{Troy's POV}
(Sunday, July 16, 2022-4:45 pm)
[Barbarki Base; Kandahar, Afghanistan]
Well, we've officially been here in Afghanistan for six months. Only six more to go until Hayden and I would be going home to enjoy our life together. I guess it's not really a new aspect, being together that is, but the marriage part of it is. Hayden and I would be married in just two more months; I couldn't wait, and I loved that Hayden took care of making sure we would get the full two weeks off this time. Gods, all we needed was to get called back while honeymooning. Hayden and I called home every couple of days, or we tried to. We always checked on the family, our friends, and Sharpshot. We loved knowing that everything was okay back home, and we were anxiously awaiting to return. The next time Hayden and I were in the Archipelago and on Berk; it would be because we are saying our vows to one another exchanging rings. Things in Afghanistan have been…Well, I don't have a word for it, except maybe random. Sometimes things were as peaceful as in the Archipelago, and then there were moments when I couldn't believe we lived in a world that fought this much. I suppose all any of us could do was just keep fighting to hopefully end the war one day.
The Barbarki Base is nice with modern amenities. Our barracks were like a dome cabin with electricity, overhead fans, and windows. Each barrack held about thirty people, but still no co-ed, which was okay with all of us on the male and female side. As Hayden had said it would be; Marines and Army were sharing sector space. To keep the confusion down when companies were called; the Marines were referred to as Alpha Company, and the Army branch was just A Company. And this is literally how it was around the entire base. Twenty-six Marine Companies, and the same with Army. We didn't need Air Force, Coast Guard, or Navy; not here anyway. I knew they were in other areas, just not this base. Inferno had twenty-four members, most of them were all men; we only had ten girls. It's actually pretty funny; Nicole Heift's little brother, Skylar Heift is part of the platoon. I guess he wanted to be with his big sister. Also, Sydney's cousin joined and was another new member. Sydney passed away overseas in Syria, but her older cousin; Scott Axall decided to sign up. I suppose everyone had their own reason for joining; it didn't matter as long as they understood it wasn't a game. I think Hayden made that pretty clear the day on the beach when the Marines were giving Vincent and Ryan a hard time. It had been Donovan's call to make every platoon in Alpha Company the same amount of Warriors; so that's how that went. All the people Hayden scolded ended up getting split among the other platoons to even them out.
This base had a modernized lounge with wifi, a small chow hall for each sector. The mess hall was set up like a mall food court; there were at least eight different places to choose from to eat. Oh, there were bathrooms with toilets, showers, and sinks in each section too; porta-potties were all over the base. Hell, the lounge even had a workout center. There was a company medical barrack next to the officer ones, and in the middle of the base was HQ and the Combat Support Hospital that did just about everything. Yeah, this place was pretty cool; I would call it home if not for the bombs, horns, gunfire, plane and helicopter noise; the fighting too. In the last six months, the other platoons in Alpha Company have had some losses, and even though it wasn't Inferno hit with such; it hurt us. No matter how we looked at things; most of the people in this company have been together since Receiving Week in January 2019. It's now July 2022, three years and six months later. Total deaths right now are nine since the tour began, and every time it happened; the Alpha Company would get together, build the military memorial for a fallen warrior, soldier, or whatever they were referred to as in their branch. This cross was compiled with a rifle as the stand, then a helmet on the butt of the gun, boots at the base or barrel of the weapon, then the dog tags of the one we lost.
It was how we came together to honor a fellow brother or sister who fell in battle and gave us all a chance to mourn as a group. It was something Commander Bludvist started, feeling that it would help given we couldn't all go home for the service and funeral. I think we all appreciated the idea, so it was good for us. In fact; we had one of those memorials in about fifteen minutes. Someone in Thunder Platoon was killed in action during a routine patrol turned ambush. After this was over, Hayden and I would be retreating to A-I1 Barrack; it stood for Alpha-Inferno One. The girls had A-I2, which was right next to ours. Today was the three-year anniversary that Hayden and I have been together, so we hoped that could lift a little of the sadness circulation through the company right now.
"Is everyone ready?" Hayden called to the males.
"Aye, Lieutenant," they replied.
"Let's move then," Hayden motioned with his head for them to leave the barrack. "GIRLS!" he called.
"Coming," a few shouted. I walked beside Hayden, intertwining my fingers with him.
"You alright?" I asked.
"Yeah," Hayden nodded to me. It was sad for everyone, as I said. We reached the area where the cross had already been set up, and the company was forming up together in six groups, somewhat of a half-circle. I guess it was starting as Commander Bludvist came forward to speak.
{Normal POV}
Ten minutes into the memorial, Troy couldn't help but notice that Hayden seemed very on edge. Hayden stood stiff, and his eyes continued to shift around as if he were looking or waiting for something to happen.
"What's wrong?" Troy whispered.
"Something doesn't feel right," Hayden replied softly. Troy eyed his fiancée; what did Hayden mean that it didn't feel right? Or was it one of his gut feelings that something terrible was about to happen? Maybe that something did happen? There was never a way of knowing until we got word. The last time this happened; Kristopher Hunters, Sydney Ostberg, and Tucker Wayver were killed in an RPG strike. Troy knew after that incident and the mountainside fall during training not to look the other way if Hayden said something was off. Troy watched as Hayden closed his eyes just as the signal was heard for a base announcement by headquarters.
=Attention all sectors. Code Black! I repeat; we have a Code Black alert.=
Troy saw Hayden's eyes open now and start looking around again. Is this what Hayden felt? Code Black meant that enemies have infiltrated the base and it will be locked down until the situation is resolved.
"Platoon Leaders! Front and center!" Donovan commanded. Hayden released Troy's hand, then moved with the other five officers to Donovan. "We have six enemies running around the base, rumored to be dressed as soldiers or warriors. Orders are to kill on sight; HQ already has four in custody who have confirmed the total number. If you see anything suspicious, check it out,"
"Aye, Commander," Hayden, Cody, Jason, Daryl, Steven, and Oliver replied firmly.
[Bludvist, one of those enemies is near your sector; keep a close watch.] Was heard on Donovan's radio, which was clipped to the man's belt.
[Aye, sir.] Donovan responded, then sighed. Hayden knew something wasn't right; he felt it. An enemy running loose in the base near their sector was terrible; primarily because all of Alpha Company was together right now. Hayden didn't know what it was, but something told him to look left where he saw someone ducking along the side of the barracks. This person was checking around, making it seem like he didn't want to get caught or waiting for a signal.
"Got one," Hayden mentioned as Donovan arched a brow. "Left and hiding next to a barrack,"
"Can you make the shot, Lieutenant?" Donovan asked.
"Without a doubt; he doesn't know I've noticed him," Hayden affirmed.
"Do it," Donovan nodded as he shifted slightly to hide Hayden getting his rifle off his shoulder and ready. Donovan moved as Hayden raised the weapon. The enemy saw him and went to run, but Hayden pulled the trigger and hit the guy in the back of the head. "Nicely done, Haddock," Donovan said.
[Alpha Marine Company to HQ, one target down.]
[Good work, Alpha Marine.]
Hayden still didn't feel that they were out of the woods yet. Donovan could see Hayden's uneasy, but serious-looking face. "I know that look, Lieutenant,"
"It's not safe, Commander. There's another one skulking around this area; I feel it. No different than when I said the mountainside during training wasn't a stable path," Hayden admitted.
"Follow your instinct, Haddock. If you don't think it's secure then we'll stand with you on it and be ready," Oliver confirmed as the others nodded in agreement.
"How do you wanna do this?" Donovan asked.
"You're asking me? You're the boss," Hayden replied.
"But you're the one with the feeling, so I'm making it your call, Lieutenant," Donovan stated.
"The guy I shot; he was hiding to either try and not be seen or wait for some kind of signal. I assume that his partner is still hiding out, waiting for us to drop our guard and strike. I say we lure him out. Platoon leaders, return to your groups and let's just pick up the memorial acting as if nothing is wrong," Hayden offered.
"It's crazy enough to work, and I'll trust anything Haddock says after what happened in Syria with the flash, blast, and run plan," Steven remarked. Donovan nodded as the leaders returned to their platoons and he began speaking once more about the warrior who passed. Hayden stayed alert, his eyes checking everything in his sight line. Troy was watching Hayden out of the corner of his eyes, wondering what exactly was going on. If the base had enemies running loose; shouldn't they all be on high alert and searching?
"GRENADE!" someone yelled and pointed. Hayden saw where it had been thrown from as he grabbed his rifle and shot the second enemy, who fell off the barrack and to the ground; dead. Now, his focus was on what would happen if it went off with this many people around. If that grenade hit the ground; a lot of people could end up hurt or dead.
"Take cover!" Donovan demanded. Making a split-second choice, and praying to the Gods listening; Hayden flipped the safety on his gun, then turned the weapon so he would be holding the barrel. Hayden moved to where he knew the grenade would fall down while counting down from ten when it would explode.
"Hayden! Get out of there!" Troy said in fear.
"Six. Five. Four. Three…" Hayden took up a baseball batters position as he used the butt of the gun to hit the grenade almost directly upward. "One," and then the grenade went off in the air. The area was quiet, the others coming out of hiding, or turning back if they never got that far.
"Okay; I know I said you were crazy, Haddock…But what the actual fuck?!" Daryl exclaimed.
"What? If that thing hit down here, there could have been too many injuries or casualties…" Hayden remarked.
"You hit a LIVE GRENADE with a rifle as if it were a game of fucking baseball!" Ethan scolded.
"And I would not have attempted such a move if I wasn't entirely confident that I could pull it off!" Hayden glared. More silence as Donovan and Troy pushed through.
"What have I told you about giving me heart-," Troy started but Donovan stopped him and Troy stepped back.
"I'm sorry, Commander. I know that I shouldn't have-," Hayden began, but again, was silenced.
"You did the right thing, Lieutenant," Donovan said as Hayden's eyes widened. "Yes, it was stupid, reckless, dangerous, probably not protocol as I had ordered for everyone to take cover. However, you recognized that even with my command to take cover, an area this small and that type of explosion would land a lot of people hurt or dead. You took action, and as you said; you wouldn't have done it if you weren't entirely sure you could do it. You took down both of the remaining targets and saved a lot of lives in ten minutes. And it's because once more, you trusted your gut and knew to be on guard for another attack after quickly deducing that the man you found first was not working alone. It took some severe bravery and courage to do what you did, Haddock. It was a bold, risky, and brilliant, which in truth; all I've said just now is exactly how I've come to accept is how you do things when lives are at stake. Honestly, I think I might have been more concerned if you did follow my command to run," Donovan laughed a bit. "Overall, Lieutenant Haddock; a job well done is in order,"
"Thank you, Commander Bludvist," Hayden saluted formally.
[Both targets have been assimilated, HQ. And do ignore that blast that came from Alpha Marine's Sector; everything is fine. I will explain upon bringing the two enemy soldier bodies in.]
[Understood, Commander Bludvist. We'll be standing by for your arrival.]
"Go on now; I'd say you've more than earned the rest of the night with your fiancée. I know it's your anniversary, so have fun; just…Well, you know what I mean," Donovan chuckled.
"I do, sir," Hayden nodded. Troy instantly hugged Hayden, kissing him afterward.
"Stop giving me heart attacks, please? I'd like to live to see our wedding day if you don't mind," Troy sighed heavily.
"You asked me to marry you knowing full well that I do things like this, babe," Hayden smiled some. "But I'll try,"
"Thank you. Come on; let's enjoy our anniversary, shall we?" Troy kissed him again; then the two began to walk towards the A-I1 Barrack.
"We'll just…head to dinner!" Harry said, though, Troy and Hayden weren't even listening. After all that, the company split off to do what they wanted, but most did leave for the chow hall so they could eat supper. At some point, a base announcement came through that the Code Black was over, and everything could breathe a bit easier. Troy and Hayden felt better, and now they could enjoy their night until everyone came back. Regardless of everything else today; it was turning out to be a swell night after all.