37 Days In A Strange World

by Dave Hazel

  “Thank you very much. So when you come to the Pass, it’s possible you may be able to help us make it back home?” He repeated to be sure he wasn’t dreaming.

  “I will do my best.”

  5.

  “Mykal. Wake up,” Towbar said and shook him. “It is time to depart and return to the Pass. Where is Nidious?”

  “He had to take off on some urgent mission. He said as soon as he’s done he’ll meet us at the Pass. He really thinks he will be able to help us get home,” Mykal replied brightly. He couldn’t tell if he owed his broad smile to the relaxing sleep or the fact that Nidious might be able to help him return to his world.

  “I am glad for you my friend. We must hurry. Norg is waiting for us with fresh horses. Explain to me what Nidious did or what he said.”

  “Was I supposed to talk with the King before we left?”

  “That is not important. We must return to the Pass.”

  “Were you able to take care of the problem that was going on here about the people trying to kill King Loankore?”

  “Yes. The three men that put Dibb up to poisoning the King have all been struck down. I punished them myself. I personally took their heads to Locod, the King’s son. I told him that if he were not the King’s son his head would be with their heads. I warned him that if any misfortune comes upon Dibb or his family I will hold him responsible and I will strike him down. Locod only looked at me in anger. He did not deny my accusations. I know his hand was in this. What information did Nidious give?”

  Mykal told Towbar all that Nidious shared of his knowledge of the green fog and its origins. Nidious confirmed what Mykal had suspected about his hand signaling him when the green fog appeared, but it disappointed him that he didn’t discover that earlier. If he had known that earlier, he might be back in his world now. If only they had taken a chance and gone back into the green fog before it disappeared his team might be back in his world. “So many ‘what ifs’ it just doesn’t matter anymore,” he said with a sad sigh.

  Towbar briefed Mykal on the conversation he had with the King, Norg and Doninka. “Doninka explained to her parents what a great man you are, my friend. If you stay here in my world they would like to reward you. Doninka spoke of how you saved her life in the mountain from the hand of Metz. She looks to you as her hero. She is in love with you, my friend.”

  “That’s nice.” Mykal gave an awkward smile. “I really like her, but like I said before, I’m a happily married man.”

  “I know this, my friend. I have explained this to her, but she seems to think that if you can not go back to your world she will have time to win your heart.”

  “You know Towbar, I really like her and I think we could be great friends, but I can’t even make myself say, ‘if I never make it back’ because there is only one woman for me. And to be honest, that’s what is keeping me going. That’s what’s keeping me fighting. If I give up on that, I lose.”

  “I cannot say that I understand because I have never experienced such a love before. However, I understand your devotion. The girl will be heart-broken. She will grow from this.”

  “Is she coming back with us?”

  “No. I explained to the King that it will be much too dangerous for her at this time. She is upset.” Towbar gave a sad smile. “She is angry with me.”

  “I take it I won’t be able to say good-bye?”

  “I think it best you do not.”

  “Well, do me a favor when you see her again, tell her I said good-bye. Tell her I truly think she is a special lady but I have to get back to my world. Okay?”

  “I will do that.”

  They continued down the long flight of stairs to where Norg and several soldiers were standing by horses. Their conversation centered on the Dwarf. He tried to answer all their questions about his race of people hidden in the mountains of the Pass. Norg seemed to be making friends quickly with Towbar’s soldiers. Towbar’s six soldiers were returning as well as another fifty specially trained soldiers.

  “Oh no. No! I will not allow it,” Towbar said when his eyes caught sight of Doninka standing among the soldiers. She held the reins of a horse that she planned to ride. “What are you doing here? I hope it is to bid us farewell.”

  “I am not here to bid you farewell,” she answered and a bright smile covered her face. “I am returning to Gartolin.”

  “No you are not,” the giant objected angrily. “I am not about to be a mother hen in the middle of a war.”

  “You will not be a mother hen. I can take care of myself.”

  “Doninka, please, do a service that will benefit us all. Stay here and tend to your father. He needs you here.”

  “No Towbar,” she declined trying to show respect. “My father gave his permission to allow me to go back to Gartolin. I am going back,” she replied defiantly. “Whether I travel with you now or I depart half a day behind you. I am going back to the people I love and I will do my part to help.”

  “I think we should go speak to your father. I believe you only wore him down because of his weakened state.”

  “Towbar, I love you and I dearly admire you. However, you will not keep me from going back to the people I love,” she said and her eyes kept darting to Mykal.

  “I wonder if that is all this is about,” he suggested and watched as she quickly turned her eyes away from Mykal. “You may come with us,” he added. “I know I can not win this argument. I will not be responsible for you once we arrive in the Pass. Is that understood?”

  “Yes Towbar, thank you.” She smiled and beamed with happiness. She ran to the giant and gave him a big hug, though her arms barely wrapped around his enormous body. “Thank you, thank you. I promise I will be no trouble for you.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN – Day 33

  1. Monday, July 25th 1983

  1014 hours, The Pass, at the Pit, The new Front.

  Nine days later they rode through the Pass and bypassed Gartolin. They didn’t stop until they arrived in camp at the Front positioned along the pit. Towbar assured Mykal they could have cut a day and a half off of the travel time but three days of cold hard rain slowed them. Mykal and Norg rode better coming back than traveling to Beramus.

  When they first entered the south entrance of the Pass they were concerned they would ride into Sosos. They were fearful the Sosos would have overrun the defended position. They were pleasantly surprised to find the Sosos had not taken control of the Pass during the near three weeks they had been gone. The Sosos had retreated after their defeat, set up camp and began to build their forces with Sosos who continued to arrive. They patiently waited for the all-out attack that would eventually take place. The Soso camp setup two miles away from the opening of the Pass.

  When they rode into the camp they saw Towbar’s soldiers and the Dwarven warriors who were prepared for battle. Many were on rest status and some groups practiced combat tactics. A number of Mykal’s people were grouped together being trained by Towbar’s soldiers to fight with swords, axes and spears. Since ammunition for their firearms ran low they needed to be prepared to defend themselves just in case Mykal couldn’t bring back good news about returning home.

  When in camp they split up and went their separate ways. Norg went to the Dwarven people before reporting back to King Krago. Towbar met his generals while Doninka left to meet with her second family. Mykal rushed to find his close friends to inform them of all he learned. He found Larry first.

  “Man, I wasn’t sure if we’d ever see you again,” Larry said. He gave a half smile. “We thought maybe you guys weren’t gonna come back.”

  “It was a long ass ride. I almost forgot what your Boston accent sounded like,” Mykal joked, glad to see his friend. He looked for Boris and Kurt. “Where’s everyone else at? I got some great news to tell everyone.”

  “Rich. Hey Rich,” Larry yelled out to a few men who practiced swinging swords. “Look who’s back,” he pointed to Mykal. “Go get Knox and hurry,” Larry called out.

  “
What’s up Larry? Why do I wanna talk to Casey Knox?”

  “I don’t know how to tell ya, but Boris, Kurt, Sam and Stinky Feet are all dead,” Larry blurted out and his voice cracked. “I still can’t believe it.” Tears filled his eyes.

  “What?” Mykal gasped in shock and stumbled back as if Larry had just punched him in the stomach. “Are you friggin messin’ with me?” He raised his voice but he clearly saw the expression in Larry’s face that this was not a joke.

  “I wish I was,” Larry replied and turned his head so Mykal wouldn’t see the little pools in both eyes.

  “What the hell happened? Did Sosos attack?” He asked and allowed his body to collapse to the ground. He had to sit down. He held his head between his knees. He didn’t react emotionally, maybe because the reality didn’t sink in or maybe they were becoming so callused to death that deep down inside it really didn’t matter anymore. No, he knew his mind couldn’t accept it.

  “No, it wasn’t—wait. Let Knox tell you. He was there,” Larry nodded toward Knox who approached with both Rich and Jake. “Knox, tell Myk what happened to Kurt and the others. Tell him just like you told me,” Larry coached.

  “Well,” he looked down displaying a genuine fear of Mykal.

  “C’mon, what happened?” Mykal raised his voice.

  “You’re not in trouble Knox,” Larry reassured him.

  “Well, Lt Edwards picked me, Kurt, Sam, Boris and Stinky Feet Smith along with Putman and Sgt Black to go get some ammo from a crashed helicopter. That’s what Sgt Black told me,” Knox said nervously. Since Knox had only one stripe and was new to the US Air Force he knew his responsibility was to obey the orders handed down from above and not to question them. He had been assigned to the same squad as Black and Putman for about five months.

  “Boris and Kurt brought up the M-60 ammo that should still be at that crashed helicopter,” Larry reminded Mykal.

  “Okay, so what happened?’ Mykal turned back to Knox and he felt his chest rising and falling rapidly.

  “All of us, including the LT all piled into one Suburban and we snuck out past the Sosos. Right outside the Pass we turned left and went along the mountains for a while to get away from the Sosos. We turned north and after a while we came to some hills. Boris and Kurt thought for sure they could find the helicopter from where we were.”

  “Where’d they get the gas to go that far?” Mykal gasped.

  “Somehow someone got a hose of some kind and they syphoned it from the other vehicles,” Larry answered. “The Dosch station wagon had more gas cuz they brought those three five gallon gas cans. Remember?” He waited for Mykal to nod. “Continue Knox.”

  “We came to this one spot and they thought it might be over the next hill so Lt Edwards had Boris, Kurt, Sam and Smith get out and walk down the hill and up the other side to see if the helicopter was over the next hill. Lt Edwards said he thought it was too steep for the vehicle, so we stayed put. It wasn’t really that steep.

  “So the four of them got out of the vehicle and walked down the hill,” Knox continued. “And we got out of the vehicle to stretch and just hang out and all of a sudden there were Sosos everywhere from our other side. We got back inside the vehicle,” he explained and dramatically acted out his part. “I told the LT we need to drive down the hill and get them because they could get surrounded. The LT yelled at me and said no, he didn’t want to take a chance on getting the vehicle stuck. So I started honking the horn like crazy to warn them. Lt Edwards screamed for me to take off and leave them, but I know we coulda gotten them Myk, I know it. The Sosos weren’t on their side of the hill.

  “I stalled and I laid on the horn. Then Lt Edwards actually punched me on the back of the head and told me to drive off or he would shoot me,” Knox said and trembled slightly. He looked fearful of Mykal’s response. “And like I already told Sgt Weston here, I know we could have saved them but I think the LT just wanted to leave them behind for the Sosos.”

  “What?” Mykal asked and his anger grew with his hurt. “Why do you say that?”

  “Well first of all, I’m not supposed to say anything about this. On our way back we were all supposed to say that we had a battle with the Sosos and they were all killed. And when we left and got away from the danger, the LT turned to Sgt Black and said something like, ‘Well it looks like we took care of three of his close asshole buddies’. I know he meant you Myk.”

  “Oh yeah? Well I’m gonna fix his ass,” Mykal threatened between clenched teeth.

  “Wait a minute,” Knox was suddenly filled with fear. “I’m not supposed to say anything. When we came back he told everyone how we had a battle with the Sosos and he tried desperately to rescue them but they were all killed. Since it was all a lie, I had to get it off my chest and that’s why I told Sgt Weston, because I know you guys are all friends. Now if you say anything to him about it, then he’ll know that I told you.”

  “Oh, we’re not gonna say anything about it,” Rich said and grabbed Knox’s shoulder. “But that little low life weasel is gonna get what he’s got coming to him.”

  “Knox, go ahead and take off,” Mykal said. “Thanks for the info. I owe you one,” he added after Jake silently threw a fit that Rich threatened to retaliate.

  “Be careful what you’re saying,” Jake whispered after Knox departed. “Knox already showed he can’t keep ugly dark secrets. I’m glad he told us the truth, but now if something happens to the LT, is he gonna run to someone else and tell what’s been said here?”

  “What we oughta do,” Larry suggested. “Before we kill Edwards, we oughta kill his two butt buddies Mousy Black and Shit Eater Putman. And let him see how it feels.”

  “Yeah,” Rich snapped his fingers and laughed. “I’ll gladly kill those two for you cuz I hate dem more than anyone else.”

  “Look guys, I don’t care what you guys do,” Jake said. “I just don’t wanna know about it. I think they have it coming to them, but I don’t wanna be involved. Keep me out of it.”

  Mykal’s chest sank with hurt. Two of his closest friends were dead and they were left to die because of that coward. Mykal wanted to yell, he wanted to cry, he wanted to lash out. “Why’d you let them go with that spineless coward?” He yelled at Jake. “Why’d you let them go period?” His sudden outburst took them all by surprise. Mykal was angrier that he didn’t get a chance to say good-bye to his friends more than he was actually angry at Jake.

  “It wasn’t that I wanted them to go,” Jake took a step back and looked alarmed. “Edwards wanted to get that ammo and Boris and Kurt said they knew where it was. I know what a coward he is so I thought for sure they would avoid trouble at all costs.”

  “They wanted me to go along too,” Larry said. “But I said hell no, I ain’t going with them losers. I wasn’t going to let Kurt and Boris go either, but Boris convinced me that we could really use that ammo. He and Kurt both thought they could avoid trouble. I figured with Sam and Stinky Feet with them they would all be able to hold their own,” he paused, overcome with grief that put him on the verge of tears. “Kurt wasn’t gonna go at first, cuz he’s been taking care of them two little kids of Doris Holen like they’re his own,” he paused again to keep from breaking down. “But he didn’t want Boris to go without him so he left and he promised those little kids he would be back right away. Every time that little three year old Ricky comes up to me, he says, ‘Where Kut?’ I wanna friggin lose it man. I don’t have the heart to tell those two little kids that now Kurt is gone for good too, just like their mother.”

  Jake shook his head and turned away. “Damn, I can’t take much more of this place,” Jake sighed.

  “I can’t believe they’re gone,” Mykal moaned and slapped his hands to his thighs. “I can’t friggin believe it,” he roared and wanted to yell. “That motherless friggin weasel is scared to fight the enemy. He won’t even lift a finger to fight the enemy, but that scumbag won’t hesitate to kill off his own men to save his own worthless ass. His day is coming,” My
kal snarled and slammed his fist into his open palm. “Oh, his day is coming.” He fought back tears of sorrow and frustrated hatred.

  “His days with us are numbered,” Rich echoed. “I hope he dies a slow painful death. That’s all that scumbag deserves.”

  “Listen to me guys,” Jake paused and looked to make sure there was no one who could hear him. “I don’t care what happens to him. I just don’t want to be involved and I don’t want to know about it. If we get back to the real world I want to be able to say I honestly didn’t have a clue what happened to him.”

  “You finally changed your mind?” Mykal scoffed but wasn’t happy that Jake finally saw it their way. “It’s about time.”

  “His selfish self-centeredness has killed too many good people,” Jake replied. “He caused the death of good troops that I am responsible for. He deserves whatever happens to him.”

  “Better late than never Jake.” Larry gave a halfhearted chuckle. “If I have anything to do with it he’s gonna suffer big time. I really feel sorry for those two little kids. They really got attached to Kurt.”

  “I never imagined this,” Mykal sighed and shook his head. “I thought we’d all make it home together,” he moaned. “It truly crushed me when Denny got killed. And now Boris, Kurt and Sam. What the hell is going on? I can’t take this anymore.”

  “So what happened in the big city?” Larry asked to change the subject. “Any good news?”

  “First, tell me what’s happened here,” Mykal said with a deep cleansing breath. “Did Sosos attack while we were gone?”

  “Yeah they did,” Rich answered. “It was kinda messed up the way it happened too.”

  “Why, what happened?”

  “We were all told we could all just sit back and relax,” Jake said. “Since Towbar’s soldiers were here they would do the heavy lifting. His soldiers were everywhere. Then we were told just after you left that the little people in the mountain were gonna come down here to help us too.”