The sun now was above the trees, and the heat of the new day was just starting to rise. The sky, what they could see of it, was clear, no clouds so no rain. It was the pits to patrol in the rain. From time to time McCaffery would give Lewis a hand signal to veer off right or left a few degrees to keep them on the track that would take them to the suspected point. Thirty minutes passed, and again they stopped and McCaffery used the radio.
“Taurus this is Zodiac, Checkpoint Coors, break Thor this is Zodiac, checkpoint Coors out�?
Thirty minutes after that Lewis stopped, and waved McCaffery forward. The sergeant was next to him in a flash.
“What ya got�? He asked.
Lewis was looking out over a small clearing about one hundred meters across. And he was staring at the far side of the clearing at a point in the trees.
“There is something there�?he whispered “I just saw a flash of movement as I came up�?
“Ok let’s have a look see�?and McCaffery took out his field glasses, and trained them on the spot Lewis was looking at. Then he moved the point of vision first to the left, then to the right down the line of trees, then back to the original point. “I don’t see anything�?he paused, and moved the glasses to the left again, and stopped. “Yes, there is something, I saw it move�? With out lowering the glasses, McCaffery whispered “Bubba, Jose’�? And before he took another breath the two were next to them, ready to do what he wanted.
Without moving the glasses McCaffery whispered “Bubba you move to the right, next to that tree and settle in. Jose�?you go to the left, near this big bush here, and, be ready. Lewis, give Bubba one of your extra belts�? Lewis complied with out a sound, and Bubba took the extra belt with him.
He moved to the spot, broke open the extra belt, and secured it to his own supply of ammo, and set the bipod on the front of his weapon, and got into the prone position, and sighted down the barrel toward the other tree line. Sanchez quickly moved to the place selected by his sergeant, knelt down, and checked and adjusted the sight, for that range and waited.
“Radio�? Carlson moved before he had the word out of his mouth, and knelt by his sergeant. Lewis moved a pace away to the right, and got into the prone position, and kept his eyes on the far tree line.
Wilson was kneeling and looking behind them, his job was not to be concerned with what was going on up front, and Metowski was kneeling keeping his eyes moving from one side of their position to the other, looking and listening, for something, anything that would signal anyone approaching.
“Taurus this is Zodiac over�?he waited “roger we are at grid six three four, five four nineer over�?again a pause “Roger we got movement in the tree line ahead, we will hold here, and see what we got�? Long pause. “Roger you can consider this a SitRep over�? Another long pause “Roger will do break, Thor did you copy over�? A short pause “Roger that location grid is six three five, five, four seven over�? Pause “Message to observer Thor three rounds H-E quick break, Direction one, one two zero over�? Pause “Roger out�?
“There is something moving out there, Lewis, can we get around them?�?/FONT>
Lewis shook his head, “We are only three hundred meters from the spot. Our last checkpoint is in the middle of this clearing�?/FONT>
“Suggestions�?he asked.
No one spoke, they all felt the tension, and did not want to be the one to voice the obvious.
“Ok, this is why I get paid the big bucks. Bubba you and Jose�?provide support, Metowski, Wilson up front�?the two remaining members came on line. “Ok guys we walk right across on line abreast, ten meters spread weapons on otta get ‘um. Bubba anything moves over there, and you waste um, Jose�?we get one round and you light up that tree line like Christmas. Carlson you stay right with me. Stay sharp people, I’m not ready to die�?/FONT>
They stood, and started out of the trees into the clearing, the two left behind kept their eyes and weapons trained on the opposite tree line, all were nervous, and Phil’s mouth was suddenly dry, and the hair on the back of his head was making him itch. “God I’m too short for this shit�?He thought. “Never again, never, never again will I miss another college class just get me out of this�?/FONT>
They walked quickly, wanting to be out of an open area as quickly as they could. They reached the other side, and moved into the tree line, nothing was there, but Metowski found a cigarette butt, not long before had it been lit.
“Serge�?Metowski said. “Look at this�?
McCaffery moved next to him, and the grunt handed him the cigarette butt. “It was laying right here�? He pointed to a spot on the ground not far from his right foot.
“Fresh�?the sergeant said, “Not been here long anyway. Good eyes Ski, you win a cookie for that�?
The sergeant turned back to the opposite side of the clearing, raised his right arm in the air, made a fist, and pumped his arm up and down three times, the company signal to rally to him. Before he got the third pump finished both Jose�? and Bubba were double-timing across the open space to the rest of the squad.
“Radio�? Carlson handed the sergeant the hand set. “Taurus this is Zodiac, check point Miller out, break, Thor this is Zodiac shift, grid, six four three, five, five two over, long pause.�?Message to observer Thor three rounds, H-E quick, break, Direction one, one, one eight out�?
The pre arranged code word for the Mortars to bring a world of hurt down upon the grid coordinates just given to the Fire Direction Center, or FDC, was “Ground round�? and everyone in the squad knew it. If that one word was used over the radio they had less than a minute before High Explosive rounds would be dropping less than one hundred meters in front of their position.
“Taurus, this is Zodiac over�? Pause “Roger we have evidence of humans at this location over�? Long pause “Roger, freshly put out cigarette butt over�? Another pause,
“Roger we will proceed with extreme caution, we are advised that one scout helicopter, and two snakes inbound, we will pop smoke when they are on station over,�?another pause, “Roger chopper command freq five two point five zero, I’ll copy over�? pause, “Roger I got a solid copy, switching to chopper freq, break, Thor did you copy over�? pause, “Roger, request you monitor chopper freq, and stand by for immediate suppression over�? pause, “Roger that Thor, cover our ass over�? pause, “Roger out�?
McCaffery looked at Carlson. “Change freq�? is all he said, and the private turned the two dials on the top of the PRC 25, and nodded to his sergeant.
“Playboy, this is Zodiac over�? pause, “Roger we may have some bad guys down here, we hear your rotors, and we will pop smoke when you are in sight over�? pause, “Roger we are at the November Echo of a clearing at grid six three four, five four ninner, over�? pause, “Roger we see you now, WILSON, pop a red smoke, Playboy three we are popping a smoke now�?
Phil took the smoke grenade from his web belt, pulled the pin, and tossed it several yards back into the clearing. There was a sharp “pop�?followed by the red colored smoke pouring out of the bottom end of the five inch long, three inch round cylinder that made up the signal grenade.
“Playboy three this is Zodiac do you see smoke over�? pause, “Roger that is a Choo, Choo Cherry over�? pause, “Roger we are starting to move to the Echo of the smoke over�? McCaffery looked at Lewis, and pointed to their front, and the black man moved with out a word, followed by the rest of the squad in their order. The two AH-1G Cobras, circled over head at over a thousand feet, while the OH-6 scout chopper came in close over the trees, looking for both the squad, and the bad guys, if there were any. The scout had only one job, to try and get shot at, the snakes would then roll in, and put ordnance in that spot. Charley hated the snakes!!
Lewis did not know what hit him, he just seemed to fall back on his butt, dropped his rifle, and his head slumped on his chest, he looked like he was napping sitting up. The second bullet made him flop onto his back, two holes in his chest; he was dead before he hit the ground.
Then bullets seemed to come from everywhere, and the next to take a bullet was Carlson. His right arm fell to his side, and a dark spot began to grow just to right of his neck.
“GROUN ROUND, GROUND ROUND�? McCaffery screamed into the handset.
The Oh-6 veered to the right as a tracer flew up past its nose, then the glass shield over the pilot seemed to break into a million peaces, the chopper nosed over, and slammed into the trees to the squad’s front.
Now the training took over, and Wilson kneeled and began a steady peppering of shots to his front, past the remaining members of his squad, to give them cover for retreat.
Bubba was now putting out a steady stream of seven point six two rounds, and Wilson heard the distinct sound of the forty millimeter thump gun, as Jose�?sent round after round of grenade death down range, he fired three times, then he too began to run back to the safety of the tree line that they had just left.
McCaffery grabbed Carlson, pulled him over his shoulder, and started back the way he had come.
Metowski was next, he too fired as fast as the weapon would allow one whole magazine, he then dropped it from the receiver and slammed another into place, and then turned and sprinted behind.
Phil finished firing a whole magazine, and slammed another into place, and started to turn. He heard the sound of rotor blades, and then the swoosh of a rocket motor, then he felt a sharp quick pain in the back of his head, then everything went black.
No sound. It was black, the blackest he had ever seen, it was cool here. Just like floating. Then Phil saw a dim light to his front, and then he felt his weight on his feet. He looked down, and he was naked.
“Man, I must be in a coma�?he thought. “The last thing I remember was a sharp pain in the back of my head�? He reached up and could feel nothing wrong with the back of his head.
“That’s it, I’m in a coma, I bet I got hit, and I’m in a hospital someplace. There must be some cute nurse taking care of me. Come on Phil buddy come out of this, and wake up, I need to wake up!�?/FONT>
He turned slowly around, all blackness except to his front, there was a dim light, and he started walking towards it. The light got brighter, and he began to feel calmer, and warmer. He again looked down and now there was a light robe of white, “This is silly�?he thought, “So this is what a coma feels like. I must be hurt bad to go this deep, and have these strange sights�?
Then there was a person walking towards him, “Gee a coma with extras, this will be a good story to tell everyone when I get out of this hospital, and home�? He smiled at his own silly thoughts.
The person coming towards him looked familiar, “Could it be? No it can’t be, unless�?.�?/FONT>
It was though, it was Phil’s grandfather. He came towards him with a big smile, and held out his arms to him. “Hi Scooter, I bet your confused right now�?
Phil looked at his grandfather who had passed away when he was twelve, “Your right Grandpa, what happened�?
“I think you know, or suspect what happened. And you may be just a bit scared right now�? Phil nodded “I was sent to guide you in, and help you understand�?
“This is no coma is it Grandpa? I’m not in a hospital, in clean sheets, with a cute nurse taking care of me, I must be dead. I wanted to live I wanted to do the things I should have done while I was alive, why�?
“Take it easy Scooter, there was a reason�?
“Yes I was stupid enough to get drafted into the fucking Army�? He then realized that he did not like to swear and quickly said “I’m sorry�?
His grandfather smiled, “You still have some of the physical world left in you, it will get easier trust me. It was your time; you had done all that you could do on Earth and it was time for you to move on�?
Phil’s Grandfather put his arm around his grandsons shoulder, and they began to walk towards the light.
“How is it here, will I feel regret, pain, sorrow, will I miss earth, and all the joys I had there�?
“You make this what you want to. I’m here to help you. There will be some things you will regret, but it won’t be that bad, or hard on you. Your Grandmother is waiting, and we will help you get acquainted, and get used to the rules of this place�?
“Will I meet God�?
“Not likely. Oh he’s here, but there will be helpers come and teach you, and direct you, and if it need be that you see him, you’ll never forget it�?
“How about my family? I worry how they will react to my death�?
“Your Father took it harder than anyone, but he is coping, and your mother has been stronger than anyone ever thought. She has kept your dad on an even keel sense they got the telegram from the government�?
“How long has it been? It has seemed like just a few minutes sense it went black�?
“There is no real time here. You will live sort of like you did in the physical, but you create your own existence, what you want to be real, will be real. As to how long it has been, well in the physical world it’s been about six months, you were in a state of limbo until you were ready to move on. It did not seem long did it�?
“No, but what happened�?
“You were shot in the back of the head Scooter, I bet all you felt was a quick sharp pain right?
“Yes�?/FONT>
“Your squad walked into a regiment sized staging area of NVA regulars, only one man got out alive, your sergeant, and he was badly wounded, and is still under constant guarded care in Hawaii�?/FONT>
“Will I see the others�?
“You can in time, but there is a lot you need to learn before that, and it may bring back some terrible memories, but it is up to you. Right now let’s go meet your Grandmother, she has supper waiting, and yes you will get hungry here. I think she has baked a pie for you. I think you’ll like it here, you’ve come home�?/FONT>
They walked into the light, it was now a spring day, a sun was in the sky, birds, clouds, a soft breeze. There in front of them was his Grandparents home, just like it was in the physical world, and on the front porch stood Phil’s Grandmother. The way she looked to him when he was young. She smiled and greeted him with a big hug, and Phil knew that he was truly home.
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