The heat was beyond descriptive words to her. Leaning up against a much too short cement barrier to wipe the sweat from her eyes, but only all to quickly was she up again, running. When it had all started, she as well as the other men and woman were dazed. Now, coming back to reality she had assumed that was the purpose.
Sergeant Schulyer Lewis had been in charge of a rear detachment platoon awaiting orders to move forward once the road ahead was cleared. It was her first go at the desert, but she didn't leave enough behind at home to warrant that sort of depression.
They thought they had fought off enough insurgents in the weeks prior to clear it out, make peace with the locals and work toward another green zone. But today it seems, they were wrong.
First, an explosion, an improvised explosive device under the front right tire of the lead vehicle sent a shock wave through the rest of the convoy and scraps of twisted metal rained down around them.
There was no doubt the soldiers in that vehicle had died, these vehicles were not equipped for situations like that, but there was no time to dwell as gunfire rang out around them. Sergeant Lewis leaped from her vehicle, eyeing other soldiers in the process. A young man, Private Bowman, fresh out of basic but strong headed pointed at a building to their left to signal the direction of gunfire. She could hear the whine of bullets as they narrowly passed her and thumped into the ground, sending sprays of sand up all around her.
There were screams, explosions of simple hand grenades, gunfire, disorienting any hope of communication until they were all safely inside the adjacent and dilapidated building.
"Bowman, where the fuck is Ramirez?" She didn't know it were possible to have a wave of panic on top of the panic they were all in.
Sergeant Ashley Ramirez had been with Schuyler since the beginning. They went through Basic together, trained for the same MOS, were stationed at the same base state side and now were on deployment together but she was no where to be found.
Sergeant Lewis checked the faces of every soldier, counted twice but she knew Ramirez was out there somewhere.
"Sarge, I see her!" Someone had shouted. Following a pointing finger, she saw her, with a small signal mirror and the leg of her uniform was stained crimson.
"Smith, Johnson, Robertson lay down some cover once you see where those bastards are poking their heads out. Bowman, your with me." Sergeant Lewis took a few deep breaths before locking a clip in place on her AR-15, this model was much better than the Basic Training recycled M-16's.
Bowman stacked up behind her and tapped her shoulder for the ready signal. Crouching low but moving quickly, they took turns firing up into the building while the other soldiers laid a constant barrage. Ramirez looked panicked when they finally reached her but relieved just the same.
"You ok?" Sergeant Lewis gave her a field medical once over before realizing the blood was just from a graze wound.
"I'm alright, Sarge." She gave a typical Ramirez sideways smirk and Sergeant Lewis and Private Bowman hoisted her up.
Almost to the door, the gunfire was still constant but she had her whole surviving squad with her. Sand was bursting upward from the ground in front of her, the thud sounds were close to them, too close. Thump. That one sounded different, wrong. Ramirez went limp and the dead weight toppled the three of them to the ground. The sand quickly filled with blood.
"Ramirez!" Sergeant Lewis shouted.
"Sarge, we gotta move!" Bowman was shouting too, in combat with the sounds. She didn't know what to think as her stomach sank lower and lower.
"God Damnit...No, Ramirez!" Tears began freely flowing down Sergeant Lewis' face. Bowman reached across and grabbed her shoulder.
"Sarge, L.T. says company meeting in five." She returned from her far off stare and sat back at her desk. Just another flash back.
"Thanks Bowman." He nodded back that knowing look to her. She sighed and tipped the frame of a picture face down on the desk. Sergeant Lewis glanced quickly at the words on the back but she already knew what it said: Pvt. Lewis and Pv2. Ramirez, BCT Graduation. As she approached the door, the flicked the switch of the office light, and closed the door behind her.
Short Story by: K. L. Jones
