The helo came to a hover at the end of the dock, and I risked a quick glance behind me to see Doc and Mya throw Redshirt into the open doors. Mya climbed in next to her, followed by Doc, but the LT came running back to us, firing and charging into the melee, swinging his plastic-stocked rifle at the closest Z. I saw him go down as I smashed one in the head, swarmed by a dozen who immediately started tearing him apart. Ahmed ran backwards, firing his pistol until the slide locked back, then turned and jumped in through the open door.
Jonesy had been separated by more Zs and there was no way for him to get to us. He swung his bar again, clearing a space around himself, and yelled, “I’LLSEE YOU IN HELL, NICK!” and started moving away from the helo, swinging hard, smashing them down, leading them away from us. One grabbed his ankle, and he started to fall. A shot rang out from the helo, and Jonesy collapsed to the ground, shot through the heart by Ahmed.
Brit was bleeding from the stomach, blood staining her uniform where her stitches had ripped open. She flung her crowbar at the head of the nearest Zombie, then turned and ran, clutching her side. I followed close behind her, the Zs right behind us, howling and screaming. A gust of wind pushed the helo away from the dock just as Brit jumped for it and the door gunner opened up with his 240. I saw her fall into the water, slipping down between the helo and the edge of the dock.
In front of me, the door, and salvation, gaped wide open. Ahmed and Mya reached for me, hands held out, while Doc fired over my head, knocking Zs back from me.
I dove off the dock, and the cold river water closed over my head.
Chapter 38
Even with the full moon shining on it, under the surface was black as hell until a bright light stabbed downward. I could hear the thump of the helo blades coming down through the water. I unsnapped my gear and dropped my weapon as I sank towards the bottom, shrugged out of my body armor, kicked for the surface. Taking a deep breath, I turned over and dove for the bottom, trying to feel for where the current was running. Next to me another figure splashed into the water, and Doc dove down with me.
Fortunately, in the shelter of the point, the water was almost still and only about fifteen feet deep. I could see the bottom in the glare of the powerful spotlight on the helo, and after three dives I saw Brit’s body. I slapped Doc’s leg, and he turned and followed me over to her.
She had struggled half out of her armor, but floated unmoving, her eyes and mouth open, red blonde hair hanging in front of her face. I started pulling at her armor, my head starting to hammer for oxygen. Doc pushed me aside and cut it off where it had caught on her uniform. We each grabbed an arm and kicked for the surface.
The crew chief of the helo directed the pilot to set the tail end into the water, and we struggled up onto the lowered ramp, pulling Brit’s body with us. Doc pushed me out of the way, listened to her heart, then started to perform chest compressions. I pinched her nose and started forcing air into her lungs.
The helo rose in a smooth arc and headed north. Ahmed leaned out of the side door, firing steadily into the crowd of zombies until we were out of range. Mya was wrapping Redshirt in some blankets while holding up a new IV. The crew chief was hurriedly working on the wiring, where a short had sent sparks arching onto the floor. It smelled of blood, cordite and aviation fuel.
Brit suddenly coughed. A ton of water shot out of her mouth, then she vomited on me and started making choking sounds. Doc rolled her on her side and cleared her mouth out with his fingers, then started tying a bandage around her waist where her gunshot wound had opened up.
I sat on the deck of the helo and cradled her head in my lap as we thundered up river to Fort Orange. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and said something I couldn’t hear over the roar of the twin turbines. I leaned closer.
“If you wanted to kiss me that bad, all you had to do was ask, you stupid ass.”
The End.
Or maybe not…
---------------------------------------------------
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank K for her editing and medical advice, and unwavering support. I’d also like to give thanks to every fan of EZKGTB who sharpshooted (sharpshot? Sharpshotted?) the chapters and waited patiently as each was published.
If you have enjoyed reading about Nick, Brit and the guys, please follow their further adventures on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/EZKGTB
Also check out Power Point Ranger comics at www.pptranger.net and www.facebook.com/powerpointranger
Last, drop by and check out the guys at U.S. Army Zombie Combat Command!
Glossary
11B Infantryman
1SG First Sergeant, usually the highest ranking NCO in a line unit
1st CAV 1st Cavalry Division
40 MM 40 Millimeter Grenades, fired from a grenade launcher
5 Ton Unarmored Cargo truck
9 Line Request for MEDVAC
ACU Army Combat Uniform, the grey camouflage fielded by the Army in 2005
AFN Armed Forces Network (military television & radio)
AIT Advanced Individual Training, where you learn your job skill after basic training
Allah Akbar (sp) "God Is Great", shouted by the enemy as they attacked Americans
AO Area of Operations
Apache / AH-64 Helicopter Gunship
ARCOM Army Commendation Medal
BAH Basic Allowance for Housing (non taxable money soldiers get for living off base)
BC Usually Battalion Commander, a Lieutenant Colonel
Blackhawk / UH-60 Transport Helicopter
Bronze Star Medal
CAS Close Air Support
Chinook / CH-47 Transport Helicopter
CHU Containerized Housing Unit, basically a 10 x 20 trailer that housed up to 8 soldiers at a time.
Company 3 to 4 (or more) platoons
COP Combat Out Post, a smaller version of a FOB
Cordon Enclose an area
CQ Charge of Quarters - A desk manned 24 hours
CSH Combat Support Hospital. The first place a casualty goes to be treated
CSM Command Sergeant Major, the senior enlisted soldier in a large unit
DFAC Dining Facility
DOW Died Of Wounds
FA Field Artillery
Fart Sack Sleeping Bag
FOB Forward Operating Base
Fobbit A soldier who does not engage in combat
Gerber Multi tool (pliers, knife, etc.)
Green Beans A popular coffee shop on the FOBs
Grunt Infantryman
Haji GI slang for Iraqis
hesco Dirt filled barriers
Hummer, Humvee 4 wheel drive Armored Truck
IDF Indirect Fire. Mortars or Artillery
IED Improvised Explosive Device
Kevlar Helmet
KIA Killed in Action
Landstuhl Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany. First stop for serious casualties.
LZ Helicopter Landing Zone
M-14 Semi-automatic 7.63 assault rifle, usually used as a sniper rifle
M-16 5.56 mm assault rifle
M-1A1, M-1A2 Abrams Tank
M2, aka Ma Deuce 12.7 mm machine gun, mounted in a turret
M-203 40mm grenade launcher mounted under an M-4 or M-16
M24 7.62 mm sniper rifle
M240B 7.62mm machine gun, either carried or mounted in a turret
M249 5.56 mm machine gun, usually carried
M2A1 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle
M-9 9mm pistol carried by many soldiers
MEDEVAC Medical Evacuation (usually by helicopter)
MEPS Military Entrance Processing Station where you join the military
MGS Mobile Guns System, a 105mm cannon mounted on a Stryker
MI Military Intelligence
MK-19, Mark-19 Vehicle mounted automatic 40mm grenade launcher
MOS Military Occupation Specialty
MP Military Police
MRAP Mine Resistant Armored Patrol vehicle
NCOIC Sergeant in Charge
NVG Night Vision Goggles
OIC Officer In Charge
OP Observation Post. Usually a 2 or 3 man position in front of the main defensive position
OPCON(ed) When one unit is placed under another unit not normally in their chain of command
PA Physicians' Assistant
PAX Passenger Terminal at a military airbase
Pisser latrine
PKM Russian made medium Machine Gun
PL Platoon Leader (Usually a newly commissioned officer)
Platoon 4 to 5 squads
POG (or Pogue) See Fobbit, usually anyone not in a combat MOS
PSD Personal Security Detachment
PSG Platoon Sergeant (Usually a Senior NCO)
PT Physical Training
PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PX Post Exchange, the base shopping center
R & R Rest & Relaxation, either two weeks home in the States or a three day pass in Qatar
Rear Detachment Parts of a unit that remain behind at home base for administrative services.
RPG Rocket Propelled Grenade
SAW (M-249) Squad Automatic Weapon, a light machine gun firing the same ammunition as an M-16/M-4
SFC Sergeant First Class, senior NCO in a Platoon
Shi'ite. One of the two main sects of Islam. Majority of the Iraqi population
SITREP Situation Report
Squad roughly 8 to 10 soldiers
SSG Staff Sergeant, leads a squad
Stryker Armored, wheeled Infantry Carrier, carrying an Infantry Squad
Sunni One of the two main sects of Islam. Minority of Iraqi population, held power under Hussein.
TAC SAT Satellite Radio
TBI Traumatic Brain Injury, usually from an IED concussion
The Wire (outside) Going outside the relative security of a FOB
TOC Tactical Operations Center
Tree Line area where fields stop and trees begin. A preferred firing position
WIA Wounded In Action
WRAMC Walter Reed Army Medical Center, located outside Washington DC
Wrecker Tow Truck
WTF What The Fuck
Copyright
Look for new chapters, and discuss the story, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EZKGTB
EZKGTB@gmail.com
All work copyrighted 2013 Think On Productions and John Holmes
Editor’s Comments
1
ß she punches in the shoulder a LOT.
(<< back)
2
ß who said this?
(<< back)
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