Finally Home to Yellowstone: Yellowstone Ranch Series

19

"Corporal." My radio buzzed. "This is November echo delta flying in. We can pick up wounded."

It was staticky and cutting out. I shot my eyes to Jake. He shook his head.

"Not me. No. You put other people on that chopper." He was leaned against a beaten and battered wall. We finally made it back inside the building. He was propped up with his backpack but he looked terrible. He was pale skinned though the dirt in his face.

"That's not your decision." I grabbed my rifle and stood up. I called back to NED and set locations for a pick up. I reached down to grab Jake.

"No." He spoke up but wouldn't move. "I'll get the next one. Let the other guys go first. They gotta get outta here."

I swallowed hard. "Jake," I squatted down to him,"You have to get home too."

"And I will. But not yet. Let them go first. Corporal," His voice started to shake. "I'm not done here yet."

I stood up and nudged his leg with my foot. He winced. "You can't even walk." I clenched my jaw. "You're not any help here."

I watched him swallow hard. And his face turn red. And he sat up. Wincing, and groaned, he stood up. Grabbed his rifle. "I'm not leaving. I'm covering you while you get them to the loading zone. Let's go."

I stared up at him and a smiled formed on my face, I patted his arm. "Lead the way, private."

I figured if we were both gonna die here, which we most likely were, it was best to let him have the chance to do what he wanted. He wanted to climb the ranks and lead. Chances are he won't live that long, so i assumed to let him do it now.

We made our way through piles of Afghan bodies down the halls of the capital building. Most of our guys that were wounded were in the library. So we made our way there. You could here gun fire and bombs outside but also crackling. Crackling from fire.

Jake glanced around a corner then stopped. He looked back at me with wide eyes. My heart dropped. What did he see?

I gestured for him to step back. He did so. I glanced around the corner. The smell flooded my nose even through my gator mask.

Afghan soldiers were standing around a few bodies. Pieces of bodies. And tossing them into a bonfire.

I turned back to Jake and nodded.

"Respirator." I whispered.

He ruffled his eyebrows.

"Trust me." I nodded. The smell would make him sick. He hadn't ever been around it.

He quietly hooked up his respirator. And we turned the corner firing. All six soldiers hit the ground. I looked at the bonfire and stopped.

"Go back." I shoved my hand into Jakes chest.

He stumbled back,"What? Why? We gotta go that way."

My eyes sealed on an American flag badge laying in the bonfire.

"Now, private!" I yelled at him. He responded and turned around and ran the best he could. I did the same. We turned the corner and kept running.

"Mary." I heard someone say. "Mary, come on." I felt someone rubbing my bare back. I blinked a few time. I was sitting on the floor. I looked up. "Hey." Rip rested his hand on the side of my face. "Ya alright?"

I nodded and breathed slowly,"Yeah. I think so."

There was a knock at the door. I jumped. Then looked up at Rip. "Go put a fucking shirt on." He helped me up.