Missing
December 18
Captain Jack Martin, has found his men hanging around the motor pool.
“What’s up Capt.?” Larry asks.
“How’s Tom doing?” Bob asks.
“Tom’s doing fine, bought himself a ticket home. As to what’s up,” he hesitates. “Guys, it’s back into the breach.”
“Kundvz?” Bob asks.
“Afraid so. Col. Mack, thinks they may have been trying to keep us from finding what they’re doing there. Grab yourself some chow, and rations. We leave at 1300.”
****
1300
“Check your weapons and ammo.” Capt. Martin says.
There’s the sound of seven rifle bolts being pulled and slammed closed. A duce and a half, rumbles up.
“We ride as far as Kundvz, then we walk.” The Capt. says.
“That’s why they call us ground pounders.” Larry says as he crawls into the back of the truck.
They ride in the back of the truck for three hours, before it comes to a stop.
“This is where we get off.” Martin says.
Weapons ready, they climb out of the truck. Martin slaps the trucks side, and the driver heads back.
It takes them another twenty minutes to get to where they were ambushed before. Martin stops them there. “I need a volunteer, the Col. Thinks they would have been better to have ambushed us up higher in that pass. He thinks that may be where they are hiding something. I need one man to sneak up the wash into the pass for a look see. The rest of us will watch your back from here.”
“I’ll go Capt.” Larry says.
“You keep your head down. Anything happens to you and your sister not only won’t e-mail me anymore, she may kill me.” Martin warns. “The rest of you, grab yourself some cover, so we can keep them off Larry.”
Keeping down, Larry heads up the wash, where he shot the two previously. When he gets to where they had dropped there’s still dried blood in the sand. Turning the way they had come from, he heads for the pass.
The sun beats down on him, and the sand crunches under his boots. Trying to keep close to the rocks for cover, he inches up the pass. A light breeze dries the sweat on his forehead, giving him a small break from the heat.
The pass is now rising steeply, making his movements more exacting. He’s about to come over the crest.
PU! “Ugh!”
“Larry’s down!” Martin yells. Before he can say more, a hail of bullets pock the ground around them.
PU! PU! PU!
“Ugh!”
“Capt. Bob’s been hit.” Someone shouts.
“How bad Bob?” Martin asks.
“Got me in the arm. I’ll be okay.”
“Not again. Mike bring me the radio.”
Mike makes his way to Martin.
“Base, This is Alpha Tango.”
“Go Tango.”
“I can’t believe I’m asking this again. Base, we’re under heavy fire. We’re ten clicks from Kundvz.”
“This is getting to be a habit there Tango. Keep your heads down, helps on the way.”
“Capt. I saw a couple of guys in those rocks,” he points to a large outcrop of rocks. “They’ve got sidewinders.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“We can’t let the choppers be ambushed like that.” Martin goes back to the radio. “Base, this Alpha Tango.”
“Go Tango.”
“Call off the choppers. Their being set up. We’ll have to get back to Kundvz on our own. They can pick us up there.”
“Will do, Tango. Good luck.”
“Thanks, we’re going to need it.” He turns to his men. “We’ve got to get Larry!”
Bullets are hitting the ground all around them.
“There’s no way Capt. It’s going to be a miracle if we get out of this.” Bob shouts.
Head bowed, Martin realizes, Bob’s right. Tears in his eyes, Martin says, “let’s go men.” He heads back the way they came, dodging from cover to cover.
****
Dear LeAnn,
I thought this should come from me. I hate to be the one to have to tell you. I can’t tell you how bad I feel. Larry’s missing and presumed dead. He was one of the bravest men I’ve ever known. We were ambushed and we saw him go down, but couldn’t get to him. I’m so sorry. A drone was sent to the area, and those who attacked us have been dealt with, but no sign was seen of Larry.
Your’s Martin
When the Bonds family reads this, sadness and tears prevails.
“He’s not dead!” LeAnn demands.
Her mother hugs her.
“No! I would know it if he were dead.” She rushes to her room and takes the picture off of her dresser, the picture of her and Bubba together.
