January 29, 2134
Crowley, Louisiana
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I woke up, not seeing her next to me. I rubbed my eyes and sat on the side of her bed. I was a tad disoriented. It was the first full eight hours of sleep I had ever gotten in a long time. I almost wanted to lay back down and go to sleep again.
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I heard shuffling in the other room. I put on my clothes, but not a shirt, and walked out the bedroom. Her father was sitting down on his couch. He looked over at me and smiled, “hello soldier. How are you this mornin?”
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I nodded, “I’m good. Thank you. Do you uh- do you know-” I never got her name, “where she is?”
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He chuckled, “boy, she done ran out to work. You’d better go after her.”
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I nodded, “thank you sir.”
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I went back to my shirt, put it on, and started to leave. When I walked past her father, he latched onto my forearm. I looked down and asked, “sir?”
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He stared through my soul with those grayed eyes. I could almost see the trials and agonizing pain deep behind them. He said, “don’t you get killed now. We need more people like you, son.”
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I nodded, “yes sir. I’ll try my best.”
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He nodded, letting go. I was worried he was having an attack. My father used to have them all the time, and he had the same look in his eyes. I sat down beside him and we stood there in silence, except for the TV quietly playing a jazz song, for a couple of minutes. He finally spoke out, saying he used to be a Confederate Conscript. He told me stories of fighting against the CFR, how he lost most of his vision from a flashbang, and how he met his wife, who died not long ago.
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We talked for a little bit, sharing our love for each other's countries. He loved dogs, and once carried a wounded stray dog sixty miles over mountain tops and across rivers. The dog lived, and passed peacefully eight years later. He talked about how he found his wife in a town, and took her with him back home.
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It was odd. Sitting next to someone I should have killed. I didn’t want to, but I felt I needed to. With the stone-cold glares he often gave me, I knew he was thinking the same thing. How could I go from chopping into one Confederate, to sitting down next to another one? How many Confederates could have been this man? But, I took it away from them.
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I left the house, and headed back to the motel. I noticed Que sitting outside his room. He had a liquor bottle in one hand and a cigar in another. I asked, “are you okay?”
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“Yeah. Just tired.”
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I slid down the wall next to him, “do you think we’ll be going home soon?”
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“I dunno Kid. There’s… there’s a lot going on right now that could expedite the process or bog it down.”
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“I just want to go home. See my dad.”
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Que smirked, “home’s not what you think it is anymore. It… changes. A lot changes when you get home.”
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“I figured. I’m just done with this shit. I want to get it over with.”
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“Me and you both, Kid.”
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He nudged me, “there’s the best whore in town Rogers.”
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He pointed to the girl I saw the other day. She was wearing a green dress, with white stripes on it. She walked across the street, waving at two men who were eying her on the sidewalk.
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I was infuriated. It wasn’t the fact that she was a whore, it was or so she didn’t tell me she was. That’s the type of information I needed to know.
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I asked, “did you see her yet?”
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He nodded, “yeah. So did Kyle and Anton. You’d get your money’s worth.”
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“How much did you pay?”
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“Three-hundred for an hour.”
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“Damn. Lot of money.”
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“Waste of money.”
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“What?”
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“My uh… don’t tell anyone this but my dick doesn’t get up anymore.”
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“From Lake Charles?”
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He lifted up his shirt to reveal a deep scar diagonally across his stomach and chest. He said, “yeah. Shrapnel right across my body.”
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We sat in silence for a little bit before I quietly exited. I walked into my motel room and laid out on my bed. I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.
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A knock came from my door. I looked over at the window, seeing it was dark and pouring. I got up and opened the door. It was the girl from yesterday. She pushed past me and said, “jesus it’s cold out there.”
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I closed the door and asked, “how are you?”
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She sat on my bed, soaked, and took her shoes off. She chuckled, “oh I’m alright. Just been busy.”
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“Where do you work?”
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“Can we not talk about work right now? I just got off.”
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“Sure.”
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“So, what do you do for fun?”
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“Are you a whore?”
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“I’m- I’m sorry?”
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“Are you a whore? Just answer yes or no.”
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“I’m leaving. You’re ridiculous.”
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She opened the door but I shut it with my arm. She backed herself into the corner, “I’m leaving.”
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I shook my head, “no. Answer the question.”
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“Yes! Okay! I’m a whore. Does that change what you think of me!”
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I nodded, “yeah. Kind of.”
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She stomped back to the bed and slapped her hands on her knees. She began to cry, “do you know how much I liked what we did last night?”
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“Did I use a condom?”
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“We didn’t have sex. We didn’t fuck or anything! We just talked.”
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“About what?”
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“About your mom, your friends, what you want to do when you go home. We didn’t have sex.”
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“Is that it?”
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She scoffed, “you’re as fucked up as I am dude.”
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I wrapped my hand around her throat and pushed her into the bed, “we- are not the same! I don’t sell my body for other people to use!”
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She smiled, “you’re a soldier. You sold not only your body, but your life and mind to a government who sees you as a number. We’re more alike than different.”
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I let go of her throat. Taking a step back. She asked, “can I stay?”
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I put my hand over my mouth, trying to settle myself. I shook my head, “get out.”
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“Please. Let me stay.”
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I ripped my TV off the dresser, “get out!”
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She nodded, wiping her face, “one day you’ll see just how similar we are.”
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She left, stepping into the storm and away from me.
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*
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On February 14, we were given our next assignment. The goal was to take a small Armored Division and push up to Branch from Rayne. Once we secured Branch, we would move North and help a second group of Divisions take Church Point.
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Division Group Romeo, a Division Group of about sixteen Divisions, were our Sister Division Group. We hadn’t seen them in a while, but while we were moving through cities on the highway, they were securing back roads and farmlands North of us.
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There was also a third Division Group arriving by the end of February. Division Group Alkaline, consisting of twenty-two Divisions, would aid us in taking Lafayette. Branch had a bunch of Airborne Rangers stuck in the city. They were pinned down by Confederate tanks, with nothing left to really fight.
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We got into the rear of a LAV-25 and the door began to shut. Valkyrie pressed down on his radio, “Valkyrie Division secured. Roll out.”
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Our LAV grunted forward. It took us about an hour to get through Rayne. The highway was blocked off by multiple destroyed tanks, some of which were ours. Kyle slid open one of the windows, “fuckin Panzer 2s and 4s.”
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The TUPz2 was a very small, light tank. It was armed with a 25mm auto-cannon, two MG60s, and a MG72 on top. The TUC often upgraded the Panzer 2 with a 32mm cannon. It was a small millimeter that would barely scratch our tanks, but it was effective enough to knock out squads of Rangers like nothing. It didn’t have enough armor to even survive high volume amounts of LMG or HMG rounds. There were plenty of weak points, the rear, the curved armor on the turret, and the chassis behind the tracks just to name a few.
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The TUPz4 made up for the lack of armament and protection in the Panzer 3. It was armed with a simple 75mm, which could take out our tanks with a few rounds. It could also be fitted with a 105mm cannon, for supporting infantry. The Panzer 4 was a formidable tank. In high numbers they usually overran our tanks, but on their own they also proved a serious threat.
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It was no surprise to me that the TUC ran out of their fancy Russian tanks, but now we were running into whatever they had left. ‘Whatever they had left’ happened to be some of their best hand-crafted tanks. They called them Panzers, German for tank, because their lead designer was German. The tanks he designed looked very similar to their WW2 counterparts.
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Our LAV stopped short of Branch. We unloaded, moving to the rear of the Abrams in front of us. An L-15 was in front of the Abrams, a second squad of Rangers were behind it.
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Rain began to trinkle on the back of my neck. As we got closer and closer to the outer wall of the town, the rain became more intense. The L-15 held outside the gate, while the Rangers moved in to open it. They slid it open, and our squad moved through.
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The gate opened to a small courtyard that had a second wall with an opening. The courtyard was full of dead cows, sheep, and hay bales. We got to the second wall. I looked around the corner, seeing a small road with multiple farmhouses and farm plots on the sides. Most of the farm houses were destroyed or burned down, and the fields that were once ripe with vegetables were charred.
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I was extremely nervous to cross the street. There could be anyone hiding in those buildings. With the rain only getting more intense, my visibility wasn’t good at all. I could barely make out anything in the buildings.
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Valkyrie pointed to the center of the opening, “Wessman. Get dirty son.”
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Kyle nodded, slamming into the muddy dirt. He flipped his bipod down and rested on his M240. Valkyrie pointed to Ty, Carter, and me. He flicked his hand up the road, “go.”
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I nodded, bouncing a little bit to get more speed. I sprinted through the opening and across a dirt road to a six foot fence. There was a hole in the fence not far from where I was. Ty got near the edge of the fence and peeked around it. Carter covered the hole. I, in the middle of them, motioned for the rest of the team to move up.
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Anton began to cross the street. A small burst of rifle fire hit the wall next to him. Anton dropped to the ground. Kyle began firing at a building to our right. I pulled Ty towards me, moving down to Carter. He crossed through the hole, swinging right. I swung left into a backyard with patio chairs and a grill laying out.
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Ty tapped my shoulder and I turned around, following him to where Carter was. He was crouching down beside a porch. A spray of bullets ripped off the porch railing. I backed up, seeing Carter take a round in the arm. He fell to his side, rolled to his back, began to crawl back, and fired a few shots after crawling a bit.
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Ty shot his underbarrel grenade launcher down the street while I drug Carter into cover. The bullet went straight through. I pulled out his Self-Medical Pouch while he covered the backyard area. As I was putting morphine into his arm, two Confederate soldiers came around the corner. He shot his rifle one handed towards the soldiers, killing both.
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I wrapped his arm with a pressure bandage and said, “don’t get shot again.”
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He smiled, “I’ll try my best man.”
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We joined Ty, who was popping a few shots at a building. I tapped him, “where are they?”
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He pointed to one of the destroyed farmhouses, “I got him pinned but…”
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An Abrams came up the road, firing a shot into the house Ty was talking about. The remaining pieces of the structure collapsed. The Abrams pushed up the road more, taking a shot to its front plate. The round bounced off, and rolled towards us. I could tell it was a 75mm shell.
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The three of us moved through the backyard to the other side of the fencing. The Abrams fired another shot, exploding something. Ty kicked down the fence and we moved to a small shack in between us and another farmhouse. There was a burning Panzer 4 along the road. Most likely the Abrams’ prey.
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We got to the shed, and took corners. Carter got the left corner, while Ty and I got the right corner. The Abrams continued to push up with the L-15 following. The rest of our Division and the second squad were pushing up the right side of the road.
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Ty and I moved up to a second fence. We dropped into a ditch and started to move out, but something felt off. In between all the gunfire and hard rain hitting all around me, I heard the sound of tracks ripping through mud. It sounded like they were right beside me. I turned to the fence, and through a small hole I saw the front plate of a Panther.
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The TUPz5 was the combination of both the Pz3 and 4. The ‘Panther’ was armed with a 126mm cannon, sloped armor, and the ability to carry multiple troops or stowage on it’s engine deck. It was the most common of TUC made tanks, and one of the most effective. Although it wasn’t as indestructible as a Tiger, or as fast as the Pz2, it was perfectly balanced. The perfect killing machine. The perfect weapon.
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I grabbed onto Ty’s collar, and used all my might to pull him back. I did, somehow, and rolled him to my side. The Panther crushed through the fence. Its right track slammed into the ditch where Ty was. He took a deep breath, “thanks mate.”
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Four soldiers followed behind the Panther. Ty and I shot them down as they tried to hop the ditch. Their bodies fell into it, some still moving. Carter rushed to us and shot at the pile. He slid into the ditch, tossing out his mag and sliding a fresh one in.
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The Panther shot at the Abrams. The shell hit, and exploded on the outside. The Abrams backed up, attempting to line up its barrel quicker whilst facing its front armor to the enemy. The Abrams fired at the Panther. The shell ricocheted off, making a terrible eerrtf sound. The Panther fired, destroying the Abrams. The L-15 spun its turret towards the Panther. It fired, sending a 225mm shaped charge into and through the Panther. The charge flew over our heads.
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The exit hole was bright red. Pieces of the armor melted away or were bending towards the exit hole. Fire roared through the hole and the cupula exploded with sparks. A stream of fire shot through the cupula. The ammo must have exploded. It was at least four-hundred degrees inside. Same thing that happened to the LAV back in Jennings.
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We moved around the fence and followed the LAV up the road. We reached an intersection, where the L-15 hovered over a barrier and stopped a few ahead of us. There was a gas station at the corner of the intersection, and a long road with a church and Elementary School. The only two structures that could somewhat be garrisoned.
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Valkyrie linked up with us and we pushed down the road with the LAV. As we were moving down the road, two Panzer 3s drove onto our road from another road. The L-15 behind us shot again, hitting the lead Panzer 3 in the rear. The projectile shot through the armor and hit the following Panzer 3 in its front armor.
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The TUPz 3 was the middle ground between the 2 and 4. The 3 was armed with either a high velocity 60mm or a supportive 75mm. Sometimes they would be fitted with 105 or 150mm guns. However, these were extremely rare. They were a tad slower than the 2 but not as protected as the 4. They were still formittable if they got the drop on lightly armored vehicles.
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Ty giggled, “holy shit!”
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The lead Panzer 3 exploded from the engine deck, and the following Panzer caught fire in it’s turret.
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I looked back at the L-15, seeing Anton with us. I gave him a nod, “you okay?”
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He nodded, “yeah. Need new pants.”
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We got up to the school. The LAV drove ahead of us a little way to scout the area. I moved up to the church door, seeing it covered with desks and sandbags. Valkyrie called out, “paras! Your support has arrived.”
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A Ranger popped his head over the seal. He dropped his rifle on his hip, “bout time you bastards showed up.”
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Valkyrie ordered everyone except me and Que to secure the rest of the town. He brought us into the church. There were wounded all over the ground. Body bags, ammo boxes, and spent rounds covered the floor. One wounded Ranger smacked his buddy, who had a bandage over his eyes, “yo man. Look at this! Dirt-Dicks have showed up.”
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Dirt-Dicks was a common name given to Rangers by Airborne Rangers. We called them Sky-Dicks, which really wasn’t as creative as Dirt-Dicks.
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A wounded Ranger was trying to pull his blanket up. I saw him struggling, and kneeled down to help him. Valkyrie asked, “who’s in command here?”
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The Ranger pointed to a body bag, “he was. Now we kinda run our own shit.”
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I got back up, following them into a back room. There, a large map was displayed over a table. Blood was all over it. The Ranger pointed to North Lafayette, “my boys got hit here pretty hard. The refineries in the area are much more guarded than we thought.”
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Valkyrie asked, “how strong?”
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“440s, Tigers, Panthers, T-90s, Havocs. Looks like their main forces are either driving through here or stationed in this area.”
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“Maybe they’re coming right off the conveyor?”
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“There’s at least six different tank factories in the North Sector. I wouldn’t doubt it. If we can take these fuckers out, here-” He pointed to a red line, with black lines across it, “we can punch straight through.”
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“What is it?”
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A Ranger sitting in the room said, “bunkered Panthers.”
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The lead Ranger shrugged his shoulders, “fuckers built bunkers around the Panthers. They only have a limited 180° view, but, beyond that, they’re still taking out our guys like a machete through butter.”
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“No rear hits or exposures?”
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“No sir, they’re dug in. Like maggots in shit. Like- you know? A tank… in concrete?”
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“Yeah I got it.”
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“Right. After the Maginot Line wannabe, we got two bunkers with AT guns and MG72s. I figured artillery could hammer this and the outskirts of town. Way too much ground to be crossing without cover. My men couldn’t get close enough to the city to figure out where all their forces are.”
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“Okay. Fold up that map. We need to move out.”
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We gathered their gear and loaded it into the back of the LAV. Valkyrie called for a medical pickup, and it came before the end of the day.
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Two Apache gunships escorted a Dual Rotor Eagle in. The Dual Rotor landed in a cornfield. I latched onto a stretcher and ran with Ty into the cabin. We dropped the wounded Ranger off, and ran out to get the next one.
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The Dual Rotor Eagle, or O-V, was an upgraded version of the Osprey. It had retractable wings, a better speed, slightly more capacity to fit troops, capability to install weapon platforms, and enhanced stealth technology. Almost every major offensive was held up by the Dual Rotor. It could play a logistical role, assault, recon, or transport, all in one.
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After loading the wounded, the Dual Rotor took off. I watched as the helicopter knocked down remaining corn stalks.
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The next day, we prepped our gear and set out for Church Point. It wasn’t that long of a walk. However it was made longer because of the mudded roads. Eventually, we had to scuttle the LAV.
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The crew got out and we tossed thermite into the barrel, loading breech, and gas tank. As we were walking away, the tank ignited with flames of thermite.
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We arrived at Church Point February 17. The city was destroyed. Every single building was leveled. I could see the start of the city and then the end of it. Bodies were scattered among the rubble, almost all of them were civilians. As we walked down the dark streets, civilians walked by us, heading West.
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Kyle asked, “we just gon’ let these bitches slide by us.”
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A younger woman brushed past my chest. She stopped when she passed me, staring me down with cold eyes. Her stomach was vacuumed in, with no fat or muscle on her body. Her face was covered in mud, blood, and there were lines down her cheek from where she cried. Her hair was either burnt or knotted, and her clothes were ripped and burnt. I walked on, feeling her stare on the back of my neck as I walked away.
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We kept passing women and children, but no men. The only children were girls, all of whom were as rough as the women. With no clothes or shelter, that type of rainstorm would kill them. It was cold for me. I was wearing a vest, jacket, shirt, and an undershirt. Only the lucky few people walking across us had just a shirt.
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We got to the city circle, which was a roundabout with a fountain in the middle. The fountain was somewhat intact. There were Confederate soldier bodies piled on each other and a few younger boys within the mix. Ty shook his head, “what the hell happened?”
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Valkyrie nodded, “defense in depth at its most finatical. Check their wounds.”
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Kyle pulled up a corpse by the collar, seeing he was shot multiple times in the chest. However, his wounds were covered with a bandage. The only wound which wasn’t was his slit throat. Kyle dropped the body and wiped his hands. Valkyrie continued, “they killed all the wounded. Burnt the city to the ground. Animals.”
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Anton shrugged his shoulders, “those wounds are survivable.”
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Savannah clicked her tongue, “but they take you out of the fight.”
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Ty closed his eyes and exhaled, “never do me like this Matthew. Please.”
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I wrapped my arm around his back, “I would never. I can promise you that.”
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“Gonna make a promise you can’t keep?”
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Kate told me that once. We were sitting in her living room and she asked me to come back. I told her I would, and she made me promise her. I’m sorry Kate. I couldn’t come back in time.
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I looked Ty dead in the eyes, “I promise I’m never leaving you behind. If you’re dyin, we’re dyin together.”
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Kyle looked over at me, “is that gonna be the same for me too?”
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I nodded, “I wouldn’t leave anybody behind. Not like this.”
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Anton rubbed his forehead, “I might leave Kyle behind.”
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Kyle smirked, “I’m counting on it dickface.”
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I heard a jeep driving down the road. I looked behind the fountain and saw it approaching. Valkyrie nodded, “right. Get to work securing a perimeter. Rogers, with me.”
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Valkyrie and I began to make our way to the jeep when Que asked, “what about me Lt?”
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Valkyrie rolled his eyes, “get the men to secure a perimeter Sergeant.”
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Que sighed, “right away.”
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He gave me a small glare, and I shrugged my shoulders. He scoffed and turned away. I was as confused as he was. I had no idea why Valkyrie was starting to include me out of nowhere. I felt it happening in Jennings, but not to this extent.
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We hopped into the jeep and the driver told us, “Major Earns has been waiting for you.”
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Valkyrie nodded, “we’re here now.”
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The driver turned the jeep around and began to drive up the road. Valkyrie asked, “how do you feel about getting a chance to lead?”
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Confused, I asked, “what do you mean?”
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He chuckled, “a Squad Leader position.”
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“I thought Que-”
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“Que is getting burnt out. I could tell back in Jennings you had something about you. I couldn’t ever put a finger on it. But you’re special Rogers. You got innate talent to lead, and I don’t want to waste that. You gonna be your best?”
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“I guess-”
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“Don’t give a damn. You’re Squad Lead. I’m now ordering you.”
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I nodded, “thank you Lt.”
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“Listen, around the men, call me Lt. Away from them call me, Alec. Clear?”
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“Crystal.”
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“Good. Truth be told Rogers. I see a lot of myself in you. Good shot, leading potential, and damn fine looks. Keep up the good job, and we’ll be home before summer.”
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I felt good about myself for the first time in a while. I felt like what I was doing actually mattered now that someone as superior as Valkyrie noticed. I felt confident, proud even.
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Valkyrie and I walked into a makeshift tent. Inside, there were radio boxes, maps, and a drawing board. A tall, stocky man was standing in the middle. He had a cup of coffee in his right hand and a pencil in the other. He looked up at us, scoffed, and sipped his coffee. Valkyrie and I stood at attention, waiting for him to address us.
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He chuckled, “took you long enough Lieuteniant.”
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Valkyrie nodded, “yes sir. We got caught up with a small Panzer Division in Branch.”
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“Yeah, whatever. Are you ready to move out?”
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“Yes sir. Given adequate transport, we can leave now.”
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“Great. Gather your men. We’re shifting our forces to the main attack group. Pack it up!”
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His men began to wrap up their gear and utilities. We were given a few MRAPs to carry ourselves to Sunset. As I was sitting in the back, I told Ty, Carter, Anton, and Kyle the news. I clicked a bullet into my mag, “I’m getting promoted to Squad Leader.”
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Ty looked over at me, “no shit?”
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I nodded, “no shit.”
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He punched me in the shoulder, “fuck yeah mate!”
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Carter turned around in his seat, “glad someone’s replacing Marco.”
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“Not just yet.”
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Anton let out a puff of air, “Que’s dying on us anyways. Gave up long before I came.”
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I nodded, “Que’s been through a lot. A lot more than you think. He just needs a break.”
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Kyle nudged Anton, “I think we all do.”
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*
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At Sunset, we were ordered to wait for further orders. We took up housing in some of the apartment buildings. The city was somewhat intact. Like every other city we came across, some buildings were completely gone and others were perfectly fine.
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We weren’t planning on staying long. Once reinforcements arrived, it was full game on Lafayette.
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I met Que at the mess hall. I sat down across from him while he was eating. He asked, “what’s up?”
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I told him, “listen. I got promoted to SL and I’m taking your position. You can-”
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“Fuck yeah. Thank God.”
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“You’re not mad?”
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“Mad? I’m fuckin glad. I’m proud of you man. Tent would be too.”
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I was laying in my bed one day, when a knock came at my door. I answered it. It was Kelly. She was holding a bottle of champagne and a roll of cookie dough. She smiled, “I got you some stuff Squad Lead.”
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I let her in, “thank you. I uh- I don’t drink.”
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She put it on the center table, “good. More for me?”
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I nodded, “sure. Grab a seat.”
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We sat at the table and talked about the upcoming operation. I told her I wished we had air superiority, because without it we would be doing a lot of heavy lifting. As I was talking about my concerns, she got up and walked to the radio. She began to play a soft jazz song. She began to swim her head back and forth. She jumped up on the counter and crossed her legs.
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I got up, walked next to her, and asked, “how are you feeling about it?”
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She chuckled, “I don’t care enough to have an opinion on it.”
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She slid off the countertop and grabbed my forearm, “dance with me?”
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I nodded, holding onto her hips and swaying to the music with her. She kept her head distant from my shoulder, but I could tell she wanted to lean in. I did as well. Even though I shouldn’t have. I could get court martialed for having relations with a squad member. If anyone ever found out I’d be fucked.
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Either way, I placed my chin on her head, and just took a moment to relax. She made me feel safe. She made me feel like I didn’t need to be manly, or having the need to be better. I just wanted her. I wanted her, and a little house with just enough room for two kids and a dog. Maybe just a kid and two dogs. Maybe two kids and two dogs. Hell, as many dogs as she wanted. Maybe even a horse or pony. A fucking zebra for all I cared.
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I held onto her hair, feeling it’s silky smoothness run through my fingers. I could tell she had just washed it. It smelt like dandelions on a cool spring day. I took a sniff of it, closing my eyes and letting the fragrance take me wherever it went. I was not in control. For once, I didn’t want to be.
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Her head fell into my chest, and she let out a sigh. We swung there for a few moments. But it felt like seconds to me. She looked up into my eyes, closed hers, and kissed me. I didn’t know what to do. I just let my body take control, and I stopped listening to rules and standards. Just for a little bit, I thought it wouldn’t hurt.
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I pushed my lips onto hers. She reached for the back of my neck, and carressed it. I put my hands into her shirts, and she put hers into my pants. I kept kissing her. It felt… good?
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It felt so wrong yet so good. Yet, it wasn’t even that wrong. Why worry about something that could happen in a few months when I could die that same night? At least when I died, I would die satisfied. I would die knowing I did what I wanted, what I liked.
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She unclipped my belt and unclipped hers. I nodded, lifting her up by the shoulders and placing her on the counter. It knocked over the radio, sending it into the sink. The song still played.
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I pulled up her shirt, pressing my fingers into her skin. She bit onto my neck, and whispered, “I want this.”
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I nodded, feeling the same way. She asked, “do you?”
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I nodded, “I do.”
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She smiled, taking her shirt off and mine. I lifted her up, kissed her on the neck and chest, and threw her on my bed. She chuckled, grabbing onto my face and kissing me more.
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