Ch. 9 "Heroes"
Vicious commanded his men to open fire on the sand dunes in the distance. The bullets caused the soft sand to fly into the air. The sand was mingled with a red tinge. Blood. The fighting had been going on for an hour. Vicious had been ordered to guard his current position at all costs. His position was five miles north from the main base; his men hadn't bothered putting up tents.
"Got one!" Trigger shouted. Vicious sneered.
"Only one. There could be fifty more." Vicious said coldly. Trigger's enthusiasm faded. Gren looked at Vicious then said, "We should split up into groups of two. Then we could attack the enemy from both sides." "No." Vicious said, glaring coldly at Gren. "We were ordered to guard this position, not to waste the lives of good soldiers on a poorly formulated plan." "Sorry." Gren said, reverting his gaze to the ground. Vicious didn't want too involved with the man, after all he was going to kill him. The image of Julia flashed through his mind. Vicious shook his head clear of it, he needed to concentrate on the task at hand. Shots rang out and the sand dune nearest Vicious was obliterated by the shots, more sand flew into the air. Vicious and his squad of four were on their stomachs, using the sand dunes as cover. The enemy was doing the same using the same tactic; this battle would be long and hard. Vicious looked at Gren and Gren looked at Vicious. "We need to lure them out of hiding." Vicious said, loading his rifle. "I'll volunteer." Vicious said, smiling. Gren looked worriedly at Vicious. Trigger nodded solemnly and the fourth soldier code-named: Shade loaded his rifle as well.
"You can't do it alone, Sir." Shade said. Vicious looked at Shade. What have I done to earn this mans loyalty? Vicious asked himself, mentally. He smiled, and then thought, "That is what they call a rhetorical question."
"No. Stay here with Gren and Trigger." Vicious ordered. Shade nodded, disappointed. Vicious stood up and ran to the nearest sand dune, then hit the ground as enemy shots rang out. Sand flew into the air and bullets flew past Vicious. He heard firing from behind him, Vicious had lured the enemy out and his men had fired at enemy taking advantage of the opening.
"Mahai! Kasai watau!" Someone shouted. Vicious was unfamiliar with that dialect, it must be code, or maybe that was his paranoia voicing itself. There was a loud whistling noise. Vicious recognized that sound.
"Grenade!" Vicious shouted, as he ran towards his squad as quickly as his legs would carry him. It happened so fast; one moment Vicious was running towards his men, full speed, then the next he was on the ground surrounded by a cloud of smoke mingled with sand. Vicious tried to get up, white searing pain shot through Vicious's entire body. He heard a few bones snap, no, he felt them snap. The only thing he heard was a loud ringing noise. Vicious felt cold, he felt cold and tired. He was about to close his eyes when he felt a hand on his face. Vicious tried to identify the owner, but all he was able to make out was a blurry figure. The figure held Vicious in its arms. Muffled noises began to protrude the infernal ringing. Vicious felt something wet land on his face.
"Am I dead?" Vicious asked, he couldn't hear the words but he formed them with his lips. Vicious began to shake. The figure pulled him closer. Vicious smiled.
"Finally...it's over." Vicious whispered as he closed his eyes one last time. Before his eyes closed the blurry figure came into focus, it was Gren.
Vicious awoke to the sound of footsteps. "Vicious. It's me, Gren." Vicious remained silent. "I know you're probably tired of me visiting you every day...the doctor says that you should be coming around any day now.... he also said that all of your wounds are superficial." Vicious tried to speak, but was unable to.
"You want to know something, Vicious? When we fought those guerillas at the canyon...I couldn't bring myself to kill him. I froze up, when you needed me the most. You still saved me though...even though I failed, you still saved me."
"Don't.... worry about it.... Gren." Vicious managed to say.
"Vicious! Your alive!" Gren exclaimed happily. Vicious tried to open his eyes, but was unable to.
"Damn...I am...still alive..." Vicious whispered. He heard Gren sigh.
"How long have you been listening to my ranting?" Gren asked.
"Long.... enough." Vicious said softly. "Gren...."
"Yes, Vicious?" Gren asked.
"I am.... no hero...."
"You are to me."
"I did...what I had to...do."
"You didn't have to save my life, but you did. That, in my eyes, is truly heroic." Vicious laughed. "There is no such thing as heroes." Vicious said, slowly fading back into unconsciousness.
Vicious commanded his men to open fire on the sand dunes in the distance. The bullets caused the soft sand to fly into the air. The sand was mingled with a red tinge. Blood. The fighting had been going on for an hour. Vicious had been ordered to guard his current position at all costs. His position was five miles north from the main base; his men hadn't bothered putting up tents.
"Got one!" Trigger shouted. Vicious sneered.
"Only one. There could be fifty more." Vicious said coldly. Trigger's enthusiasm faded. Gren looked at Vicious then said, "We should split up into groups of two. Then we could attack the enemy from both sides." "No." Vicious said, glaring coldly at Gren. "We were ordered to guard this position, not to waste the lives of good soldiers on a poorly formulated plan." "Sorry." Gren said, reverting his gaze to the ground. Vicious didn't want too involved with the man, after all he was going to kill him. The image of Julia flashed through his mind. Vicious shook his head clear of it, he needed to concentrate on the task at hand. Shots rang out and the sand dune nearest Vicious was obliterated by the shots, more sand flew into the air. Vicious and his squad of four were on their stomachs, using the sand dunes as cover. The enemy was doing the same using the same tactic; this battle would be long and hard. Vicious looked at Gren and Gren looked at Vicious. "We need to lure them out of hiding." Vicious said, loading his rifle. "I'll volunteer." Vicious said, smiling. Gren looked worriedly at Vicious. Trigger nodded solemnly and the fourth soldier code-named: Shade loaded his rifle as well.
"You can't do it alone, Sir." Shade said. Vicious looked at Shade. What have I done to earn this mans loyalty? Vicious asked himself, mentally. He smiled, and then thought, "That is what they call a rhetorical question."
"No. Stay here with Gren and Trigger." Vicious ordered. Shade nodded, disappointed. Vicious stood up and ran to the nearest sand dune, then hit the ground as enemy shots rang out. Sand flew into the air and bullets flew past Vicious. He heard firing from behind him, Vicious had lured the enemy out and his men had fired at enemy taking advantage of the opening.
"Mahai! Kasai watau!" Someone shouted. Vicious was unfamiliar with that dialect, it must be code, or maybe that was his paranoia voicing itself. There was a loud whistling noise. Vicious recognized that sound.
"Grenade!" Vicious shouted, as he ran towards his squad as quickly as his legs would carry him. It happened so fast; one moment Vicious was running towards his men, full speed, then the next he was on the ground surrounded by a cloud of smoke mingled with sand. Vicious tried to get up, white searing pain shot through Vicious's entire body. He heard a few bones snap, no, he felt them snap. The only thing he heard was a loud ringing noise. Vicious felt cold, he felt cold and tired. He was about to close his eyes when he felt a hand on his face. Vicious tried to identify the owner, but all he was able to make out was a blurry figure. The figure held Vicious in its arms. Muffled noises began to protrude the infernal ringing. Vicious felt something wet land on his face.
"Am I dead?" Vicious asked, he couldn't hear the words but he formed them with his lips. Vicious began to shake. The figure pulled him closer. Vicious smiled.
"Finally...it's over." Vicious whispered as he closed his eyes one last time. Before his eyes closed the blurry figure came into focus, it was Gren.
Vicious awoke to the sound of footsteps. "Vicious. It's me, Gren." Vicious remained silent. "I know you're probably tired of me visiting you every day...the doctor says that you should be coming around any day now.... he also said that all of your wounds are superficial." Vicious tried to speak, but was unable to.
"You want to know something, Vicious? When we fought those guerillas at the canyon...I couldn't bring myself to kill him. I froze up, when you needed me the most. You still saved me though...even though I failed, you still saved me."
"Don't.... worry about it.... Gren." Vicious managed to say.
"Vicious! Your alive!" Gren exclaimed happily. Vicious tried to open his eyes, but was unable to.
"Damn...I am...still alive..." Vicious whispered. He heard Gren sigh.
"How long have you been listening to my ranting?" Gren asked.
"Long.... enough." Vicious said softly. "Gren...."
"Yes, Vicious?" Gren asked.
"I am.... no hero...."
"You are to me."
"I did...what I had to...do."
"You didn't have to save my life, but you did. That, in my eyes, is truly heroic." Vicious laughed. "There is no such thing as heroes." Vicious said, slowly fading back into unconsciousness.