Chapter 7: Lexa
We started to move out once again, with everyone on high alert. Ash hung back a little to give us some space to maneuver if need be. We were about three-quarters of the way through when I saw something to my right and then heard an explosion from the front of the convoy. I yelled into my radio, "Ash on the right." As I did, I shot him in the head. Then, I looked to the left and saw two more. One had a rocket launcher pointed at the van in front of us, and the second one had his sights locked in on Ash. I shot the one with the rocket launcher causing the rocket to launch.
I yelled through the headset, "Rocket away, duck, and swerve left now!" I released the harness attaching me to the vehicle and jumped between the sniper and Ash. A split second later, I felt the impact of the bullet into my left shoulder, but I was expecting it, so I was able to take it and land on my feet. I turned to see if Ash listened to me, amazingly she did, but the rocket hit to the right of the ATV, flipping it and throwing her into the air about fifteen feet from me. Using my super speed, I took five quick steps and launched myself into the air in time to catch her before she hit the ground. I landed with my right knee down and her safely in my arms, bridal style. Before I had time to think about what had just happened, a bullet came within inches of my foot. I got up, still holding Ash, and ran for cover behind a boulder about ten feet away.
Once we were behind the rock, I looked at Ash still in my arms and asked if she was okay. She just nodded, so I put her down and took in our surroundings. I knew where the sniper was on the left, but all I had was a handgun, and it didn't have the range to take him out. I scanned the hill on the right, luckily it was clear. I heard sporadic fire from the front of the convoy and saw where the hummer was up, on its side. The ATV was also on its side about thirty feet away from our current location. I needed to get to it to get my rifle. Omar's van was about another fifty feet past the ATV. They seemed okay and returning fire.
I look at Ash and ask, "Can you cover me while I go for the ATV? If I can get my rifle, I can take out the sniper. He is the only one left, back here, but by the sound of it, there may be more up at the front."
She just looked at me and said, "All I have is my handguns, and they won't reach that far."
"I know, but maybe you can draw his fire long enough for me to get there and take him out. Whatever you do, stay here, and don't get shot. Let me take care of the rest." Before she could protest, I took off sprinting. I had only taken two strides when I heard the cover fire from Ash. Seconds later, I dove behind the ATV, grabbed my rifle from the rack, and lined up the shot. I squeezed the trigger, and he went down. I scanned the hills one last time before giving the thumbs up to Ash.
I sprinted back to her, asking again if she was alright. Then started looking her over for any signs of injury. It only took her a second or two to smack me away when she noticed my shoulder was bleeding. She pointed at it and said she was fine, but I had been hit. I just laughed and nodded. "I'm fine. It went through the front of the jacket and my shoulder. Now it is lodged on the inside of the back of my jacket. It was the only way to keep you safe. Otherwise, it would have just gone through me and hit you anyway, so I had to make sure it hit the armor first. We need to move, I'm sure there will be reinforcements coming, and we need to clear the way to get moving again. I will have your six. Let's make our way to the ATV and see if it is drivable."
She stared at me like I was a crazy person and said, "We will talk about this later, but right now, we need to move, let's go."
I covered her while we made our way to the ATV. It was on its side, but other than that, it looked okay. I reached down and grabbed the ATV and lifting it, and sitting it on all four tires. Ash watched with wide eyes. I covered Ash while she got it started. Once she was ready to move, I resumed my spot on the back. This time I stood at the M2 browning machine gun that was mounted on the back. We checked to make sure our headsets were still working then we were on the move.
As we approached Omar's van, I told Ash to slow down while I laid down cover fire and took out two more snipers clearing our way to continue to the front of the convoy. When we arrived at the front, I saw that the explosion must have been either a mine or IED. The front of the hummer was toast. It looked like there was someone pinned inside, returning fire best they could. Ash stopped about 100 feet from the hummer. I turned to face the left and her the right. I could see that most of the shots were coming from my side, so I let the machine gun do its thing and cut them down quickly. When my side was clear, I exited the vehicle and kneeled to the left of Ash, who was still on the ATV. I scanned the hill and took out two more would-be snipers.
We sat there for a few minutes to make sure we had gotten all of them before we made our way to the hummer. As we approached, we could see that the driver and passenger were dead, but the gunner and three others, including Azan, were trapped in the back of the vehicle. Ash motioned to Omar, but I didn't wait. Instead, I reached the doors and ripped them open, freeing those trapped inside. Once the doors were opened, Azan and two others stumbled out of the hummer. Omar was yelling at them to be careful because there could be more mines or IEDs. I started to scan the ground looking for anything out of place. I soon figured out it was a land mine that took out the hummer because I could see a few more hidden in the sand. Azan wasn't paying attention where he was stepping. I heard the click as the weight plate engaged on the mine. I yelled for him not to move, but he didn't listen and started to move. Ash was standing only a few feet from him. As soon as I saw him move to take the step, I ran for Ash, picked her up, and ran about four steps or so before the mine exploded, sending Ash and me flying.
The blast was about three feet from Ash and me. I covered her with my body the best I could. I felt and heard the shrapnel hit my armor and bite into my flesh as we hit the ground knocking the breath from my lungs. For a moment, I couldn't move and just lay there with my ears ringing. The next thing I know, Ash is yelling something, but I can't hear her because my ears are ringing so bad all I could see is her lips moving. I concentrate on her lips and realize she is asking if I'm okay. I just nod and try to get up. My entire backside, minus what my vest covers, feels like I have hot needles in various places. Still, my adrenaline is pumping so hard that I ignore it and help Ash sit against the ATV and begin checking her for injuries. That is when I notice that her left ankle doesn't look right, and she has a gash on her left calf.
I instinctively cover the wound with my hands to try and stop the bleeding. Then, I look up and into Ash's blue eyes and say, "You are going to be okay; do you hear me? Do you have any medical supplies in your bag or on the ATV?"
She looks at me and smiles, "I hear you, and yes, on the ATV, there is a small medkit."
"Okay, what are you smiling about? You have a gash in your leg and probably a broken ankle. That is nothing to smile about!"
I rummage for the medkit, and when I turn back around, she isn't smiling anymore and is white as a ghost; that scares me. I immediately ask what's wrong, and she points to my side and says, you are injured. I laugh and say, I know I took a bullet in the shoulder, I'm fine. She just shakes her head and says, not that, you idiot, you have a piece of metal sticking out of your side. I look where she is pointing and see that I have a large portion of metal sticking out of my side where the armor plates of the vest don't meet.
The only thing I can think about is getting her bleeding stopped and bandaged up, then I have to figure out what to do about her ankle. My injuries can wait. As I start to open the medkit, she grabs my hand. I look up at her and say, "What? I need to get the bleeding stopped so that I can get us out of here."
She shakes her head no and says, "What you need to do is take care of yourself first, then worry about me."
I just laugh and continue to do what I was doing. I take out my knife and cut her pant leg so that I can see the wound better. Once I have her leg bandaged with a pressure wrap, I look around at the carnage. I saw Omar walking toward us from the van. I yelled at him that we need to get out of here, now. He agrees and says that he knows where there is a cave where we can stash the trucks, and there is a safe house on the other side of the river at the end of the valley. Okay then, let's move. Before I could move, I felt Ash's hands on the sides of my face. She made me look at her and said, "Lexa, babe, you can't go anywhere in the shape you're in. Please let me take care of you before we move. If you aren't careful that metal could move and do major damage, we need to stabilize it first before we move."
I was just about to brush her hands away when I realized what she called me. That's when I saw the fear in her eyes and that it was for me because she was worried about me. So I said, "Fine, just take it out and let's go."
"What, no! We can't, it may have hit something important, and if we take it out, you could bleed out. So we need to just stabilize it until we can get you some medical attention."
I put my hands on top of hers, which were still on the sides of my face, and looked her in the eyes, and said, "No, I need you to take it out. I can feel that it didn't hit anything major. It's not that deep. I need to be able to carry you because you can't walk on that ankle and out of everyone here I would hope by now that you trust me at least a little more than anyone else. I know I trust you, so just pull it out, please."
She just smiled and said, "Fine, but you are going to have to straddle me so that I can do it because I can't stand on my ankle. I need to be able to pull it straight out."
I just nod and do what she tells me to do. Once in position, she takes hold of it and pulls it slowly straight out. It hurts like a motherfucker, but I don't scream. After she gets it out, she begins to take off my flak jacket so that she can bandage it. That's when I scream! Ash immediately stops what she is doing and asks what's wrong. I tell her the bullet pushed some of the metal from the jacket into the front of my shoulder. The bullet is caught in the back of the jacket. So every time she moves the jacket, the bullet digs into the back of my shoulder. Finally, I tell her that she will have to cut the top of the jacket where there is a break in the armor and pull it away from the front and back.
She pulls out the knife attached to my leg and cuts through the shoulders of the vest. Once that is done, she gently pulls both pieces away from my shoulder at the same time. It hurts, but I just stare into her eyes, and that keeps me calm. She asks me if I'm okay, and I nod, so she moves on to bandaging first my side then the shoulder. When she has the last bandage on, I scoop her up into my arms and head toward the van. Before I get two steps, she tells me that we can't leave the ATV. I can't believe it. What the hell is she thinking.
I yell to Omar and tell him to have someone drive the ATV while I load Ash into the van and climb in beside her. Minutes later, we are finally moving again. It isn't long before we are pulling into the caves. I immediately open the van doors to see what is going on. Omar is having his guys park the trucks, and then everyone heads for the van, but there isn't room for everyone. Then, I see a pickup truck sitting in the cave and realize that we will have more room in it. I grab Ash, putting her in the back of the truck. Then I climb in so that she is leaning against my chest so that I can wrap my arms around her to protect her. Two more guys jump in the back and two into the cab of the truck.
