Chapter 4. Search and, God, who knows what
A heavily rusted guardrail was covered in moss. The bushes were growing at an alarming rate, but it seemed that it would still take some time to completely cover the asphalt in the middle of the road. Through the bushes that grew to the waist height, the Sparrow 2 platoon, led by Kim, step the asphalt road. Although all the signs on the side of the road were heavily rusted, but the number 14 in the middle of the sign, was still clearly readable.
"It's Route 14!"
The platoon members cheered lightly. Kim and Berk took out their compasses at the same time. Both compasses were pointing in the same direction, neatly. The two smiled at each other.
"Now, the next stop, the junction of Route 14."
The platoon walked out again. They could have gotten tired of doing this after take a meal, climbing slopes while avoiding the swamp, and just continuing to walk, but the platoon members faces looked bright. At least this asphalt road was much easier to move than passing through a jungle habitat with no roads.
Kim paused the platoon again, while going forward well. In his view, he could see someone lying between the grass pile in front of them. Looking at the clothes and equipment, they were looked like allied forces, no matter how much he double-checked.
"Get to cover, everyone."
Kim ordered to the platoon members. Everyone hides themselves in the bushes in a prone position.
"Brian, keep looking at the far side of the tree line. Berk, Vincent, stay here and keep your guard up. Turner, Albert, come with me. Joseph, Jordan, Paul. If Berk and Vincent find something, start shooting."
Three man slowly approached in a low crouch. Squad-scale troops were lying down in the middle of the bush field. On their left arm, the symbol of the 22nd Special Task Force battalion, was fading by the sun. The 22nd Special Task Forces was not officially here in four years ago, as far as Kim knew. They were under the Special Warfare Command from the first place, not under the Airborne Brigade, who was in charge of this area. According to the circumstances, it seemed that Kim and rest of the members are seeing the final moment of the reconnaissance team of '84, that came and went missing first.
"Poor guys."
"Any ideas of the reason about these guy's death?"
Kim carefully examined the bodies. There were no marks on the clothes that could be presumed to be bullet holes. However, seeing that the rifles and other equipment were all broken and dented, it seemed certain that they were get hit hard by some power. The body of a friend who appeared to be a squad leader, his joints were twisted in a way that should not be bent. When Kim grabbed the collar of the dead body, he could hear bone fragments hitting inside in the chest.
Kim looked up. There was a cliff that just look like a cut-ed off cake. From the looks that they all died, it seemed like they had fallen from above. Some of them died instantly from the impact of the drop, and the radio man, sadly, seems like even have to showing his brain out. Seeing that one or two men's IFKA packs were open, some of them who did not die at once from the shock attempted first aid, but it seemed to have no use.
Kim was returned to the platoon members behind him.
"I don't think there's an enemy. Everybody, it's clear."
Everyone went to the place where the dead squad was lying down. Kim looked back at the Turner and Berk.
"The friend you were talking about, 50 cents Terly. Is his body are here?"
They looked carefully at the dead skeletons.
"He's not here. But this is the unit that this friend was. I've seen this logo before."
"When did you say that he was disappeared?"
"I heard it was around March 1984."
"Then these are the first reconnaissance team. God bless them."
Paul knelt and gathered his hands in front of the bodies. There was a gold cross in his hand. He recited prayers in a small voice. Everyone took off their helmets and show a respect for a moment in a silence.
However, even in during this silence, Kim discovered another unusual thing. The body left almost nothing but bones, but it did not rot completely. Although the skin, hair, and other oddities were dried up as hell, but they gradually maintained their original shape anyhow. It was an impossible image to a body that had died two years ago in the rainforest. There should have been nothing left, except for a few fragments of bone and a few disordered relics, which had been decomposed by countless dirt insects and decomposers. But they appeared to have been mummified. In the jungle, how much is the possibility of being mummified without any intact from flies and other creatures. Strangely quiet jungle. Creatures out of nowhere. Mummified corpses. The constant, strange phenomena keep distracts Kim's mind.
"Sarge!"
Kim's thoughts paused at the sound of Brian's call. Brian was standing in front of a pile of dirt. On the pile of dirt, there was a cross made by weaving branches.
"A cross? Wait. What does this mean if it's here?"
"Is it a story that someone already passed by?"
Kim examined the bodies again. There was only one identification tag left on everyone's neck. This mean that someone had already collected the identification tag.
"I don't think it's Charlies. If it were them, they would have mutilated the body, they wouldn't have made and put crosses like this."
"Can this help some explanation?"
Brian picked something up next to the cross. Someone had written on the board and stood it up. Platoon members gathered in front of the board. Kim handed over the board from Brian and read it.
"In memory of the Medusa 1 Platoon, the 22nd Special Task Force, who died here on the Rushmore cliff. May God take care of their souls. Captain Winston Smith, 125th Battalion, 1st Airborne Brigade, Canadian Army. July 2nd, 1985."
"1985? It was just a year ago."
"If they had come in '85, then they must be that second missing scouting party. Did they walk through here, too?"
"Whatever it is, now we know the name of this cliff, sarge. A Rushmore cliff? Come on."
Jordan and Vincent added a word after Kim's words. Kim took a map out of his bag and wrote down the name of the cliff at the current location. It seemed not a bad idea to remember the names of the surrounding terrain in case of a possible situation.
"Are we gonna keep moving forward, Sarge?"
"You have any better ideas? If not, then we should keep going."
The reconnaissance team was an airborne unit of the Canadian military in '85. Kim thought it while walking. Anyway, he was curious about the friend who hardly survived. It would have been really painful, even if it was not impossible for him to escape by walking alone through the jungle alone.
One thing that is certain is that the current Sparrow 2 is heading to the front line, so it is certain that they are following the path that the 1985 reconnaissance team has already taken. If they were lucky enough on the way, they might have chances to found traces of the rest of the poor reconnaissance team, and if that fellas were excellent, they would have already cleaned up the path. The journey could be easier if that is real. Kim desperately hoped that there would be nothing unluckier ahead of them.
"Still remembers that moment when the whole front line was pushed back to the Buon Ma Thuot. We had no transportation available, even a single helicopter or truck to get to the destination, so we just stupidly walked 50 miles straight. The good-ol' infantry boys were only had to support their own luggage and weapon, but our transportation boys were carrying heavy tools, and the artillery company had to carry that Christ heavy artillery gun barrels. Captain Michael, that damn guy. He was even worse than Dannerson today. Remember that, T?"
"..."
"Turner?"
"..."
"Corporal Turner."
"Y, yes, Sarge Kim?"
Unlike Turner himself, as usual, it felt like something was missing from him. Kim looked up and down Turner.
"You okay, bud?"
"Yes, it's all right, sarge. Just,"
"Is it because of those friends in earlier moment?"
It seemed to be due to a dead scouting party. Nobody wasn't particularly scared because everyone saw the bodies enough until getting tired of, except for Paul, of course. But it seemed that it was because they were carrying the same tasks as the dead friends, what they were carrying when they died.
"It's not scary, it's just,"
"I know what you mean, Turner. Let me tell you one thing. We'll never die that way. Well, our creed is that we will never abandon our buddies, and we will die together, wasn't it? So, it's not gonna happen such like I just ran away alone and live, leaving all of you guys behind, dying here, blah blah. And most importantly, I will make nobody's gonna die out here. Well, it really not should be such thing happening that all of us should die here, just because if one of us passed away. But so far we have all fought for each other's lives, isn't that true? Our abilities have been self-proven by surviving ourselves. And if in the past at least one person had been harmed by my poor knowledge and leadership, I probably wouldn't have held this position. I guarantee you we can live this out. So, let's do what we have to do with confidence."
However, Turner's face did not look so bright. The other platoon members did the same. Except for Kim, eight of the other members showed no signs of get out from darkness.
"What is this? You all trying to be a Big-ass Pussy? Are you really trying to limit our possibilities that low? Let's cheer up, Mother-Lovers! If you Fuckers don't want to die out here, you'll have to find a way out alive, isn't it?"
Everyone looked at Kim with skeptical eyes. Kim thought if he would have to give some motivations to them. But right that moment, Kim could hear something passing by his left ear as sharp and fast. A loud gunshot rang out in the dense forest.
"Get down! Take Cover!"
All the platoon members fell on the ground. Kim saw the bullet rips through the bushes right next to him. Looking at the direction of the grass bending, he could tell, at least he knows where the bullet was coming from. Hearing the sound, it seemed to be the AK rifle of the NV Army.
"Four o'clock! Open Fire! Joseph! Show them some Grenade Power!"
Kim disengages the safety lever and pulled the trigger. Vincent's M60 also began to fire with a loud sound. A stray bullet flew into the forest with a clean sound and exploded. Everyone pulled the trigger rapidly. The jungle, which was already quiet, was quickly filled with gunshots and explosions. Kim shot about 10 times and then looked around. He saw Paul with his eyes tightly closed and shooting randomly. Albert and Joseph were also busy to pull the trigger. For all of a sudden, there seemed to be no more bullets coming from our side.
"Hold fire, hold fire! Stop pulling the trigger!"
The gunfire stopped for a moment. There was no flying through here, and there was no any sound. Kim slightly pulled his head out. White smoke was creeping up from where the grenade burst. Thin smoke rose from the end of the barrel of his gun, same as the empty casings in the ground. Private Paul was shaking like a bush tree in a windy day, and Turner and Berk quietly pulled out their heads to examine the situation.
"What do you think, Sarge? Is it dead?"
Albert asked. Kim stared.
"Calm the Paul down first. I can't think of anything more in watching him being so shiver like that."
Albert put his arm on Paul's shoulder and began to say something. Kim looked back at Jordan.
"Jordan, we're all gonna move toward the nine o'clock. Take a look first, and tell me how it is there are."
Jordan disappeared through the bushes. For a moment, Kim only could hear the sound of grass crumbling. And finally, Jordon's head came out again.
"There's a big pit dug across the bushes. A bit of muddy waters are stagnant inside, but I don't think that'll be a problem for us to move together."
Kim looked forward once again.
"Everyone, get up. Move to a low position to nine'o clock."
The platoon members rose slowly in a low position. Everyone wondered if they could pass by safely, even if it wasn't complete quiet at all. Until they saw something jump out of the bushes, screaming.
The voice sounded like a scream made by torturing an old man who was almost dying, and his whole body looks like a piece of wood wrapped in dirty clothes. The skin barely seemed to retain moisture and bones, and the face reveals the whole shape of a skeleton under the scattered hair. More horribly, the joint between the left shoulder and body was torn off, and a portion of the upper body and the left arm fell apart and shook like a flag. In his right arm, he was carrying an AK rifle covered with rust, moss, and a bayonet attached. Looking at the running posture, it seemed like he was trying a bayonet combat with one hand. Kim suddenly remembers the scene of 1982. Zombies constantly attacking with their broken bodies.
Jordan screamed and fell back and disappeared into the pit. Other platoon members were also unable to do anything because they were terribly shocked and hardened by the cursed appearance, that they had never seen before. Only Kim raised his rifle and let the head of the man enter the hole of the sight.
[Bang!]
The dirty body was thrown to the floor, scattering brown and red brain water in all directions. Kim put two more bullets into the fallen man's back, just in case. The body didn't get up again. He's just lay down and didn't move. The moment Kim was about to drop his gun, other platoon members began shooting at the body. The flesh of the body starts to bursts out.
"Hold fire, you Half Tweets! Stop shooting!"
All the platoon members stood there without saying anything. There was a strong emotion of fear engraved with shock on everyone's face. Kim looked back at the body once and confirmed that it's not moving anymore, and saw the pit where Jordan fell into.
"Jordan, you still breathing down there?"
"Yes, Sarge. I've had some muddy water in my mouth, but I'm still alive."
"Paul Jackson, stop shaking your body all over the place, and go and help Jordan crawl back up."
Kim pushed Paul's back and said. The rest of the platoon gathered next to the body. It was truly a horrible-looking face.
"Is it even a person?"
"I think it's true that it was a 'person' sometimes ago."
"Did everyone check your every direction? Are you sure he's the only one?"
Everyone looked up everywhere. The surroundings were still even after that messy situations. Maybe there would be no more additional reinforcements of this dude on the ground. And also, Kim didn't think this guy who fell down would come back to life. Kim crumpled his face with a rage.
"Corporals, Gather in front of me."
Berk, Turner, and Vincent stood in front of Sergeant Kim.
"Are you all fucking with your mind? Huh? You all going nuts now? It's been less than five minutes since I just said, let's all live together. There's someone sticking out in front of you, but no one's responding and standing still, and I've only taken care of it? The Fuck is this shit? More than that, I didn't order you to respond either, but how the shooting control of yourselves could be so poor? What, you're going to get your own Platoons and lead it on your own, because you think you're also a non-commissioned officer with some 'skills', and not gonna listen to my orders anymore? Or did everyone want to bury each of your bones in here? Do you want to memorialize friends who are lying around back there so much, by sacrificing your own bodies?"
Everyone was listening to Kim's nagging without saying anything.
"I've already praised our platoon hundreds more times for not having alcoholism or drug addicts in us. But it doesn't just end with that, it should prove that our platoon is excellent, isn't it? Please wake up."
"I'm sorry, sarge."
Berk, the most senior Corporal of them, said. Kim sighed once and looked at the body.
"Turner, turn this guy over with that club shape branch over there."
Turner flipped the body over with a thick branch. A more horrific face was revealed.
"Oh My God."
Vincent freaked out. The face of the dead body was simply a mummy, that signs of life has long gone. His teeth were missing in places, his nose was chapped, and his left eyeball dried up and looked like a pepper egg. But Kim can recognizable few things. Brown spots around the eye socket. These are obviously dried blood. And still remaining plump, red bloodshot right eye. This was what he saw there four years ago.
"Consider, based on the dress and the equipment, it's like Viet Cong. What do you think, Sarge?"
Turner asked. But Kim did not answer. Turner also knew. Kim was shaken by some uncontrollable emotion.
"Sarge?"
"Uh, well... yeah. He's dead for now. We'll have to find out if there are more colleagues around here or not, but our main mission is reconnaissance and investigation. If any things showed up more, uncontrollably, then let's ask for an air support. But now, we'll move on."
Berk reached for the dead's collar, as it to investigate more of the body.
"Don't touch it!"
Kim screamed. Berk flinched and retreated.
"He's rotten as hell enough now, is there any more goods to put your hand on his blood or some roast-ass liquids? I thought you know why I did tell to Turner to turn it over with a club? Don't touch it anymore. Now that he's already dead, there's nothing more we can do. We're moving."
Jordan crawled up from the pit with Paul's help, deeply wet from head to feet. Turner and Berk briefly looked at each other and spoke to Kim.
"Sarge Kim?"
"What?"
"Uh, it's noting, Sarge."
"What's the problem, Turner, Berk?"
"No sarge, we'll ask you later."
Kim looked at Turner and Berk for a moment and smiled small and put his arms around their shoulders.
"Cheer up, boys, I'm sorry I scolded you earlier, but I still believe in your ability as squad leader."
"No, Sarge Kim, we don't build up that kinda feelings with that, but..."
"But what?"
"No, it's nothing, Sarge."
It was clear that Berk had something to say. But he doesn't say it. While Kim was thinking about what to do, he saw a deeply wet Jordan. In this case, he thought, how about change the atmosphere with a little joke? If the mood improves, then Berk would be able to tell his inner feelings.
"Hey, Jordan. Is the bath water hot yet? Can I get one more Charlie to take a bath?"
"It's very hot, Sarge. Yes, it's Damn hot! Would you like to try it first yourself, sarge?"
"Screw you! Who dare do you think, putting someone in that nasty water that you pooped and urinated in? Look at the chunk floating on the water, you dirty ass motherfucker."
Everyone laughed lightly and retweeted it. Turner and Berk's faces, however, had not improved yet. Kim did the same in his head. Not just for Turner and Berk's appearance, as well as because of that half-living body. By re-watching the terrible scene, that he lastly saw in four years ago, he clearly remembered what mission is they are performing right now. The platoon was here to find the cause of that hell, not for a frivolous reconnaissance. Kim could feel that Platoon is slowly approaching to the dreadful place.
The platoon procession, which departed again, just listened to the rustling of the grass. Kim looked back once again. Everyone was walking silently, looking at their surroundings. Don't need to worry about ambush, because everyone is doing well, but one thing was for sure, that the joke just before did not lighten the mood very much. God-damn Vietnamese zombie. Waste of ammunition and morale of the platoon members. Kim took the place of anger by kicking the bushes.
However, the anger didn't last long. Kim heard something unfamiliar in his ear.
"Guys, can't you hear something different?"
When the platoon members listened to Kim, they all stopped acting still. A faint buzzing noise came out from somewhere.
"Uh, sarge Kim?"
"What is it, Brian?"
Brian pointed out between the bushes without saying a word. Two flies, about a one finger joint size, were flying in pairs.
"It's a fly. I haven't seen a fly in a long time. By the way, could flies fly in pairs like that?"
"I've never seen anything like that before, sarg… no, wait. That's not flying in pairs, sarge."
"Then what is it?"
At the moment, Kim felt strange in the sound of the fly's wings. There was too much noise when the wings collided with each other, rather than just a paired flight.
"That's fighting."
"I think so, too, sarge. Flies doesn't fly like that in the first place."
Two flies were fighting against each other. Was it possible for the flies to fight with each other? Kim couldn't believe it, even when he saw the situation in front of him right now.
Eventually, one of the flies fell to the ground weakly, as if it had run out of energy. The other was stuck to the opponent, who fell to the ground as if it was about to end. But the fly's actions were not the only things that surprised the platoon members. There were numerous fly carcasses that were hidden in the grass. Everybody was torn off somewhere.
"It's, uh, oh, man."
Brian stammered as he was speechless. Kim was also stunned.
Then, another fly that had finished the fly on the ground ran into Brian's face. Brian smacked the fly with his thick palm. The fly hit the ground because of the impact. But for a moment, he also flew up and ran at Brian again. Brian seemed to notice something was wrong the second time he hit the fly. Before the fly rushed in for the third time, Kim steps forward and crush, trample the fly with his feet.
Kim looked at Brian. Brian also looked at Kim. They only looked at each other and said nothing. No, they couldn't. Both of them didn't know how to explain about this situation, and they didn't want to know either.
"Let's move on for now. Quickly."
Kim led the platoon out of the place in a hurry. There was still only an unpleasant silence filling the surroundings.
The platoon arrived at a Route 14 Junction when the sun gradually tilted and began to set slowly under the blue sky. The road signs that made by painted wooden boards were not only color got faded, but were also destroyed and crushed by countless bombs and bullets, making them impossible to recognize. However, every one of the Sparrow 2 could see that they had arrived correctly because the only forked road of Route 14 is here, that the map has shown.
Kim stood in the middle of a crossroads. The compass clearly indicates that he was directly facing the north, so if they go all the way to the right, they could have reached the front line, which is their goal. And if they go to the left, they might see the Victory Bridge, a bridge that across the Kon Tum River.
"Sarge."
In a low voice, Vincent called for Kim. Kim looked back. Vincent was pointing his finger at the grass bush. Even as it was getting dark, it was clear that a couple of people were lying on the grass. Kim drew the attention of the platoon members by making a clap with his finger. Then he sent a signal to take cover. The platoon members huddled still on the grass. Kim approached the people lying down, watching for his footstep sound.
They were long-dead corpses, which were mummified and not rotting properly, just like the scouting party of 1984. Kim, however, couldn't relax. The image of the Viet Cong mummy running out of the grass was constantly hanging in front of his eyes. He took a big breath and boldly stabbed the body hard with the tip of the rifle's barrel. Fortunately, the body did not move at all. The other guy next to him was the same.
"Clear. Get up, everyone."
Kim told the platoon. But everyone crouched still, showing no sign of getting up. With their guns still pointed at the dead.
"What is this? The hell are you all doing down there?"
Kim asked with a puzzled look. And Berk, who was shaking, replied.
"Are you sure they're dead, sarge? Aren't they going to stand up and fight again like before?"
Kim sighed once and kicked the body hard with the front nose of the boots. Some of the members were freaked out.
"See? They're all gone. Get your ass up, everyone. Where's that all spirits from earlier?"
Still, everyone was just looking at Kim and did not get up.
"Get your sorry asses up before I Kick all of your butt by myself! Now!"
After Kim shouted, they reluctantly got up one by one. Turner approached Kim with scarily. The rest of them didn't seem to even think about come close to the body.
"So, what should we do now, sarge?"
"What we do now is, we have to go on my way. What's wrong with it?"
"You know why, don't you, sarge? Everybody's been swindling since that happening earlier."
Kim almost vented his simmering anger to Turner. Cannot even move forward just because of this one thing. But thinking about it again, Turner and the other's opinion seemed to have a point too, though. Kim himself might react like this gravely because he's seen every rough scene in life, but even if other friends have experienced the same thing, he can't expect that they could feel and react the same as him. Kim looked at the body once and then saw Turner. It seemed that fatigue and stress are deeply etched into his face. Kim almost beat up a pitiful platoon member without even thinking.
"Sorry, Turner, I guess I've only been too hasty without considering the condition of the platoon."
Kim put his hand on Turner's shoulder and said. Then he swung his head toward the body once.
"You can take it easy now, everyone. I'm sure they're all dead. And, well, if there's anything alive around, I'll take care of it just like before. Don't worry."
One by one, the platoon members gathered again in front of Kim. Suddenly, Kim felt something under his feet and looked down. Rusty shells were rolling around. According to the shape of the shell, 5.56mm of our allied forces and 7.62mm of the NV army, were mixed together.
"Based on their outfits and looks, they look like Viet Congs, too."
"From the sight of these rolling shells, it seems certain that they were dealt with by our fellas."
At the moment, Paul let out a low scream. Kim immediately looked at Paul. Then, he also found one more thing that he did not notice until Paul saw it.
"Well, it wasn't just only 'two guys'. Christ, dear lord of..."
Bodies of various shapes were popped out from place to place in the grass.
"Paul, if you think it's too much for ya, stay back. I'm not going to force you to handle this."
"No, Sarge. I, urgh, shall be need to get used to it."
Kim looked at Paul anxiously. Then he approached the bodies. The rifle is ready to fire at any time.
The mummified corpses were also as terrible as they were earlier. It was usual for the limbs were bent to wrong ways, some of their limbs are gone perfectly, and some bodies are missing the half of their heads. Kim peered into one of the bodies. A green Mao jacket with no sense of fashion. He seemed to be a regular North Vietnam soldier. The man lying next to him was in the same shirt and gears just like Kim himself, but the mummified face looks more like a South Vietnam soldier rather than a U.S. soldier.
However, it was unreasonable to say that there was a battle here in the past. The bodies were not concentrated on their affiliation, but were too scattered without any regular pattern. Rather, it seemed that a third force appears and empty their mags when these peoples were gathered together.
"What do you think, sarge?"
"Something's not right. We can't tell these marks are made from a normal battle. There can't be a melee fights were happened, even thinking about the coincidence that both side's bullets are run out at the same time. Why are they all died like these, mixed all together?"
"Look over there, sarge! Four o'clock."
Albert pointed to one side. A collapsing field tent stood, and a flag with maple leaves on is hanging in a slightly slanted flagpole.
"Canadian flag? Then..."
"Is that a base camp of the research team of 1985?"
A simple campsite was being assimilated with nature. Despite the growing plants in several places, the ashes of the campfire still remained in the fireplace, and several field beds were also placed. The platoon slowly toured the campsite. Kim opened the leather backpack containing the combat food and quickly close it with a startled expression. The combat food already seemed to gone bad by the high humidity and temperature. Vincent was pleased to find a bullet container box, containing a still good-shaped 7.62mm FMJ round belts, even though the box had rust on the outside. Turner picked up two small notes from an empty field bed. The owner's name on the both note was still clearly visible on the outside.
[Sgt First Class. Chris Bain, Ottawa 3 Platoon, 125th Battalion, 1st Airborne Brigade, Canadian Army]
[Lt. Collin B. Wells, Medusa 1 Platoon, 22nd Special Task Force Battalion, 3rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army]
Kim looked into the notebook with Turner.
"Based on their affiliation, Sergeant Chris Bain must be a member of the reconnaissance team in '85, and Lieutenant Wells, he must be in the reconnaissance team in '84. Did they pick this up in the Rushmore Cliffs earlier in '85?"
"What are you going to do with that, sarge?"
"I'll read it, that's what it will be. Maybe there could be some useful information in here."
Kim got handed over the note from Turner and told the platoon members.
"Everyone, get ready for camp. No more movement today."
"You mean we're camping right here, sarge? It's a dead body field right in front of us!"
"Then should we start shoveling right now when it's all getting dark? It's a hundred times better to rest in a prepared place, even if it's next to a dead body field, rather than doing bullshits for looking somewhere else that no bodies around. Thinking about the reason that a 1985 investigation team set up a base camp here, it's probably because this is a safe place."
Even though he said like that, there were a few things that keep bothering Kim. It maybe they just left it because they didn't need it when they withdrew, but why there are so many empty ammo boxes and so many casings rolling around in the base camp.
A campfire was shining alone in the dark jungle. The fact that the dead bodies are scattered in the darkness further heightened the platoon's fear, just like the first day. It was a shit show for Kim, too. He wasn't scared, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something is going wrong.
"Ahchoo!"
"Hey, Jordan. Are you all right, man?"
"Yes, it's all right, sarge. I've only been sneezing since a while ago."
Kim approached Jordan. For some reason, Private Jordan was lowering his sleeve, which he had rolled up to his shoulder, now to the end of his arm. Kim touched Jordan's forehead. He felt a slight fever.
"You're having a fever. I think you got a cold after falling into that puddle a few hours ago?"
"I don't know, sarge."
"Open your first aid kit and take a pill. Berk, exclude Jordan from today's Night Watch turn."
"Yes, Sarge."
Kim picked up the empty medicine wrap that Jordan had taken. Aspirin. He hoped this would be enough. It is the saddest thing to anyone being sick whenever they're alone, but to Kim, it was the saddest to see a soldier who had to suffer in the midst of a mission where they could not receive any kind of support. The helplessness that there was nothing that he could do seemed to make him even more desperate. Kim threw the wrap into the fire.
"Ah, fuck. Berk, Turner. Let's go for some lightin' up."
Turner and Berk, who came a few feet from the camp, hid behind a bush and spark the lighter. Kim dug a little bit of the ground about five steps away from them and lowered his pants. The smell of oil from the Zippo lighter briefly circled the tip of his nose and disappeared.
"For Fuck's sakes of fucking fuck of the damn fuck. There are only nine members in total, including me, but we call this a platoon? Goddamn Dannerson and Carlson. I really don't know what they're thinking. And even more than that, I'm not even suitable rank to take charge of platoon leader. Maybe possible in the transportation company where I originally belong, but in an infantry combat platoon? Come on."
"What's the reason for that anyway, sarge? 9 members are more like a squad, it is. Not a platoon."
"Maybe it's a partial puffer-up operation. Right now, the social and media, every citizen in the U.S. soil is putting pressure on the U.S. Gov to get out of Vietnam now. Is it looks possible to continue to increase its manpower under a situation like this? Rather than being asked what they are doing with only this number of personnel, trying to show them that we are working properly, only on paper for some moment."
Everyone remained silent for a moment. Only the smell of cigarettes passed over their nose. Then Kim decided to talk about the issue that he had put off earlier.
"Both. Do you have anything you want to ask me?"
"Sorry, sarge?"
"No sorry. You heard it right. You've both been hesitating for a while. Let it out as you please. I'll let you go now, even if it's a mutiny."
"Really, Sarge?"
"Of course, it's a joke. Only for a mutiny part. If you guys really do that, I'll put both of you in my shit."
Kim giggled for a moment. Then he looked at Berk and Turner. There wasn't much light because it was a new moon, but it was enough to them for see Kim's eyes. The two looked at each other for a while and then opened their mouths.
"What the hell are you hiding from us, Sarge?"
"Which one? Be more specific. There are a few things I've hidden from you guys. It's a joke, of course. I'll answer you when you guys told me exactly what you want to know."
"What is the goal of this operation? And what is this area?"
"As I said three days ago, reconnaissance and survey this place. And operational areas called the New Mexico Plateau."
"Sarge, please stop that nonsense joke."
Kim looked at Berk and Turner. For some reason, they were acting like squad leaders after being a long time. Kim pondered for a moment. Give the influence for the success of the operation by telling them a unnecessary fact, or might keep his mouth shut until end and give a red sign to the platoon members' ties with him. Both were terrible results, but he had to make a choice. After all, Kim decided to maintain his ties with the platoon members. At least, since they are both squad leaders, they must be well aware of what to say to the rest of the members.
"Before that, then let's make a promise with me. Only the three of us shall know what we have said. Not the rest of the platoon, not the other unit fellas, not the other officers, not even the family and friends. Never do that. What do you think?"
"All right, sarge, go ahead."
Kim took out the cigarette he was biting for a while and exhaled for a long time. a smoke escaped from his mouth like a steam whistle and scattered.
"This is a story that I was ordered to keep my mouth shut under the U.S. Army Security Act. Frankly, I am not gonna follow any orders from the top if it's only between us, but I didn't do it from the start because I don't know what would happen if I told everyone the details of this story before departure. The purpose of this was, because I was scared that maybe you boys got freaked out from the start and maybe get into trouble as soon as we arrived. I'm sorry about that."
Berk and Turner came close to Kim and crouched. Kim looked them in the eye once more and then started. He said pretty much everything. About the Omnic Project, about the disaster of 1982, about himself as one of the survivors from that hell. And about what the purpose of this operation is.
Turner and Berk just blinked and couldn't say anything. Kim took off his glasses and wiped off his face once.
"I told you, there was a reason I didn't tell you about this."
"Why did you accept this operation in the first place, sarge?"
"I was trying to refuse. Even trying to turn on to Colonel Carlson."
"Oh, for the motherfucker's sake."
Kim pulled out a paper towel piece, wiped the back, and raised his pants. Then, he continued to talk, covering the excrement with soil.
"So, what do you want to do now? Do you want to go back?"
"More than usual, sarge. God, I shouldn't have questioned it in the first place."
"Don't do that, Turner. We're soldiers. It's not the honor of a soldier to abandon a mission."
"Are you serious, you punk ass nigga? Then what should we do in this situation?"
"Ah-hem."
Kim stooped Berk and Turner from starting a verbal fight.
"That's why I'm here, Turner, isn't it? I understand what worries you a hundred more times, because in my six years in the military, I also have never been more afraid than now. But I keep thinking and commanding this platoon to get through it somehow, isn't it?"
Kim put his hands on the Turner and Berk's shoulders.
"Don't worry, boys. I won't let any of our platoon members die hopeless."
The three went back to the camp through the grass field. The mummified corpses seemed vague, further raising their fear more. It's a daily routine for the soldiers of seeing corpses on the battlefield, but that didn't mean that the original fear was going anywhere.
"By the way, how do you think these niggers died, sarge? Didn't you say earlier that it wasn't a normal battle?"
"I did. When you look at the distribution of bodies and the position of dying, they weren't killed in a normal battle. It was like, uh, how should I explain it? It was like someone else was torn apart of them while they were rushing into those 'someone' in a group."
"What if you say so..."
"To make a hypothesis, well, remember that Charlie mummy that was alive and move well? Well, maybe they were in that same state until 1985. And that Canadian airborne team that came here found them. They fought hard against each other, probably. That mummy dude shot first before he ran into us, wasn't it? And maybe that Canadian friends finished all of them here."
"Is there anything else, sarge?"
"Or, a battle has already taken place once before, and as a result of a coincidence, bullets on both sides empty at the same time, and rather than expecting retreat or other support, they choose to fought in melee only. But the funny thing is, that the guys who came out in the melee fight also had one or two bullet marks each of their bodies."
"No matter what I think, the first hypothesis seems to be the only explanation, sarge."
"Really?"
"..."
"But, if you think about it, the location of the base camp is a little strange. Yeah, let's just say that those zombies were all wiped out by the Canadian team in 1985. But no matter how safe the location is, what made them to set up a base camp right next to where the bodies scattered?"
"Maybe the platoon leader was a fool? Sometimes there are officers like that, who can't even judge where to dig in the trenches and where to build positions. Look at our Lieutenant Dannerson right now."
"It's true that Dannerson is a little bit of a Fuck Head. But that's why he wasn't to be sent here. More than two squads of reconnaissance teams were wiped out just in here, and I don't think the superior commanders would have sent anyone the same as before. As the platoon leader, aside from the corpses, this is a good place to build a base camp."
"Then what about that, sarge?"
"It's only guessing, but there wouldn't have been any bodies when they built this base camp. And think about the empty ammo box and casings around the base camp. What comes to mind?"
"Did they shoot from the camp to outside?"
"It's hard to guess at all. But I can only guess that kind of scene."
"Fuck, then we're not safe either, are we, sarge?"
"At least they weren't beaten to death here. Because their bodies aren't here. I think it'll be safe at least by tonight."
All three of them were silent. Everyone thought the same thing. Have to get their senses tighter. This is because they all know that if something goes wrong from now on, they will be the next ones to lie in the grass and become mummies.