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The vehicle Sean rode in was one of two MRAPs that sped ahead to make sure the gate was open before the rest of the convoy arrived. Sean was getting nauseous and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the loud, stuffy and smelly vehicle he rode in or if his anxiety and nerves had finally reached a tipping point. His sole concentration was on not puking in front of the other soldiers. After what seemed like an eternity, Sean heard Captain Spears yell from the front, “Gate ahead!” Instantly the rear door started to open next to him, even though they hadn’t come to a complete stop yet. Sean could see the second massive MRAP directly behind them, and suddenly he was less concerned about puking and more concerned with falling out of the vehicle and getting run over. He desperately started looking around for something to hold on to. By the time he found a hanging loop of webbing material above his head, the MRAP was screeching to a halt, causing his entire body weight to slam into the soldier next to him. In an instant the vehicle was stopped and Captain Spears was yelling loudly, “Dismount! Dismount!”
The soldier next to him practically pushed Sean out the rear hatch of the vehicle and Sean stumbled down the ramp. He paused for just a moment to allow the rest of the soldiers to exit the vehicle before rushing forward. Zip! Sean felt more than heard a bullet whiz past his ear, and then a second one, Zip! Suddenly Sean heard a couple of the soldiers behind him returning fire. He wasn’t even sure who they were firing at as Sean had not even seen a muzzle flash from the people shooting at them. Five feet from the gate, Sean made a sharp right turn into the tree line. Suddenly there was an incredible amount of cracking and popping as bullets whizzed through the trees and underbrush all around Sean. He half fell and half tumbled to the ground, crawling the last few feet in the dark to the large oak tree in front of him where he knew he would find the hide-a-key at the base. Any feeling of nausea was now gone and Sean just focused on finding the key.
Sean scrambled around on his hands and knees as many more bullets crashed into the thick underbrush they were crouched down in. “Hurry up!” one of the soldiers behind him yelled.
“I am!” he hollered back defensively as his fingers frantically scraped the dirt around the base of the tree. Sean knew that if he used his flashlight it would act as a beacon for the looters to aim at. Finally his figures felt the plastic of the hide-a-key rock and he yelled back, “I got it! Let’s go!”
Just as they were turning back towards the MRAP, Sean heard the fifty-caliber machine gun on top the MRAP open fire for a few seconds and he saw the long flames of its muzzle blast through the underbrush. It nearly deafened him and he forced his ear down on his shoulder as the hand with the rock covered his other ear until it stopped firing. There was no mistaking the fact that he had forgotten his ear protection in his pack, but there was no time to get it now. The six soldiers made their way to the gate and all of them opened fire at random targets. They were definitely being shot at, but Sean wasn’t sure what they could see in the pitch black night that he couldn’t. His fingers fumbled the key into the lock and he ripped the chain out of the gate before racing it forward into the open position. As soon as he had the gate all the way open, he heard the roar of the two MRAPs’ engines as they rushed past him and the six soldiers who had acted as escorts scrambled for reliable cover. Sean was stuck out in the open by himself, fumbling with the log that was there to keep the gate propped open. The zip and crack of bullets whizzing by made Sean continuously flinch, and it took him more than a few tries to get the log positioned just right. He raced after the lead MRAP which still had its rear loading gate half down. Sean was only a few feet from the ramp when he sensed what felt like a bee sting him in the calf. It was obviously more than a bee’s sting, though, as the next time his right leg planted he ended up pitching forward and falling onto his side. He came to rest at the base of the cargo ramp. Sean wasted no time and pulled himself onto the ramp and into the back of the MRAP.
He crawled forward and hollered up front, “I’m in!” Without a word in response, the rear cargo ramp closed and Sean relaxed for the first time since he had stepped outside. His heart was pounding and he took a few deep breaths to try and relax. That’s when the pain set in. It initially started as a burning sensation before a sharp pain like a lightning bolt ripped through his calf. The pain was so sharp that it caused his body to convulse; then it was gone and the slow burn returned. He bent his knee and inspected his leg but couldn’t really see anything out of place until he turned it to the right. The back of his pant leg below his knee looked wet in the dim red light of the MRAP. He wiped his pant leg with his hand and held it up in front of his face where he could see his hand was wet. Sean pulled a flashlight from his pack and turned it on. There was no mistaking it this time. His hand wasn’t just wet; it was covered in blood. He was shot.
The bright white light of Sean’s flashlight caused Captain Spears to turn around, only to discover Sean staring at his bloody hand in shock. “Dammit!” Captain Spears yelled loudly. “Medic!” he yelled into the mic. “Bones, send Sergeant Crawford up here now!” Sean felt a cool breeze as the rear cargo gate lowered once more and seconds later a soldier was half diving into the back of the vehicle. With the gate down, Sean noticed that the sound of gunfire from outside was definitely louder. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Sean knew from his prior SERE medical training that he must be going into shock and he shook his head to clear the cobwebs, but it didn’t help. The world around him was still moving at a snail’s pace.
The soldier wore a large pack which he quickly shrugged off as he slid up next to Sean. “Where you hit, Buddy?” the man yelled over the engine of the MRAP and the hydraulics of the rear gate closing. Sean tried to respond, as this was a simple question, but his mouth had gone completely dry. Sean was afraid if he tried to speak his dry lips would crack painfully, so he just slowly pointed down at his leg. In rapid fashion the man had a pair of sheers in his hand and was quickly cutting off Sean’s pants below the knee. ‘Those were my favorite pants...I hope they are still on sale at Amazon...,’ Sean thought to himself.
Suddenly another sharp lightning bolt shot through his body as the soldier stuck his gloved finger in the entry hole of his wound. Sean involuntarily screamed out loud as the world suddenly came back into sharp focus. He could once again smell the diesel fuel and feel the stuffy humidity, and for the first time he realized sweat was pouring down his face.
Sean sat upright and the soldier looked up after placing a bandage on the rear of his leg. “There you are!” he hollered. He must have been able to tell that Sean was seeing clearer now.
“I’m sorry!” Sean hollered back in a croak. He grabbed the tube of his camelback bladder hanging on the side of his pack and took a couple long draws to wet his throat. Licking his lips, Sean offered, “I guess I kinda zoned out there for a second.”
The man smiled politely. “It happens to the best of ‘em. You think you can help me real quick?”
“Yeah,” Sean yelled back as he shook the last cobwebs out of his brain. “What do you need me to do?”
“Just hold tight pressure on both these bandages, alright?” the man asked.
Sean nodded his head and carefully slid his hands under the medic’s hands and pressed firmly. There was more pain the harder he squeezed, but for the most part the wound had returned to a dull throbbing and burning sensation. Sean watched as the medic opened the large pack to reveal an entire mobile hospital with hundreds of pouches and straps holding everything a doctor might need. The man quickly pulled on a pair of sterile gloves and went to work patching Sean up.
The soldier flushed the wound with iodine thoroughly and gave him a couple pricks from a needle to numb the entry and exit wound. Then he used a stapler to close the small hole on the right side of his calf and the slightly larger hole on the left side, which took two staples. Even though the medic had numbed the two areas, the staples still hurt like the dickens and made him flinch each time the stapler ‘clicked.’ The medic placed a generous portion of some goopy salve on both wounds before wrapping Sean’s leg tightly with fresh bandages.
A few minutes later, Captain Spears hollered from up front. “How is he?”
“He’s gonna be alright!” the medic hollered back. “It’s a through-and-through to his calf muscle. I’ll have him patched up in a minute...He’ll live!” He looked up at Sean with a wink.
“Good!” Captain Spears hollered back. “The rest of the platoons are coming through as we speak.”
The medic finished applying the final wrap around Sean’s calf and hollered out, “You’re good to go!” The soldier helped pull Sean to his feet and watched closely as he tested his stance. Sean was surprised at the fact that he only felt a dull throbbing now: probably because of the numbing shots. He bounced back and forth a couple times and felt as if he could make a solid run if he needed to.
“Thank you!” Sean hollered back, thoroughly surprised.
“Don’t thank me yet,” the medic smiled as he placed his hand on Sean’s shoulder and leaned in closer so he wouldn’t have to yell over the engine of the MRAP. “That’s going to hurt like hell tomorrow. Even though the bullet passed straight through, the cavitation caused shockwaves through your calf muscle which will produce some serious bruising. You’ll likely not be able to put any pressure on that leg the next few days so enjoy walking while it lasts....” Sean grimaced and nodded his head in understanding. “You’re gonna want to stay off it for at least a week and keep the wound clean and the dressings changed. Your calf will probably turn black, but watch out for infection around the wounds themselves. If they start to swell or produce an oozing puss, you’re going to need to have someone look at it right away, okay?” Sean nodded his head once more. “Remember, keep it clean and don’t overdo it! Also, I hate to give you the bad news, but no, those pants aren’t still on sale at Amazon.” He finished the last with a chuckle and a pat on the back.
Sean laughed and tried to holler back an explanation to the medic who had knelt down to put his equipment away and close his pack. “I didn’t realize I said that out loud!” The medic only looked up and grinned, causing Sean to feel silly. He felt his cheeks grow hot and was thankful that the red lighting in the vehicle would hide his embarrassment. “Thanks again!”
“Don’t mention it!” the medic responded before zipping the pack closed, throwing it over his back, and walking to the rear of the vehicle where his fist gave two large bangs to the rear gate. A moment later the gate swung down and the medic jumped out without so much as a wave good-bye. The soldier had barely cleared the platform before the gate went into reverse and started to close.
Sean shook his head and muttered, “I can’t believe I got shot. Maria’s gonna kill me.” As he began to think more clearly, he remembered the mission they were on. He gingerly climbed into the second row of seats and leaned forward between the driver and Captain Spears, who sat in the passenger seat.
Sean startled them a little as he leaned forward. “How are you feeling?” Captain Spears asked, concerned.
“I’m fine!” Sean answered loudly.
“That’s good. When I first saw you, I thought you were a gonner.”
“I just zoned out for a few; I’m okay now. Where do we stand? What’s going on?” Sean inquired.
“Second Platoon has surrounded the watchtower and is waiting to proceed. Fourth Platoon is in position.” Captain Spears pointed to the other side of the field where a dozen MRAPs sat at the edge of the woods. Sean could see dozens of soldiers taking cover behind them. Suddenly, the fifty on one of the MRAPs opened fire, shooting at someone fleeing across the open field. The muzzle flash lit up the surrounding MRAPs like a lantern. Sean watched the dark silhouette in the open field fall and lie still. Captain Spears didn’t even comment about what they had just witnessed, he simply continued, “Third Platoon is in position and making ready to assault the main building. They are taking fire from the tower room of the main retreat, though, and they’re currently waiting for the two scout sniper teams to get into position and take them out.” Captain Spears rubbed his chin for a minute before asking in a concerned voice. “There’s no chance those are your friends shooting at us, is there?”
Sean shook his head. “No, they know we are on our way to help them. If your men are being shot at, it’s not by us.”
“Okay,” Captain Spears said somewhat reluctantly.
“What about the watchtower? Is anyone still alive?” Sean asked somberly.
Captain Spears shook his head. “I don’t know, Sean. I haven’t heard word back yet that our third sniper team is in position. They didn’t mention being fired at from the watchtower, though. The floor hatch was locked from above, so they are going to have to climb around from the outside and they’re going to take their time as they don’t know who might be occupying it at this point.” Sean nodded his head in understanding, and instantly all the anxiety that had left him when he exited the MRAP earlier came flooding back.
“What about First Platoon...did they make it to the intersection?” Sean asked.
“Yeah, they just got there a few seconds ago. They made a wrong turn getting there, but they figured it out quickly enough and got turned around. They haven’t encountered anyone fleeing yet.”
Sean heard a squawk from the handheld and Captain Spears lifted it to his ear as Sean leaned closer. “This is Raven 1 in position, requesting permission to fire on the main retreat’s tower room.”
Captain Spears turned his head to Sean and they briefly made eye contact. Sean prayed to God that he was right. “Yes, Raven 1, you are clear to fire when ready.”
As if in reply, the radio squawked again. “This is Raven 2. We’re in position. Do we have permission to fire?”
Captain Spears didn’t pause this time. “Fire at your discretion, Raven 2.”
A minute or two passed before another transmission came through. “This is Raven 2. Tower threats have been eliminated.”
“Third Platoon, move in!” Captain Spears ordered.
“This is Third Platoon, copy that. We are moving in!”
Without pausing, Spears keyed the mic again. “Northern Fence, are you in position yet?”
“This is Northern Fence. We are in position, but we are also taking considerable fire from multiple directions, especially from Farmhouse 1.”
“Northern Fence, do you need reinforcements?” Captain Spears asked, concerned for the three MRAPs who were positioned by themselves at the northern end of the compound.
“Negative, Sir!” came the confident reply. “We are only taking small arms fire, nothing that is a threat.”
“Copy that, Northern Fence,” Spears responded. “Second and Fourth Platoons, you may proceed.”
“Copy that. Fourth Platoon on the move.”
“Second Platoon moving to Farmhouse 2.”
A few minutes of silence followed before the radio came alive once more. “This is Raven 3. We are in position Overwatch in the watchtower. Requesting a medic ASAP. We have two civilian KIA’s and one civilian in serious condition!” Sean’s heart sank as the news hit him like a rock. Who was it? Could it be Randy, Caleb, Damian, one of their wives? Sean fought down the impulse to grab the handheld from Captain Spears’ hand and beg for more information from the Sniper Team in the watchtower. Just knowing that friends he had been living with only a few weeks prior were dead was enough to send Sean’s head spinning.
“Copy that, Raven 3. Whiplash, can you send your medic team to the watchtower?”
“This is Whiplash. Fifth Platoon medic is on its way,” Sean heard Colonel Harris’s voice respond through Spears’ handheld.
Captain Spears turned to Sean with compassion and paused, not sure what to say, before offering, “I’m sorry, Sean.” Sean couldn’t speak at the moment and his guts were in a huge knot. He just gave a quick nod to the captain and watched as Fourth Platoon’s MRAPs slowly rolled forward, flanked on the north side by dozens of soldiers using the mine resistant vehicles as cover. They quickly rounded the knoll and Sean lost sight of them.
“This is Third Platoon. We have surrounded the main building. We’re getting ready to place charges.”
“Charges?” Sean inquired loudly to Captain Spears.
“Yeah! How else to you expect them to make entry?” Captain Spears asked loudly.
“I have the keys right here in my pocket!” Sean hollered back, taking the gate key ring out of his pocket, which held two other keys on it, and holding it up in the faint red light.
“Why didn’t you tell us that earlier?” Captain Spears demanded angrily.
“I don’t know!” Sean said defensively. “I forgot the cabin keys would be in there as well.”
Captain Spears shook his head irritably at Sean before keying the mic, “Third Platoon stand fast for now. Do NOT place charges.”
“Copy that. Third Platoon standing fast.” Sean wasn’t sure who made the transmission from Third Platoon, but the soldier was obviously irritated.
Captain Spears turned to Sean and pointed to the rear seat beside him. “Hurry up and hand me my pack!” Sean grabbed Captain Spears’ pack and handed it forward as the captain took his M4 from between his legs and slung it over his shoulder. “Corporal, after I get out, drive Sean up to the main retreat as quickly as possible!” The driver nodded his understanding before Captain Spears turned back to Sean. “You are to stay in the vehicle and give the key to Sergeant Wallace when you get there. Understood?” Sean nodded his head in understanding. “Don’t get out of the vehicle!” Captain Spears reiterated before adjusting the pack in his hand and pushing the heavy door open. He hollered back to Sean as he jumped out of the vehicle, headed for the MRAP behind them, “If I get shot, I’m personally going to kick your ass, Sean!” Suddenly the door slammed closed and without hesitation, the MRAP jolted forward.