The Fear That Haunts Me

CHAPTER 8

Stay Frosty

"Kelly," he said. "Push security out and form a barrier around the girl. Disperse at about fifteen meters."

I responded quickly. "Staff Sergeant. With the village at our six and the hardball to our twelve, we're fucking sitting out here with our dicks in the wind, Staff Sergeant."

"That's true, but until we secure this girl, our dicks will have to wiggle, Kelly. That's the facts of combat." He stared at the corpses. "Alright, you know what?" he said. "Take Red and check for weapons." He turned back to Doc. "Doc... Doc."

He waited for a response. All movement seemed to stop, all eyes fixed on Doc.

"I'm busy, Theo," Doc snapped back as he continued to take her vitals.

"I understand that, but priorities first. We need to secure the perimeter. Do you need Chief?"

Doc took the stethoscope from his ears, draping them around his neck. He palpated her forehead with one hand on top of the other.

"He's in line, for Christ's sake. What do you want me to do?" Tension filled Doc's voice, as did the anger.

"Doc, I need him to post security—Doc? Okay? You've got to stay frosty, Doc," said Theo.

"Fine. Just let me do what I need to do."

Theo started to speak but bit his tongue, knowing how passionate Doc could be. "Have Chief cover our three. I'll watch our nine." He said to me. "Let's pray that these assholes were armed."

With the tension at a lull, we moved into security.

"Red, you heard the man. We're on the move, oscar mike," I said as we branched out. Every Taliban body we walked by we shook with a firm kick and lifted with our boots. The wind caught their turbans, shemaghs, and patos, bending them like sails.

The shifting breeze brought a rotten smell from the village, adding to the stench of the kill. Again, no sewers or sanitation, just the awful odor of waste, urine, and God knows what else.

"I got one, Staff Sergeant," said Red as he leaned down to take an AK-47 with a collapsed stock from the neck of one of the Taliban.

"Got one here too, Theo," I said as I saw the muzzle sticking out from underneath one of the bodies.

"Stay there, Kelly," Theo said, walking toward Red. "Red, gimme." He took the rifle, pointed it towards the woods from where we came and fired. He slowly turned, covering a five to ten-meter semi-circle, the casings falling around where Red had found the body and rifle. He completely emptied the magazine and threw the AK at the dead T-Man's hand.

Walking over to me, he did the same thing, this time only firing four bursts, dropping the rifle near another corpse's head. We found two more armed and did the same thing, firing one or two bursts each.

"Alright, take up a sector, our six—near the village."

"Roger that, Staff Sergeant," I said. He'd left evidence. Brilliant!

I passed the women as I moved towards the village. They were still kneeling, each curled into a ball, trembling and whimpering. I could only assume that the sounds of the AKs were traumatizing. These people knew what that sound meant— death and punishment. I didn't want to look at them, even hear them. I had heard enough crying for one day.

Five village men finally came out, deciding it was time to check on their womenfolk. I couldn't help but spit at them. I raised my rifle, waiting to gun them down. They sickened me just as much as the Taliban—and for a good reason. Where were they when the girl was being stoned? As the women cried and mourned? Were they going to get involved or let the Taliban kill everyone? They were cowards, sheep. Why did we have to do the job they could do themselves? I wanted to shoot them out of spite to make a point.