LOST INTO THE VINE (BWWM)

CHAPTER 18

"Fuck! Aidan's squad hasn't been back since they went for patrol yesterday night," one guy says, walking in the tent, where four other men were seated. He took off his bulletproof jacket and the shirt he had worn. All four heads stop conversing and look at him.

"Shit. Maybe they camped out or something," another one said. Matteo rolled his eyes, "they'd be risking their lives, smartass."

"Aren't we all though?" Simone raised a brow at his friend. "We are here in this overheated desert-like place in the middle of nowhere, the bombing and ambushing by these motherfuckers, the fear of being sent back home in a casket... Out here, our lives are not in our hands."

Matteo had tried hard not to think about the vehicle that had been bombed two days before and killed three of the men he knew. His hand flew to the rosary hanging on his chest, he had been born and raised catholic. And with everything he saw and went through in Afghanistan, he really kept his faith strong. He said a short prayer, asked the apostles to keep him safe for the few weeks that were remaining.

He got out of the tent, around the guys were either playing football with a makeshift ball or doing whatever they could to not think too much about everything happening around them. The number of dead soldiers was increasing as the days passed and that really scared him. He stood by himself, thinking about his family; his mom, his brother, and his sister. He thought about his father, he had died a brave man in battle, the kind of battle he was in.

He had admired what his father did and he vowed he would do the same. "Hey man! You good?" Simone asked him, handing him a bottle of water and taking the place beside him. He nodded, unscrewed his cap, and took a long sip from the bottle.

"What are you thinking about bro?" Simone pushed. He had always known him better than most. Maybe it was because they bonded over the training they had or the missions they had together. He didn't know.

"This is my last deployment. After we get out of here, I'm done with this shit," Matteo said, not looking at his friend. But he saw him nod, "same thing has been in my mind." Matteo turned to Simone looking him in the eye, "if and when we make it alive out of this shithole, we are done with all this." Simone nodded and took his hand to seal the agreement.

"Alvarez! You and your team, south patrol, hopefully, you'll find Aidan and his group," the orders came in loud and clear.

Matteo nodded going back in to dress appropriately, you never knew what you would find in the patrols. "Simpson! Tony! Leon! Get your asses up. We're going for patrol in the South," he told the guys playing cards amongst themselves. They put the cards down and put on their protective gear, a bulletproof vest and all, took their guns, and headed to the patrol car.

"How far gone were they though?" the only dark skin guy on the team, Tony asked. They were driving around ensuring the gangs and the Al Shabab were not making trouble for the small communities and that they hadn't set camp near the base.

Next thing they know, the patrol car is swerving out of control, sand blown up in the air and colored smoke bombs around them. That only meant one thing. They were being ambushed.

Gunshots brought him out of his trance. "Keep driving Simpson! That was probably the only bomb they had placed on the road. Thank God it blew up before we reached it," he told the one in the driver's seat. Simone cursed and had his gun just out of the barely open window.

They shot back and forth with the 'intruders' for a while till the shots quieted down. Matteo said he was going to step out and survey, from the other side of the vehicle. He told Tony to keep driving and he would run along with them. Simone shook his head telling him it was a bad idea but he shrugged and opened the door. One step outside and he was getting pulled back in. him holding his head. Simone took off his protective cap, looked through it, and breathed a sigh of relief, "it didn't reach."

He felt dizzy, closing his eyes tight, holding the side of his head, he hissed, "my head is spinning." "What were you even thinking stepping out there like that? Are you fucking stupid?" Simone glared at him. Matteo didn't answer back he knew his friend was only looking out for him. A blast and another had their hearts beating fast. The tires were shot. There was no escape.

His head was throbbing hard but he held on tight to his gun. There was no way they would sit and wait to be cornered in their own car. Do or die. They all evacuated the vehicle and ran for shade behind trees or big rocks around. Gunshots sounded from all sides. His thigh burned. Shit, he'd been shot. He ignored the pain and the blood flowing, coloring his trousers.

He heard a scream from his opposite side and watched as his fellow soldier and teammate fell to the dusty ground holding his bleeding neck. He cursed. He didn't think he would make it past the hour. He didn't think they would make it past the hour.

He looked towards where Simone was, he was still okay. Thank heavens. He signaled him, telling him that he would go closer. Simone shook his head vigorously, probably cursing him in all the languages he had learned. Another hit to his head had him fall down to the ground. He watched Simone rushing to his helpless self and pulling him behind a rock.

"You asshole, I told you to stay still. Don't even think about closing those eyes!" Simone threatened. Then screamed. A bullet had passed through his cheek, bruising it badly.

He wanted to speak but nothing could come out of his mouth. Not when the men in guns had surrounded those, grinning like wolves. He screamed another burn on the same thigh and the man standing over him stepped on his bleeding thigh, "Aaaah!" Something cold was on his head.