Chapter 5 Ammo Run
We had set up a perimeter around the abandoned Shell station and awaited our ride. My sister had managed to climb on the roof of the station provide over-watch of the area. Briggs was inside the station getting a five inch wooden shard removed from his gut by Bowlds. Briggs didn’t accept medication but he did not scream. I watched as the shard was pulled out a few inches at a time, pausing so Briggs could take a breath. The area of his shirt around the shard was soaked in blood and the stain was spreading. With one final thrust the shard was removed sending a small spurt of blood with it. The shard was painted in Briggs’ blood but at the tip a small bit of white paint could be seen. Briggs leaned his head back and mumbled out, “Morphine please.” Bowlds gave him a hit and Briggs’ muscles relaxed.
Foster was also inside, watching the front door for enemy personnel. At least that was what he was told to do; he was really practicing holstering and drawing his Uzis. Coone and I were posted up out front behind the gas pumps. I was sitting down with my back to pump #3 and Coone was on his stomach behind pump #5 with his M60 aimed down the street.
I was reloading my M4 mags with .223s. I was counting slowly in my head, thirty in each mag. I was on seventeen when one slipped out of my hand from the moisture and I cut my thumb on the mag clamps. I sucked in air through my teeth, making a hissing sound and I put my thumb in my mouth. I sucked the blood out which left a copper taste on my tongue. I then licked the cut and let it dry.
I set the half loaded mag in my lap and looked up at the sky. The pouring rain had turned to nothing more than a sprinkle now. The slightest bit of sun showing through the clouds made the sky a light grey color. Dark smoke added to the clouds giving it the appearance of a smudged newspaper.
I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. Images of the previous fight were racing through my mind. I could see Briggs flying Backwards from the explosion and Bowlds running over. I tried to focus on other things. My mind turned to Victoria. I thought about my coffee break with her and when I first saw her. My mind abruptly switched to Denver where I put a bullet in that burned soldiers head. I tried to shake it away but the image of his face wouldn’t disappear. I finally opened my eyes and I saw him standing there charred and as bloody as before. I jammed my eyes shut and screamed, “GAAAHH!! No! I killed you!” I heard someone shouting my name and I opened my eyes to see Coone crouched next to me.
“Sir, are you okay?” He asked me. “Yes, I’m fine, I just dozed off, thank you Coone.” I responded. He nodded and went back over to his M60. My heart was racing more than it had ever been before. I tried to convince myself that I had just fallen asleep but I knew deep down that I hadn’t. I knew that I had opened my eyes and that the soldier from before was standing there. However that didn’t make sense. He was dead.
I blew it off on hallucinations from sleep deprivation and went back to loading my mag. I got to twenty-three and realized I was out of ammo. I looked over at Coone and asked him how he was doing on ammo. He responded, “I have half of this box and then I’m out.” I nodded and stood up, leaving my rifle by the pump. I walked inside the station where Briggs was recovering and Bowlds and Foster were chatting. I asked them how their ammo supply was. Foster said he was doing okay but he would need more 9mms soon. Bowlds said that he was good on ammo. Apparently he didn’t do much shooting in the last firefight and he only wasted 2 two and a half mags. Briggs said he was completely out of ammo except for what was in his shotgun and the two shells in his sawed-off.
I called Madi and Coone into the room and turned back to Bowlds, “Since you’ve managed to conserve your ammo, you’ll be doing an ammo run with me.” I ordered he nodded as Madi and Coone walked in. Madi had her rifle lying across her shoulders with her arms over top of it. Coone left his M60 on the ground outside. I pulled my waterproof notebook and a pencil out of my vest pocket and opened it up to a blank page. “Okay,” I started, “who needs what ammo?” As they answered I made a small list,
