37 Days In A Strange World

by Dave Hazel

  Mykal watched Jake battle to get Finn inside the vehicle. Finn jerked and kicked spastically, but he didn’t speak any words. Four Sosos moved closer to Jake and Finn, but Kurt cut them down with automatic gunfire.

  “Stop that full auto you dumb ass,” Mykal hollered without missing a beat in his shooting. “I’m not gonna tell you again.”

  Mykal couldn’t believe his eyes when more Sosos topped the hills around them. Jake still fought to get Finn into the vehicle. “Get the vehicle over to Jake,” Mykal said and ran in a crouch to Jake’s side.

  Towbar stood in a crowd of Sosos swinging his massive sword skillfully. With one swipe he took a Soso’s head off and nearly cut another Soso in half. Towbar’s blade sliced and severed Soso limbs in all directions as if they were made of paper. The speed of his swordsmanship riveted Mykal.

  Towbar’s blade glowed. Mykal couldn’t understand what caused the bluish radiance. The sword looked like it could’ve been connected to an electrical power source. Blood splashed freely like water.

  Arrows targeted for Towbar seemed to be pulled in magnetically to his glimmering blade. The arrows struck the blade and burst on impact. The shattered pieces fell harmlessly to the ground. “What the hell?” Mykal mumbled. He knew the Sosos wouldn’t aim for Towbar’s sword. “Is it magic?”

  Mykal had been taken aback by all the blood that gushed from Finn’s neck, leaving his face colorless. Finn’s breathing slowed. Mykal knew Finn couldn’t survive. He helped Jake push him inside the Bronco and Finn fell into unconsciousness.

  “Towbar, come on,” Boris yelled.

  “Kurt, punch a hole through the Sosos,” Mykal ordered as Towbar got into the Suburban. He transferred Finn’s blood all over the microphone. “We’ll be right behind you guys.”

  “Got it,” Kurt said and kicked up dirt as he sped away.

  Mykal jumped when an arrow slammed into the dashboard just missing his hand. “Go! Go! Go!” Mykal quickly rolled up his window hoping the glass would deflect any other arrows.

  Jake said nothing. He hunched down over the steering wheel to make himself as small a target as possible. His knuckles and hands burned white.

  A Soso near Mykal’s door hurled an axe at his window, smashing glass into hundreds of little pieces. “Damn it,” Mykal yelped and jolted with fright at the crash. He assumed he could have been killed or injured had the window been down. He gladly accepted the few slivers of glass in his face as opposed to the axe blade crushing his skull. He wanted to kill the Soso who threw the axe, but didn’t have any more fight in him.

  In a matter of moments they distanced themselves from the immediate threat. Mykal and Jake were both sweating and shaking nervously. Though they were safely away from the threat, they couldn’t relax. “Jake, this is what we been dealing with.”

  “What the hell’s going on?” Jake gasped.

  “Oh man,” Mykal moaned after he felt Finn’s sticky neck to find a pulse. There was no pulse. “He’s dead.”

  “I don’t understand this,” Jake said and seemed to crumble back into his seat. “Why is this happening? How’d we get here?”

  “We got a real big problem Jake. I’m talking about Edwards and Mansfield. Cuz of those cowards, two men are dead. All of us coulda been killed. They left us there to die. They were only thinking of themselves. We can’t have them running the show?”

  “Myk, they still outrank us, and we are--”

  “Forget that damned rank shit!” Mykal yelled and saw his sudden rage took Jake by surprise. He looked back at the blood dripping off of Finn’s chin onto the floor where a puddle formed. Finn’s eyes were slightly open, but there was no life in them. “Those worthless cowards are gonna get more people killed just like him. The people back at camp are gonna need a strong leader to get us outta this crazy place. If you let them stay in charge then you’re gonna be responsible for others getting killed,” he added in an attempt to make his friend feel guilty.

  “Hey, hey! Don’t be putting that stuff on my shoulders,” Jake balked. “We need to bring this up to Lt Light and MSgt Flemour and see what they suggest. All I’m asking, Myk, don’t start any trouble. For now, let Edwards be in control. After what’s happened, maybe he’ll look at everything differently. When we get back to the real world, I’m going to do my best to make sure he is brought up on charges of murder by negligence. You warned him and everything still happened the way it did.”

  “C’mon, Jake. You’ll never make that happen.” He gave a big disappointed sigh. “How are you gonna prove it? And that’s if we ever get home, not when we get home.”

  “We’ll just have to keep hoping and trying.”

  “Seriously Jake, are you kidding me? Well, if you ain’t gonna step up, maybe Edwards won’t make it back then. He might get left here, or he might die in a battle. Maybe he’ll get hit by friendly fire, accidentally of course.” He gave a crooked smirk.

  “I don’t hear this,” Jake said and pointed one of his long boney fingers in Mykal’s face. “You’re hinting at murder. I’ve known you for a long time Myk. I know you’re no angel, but this is crossing the line. It’s one thing when you guys break the rules and do stuff outside of regulations, but murder? Murder of one of our own? You’re not the same Mykal I knew a week ago.”

  “Murder of one of our own? Look what Edwards and Mansfield just did to Finn and Miller? They’re not part of us.”

  “Myk, they didn’t commit cold blooded murder. But I’ll do my best to see they’re held responsible when we get back.”

  Mykal shook his head with disgust. “Yeah right, I doubt it. We should be clear of the Sosos. Let’s stop so we can get his body outta here. I don’t wanna be riding around with a dead guy in the truck.”

  Jake sighed. “Man, I can’t believe they’re really dead.”

  “Boris and Kurt, can you guys hear me?” Mykal asked.

  “Loud and clear,” Boris replied.

  “We stopped. Come back here to where me and Jake are.”

  Mykal and Jake sat in silence while they awaited the return of the others. They refused to look at Finn’s lifeless form.

  “What’s up Sarge?” Kurt asked when everyone got out.

  “Mykal, my friend, are you injured?” Towbar asked. He seemed deeply concerned by the blood on Mykal’s face. He inspected Mykal’s face and found pieces of glass in his cheek.

  “No, I’m alright.” Mykal smiled while pushing the giant’s monstrous, yet gentle, hands away. “He’s a regular Marcus Welby, MD.” Mykal smirked to hide his embarrassment. “I didn’t even know I was bleeding. Come on Towbar, I’m alright,” he laughed while pushing the giant’s tender touch away.

  “What’d we stop for?” Sam asked. “I wanna get outta here.”

  “Finn’s dead. I wanted to dump his body,” he said and realized how cold that must have sounded. “I didn’t mean that to sound bad. I just need to get him outta the vehicle.”

  “Should we bury him?” Jake asked.

  “Jake, it’s getting close to dark,” Sam protested. “I think we need to go. Let’s just dump his ass and get going.”

  “I don’t wanna just leave him here like that. I feel somewhat responsible for his death,” Jake said.

  “Jake, get real. It’s not your fault. It was those two friggin cowards that left him here to die,” Mykal said as he and Kurt pulled Finn’s corpse from the vehicle. “Nelson didn’t get buried. Miller’s not gonna get buried. We can’t bury him.”

  “Man, they tore him up with those arrows,” Sam gasped.

  “One of the death arrows just missed my hand by this much,” Mykal said and used his fingers to show how close the arrow came to his hand. “Then I almost got hit with this damn thing,” he explained and pulled out the axe that crashed through his window.

  “Dang Sarge, that woulda ruined yer day,” Rich said.

  “Did you guys see what happened to Miller?” Boris asked.

  “Yeah, it looked like he took twenty arrows,” Sam replied.

/>   “I’m talking about after that.” Boris rolled his eyes and shook his head. “About six Soso bastards stopped and chopped him into little pieces. They just kept hacking away like crazy.”

  Mykal grabbed two web belts with ammo pouches from Jake’s Bronco. “Jake, are these Miller’s and Finn’s?”

  “One was Miller’s, but the other is Edwards’.”

  “These’re mine now. Let that coward Edwards try to take it from me,” he snarled with hatred. He passed extra magazines to his friends. “We’re gonna need every round we can get our hands on.” Mykal stopped at Kurt. “Kurt, I’m not screwing around with you anymore.” He stared hard into his friend’s eyes. “If you keep shooting on full auto I’m going to take all your ammo from you. How many did you kill with that blast of full auto?”

  “I dunno, I think I got four of them,” Kurt said and gave a humiliated frown. “I didn’t mean to shoot on full auto. It slipped.” In his embarrassment of Mykal’s rebuke his attempt at humor got the others to laugh.

  “I’m not playing friggin games with you anymore,” Mykal snapped. “Our asses are on the line and once our ammo is gone, that’s it!”

  “I’m sorry. I give you my word, Myk, I promise not to waste anymore ammo. But hey Sarge, seriously, you better stop playing ‘Johnny Hero’. You’re gonna get your ass burned playing a hero.”

  “Yeah Myk, why’d y’all try to save Finn anyways?” Rich asked. “We’re not sure if’n he’d be any bed’er than Edwards or not.”

  “Finn was a good guy,” Jake replied. “I got to be pretty tight with him over the past couple of days. He wouldn’t have been anything like Edwards and Mansfield.”

  “Now, we’ll never know,” Mykal said. “Listen, we don’t know how long we’re gonna be stuck here. We’re gonna have to rely on the rest of the Crew. There’s safety and strength in numbers.”

  “Except for chicken shit and fat ass,” Kurt spat.

  Mykal nodded. “I don’t think we’ll ever be able to trust them. But for the numbers we need them. Among us, I’m telling you right now, my biggest pet peeve, my biggest gripe and the one thing that will piss me off the most, is wasting ammo. It’s a limited resource we can’t replace. That’s all I’m gonna say about it. Let’s go. Boris, you and Rich ride with Jake, I’m gonna ride with Kurt, Sam, and Towbar.”

  “Hey, Denny’s on the radio. Come here,” Kurt called out.

  They rushed to the doors of the vehicles to listen to the radio transmission. “--do you read me Sir?... Lt Edwards, where are the others? Did something happen?... Sir, did you guys come under attack?... Lt Edwards, answer me!” Denny paused.

  “Denny, this is Myk. I take it they just passed you guys?”

  “Yeah, like a bat outta hell. He’s not responding to his radio and he didn’t even slow down when they neared us. What’s wrong? We stopped to set up camp for the night and he blew right by us like he didn’t see us and he almost ran over Kotan.”

  “You better break up your camp and keep moving. Don’t stop for anything,” Mykal replied. “We just got hit by hundreds of Sosos back at the village. Our two fearless leaders took off, and the cowardly bastards left us to die. I hope they heard me,” Mykal said in his defiance of radio protocol.

  “Is everyone alright?” Denny sounded shocked.

  “No! Finn and Miller are both dead! Yes, I said that over the damn radio. We’ll explain when we catch up to you guys.”

  “Mykal, my friend, I am concerned.” Towbar said when they drove off.

  “About what?” Mykal asked. Both Kurt and Sam glanced back at the giant.

  “Since the Sosos know I am in the land. I fear their attacks will come faster. They will assume my army is at the Pass. They will destroy the towns and villages this side of the mountains. They will move swiftly to attack the Pass. There are no forces to defend the Pass opening other than a few townspeople. If they take the Pass my country will be doomed.”

  “What do you think we should do?” Mykal asked.

  “First, we must warn your people. They are in the path of the armies that will descend from the north. We have encountered small groups sent to scout the area and destroy what they can.”

  “Damn, if that’s the size of their reconnaissance missions, we’re in trouble.” Kurt shook his head.

  “Denny,” Mykal called into the radio. “Towbar thinks the convoy is in the path of a major Sosos assault coming from the north. We can’t reach them from here, so see if you can get them on the radio to warn them. If you get through make sure you talk to Lt Light personally. Tell them they are in danger.”

  “Where we gonna go, Myk?” Larry’s Boston accent came through the static filled speaker instead of Denny.

  “We’ll talk about that later.”

  Mykal wanted to express how bad he desired to wrap his hands around Edwards’ neck, but then he would be opening himself up to premeditated murder. He stewed over the cowardly actions of Edwards and Mansfield costing the lives of two men and he grew angrier. Two men with families, like him, were left to die. The ideas he imagined rivaled some of the work of the Sosos.

  CHAPTER SIX – Day 5

  1. Monday, June 27th 1983

  0432 hours, Between Jamison and the Convoy’s Camp.

  “Hey Myk. Come on, get up. It’s 4:30,” Sam said and reached over the front seat to shake him. “You wanted up now.” The illuminated numbers of his watch cast a glow in the darkness.

  “I’m up, thanks,” he groaned and sounded half asleep. “This sleeping inside the truck stuff has gotta stop.” He rubbed his hands over his face and jolted with sudden pain. “Damn, I still got glass in my face.” He patted his marred flesh and tried to determine how many slivers of glass remained embedded. “When it gets light out I need someone to get this glass outta my face.”

  “I will remove it, my friend,” Towbar said. He sat in the same rigid position when Mykal fell asleep a few hours ago.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you, big guy.”

  “I have been awake, my friend.”

  “Well I wasn’t, damn it,” Kurt grumbled. He tossed angrily in the third seat. “I’m still trying to sleep back here.”

  “Deal with it. Sam, call Denny on the radio and tell him to stop. Towbar, let’s grab some food and we’ll take off and go back to the camp. I know those people are still hungry.”

  “What belongs to me is yours, my friend.”

  They traveled slower speeds during the night to allow Towbar’s horses to keep pace with them. They drove in shifts so everyone could sleep for longer periods of time. Towbar’s men slept on horseback and to Mykal’s surprise none of them fell off their mount. Sleeping on horseback was part of their training.

  Jake joined the small gathering outside the vehicles “What’s going on?” Jake shivered in the brisk morning air. He looked like he just woke from his sleep.

  “I’m gonna take off to get everyone at the convoy ready to leave. And I’m taking more food, cuz some people didn’t get any yesterday.”

  “I’m going this time!” Larry demanded. “I’m tired of traveling in slow motion.”

  “Cool. It’ll be good to have you with me.” Mykal said.

  “Why, what are you planning on doing when you get back there?” Jake asked. “I don’t like the smirk you gave Larry.”

  “Me? Whadda ya talking about, Jake? What would I do?”

  Jake shook his head. “Myk, don’t play dumb with me. You know I’m talking about Edwards and Mansfield.”

  “What would I do?” Mykal’s soft tone masked his hatred. “Just cuz those two cowards caused Finn and Miller to get killed, and left us there to die, running away like little sissy crybabies. What makes you think I would do anything to jeopardize this fabulous Air Force career I have going?”

  “Uh oh, that’s it.” Jake held up his hand. “I’m going back. I need to protect you from you.”

  “You don’t trust me?” Mykal laughed. “Listen Jake, what I’d like to do, and what I’m gonna do, are two
different things.”

  Jake winked. “I trust you. I just don’t trust your temper.”

  “Denny, I’ll leave Boris and Rich with you and Franklin.”

  Roy Jr. and Randy walked into the group. “Daddy’s sleeping. We’ll lag behind with Denny,” Randy said. “Daddy’s still taking Baby Ray’s death pretty hard. We are too for that matter.”

  “Anything we can do, let us know.” Mykal smiled at their nods of appreciation. “Larry, help Sam load up--”

  “Wow, look at that fog,” Larry gasped.

  All heads turned expecting to see the mysterious green fog that transported them to Towbar’s world. Instead, a white misty cloud rolled in toward them. Without green, it appeared to be a normal fog. “Well, that’s a letdown,” Mykal said and relaxed. “I thought it would be our ride home.”

  2.

  Despite low visibility in the fog, Kurt drove the Suburban dangerously fast. Jake and Sam kept pace in the Bronco. The only hazard to fear would be racing into a swarm of Sosos. The sun rose making it look like the start of a beautiful day.

  Within a couple of hours the convoy came into view. “I just can’t wait to hear Edwards and Mansfield’s version of how it happened,” Mykal said. “How can they defend not helping us and then just up and leaving us to die?” His anger increased incrementally the more he thought about it.

  The makeshift camp had been set up as two camps beside each other. The Payload transporter and Light’s men were a camp to themselves. Light didn’t allow anyone near the nuclear missile, though he did use Edwards’ men in the guard duty rotation. The second camp consisted of Mykal’s entire Crew and the civilians who also became lost through the green fog.

  As they drove into the camp, many of the guards left their posts to greet them. From the previous day Mykal knew the frustration level was extremely high. He learned the food and water supplies were almost nonexistent, and morale to be very low. The two most common complaints he heard; “the leaders don’t know what to do,” and “we’re gonna die out here.”