Hells Outlaws Med(usa)

Chapter 10

Sand is everywhere. In every crease. In your teeth. You can feel it when you chew, when you breathe. When you move.

Everything is beige, a mucky brown that isn't red, or yellow or even black. Every building is some kind of concrete sand mix. The wood is all wind blown and muddyed to hell. The windows you can barely see through. The veichals the same horrid colour, even we blend in, in our uniform.

Every step, every corner is dangerous. Terrifying. Every sound, smell. Everything has me on edge. My gun gripped tight, my bag heavy on my back. It's hell.

Real hell.

The odd pop of colour brings its own terror. What is the red car hiding. Why does it have no windows. Why is that lady covered in black? What is she hiding.

Will I experience a self destructing person today, and yes I mean that literally. My tags drag across the skin on my neck making me shiver. Even though I don't actually think I've ever felt this hot before. The cuffs of my sleves are folded into the crook of my elbow, chafing. The helmet on the top of my head making me feel closterphobic, the fuck is that going to do if I get blown up?

My sweaty hands grip my gun tighter, searching for comfort. Not that I find it. I don't belong here. Everything feels wrong. Shame fills me.

I do belong here. I made this decision, no going back now.

Taking a deep breath I start walking forward. Trucks and tanks follow me through the thin streets. Children don't even stop and stare, they are so used to this. It's tragic.

I pull on the strap of my helmet, I feel like it's strangling me. The air suffocating. The noise deafining. Why am I here?

Where is Jase? 'Hoorahh ladies!' Sargent Raj calls. 'Smells like PUSSY!' Montgomery calls sniffing deeply, glaring at me. Oh yhea he's home, Great I'm here with these fuckheads on my own. 'Move out!' Sarg calls slapping his gun into his hands. Marching forward.

I hear the trucks first,  moving infront of me and behind. I'm trapped.

And then there is this god almighty boom. More trucks. More gun fire. Bits of Montgomery rain down around me. Jesus.

And then I see him. Peters. God he's just a kid. Younger than me. He shouldn't be here. I see him lying in the middle of the road. 'I got him!' I shout running forward. Throwing him over my shoulder. Shooting at the oncoming veichals.

I turn with Peters over my shoulder and start running back towars our men. We're not going to make it. I feel Peters body move as he returns fire too. I run faster, push harder. Jase, think of Jase he'd never get over it if I died.

Finally I make it, feet pounding into the ground, I throw him into the truck.

I made it! And that's when I feel it. Bang. Man down...

Sharp pain radiates through my body. I can't hear anything, just this ringing sound. Distant helicopter noise breaks through. I throw myself into the van and tap twice on the metal sorounding. Time to go home.

I wake up shaking, covered in sweat. I slip out from under Blakes arm and make my way to Jases room. Knocking once before walking in. I rub the healing mark on my stomach as it burns in phantom pain.

Breathing so deeply, so harshly my entire body shakes with it. 'Run.' I gasp. 'I need to run' he's already up pulling on clothes. He throws a pair of work out trowers at me before dragging me out the door and downstairs.

We hit the ground running. The sounds, the smells. They are still there. So many of my men died. It was my job to save them and I couldn't. I was too weak. I paused. I knew something was wrong.