by Dave Hazel
“Well if we--” Ski started.
“Enough!” Jake cut Ski off. “No more religious talk. This is neither the time nor the place.”
Mousy Black sneered. “Good, if you let these Christians--”
“Stop! That goes for you too.” Jake pointed a threatening finger in Black’s face. Jake’s threating finger caused Black’s lips to purse. His pursed lips, thin mustache, beady eyes and larger than normal ears gave a picture perfect expression how his hated nick-name came to be.
“Back to what I was saying,” Mykal resumed after silence reigned. “If we target the archers, the townspeople will stop the Sosos climbing out of the pit. When the archers and death arrows have been neutralized then we can shoot at others.”
“What if someone’s in danger?” Mansfield looked up from his list of directives resting on his blubbery belly. “Can the men shoot at others if archers haven’t been completely taken out?”
Mykal looked at Mansfield to judge his seriousness. ‘What a dumb ass question,’ he thought as Mansfield waited for an answer to write in his notebook. It made Mykal realize some of these “by the book” people are so concerned with following their rules and regulations they lose their common sense.
“By all means if someone is in danger, we need to rescue and protect our own first,” Mykal answered, keeping his tone civil. “Then make sure the archers are taken out of the fight.”
“What about taking prisoners?” Lt Edwards asked.
“Oh, good question Sir.” Mansfield wrote in adoring fervor.
Towbar looked baffled. “Do you mean taking Sosos captive?”
“Yes.” Edwards looked proud of himself that he came up with a brilliant idea. “It’s possible we may be able to capture a few Sosos and then we would be able to interrogate them.”
“This is the strangest thing I have ever heard,” Towbar said and his face twisted as if he smelled an odd odor, forcing a few people to hide their laughter. “Sosos will never allow themselves to be taken captive. They will fight until they are dead. Should you capture a Soso what information could you possibly gain that would be worthwhile?”
Mansfield looked up from his tablet. “Maybe we could find out why they are so filled with hatred toward your people, and maybe we could use that information to somehow make amends.”
“This is the talk of a fool,” Towbar scoffed.
“Friggin bleeding heart liberal,” Larry whispered to Mykal.
“I’m sure there will be some left on the battlefield that can’t get away,” Edwards suggested. “We could capture those--”
“Sosos will kill themselves if they can not escape. Those who are unable to kill themselves will be struck down by my people. The only good to come from a Soso is their last breath.”
“Or as we would say,” Mykal started. Larry and Denny spoke in unison with him: “The only good Soso is a dead Soso,” they said prompting the group to laugh and clap. They continued to hash out their rules and plans.
The rules were simple:
1-Don’t waste ammunition.
2-Archers are top priority targets.
3-Protect each other and the locals fighting at the pit.
4-Don’t get killed.
Number 4 was mentioned as a joke, but Mansfield wrote it in his notebook and circled it.
3.
Mykal helped some of the townspeople place dirt and grass over the covering of the pit. He had been surprised by the amount of blankets, bed sheets, and cloth material provided by the people of Gartolin. The people also weaved a lattice works from vines and long thin branches.
From the corner of his eye Mykal spotted a pair of shapely legs standing off to the side of him. They were slender and silky smooth despite blotches of dirt. He saw knees to the bare ankles. Doninka, the girl he met the day before, wore a ragged dress, and looked as if she had been working hard. She brought a pail of water from the water cart.
“Would you like a drink?” She asked when Mykal looked up.
“Sure.” He smiled and straightened himself up like a man sixty years his senior. Just as he prepared to enjoy his first swig, he saw the nearby townspeople staring at him as if waiting for permission to get a drink as well. “Go ahead, get a drink. Take five and smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.”
“Take five of what? And smoke what?” Doninka asked.
Mykal smirked at the strange look she gave him. “It’s just a saying from where I come from. It means to take a break.”
“You say the strangest things.” Her brow crinkled over her caramel colored eyes. “The people like you,” she said while he drank.
“Anybody will like ya when you have a giant for a friend.” He grinned in a deprecating manner.
“That is not true,” she politely corrected him. “You have done much for our people. You set a good example. You work hard for a people not your own. My people, I mean our people, think highly of you. They respect you. You are a good man, Mykal.”
“Well I’m not doing anything to win a popularity contest. I’m doing the things I’m doing cuz our lives are on the line.”
“I have heard much talk. I must admit I am frightened.” She frowned. “I hope our army arrives soon. We have not the numbers to stand against the Sosos. It is not possible to survive their attacks. Do you know what the Sosos will do when they attack?”
Mykal eyed Doninka and her expression of worry reminded him of Pam. Where Pam would fret about paying bills, one of the children being sick or be concerned about Mykal getting orders overseas, Doninka worried about life and death.
“Do you?” She asked again when he didn’t respond.
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen villages they’ve butchered. But you don’t know us. Not only do I think we’re gonna survive their attacks, we’re gonna beat them back. We just need to hold on till the soldiers get here. I personally think they’ll get here in time. Besides the obvious, what else are you afraid of?”
“Kotan said there are well over two hundred thousand Sosos gathered beyond our sight,” she turned to the opening of the Pass. “He mentioned more are coming. When they attack, we will be powerless to defend against an army of that size.”
“I don’t know how many Sosos are out there,” he shrugged and looked to the opening of the Pass with her. “But we’re not powerless to hold them off as you think, you’ll see.”
“You are not one hundred strong. It does not make sense to say you will be able to fight off the Soso army.” She looked down at the pit. “This trap we set will work until the Sosos have filled it with their own dead. Then they will walk over their dead to get to us.”
“Doninka, I understand your concern, but wait till you’ve seen us in action, you’ll see. And who knows? Maybe Towbar’s army will arrive before any of that happens.”
“Thank you for your comforting words. I will hold on to those words, Mykal. You are a great man so I will trust you.”
“Great? Me? Are you kiddin’ me?” He laughed.
“Towbar has told me the kind of man you are. You risk your life to save the lives of others. You have done much for our people and you do not know our people. You are a great man, Mykal. We are indebted to you for our very lives. We are willing to give you anything you would ask of us. Anything.”
Mykal sensed Doninka offered herself to him. As tempting and flattering as that felt, he knew he could never betray his wife. His source of inner strength came from his devotion and commitment to Pam. He didn’t want to toy with that.
“Look Doninka, I really appreciate it that you and your people think highly of me, but don’t. I’m just a guy like any other. I don’t wanna have that pressure on me that I gotta live up to some fictional character you guys created. I’m an everyday, run of the mill, Joe Blow from down the street. Sure I like helping people, but I’m not doing everything here to be a Mother Teresa outta the kindness of my heart. I’m doing this stuff for selfish reasons. The only thing I care about is getting back home to my wife and two sons.”
“You have a family?” She asked with great surprise.
“Yeah, and I miss them very much.”
“Oh, I, I, did not know you were attached.” She sounded sad as she forced a weak smile. “What will you do if there are no means of returning to your family?”
“I don’t know,” he sighed. “I guess it’s possible we may never make it back home. But I don’t wanna think about that.”
“We view you as a great man. Towbar also thinks as much.”
He smiled shyly and shook his head. He needed to change the subject. “I wish you could meet my wife. I know she would like you and I think you’d like her too.”
“I do not think I would like to meet your wife.” Her curt reply surprised him. “I would fear growing fond of her and thus becoming her friend. I must be going.” She suddenly turned away.
“Whoa, whadda ya mean by that? Doninka wait. What’s wrong? Did I say something to offend you?” With both hands held out, dumbstruck with confusion, he looked to see if someone heard what he might have said wrong. “Aw, hell with it.”
He noticed his friends gathered to eat. He joined Denny, Boris, Kurt, Larry, Sam, Rich, Roy and his two sons, who pulled away from the others. They found a spot in the open grass. Ted Kraft and his younger brother Brian walked with Stinky Feet Smith and Lopez, whose arm was still in a sling. They approached the small group just as Mykal joined them.
“I see you guys are ready to pig out,” Mykal said.
“Hey Sarge,” Kurt turned to Mykal. “We, the ones who did the work around here, worked up one hell of an appetite. We busted our humps while I saw you makin’ time with Doninka, that sweet little hammer,” he joked and gave an exaggerated wink.
“Kurt, you’d work up an appetite just breathing,” Boris jumped in to defend Mykal.
“Hey, it’s a lot of work to breathe for a big Adonis body like this. But you should talk, you fat little shit. So eat--”
“Kurt, watch your mouth,” Denny cut him off before he cussed again. “There’s a kid here.” He nodded to Brian Kraft.
“I’ve heard worse,” the twelve year old Brian piped up, folding his arms across his chest. He looked at Denny as if he dared Denny to call him a kid again.
“He’s a man now,” Sam laughed. “He killed a couple of Sosos the other day. Don’t push him.” Sam messed Brian’s hair.
“Hey, I killed at least six Sosos,” Brian replied, pushing Sam’s hand away. “And you’re not much older than me anyway. I’ll kill a lot more of them assholes when they want to bring their silly asses over here.” Brian grinned with a cocky bravado and puffed up his pre-teen chest.
“Kurt, have you been hanging around this guy?” Mykal asked and made sure he didn’t call him a kid. “You got him talking like a sailor and his father is gonna come down all over us. What would your father say if he heard you talking like that?”
“My father would whoop his ass,” older Ted answered.
“Either that or maybe his dad would ground him from killing Sosos for a week,” Larry laughed with a mouth full of food.
“So seriously Myk, what’s been going on with you and that girl you been talking to?” Sam asked and everyone looked up.
“Doninka?” He smiled and pointed his thumb behind him as if she still stood there. “There’s nothing going on between us.”
“I’m surprised you ain’t making a move on it,” Larry said, and chomped on his food. “I’m messing around behind my Cindy’s back, cuz we don’t know if we’re ever gonna go home. I’m gonna make the most of this situation. It’s only physical.”
“Yeah, and that Doninka is fine looking as hell,” Sam added. “I wished she’d look at me the way she looks at you.”
“Knock it off,” Mykal laughed. “Yeah, she’s one nice looking woman, but honestly, that don’t matter to me. Believe me, if I wasn’t married, I’d be all over her.”
“Yeah, but Myk, Pam will never know,” Larry laughed. “C’mon in, the water’s fine. I don’t wanna be cheating alone,” he admitted and made everyone laugh.
“Listen to me. I used to screw around like crazy. But I made a commitment to Pam cuz I really love her. I don’t need some cheap thrills. I’m committed to my wife, cuz I love her. To be honest, it’s cuz of my love for her, and my focus on her that I survived that death arrow. Cuz of her, I have the strength to tough out this crazy bullshit we’re mixed up in. I’m gonna wait till I get home to be with her.” He wanted desperately to tell his friends how he communicated with her through Towbar’s Mind Talk, but he made a vow of secrecy. “I may sound all sappy and old fashioned, but that is what keeps me going.”
“Your wife would be very proud of you, Mykal.” Roy smiled.
“What about you Roy?” Rich asked with a teasing smile. His southern accent sang through his toothy grin. “You’re not chasing any of these ol’ young chicks, are you? Or the older ones for that matter,” he laughed which made Roy’s sons laugh.
“Oh no, I’m too damn old to be messing around. She’d sure as hell find out, and she’d beat the tar outta me.” Suddenly Roy’s smiled dropped. His lip quivered. Roy fought back tears. “After we go home I have to break her heart as it is.” His voice cracked. “I have to tell her, our baby is buried in an unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere in this god-forsaken world.”
His sons jumped to his side.
Tears filled Roy’s eyes. “I wish I could forget how that poor boy suffered, cuz it hurts so damn much to re-live it. He was our baby. And though sometimes he could be a stubborn pain in the ass,” he laughed with tears and his sons chuckled in agreement. “I loved that boy more than anything in the world. Every damned Soso that comes across my path is dead. I’m sorry guys. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”
“You didn’t Roy,” Denny said wiping the corner of his eye.
Mykal looked away. He couldn’t understand the depth of Roy’s loss, but he ached for him. The silence in the group matched the shared sorrow. The group had been together for less than two weeks but had bonded to where they felt like family.
Jake strolled into their group, eating as he joined them. He ate as much, if not more than everyone else, but he looked like a survivor from a Nazi death camp. Jake had never been able to keep weight on his 6’6” frame. “What’s happening over here?” He asked and plopped himself down on the ground, crossing his long skinny legs lotus style. “I’ve been bustin’ my hump on that damn pit. All I gotta say is it better work.”
“Hey Sarge, we all been bustin’ our humps,” Kurt chuckled to change the mood of the group. “It’s nice to finally see some of you NCOs put in a little work, instead of resting on your cushy little titles.”
“I’m not supposed to be doing this type of work. I’m one of the top NCOs here. Shit work is for low-lifes, like you A1C Kurt ‘I-Always-Stick-My-Big-Ass-Foot-In-My-Mouth-When-I-Speak’ Jones.”
“Yes Sir, I understand, Sir,” Kurt replied with a mock salute. “You be sure to remember that remark about ‘low-lifes’ when the Sosos are climbing outta the pit and coming after your skinny ass. Ooops, I mean Sir.” He added another salute.
“I’m talking like that cuz I been working with Edwards and Mansfield.” Jake shook his head. “I convinced them to work a little and every five minutes they needed to take a break. All they did was complain the whole damn time. As soon as I mention the Sosos attacking, they shut right up and start working their precious little tails off.” Jake made the others laugh.
“It figures,” Kurt spat his disgust. “Them lazy S O Bs.”
They sat around joking happily while continuing their meal. To others they appeared to be having an enjoyable, fun, time in their group, despite the dangerous presence of the Sosos only miles away. Some of the Crew members had been friends for a long time, and weren’t going to allow a threat to ruin their jovial mood. Others watching from a distance got the impression they were on vacation. Some wondered how they could have a good time in the face of looming danger. Some of the envious concluded drug
s and alcohol had to be involved.
“Hey, here comes Towbar,” Sam announced over the laughter.
Boris and Kurt were cutting each other down, each comment funnier than the last. Rich would attack one only to have them both zero in on him for butting in.
“Is the food to everyone’s liking?” The giant smiled.
“It’s pretty good, Towbar,” Kurt agreed with a mouth full of food, some hung from his lips.
“When our situation improves and there is time, a proper feast will be set before you. A feast you are worthy of.”
“It’s great as it is, Towbar,” Boris said. “Thanks.”
“Just don’t tell us what it is,” Kurt yelled out. “I don’t wanna find out that I’m eating goat’s ass or something.”
Everyone laughed, but Towbar didn’t understand the humor.
“Towbar, when can you start teaching me how to fight with weapons of your world?” Mykal asked.
“Tonight would be a good time to begin. The work on the pit is almost complete.”
“What’s this?” Kurt asked.
“I asked Towbar to teach me how to fight with the standard weapons they have here,” Mykal answered. “If you’re smart, you’d do the same. One day our ammo is gonna be gone, and then whadda ya gonna do? Point your finger and say ‘bang-bang’?”
“What is there to learn about swinging a sword or an axe?”
“Kurt, there is much more involved than just swinging a weapon,” Towbar said. “Since you have not grown up with these weapons I can assure you it is not as easy as you would think. The most important thing is to learn defensive techniques until time permits to learn the art of this style of warfare.”
“The Sosos don’t look like they’ve had any training in what they do and they seem to be pretty good at it,” Kurt argued. “Just swing and don’t get hit.”
“Ah, that is where you are wrong Kurt,” Towbar said. “Sosos are well trained warriors. Sosos only appear to be undisciplined savages. My friends, listen to me, do not allow their sloppy appearance to fool you. They are worthy opponents.”
