Prisoner Of War

Battle One

~ This is a purely fictitious novel. It is NOT in support or opposition of any governments or political parties. Enjoy!~

The dull orange glow from my lighter reflected off the mud walls of the trench my team and I sat in. Inhaling deeply, I let the smoke fill the space of my lungs, the nicotine fast acting to relieve the stress building in my shoulders. Looking around at the laughable number of us that have survived since the team's deployment no more than three months ago. Seven out of fifty. Williams, the highest ranking, was shot two hours ago. Leaving me in command of the six shitheads. Ages ranged from eighteen to no older than twenty. I myself am twenty-five. Just a group of kids really, but my age doesn’t seem to sway their image of me being some kind of wise owl. The years of forced service probably aging me in dog years.

“What’s the plan, Luna?” Rodriguez asks as he reloads his gun.

“Let’s rest for fifteen.” Releasing my response with a cloud of smoke. The cover the night provided set the collective anxiety a flame. I was only keeping my own panic at bay with the small paper stick in between my lips that was designed to kill me over time. During the day and at a quick glance, one wouldn’t guess this was an active war zone. The lush green grass varied in size across miles and patches of diverse flowers painted a perfect colorful picture. When looking with more attention, the meadow becomes more sinister. The flowers thought to be red were merely splattered from the bodies. Lengthy grass took hostage of the soulless shells as they decayed, unable to be recovered due to nonstop sideways rain of bullets from either direction. The setting of our battle shouldn’t be so beautiful it was just a cruel reminder that our lives were unfair. We should be experiencing the beauty, but we can’t look past the bodies of our friends to see it or elsewhere besides the scopes of our M14 to ensure kill or be killed. America didn’t deserve these kids.

No one event was the cause of this war, it was the actions and decisions over the last several years that led to this. One of them was betraying our allied countries by selling secret information to countries like Russia, which resulted in America being removed from NATO. This war wasn’t about land or taking over our government, it was about freeing the people who were captive by this country. Those of us who weren’t brainwashed into loyalty were being blackmailed, threatened, or bribed to fight.

I heard it before it made contact, the sound of a sniper bullet whistling through the summer air.

“Get down!” I shouted as I grabbed Scott and yanked her to the floor, a bullet hitting the mud wall where her head was resting seconds before.

“f**k!” I inhaled the smoke from the cigarette I had managed to keep tucked in between my lips. “Gimme that radio!” I barked at Lewis.

"HQ this is T-13 personnel Luna.” I growled as clearly as I could with my cheek pressed into the dirt.

“Go ahead T-13” the static voice urged.

“Under sniper fire, incoming from the northwest, no fatalities.” Watching my cigarette die out pissed me off even more than having to ask for permission to kill someone who is already trying to kill us.

“Proceed to terminate T-13. Report within the hour” The voice came through coldly.

"We will be returning to base within an hour. We do not have the manning to hold this line anymore!” Patience was not something I had, and I was quickly losing control of my already very short temper.

“You can not do that unless given approval by HQ!” the voice tried to retort.

“Well why don’t y'all get to marching in this direction then? You guys are well overdue for your turn up here! My team is returning!” After shutting down the radio, I slid it back to Lewis.

“Scott, you'll move to the north of the trench, I’ll go south. The rest of you cover fire. Scott try to locate where they’re shooting from and shoot a flare in the direction for me to go. I will try to take them out if I don’t shoot a complete flare within 30 minutes, go back to base and report.” I take in all the young faces for what I am sure is the last time.

“Yes, Sargent.” They nod in unison.

The five of them began our cover fire as Scott went one direction and I went the other, staying low as possible. I stopped at the makeshift ladder, my hands resting on either side, closing my eyes, grounding my nerves and focusing on my senses. I climbed up the five-foot wall, peeking over the edge. The distraction of the cover fire allowed me to crawl out. I continue to crawl low like a lizard flat to the ground to avoid being sighted. After several feet, the sound of a flare being fired captured my attention.

“Fuck.” I whispered in shock as the flare flew through the air, illuminating three strongholds fashioned in the form of dirt mounds with small openings for them to shoot out of. Assessing their pyramid formation, I quickly noticed the barrel of the sniper poking out from the mound at the front of the arrangement of mounds. I quickly threw out a red smoke bomb indicating the five in the trench to cese cover fire.

Using the smoke as cover, I swiftly got to my feet and sprinted for the center hold at the last foot of flat land I dropped to my side, using my momentum to slide through the small opening feet first, just narrowly grazing my chest. I could feel the contact of a person against my feet as I fell down a few feet into the pit of the structure. I shot up as soon as my hands connected with the floor facing the sniper, whose attention was caught at the sound of his companion taking my feet to his face. Muscle memory took over before thoughts could form, delivering a punch straight to the sniper's temple, his body slouching into the dirt wall beside him. The person I kicked upon arrival seemed to be getting his bearings as he began to stand in the limited space towering my 5’4 frame. I wrap my fingers around my M9, the repetition making the movement faster each time, sliding it from the holster and flicking the safety off simultaneously. As soon as I aligned his head with my sight gauge, I shot. His body falling, life leaving his eyes.

I didn’t anticipate a third person being in such an enclosed space. Realizing too late as an arm wrapped around my neck, forcefully squeezing tight. I elbowed the person in their side as hard as I could manage, getting a feminine groan in response. The hold on my neck loosened enough for me to lean my head forward to lodge my gun in between our bodies, the gunshot leaving a ringing in my ears at the close proximity. I sighed and rubbed the tenderness of my neck in an attempt to soothe it. I head to the opening and whistled in a low tone, signaling Scott. The red smoke was still heavy in the air after a few minutes, giving her cover. Moments later she too shimmies her way through.

“Alright, I’m guessing the other two holds also have three people, but they are slightly smaller, so hopefully it's just two. There’s also a chance for a high-ranking official in one of them to oversee this tactic they got going on. These dirt mounds weren’t here two hours ago, so they’re trying to push the line and can't do that without a lead present.” I peaked out the window. “ The flare and smoke definitely have them on alert.” I am exhausted, my team doesn’t have any motivation left. I anticipated as much when our unit leader died. He had a way of keeping morale up and striking inspiration in their hearts. I need to get them out of here. Delaying the enemy from closing in might be achievable if I take out the leader. The thought shooting through my mind caused me to meet Scott’s gaze.

“Luna?” her blue eyes shimmering with concern, her pale skin covered in dirt. The sight solidified my decision.

“I’m going to distract them, you are going to retreat to the others and tell them I said to head back to base. No matter what happens, do not let them send you guys back here, fake injury or mental illness, whatever it takes ok?” I lay my hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly.

“Really?” Her voice cracked with emotion.

“ I have been doing this for 4 long years. Most don’t make it to a year. You guys need to go home and leave the military. Now listen closely. You have two minutes to get back to the others and brief them. My goal is to lure out the leader. I am going out in the field and lighting them up with torch flares. The hope being they will try to capture me instead of shooting me. I want you guys to run as soon as I light the flares.” She nods hesitantly and starts out the opening, looking back for a brief second.

I light up a cigarette, tracking two minutes on my watch and then make my way out. Pulling out my three torch flares from my pack, I headed directly behind the dirt strong hold, walking straight to the midpoint of the pyramid compound. I activate one and throw it at the mound to my left, activate another toss to the right, activate the last one and toss it over my shoulder, landing a few feet behind me. I wait they haven’t shot me, they're hesitating. My hope that the sight of a lone female would have them questioning the threat level was working. Lighting what would most likely be my last cigarette. Three puffs later and one person from the right emerges with a handgun aimed at my head. I no longer use my hand to smoke, I just hold the paper stick with my lips as he approaches closer. The moment he steps within reach, I drop then swipe my right leg, sending him to the floor, my empty hands now adorned with my twin raptor claw knives. Impaling his neck to open the artery. No later than a second do I hear the running of boots driving into the soft earth. I grip my knives as I observe the four men running at me ironically the tallest and bulkiest one bears the officer pin.

“Just my f*****g luck.” I sighed at least he’s the fastest. It gives me a chance to off him before others interfere or overpower me.

With his long strides, it didn't take long for him to reach me. His body slightly tilted forward, indicating he was going for a tackle. At the last second, I jumped, stepping on his shoulder, forcing him to the ground with gravity assisting my weight. In the same movement, I pivot to face his head. He’s maneuvered onto his back in the same amount of time I have fully connected my feet to the ground. I swing my knife forward with the inertia of my body dropping to my knees. Like swords, our forearms connect, sliding me off target, lodging my weapon into the dirt rather than his neck. My body now fully weighing against him, my breath catches in my throat as I’m forced to look into his eyes. The beautiful green sends a wave of homesickness through me as I picture the forest back home, the same shade of green. The sudden memories make my body go limp and my eyes water.

“I am so tired.” I whispered, not to him but to the universe. My opponent was also taken by surprise at the sudden change in my demeanor. The shouting from close by shakes us both out of our heads. He recovers faster than me. I’m thrown over onto the ground, him replacing my previous position.

“Mi Dispiace.” he whispers in my ear before drawing back his fist and knocking me out.