“Captain Najarian, you asked me to apprise you if the situation changed,” Staff Sergeant Emerson said as he knocked on his commanding officer’s door and opened it.
“I know what I said, Staff Sergeant, what do you have?” he asked. “Holy shit!” he breathed when he saw the latest satellite imagery. “How many?”
The satellite that took the picture was designed for military crowd control purposes and had been equipped with powerful software technology that could count rioters or combatants with surprising accuracy.
“The computer says six hundred and sixty-six,” the staff sergeant said.
Captain Najarian looked up. “Really? Well that doesn’t bode well, does it.”
“Didn’t take you for a superstitious man.”
“I’m not, I only sent ten men. Now, the question is, do I risk their lives for those lost souls in the truck? What’s the ETA on the extraction team?”
The staff sergeant looked down at his watch. “Three hours forty-seven minutes, sir.”
“And what do you put the odds of these people being alive that long?” the captain asked.
“Sir, I’m amazed they’re not food now.”
“So I’ll put you down as doubtful. Alright, tell the men if they can’t get to those people safely, to come back.”
“Roger that.”
“Remember, Staff Sergeant, I don’t want any heroes. Those people mean nothing to me.”
***
“Lieutenant Barnes, I’m in position.” Corporal Godson said through the handset from the radio that PFC Vongim was carrying.
“Send me a feed,” the lieutenant said, referring to the wireless video camera mounted on the corporal’s helmet that would send a real-time image back to a monitor in the Humvee.
“How in the hell do they have a wireless vid and I’m stuck carrying this twenty pound radio? Does that make any sense to you, Godson?” Vongim asked.
“Listen, Gim, just do what PFCs are supposed to do; carry shit and be silent.” The corporal fumbled around until he pushed in the power button.
“You seeing this, sir?” Godson asked his lieutenant.
“Well, now I know why the staff sergeant said ‘No heroes,’” Barnes responded. “What a fuck fest. Looks like the whole town is out for the party. Stop panning around. I want to see the people in the truck.”
The corporal and the PFC were on the roof of a home six or seven houses away from the melee below them, and even that was barely far enough. The lieutenant fiddled with a dial that gave him the ability to remotely zoom-in.
“Are you nervous, Corporal?” the lieutenant asked.
“Sir?” the corporal asked back.
“Your picture is jiggling around.”
“Sorry, eating a candy bar, sir.”
“Listen Godson, I know you have a tapeworm or some shit, but could you hold off for a minute?” the lieutenant asked.
“You’ve got it, sir,” Godson answered. The picture moved rapidly as Godson chewed his last bite fast and then stilled.
“Well they sure as hell haven’t given up,” the lieutenant said as he watched the men and women in the truck fight. “How long did the staff sergeant say they’ve been out of ammo?”
“Couple of hours now, sir,” Godson replied, wondering when he was going to be able to eat the other half of his Kit-Kat bar. He’d had to trade two bottles of whisky to get it.
“They should have been getting ready to fall on their swords by now,” the lieutenant said softly.
“We’re going in then?”
“Of course. I didn’t come all this way just for your company.”
“And the ‘no heroes’ part?” Godson asked.
“I didn’t authorize any deaths today, Corporal. Pack up and get down here.”
“Yes, sir. I fucking knew he was gonna want to go in,” Godson said to the PFC.
“Corporal, the comm is still open,” the lieutenant said. “Now bend your head down and let me see what you’re so interested in eating. A Kit-Kat? That half is mine. I’ll consider it your punishment for breach of military protocol. Now get your ass down here, I’m starving.”
“Yes, sir. Shut the damn radio off this time will you, Gim. Dammit,” he added at the end as he stuffed the remainder of his prized candy bar back into his pocket.
“Sir there’s close to seven hundred of those ugly fuckers. How are you planning on getting through?” the corporal asked when he was once again face to face with the lieutenant.
“First things first.” The lieutenant extended his hand.
“I was hoping you’d forgotten about that.” Godson handed the candy bar over.
“Not a chance,” the LT said as he savored the morsel. “That was delicious, thank you, Corporal. As for your initial question, why, we’ll do it with superior firepower and potentially superior intellect. Although, in your case, that’s questionable. Those people are fighting like demons. They’ve inspired me to join in the fun.”
“Sir, we’ve got two Hummers, three RPG rounds, and some small arms. We’re not really equipped to take on a horde that big,” Corporal Godson said as he replayed the video he just shot.
“Relax, Godson, I know that. I’ve called in a helicopter for extraction,” the lieutenant said.
“Oh thank God,” Godson said. “I thought for sure you wanted to go in and get them.”
“Not quite.”
“Not quite, sir?” Godson asked.
“It’s going to be a little over an hour before that chopper gets here, and we need to run interference, otherwise I don’t think they’re going to make it. Relax, Corporal, I’ll make sure you get back to your woman in one piece.”
“She’d appreciate that, sir,” Godson said seriously.
“Doubtful, but I’ll still get you home.”