"Fuck you! Come to me!" I watched them make for a spot just up ahead of me; I ran too, setting off just after Twombly and Nelson, hitting the wall hard I crouched down. "Sorry Cody." Nelson said squatting in front of me. Well, this is good; at least I'm not the only one who seems to of got separated from their chalk. I began to feel slightly better, and plus, it was nice not being on my own anymore. Twombly surveyed the next street from the edge of the crumbling wall, "Where you been? Never mind, you brought NOD, right?" he asked me.
I rolled my eyes "No, I didn't bring it. You know why? Because you said: 'You won't need that, dude, we'll be back in a half-hour'"
Twombly sighed "I wasn't exactly saying that to you." He looked back round the wall. "Man, we are going to need night vision." He said more to himself, than to Nelson or me. Nelson, was sitting with his back to us in a world of his own. "Nelson. Cover this way." I hissed, he didn't respond so I tapped him "what's the matter with you?"
"Huh?" Nelson turned to me, a vacant look in his eyes.
"Oh, he's deaf. It's my fault. I.... We need to get out of here."
"We can't be far from the crash site. Which way?"
"I thought you might know." He looked deep into my eyes then down the street. I shifted the weight on my feet, and let out my breath slowly before speaking "Let's move out." Twombles took off, and I covered him, I decided it would be better to hit Nelson when I left so that he wouldn't be sat there still in a couple of hours, he wasn't far behind.
