New Enemies

by Melony Paradise

  “I am so damn tired.” Becky whined as she dropped onto the first open seat she came to. “I can’t believe they expect us to go into battle with one day of training and not enough sleep.”

  “It’s still dark,” Bas said. “You might be able to nap on the way to the drop-off.”

  “Maybe, but I hurt so much. I could barely lift my arms to put this stupid uniform on.” She plucked at the front of her green camouflage jacket, zipped all the way to her chin to block out the frosty morning air. Their uniforms and gear had been waiting outside their door when they were woken up. “At least yours sort of fits you. I feel like I’m swimming in mine, and I don’t want to think about what these stains are.”

  “I’m sorry, Becks. It’ll keep you warm, though, right?”

  “True. Hey, there’s Steven.” Becky pointed to the front of the bus, cringing as she lifted her arm. “He looks as bad as I feel.”

  “Hey, man,” Bas said as Steven plopped down in the seat next to them, nearly crushing a petite girl who stared at her rifle as if it might bite her. “You look beat.”

  “Hell yeah, I do. I thought I was going to die yesterday. It’s a good thing they put us through the marksmanship training first, or I’d never have been able to lift one of these damn guns, much less hit a target.”

  “I know, right? Becky and I slept in our dirty clothes last night, we were so fucking tired. I don’t even remember what we had for breakfast.”

  “Sucks we didn’t get put in the same squad. We probably won’t ever see each other again. I hope you two make it through this war. Fuck, I hope I make it through this war, or hell, this day.” Steven flopped back in his seat, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling.

  Bas glanced around the bus as the doors closed behind the older soldier who had been issuing them their rifles. Most of the other kids looked half asleep while the rest appeared dazed or frightened. Becky leaned her head against the window with her eyes closed.

  “You okay, Becky?”

  “As okay as I’m going to be, I guess,” she muttered, her hands squeezing around the barrel of her rifle. “Promise you’ll stay with me, Bas. I don’t want to get separated.”

  “I promise, babe. I won’t leave your side.”

  The ride to downtown Seattle took about an hour, and Bas held Becky’s hand the whole way. They both tried to nap, finally giving up, leaning against each other, as the bus rumbled over broken streets. As they got closer to the city center, the platoon leader stood and faced the anxious, waiting faces.

  “Listen up! Activity has been mild the last few days, but we still have insurgents scattered around downtown proper. Our goal is to root out those enemies, clear downtown, and corner them in the market. If we can get them isolated there, we can call in an airstrike, officially clearing Seattle.”

  The tension in the air made the bus feel claustrophobic as kids whispered to each other, worrying about their chances of survival.

  “Quiet down! We have four squads here. After yesterday’s training, we’ve assigned each squad a leader based on performance. Roberts, Allen, Nealon, and Thompson, you’re all now squad leaders. You’ll get your orders when we reach the rendezvous point. Sit tight, we’re almost there.”

  Becky squeezed his hand while Bas gulped repeatedly. How the hell am I supposed to lead a squad? He turned to her with wide, frightened eyes, his insides shaking as she gave him a small, encouraging smile, bumping her shoulder against his.

  ***

  With his girlfriend at his side, Bas led his squad northwest from the grocery store they’d unloaded behind, around rubble and overturned vehicles, through burned out shops, and down empty side streets, stopping frequently to scope out dark windows and around corners. They’d been ordered to clear the city center, and as much as they could around the Space Needle.

  As they approached from a small side street, Sebastian halted the squad of twelve teenagers, motioning them to crouch against the base of a glass and metal building, most of the glass shattered on the sidewalk around them. Up ahead, two thirds of the Space Needle lay across a small park, broken in several pieces, with one large chunk sitting on a smashed, red sculpture.

  Becky gasped behind him while the rest of the squad murmured amongst themselves. He turned to check on her but dropped to the ground as gunfire broke out from the direction of the remaining base of the Space Needle.

  Bas pointed at a guy and a girl, the least frightened of the bunch, and motioned them forward.

  “You two… grab two more, and go back north around this building. See if you can get a better vantage point to take out those shooters. We’re going to spread out around this burger joint, see what we can do from there. Let’s try to get in under the Needle and clear it.”

  He turned to the rest of his squad, all eyes watching intently. A couple of girls huddled up together, shivering from fear and the chilly temperatures as rain drizzled, soaking the young soldiers.

  “Becky and I are going to lay down some cover fire. I want the rest of you to spread out in and around this burger joint—” he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the small, burned out building across a short rubble-filled alleyway “—and find cover.” Bas pointed at two guys who looked as if they might’ve been on the football team before the draft. “You and you, take an outer corner, see if you can spot the shooters.”

  Becky edged her way to the corner of the building they crouched under while Bas stood over her, guns ready. He looked down at his girl, and she gave him a quick nod. With a wave of his hand, Bas told the squad to go, before leaning forward just enough to point his rifle and start shooting.

  Bas and Becky shot off two three-round bursts while two squad members ran across to the little building then jerked back behind their corner as the terrorists returned fire. They did that three times before Bas covered for Becky. When she reached the other building, she turned back, waving him forward.

  Bas watched as his squad crawled over and around the remains of the burger joint, searching for a decent vantage point, and squatting behind whatever cover they could find. He glanced at Becky as she watched him wide-eyed, silently telling him to “move it, move it!”

  Sucking in a deep breath, he flattened his body against the wall and waited for a pause in the opposing gunfire. Exhaling, he swung around, aimed his rifle at the shadows of the Space Needle base, and started squeezing the trigger while dashing across the little alleyway.

  Blind with fear and adrenaline, he collided with Becky, twisting to plaster himself against the wall beside her, panting as if he’d run several miles, not a few feet. They stood like that for several heartbeats as Bas turned to Becky, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as her lips moved, yelling something he couldn’t hear over the blood pounding in his ears.

  With a pop of pressure, the sound of gunfire roared in his ears and he remembered his squad needed him. He grabbed Becky’s arm, pulling her into a crouch and pushing her into the building. They ducked as they stomped over the busted door laying just inside, moving to a blown-out window facing the shadowed husk of the historic landmark. He quickly looked around, mentally noting where everyone was.

  Bas peeked up over the edge of a window frame, looking for muzzle flash to pinpoint where the terrorists were hiding. As soon as he spotted a flash in the shadows, he heard return fire from the north. His scout team.

  “Fire! Fire!” Bas and Becky flanked a window, using the side walls for cover. They aimed for the flashes, praying they hit their target.

  “Shit! They’re over here, too!” Someone yelled from a window facing the park and the ruins of the Needle.

  “Get on them!” Bas yelled. “Let’s clear this place!”

  ***

  Time slowed and sound distorted as Sebastian slammed back behind his small length of wall, bullets slicing the air, pelting the broken window frame. Becky let out a ragged scream, twisting around the wall to empty her magazine into the distant shadows.

  “Shit!” She jerked back, scrambl
ing to reload her rifle.

  Bas glanced around the room, spotting a spindly boy huddled under a nearby window, sweat pouring down his face, his eyes squeezed shut as his mouth moving frantically.

  “What are you doing? Get up and shoot!” Bas kicked a piece of drywall at the kid as he crossed himself then turned to peek an eye over the window’s edge.

  Swinging back around to check on Becky, he stalled, opening his mouth to holler at a girl leaning too far out of her cover. Blood sprayed out of her ear as she crumpled to the ground, a crimson pool spreading out from her body.

  “Fuck!” His knuckles turned white as Bas squeezed his rifle, the girl’s blood coloring his vision, flooding his mind. The sound of the rifles firing from every direction reverberated in his ears, spurring him to jump out from his cover, aiming his rifle, and pulling the trigger over and over until he heard a satisfying scream from the depths of the shadows.

  Becky tackled him just as more return fire buzzed past his head. “What the hell, Bas?”

  “They killed her!”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know her name! We don’t know any of these people! We’re just kids, Becky! We shouldn’t be here!”

  “Bas, chill! It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

  “How can you say that? Look at her—she’s dead.” He pointed to the dead girl, tears streaming down his face.

  Becky followed his finger, her eyes bulging at the sight of so much blood, slapping a hand to her gagging mouth. She gulped, shaking her head and putting on a brave face, a face Bas admired so much. The face she wore when she fell off the jungle gym and broke her arm. The same brave face she gave him every time they broke up. His pounding heart skipped a beat, and he vowed never to break her heart again.

  “Bas, baby, pull it together. We’re on our own now. We’re responsible for these kids. We can do this.”

  He inhaled, filling his lungs with dusty air, trying to steady his raging emotions. Knock that shit off. You’re a man now. Becky needs you to be a man. With a sharp nod, he gave her a quick kiss and reloaded his rifle.

  By the time night fell, they’d cleared the base of the Space Needle and it’s remains in the park. They found a small alcove formed of metal and concrete rubble, where the remaining squad members hunkered down for the night.

  “Here,” Bas said, handing Becky his backpack, “it’s lumpy, but better than the hard concrete or wet grass.”

  “Thanks,” she said, giving him a tired smile as she scooted into a corner away from the never-ending drizzle.

  He sat beside her and opened an MRE—meals-ready-to-eat—looking around at the dirty faces of the survivors.

  “I know we’re all exhausted, but we made it through today—”

  “Most of us…” A girl muttered, staring at her blood-stained hands.

  “I’m sorry,” Bas said. “There’s nothing you could have done for that kid, he was shot in the chest. We just have to be grateful we’re still alive.” He sighed as the girl curled up in her bulky jacket, silent tears leaving pale trails down her dirt-smudged cheeks.

  “We lost three people today, and we have to do this all again tomorrow, maybe the next day as well. We have no idea how many insurgents are left out there, but I think we did a good job today clearing this place. You have to stay strong, you have to be vigilant, we have to keep going, not matter how hard it seems.”

  A few determined nods gave Bas hope as he peered at the faces of his fellow squad members. He smiled at them, offering what hope he could, even as he shivered from cold fear. Setting a schedule for watch duty, Bas huddled in the corner with Becky, sleeping until it was their turn.

  Chapter 3

  March 23, 2020 7:05AM

  The next morning, they woke to a hazy downpour, unable to see the sunrise through the thick cloud cover. As they sat around eating their MREs, Bas tried to lay out a plan, hoping some of the others might pitch in some ideas.

  “Pike Place Market is about twenty minutes from here on a good day. We’re going to have to go slow, checking every doorway or window we pass—”

  Footsteps echoed through the foggy morning air, getting louder as someone approached their hideaway. Debris scattered down the side of the mound of rubble as that someone climbed up the other side, setting the squad on alert. Bas grabbed his rifle, ducking back into the alcove as his squad followed suit, their muzzles pointing in different directions, covering all sides.

  “Whoa! Stand down!” A guy in his twenties, wearing the same uniform as Bas’ squad, appeared with his hands up.

  “Don’t move!” Bas yelled, aiming at the guy’s shaved head. “Where did you sleep last night?”

  “Huh?” The guy scrunched his face and glanced behind him. “Oh, shit, what’s the countersign—oh yeah, Love killed the spirit.”

  “Negative creep,” Bas said, giving the third part of the predetermined code phrase, which made little sense to him as they referred to some band from the 1990’s. The guy nodded at him when a second head peeked over the rubble, all weapons training on it. Who wears sunglasses in the rain?

  Becky jerked her rifle at the second man, but Bas put his hand on her shoulder.

  “He’s with me, we’re here to help,” the guy said. “I’m a medic. Permission to enter your, uh, space?”

  Bas nodded and waved at his group to lower their guns. The medic and the second soldier climbed over into their alcove as the squad kept wary eyes on the newcomers.

  “Holy shit. You’re all kids. I thought they were putting at least one experienced soldier with each squad.”

  “Guess they ran out,” Bas said, glaring at the guy.

  “Who’s leading this rabble?”

  “I am.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “What’s yours?”

  “Rick. This is Tony. We’re all that’s left of our squad. We were bussed in from Olympia about two weeks ago, after we cleared the capital. Been fighting non-stop since our boots touched the ground.”

  “I’m Bas. This is my girlfriend, Becky. Our squad just got thrown together two days ago, so I don’t know anyone else’s names. Sorry, guys.” Bas glanced around at the faces of his squad members, but no one seemed bothered by what he said.

  “We’ll learn as we go. If you need me just call out for medic. We get shuffled around so much, it’s almost pointless to learn names. Tony here doesn’t talk much, but he’s a corporal and I’m only private first class, so he’s lead unless one of you is higher rank.”

  “We’re all the lowest of the lows here, privates, I guess. They didn’t really rank us. I doubt they thought we’d make it long enough to matter.”

  “Looks like you’re up, Tony,” Rick said, looking over his shoulder to where Tony leaned against a concrete boulder, his rifle hanging down the front of his body from a single-point sling.

  “You’ve been out here doing this a lot longer than any of us. I don’t think you’ll get any objections here.” Bas twisted around, eyebrows raised as he peered at each of his squad members, receiving only shrugs and head shakes.

  “How’s it looking out there?” Becky asked, sidling up behind Bas, her eyes wide with a glimmer of hope.

  “Well, we were over at Gas Works Park yesterday and cleared that area, then worked our way here. Ran into some insurgents on the way, and took them out, but lost the rest of our team in the process. Heard your gunfire just before we holed up last night, and figured we’d see if you needed any help. Anyone get injured?”

  “No, only deaths,” Bas said, as someone sniffled. “Nothing you could’ve done for them.”

  “Sorry, man. This shit’s hard on everyone. Did you have a plan for today? Any orders? Backup coming?”

  “We came in with three other squads. They sent us here, and spread the other three squads south, parallel to the waterfront. We’re supposed to herd the enemy to Pike Place Market, and if we can do that, somehow someone will call in an airstrike. They didn’t give us any radios, so no idea how they’re g
oing to know if we succeed.”

  “I don’t think they care if we do. We’re just fodder, man. Bodies to put behind the guns. All we can do is try to stay alive.”

  ***

  Everyone grabbed their gear, layering on as much clothing as they could to hold back the damp cold of early spring in Seattle. Bas inspected Becky, making sure she was buttoned up and her duffle bag strapped snug against her back.

  “Well, I think we’re ready to go. Let’s see if we can make our way to the market.”

  Rick and Tony went over first to cover them as they all crawled over the rubble walls. They wound their way around buildings, and through alleys and side streets, avoiding the main roads. Tony led the way, with Rick in the middle, Bas bringing up the rear, Becky in front of him, and everyone else single-file between them.

  The sounds of their shuffling feet echoed through the eerily quiet city. Checking all the possible hidey-holes along the way made for a slow forty-minute march that would have only taken twenty before the war started.

  As they approached Virginia Street, they cut through a parking lot from Second Avenue, between some buildings, to get to First Avenue. The sudden report of gunshots forced the squad to dive into a gaping hole in the side of a gutted condominium. Bas picked his way through the building, hunkering down behind some display cases.

  “What do you think, man?” Rick asked, as he crouched behind Tony.

  Bas looked over his shoulder at Becky. She gave him a brave smile, but he saw the fear in her eyes. All he could think about was how much he wanted to grab her, run away to hide from the war, and live happily ever after. Instead, he smiled back and turned to listen to Rick and Tony.

  “I thought we’d go in on the north end of the market and clear as we went,” Tony said, “but now I’m thinking it might be better to go back out to the alley and follow it to Pike Street. We can split up and go at them from two directions.”