their fallen comrades, hauling them onto their shoulders and beating a hasty retreat. Friday turned back around to train his rifle on another target but realised that a pulse was soaring towards him.
“Captain!” shouted Silva.
It was too late. The pulse smashed into Friday’s chest and blew a hole through his torso. Silva could only watch in despair as the officer’s body went limp and tumbled to the ground. He watched for only a second and turned to the platoon, repeating the Captain’s orders. He rushed forward to Friday’s body. He prayed the Captain had survived, but he already knew there was no hope.
Smoke rose from Friday’s webbing where it had been burnt by the pulse. He turned the Captain over to see the last light in his eyes fade before he could get out his last words.
“Fuck!” Silva shouted.
He got up, hauling Friday’s body onto his shoulder as if it was nothing at all. His hatred of the enemy would not allow him to leave the body of their Captain at the mercy of the enemy. He turned and rushed from the scene at a jogging pace. As he ran, he could see a number of the marines turning and giving covering fire.
“Forget it! Run! Run!”
Seeing the body of their officer across Silva’s shoulders, they didn’t need much encouragement to follow their Sergeant in fleeing outright. They had done little that day and were full of energy. The platoon scarpered across the rough terrain of no man’s land, knowing their lives depended on it. After half a kilometre, the Sergeant finally stopped and looked back. He’d noticed the enemy guns had stopped firing. Corporal Hall rushed up beside Silva and turned to investigate what he was glaring at.
“They’ve stopped?” he asked.
“They know it’s suicide to cross those lines, just as we knew it.”
“Then why the fuck are we out here?”
Silva shook his head in astonishment.
“Two fine marines were thrown away because of one man’s attitude problem. I’ll be damned if I’ll let there be another.”
Hall nodded in agreement.
“This shit has got to end. We have to get back into the fight for real, and we need our gear back. We need our Major back!”
Chapter 5
“What the hell is going on out there?” shouted Chandra.
The troops around her said nothing. They could all tell that the mission had gone sour. She stared out across the plain, looking with her binoculars for any sign of the platoon, but they had long ducked and weaved their way out of her sight. She spun around with a furious expression. Her heart was heavy, but she could only imagine at the losses.
“Major!” shouted Blinker.
The Private came frantically rushing across the tops of the trenches to reach Chandra.
“What is it, Private?”
“Ma’am, you’d better come with me.”
She stepped forward and grabbed the soldier back by the collar of his shirt, hauling him in close.
“Tell me what the fuck is going on!”
Blinker gasped to find his words but could not answer. Monty arrived a few metres behind his brother, and Chandra turned her gaze to the soldier. She could see the same blank expression on the man’s face. She released her grasp and looked at their bleak pale faces.
“Please, Major, come with us,” whispered Blinker.
She knew it was not the time to press the two brothers. Chandra nodded in agreement.
“Alright, lead on.”
The Major knew that whatever she was about to witness was not good news, but she tried not to jump to any conclusions. Ten minutes later they reached a troop staging area just a hundred metres from the front line trenches. She recognised a few of Friday’s platoon, but the Captain was nowhere to be seen. The two brothers led her on through a mix of allied troops into an opening where a doctor was overseeing a wounded marine being taken off on a stretcher.
Blinker turned and continued onwards. The wounded man was clearly not what he was bringing her for. Then she saw it, the bodies of two marines laid out flat on the
“Captain!” shouted Silva.
It was too late. The pulse smashed into Friday’s chest and blew a hole through his torso. Silva could only watch in despair as the officer’s body went limp and tumbled to the ground. He watched for only a second and turned to the platoon, repeating the Captain’s orders. He rushed forward to Friday’s body. He prayed the Captain had survived, but he already knew there was no hope.
Smoke rose from Friday’s webbing where it had been burnt by the pulse. He turned the Captain over to see the last light in his eyes fade before he could get out his last words.
“Fuck!” Silva shouted.
He got up, hauling Friday’s body onto his shoulder as if it was nothing at all. His hatred of the enemy would not allow him to leave the body of their Captain at the mercy of the enemy. He turned and rushed from the scene at a jogging pace. As he ran, he could see a number of the marines turning and giving covering fire.
“Forget it! Run! Run!”
Seeing the body of their officer across Silva’s shoulders, they didn’t need much encouragement to follow their Sergeant in fleeing outright. They had done little that day and were full of energy. The platoon scarpered across the rough terrain of no man’s land, knowing their lives depended on it. After half a kilometre, the Sergeant finally stopped and looked back. He’d noticed the enemy guns had stopped firing. Corporal Hall rushed up beside Silva and turned to investigate what he was glaring at.
“They’ve stopped?” he asked.
“They know it’s suicide to cross those lines, just as we knew it.”
“Then why the fuck are we out here?”
Silva shook his head in astonishment.
“Two fine marines were thrown away because of one man’s attitude problem. I’ll be damned if I’ll let there be another.”
Hall nodded in agreement.
“This shit has got to end. We have to get back into the fight for real, and we need our gear back. We need our Major back!”
Chapter 5
“What the hell is going on out there?” shouted Chandra.
The troops around her said nothing. They could all tell that the mission had gone sour. She stared out across the plain, looking with her binoculars for any sign of the platoon, but they had long ducked and weaved their way out of her sight. She spun around with a furious expression. Her heart was heavy, but she could only imagine at the losses.
“Major!” shouted Blinker.
The Private came frantically rushing across the tops of the trenches to reach Chandra.
“What is it, Private?”
“Ma’am, you’d better come with me.”
She stepped forward and grabbed the soldier back by the collar of his shirt, hauling him in close.
“Tell me what the fuck is going on!”
Blinker gasped to find his words but could not answer. Monty arrived a few metres behind his brother, and Chandra turned her gaze to the soldier. She could see the same blank expression on the man’s face. She released her grasp and looked at their bleak pale faces.
“Please, Major, come with us,” whispered Blinker.
She knew it was not the time to press the two brothers. Chandra nodded in agreement.
“Alright, lead on.”
The Major knew that whatever she was about to witness was not good news, but she tried not to jump to any conclusions. Ten minutes later they reached a troop staging area just a hundred metres from the front line trenches. She recognised a few of Friday’s platoon, but the Captain was nowhere to be seen. The two brothers led her on through a mix of allied troops into an opening where a doctor was overseeing a wounded marine being taken off on a stretcher.
Blinker turned and continued onwards. The wounded man was clearly not what he was bringing her for. Then she saw it, the bodies of two marines laid out flat on the
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