Bullets and Tears

Bullets and Tears, A Short Story | © 2011 Dan Absalonson

William stood over the body and wept. It was not the first time and would not be the last, but still he wept. Killing was part of his job. It was shoot or be shot out here, but when that other person was a child it didn't feel so black and white. These kids were pumped full of drugs and brain washed into soldiers, but they were still children. The one below him looked to be the age of his oldest son Denny.

"We've got to get out of here, come on Eagle!"

Teddy Storbel, Bear to his fellow soldiers, grabbed William's shirt sleeve with his paw of a hand and tugged him away from the lifeless child at their feet. Then he pulled Will close by the helmet, forcing their eyes to lock.

"Eagle, you did what you had to. Now let's go!"

A clatter of gunfire exploded through the trees behind them like a pack of firecrackers lit off on the fourth back home. Bear started running, dragging William until he kept stride on his own. Bear was glad to have Eagle with him, they needed to get back to base, and Eagle was the best shot in the fireteam.

"If we can just find some cover," Bear said as they ran, "then I can radio in and," but then a stray bullet sailed through his radio.

"That was a close one. They hit something, but I'm OK. Let’s see if we can find that cave!"

They ran until Eagle spotted the small cave they had found and covered up with brush on their way in. Ducking inside Bear found out what had been hit.

"They got the radio!" he said, but Eagle wasn't listening.

"Did you hear me? They got my radio! We're all alone out here now!"

Eagle sat with his back against the cave wall and pulled his legs up, burying his face into his knees.

"If you wouldn't have shot him it'd be you on the ground back there, and then two boys back home wouldn't have a daddy."

Eagle kept his face hidden in his knees. Just then the shooting stopped and a low rumble grew outside in the distance. Bear turned and peered through the brush covering the mouth of the cave.

"Eagle," he whispered, "I can't see it yet, but that's got to be a Jeep. I bet that means their adult leaders are coming this way."

Eagle perked up at this. He rolled forward onto his knees and crawled to the mouth of the cave. Before looking out, he stopped and raised his assault rifle. He reached up and pulled away some of the brush strewn over the mouth of the cave, and hung it on the end of his gun. Then he poked the barrel through the brush and waited. Bear couldn’t see, but it sounded like the whir of the engine was just out of site now. Eagle let out half of his breath and fired. Boom! One shot. Boom, boom! There would have been at least four in the Jeep. One of them is a kid, and he couldn't do it, Bear thought. Sure enough, Eagle threw himself back into the cave as a smattering of bullets sprayed through the brush just missing them. The firing continued, but not into the cave. The kid didn't know where Eagle had shot from, just the general direction. Bear waited until the firing ceased, and then crawled up to the mouth of the cave. He pushed aside a small cluster of brush with the delicacy of removing hair from a woman's face before kissing her. Once he had a visual he became as still as the rock walls around him. He watched and waited. The child either grew tired of firing off rounds through the machine gun mounted on the Jeep, or he wanted to see if he'd hit anyone. He climbed down and began walking towards the cave. With his eyes and rifle to the ground he picked about until he was close enough. Bear held up a hand towards Eagle, motioning for him to get ready to move. Seeing nothing, the boy continued past them.