More Than a Soldier

Chapter 14 - Lashkargah

Y/n's POV:

So, Jimmy was definitely taking advantage of catching me on his laptop making the video call for Ava's birthday last week. All the shitty jobs that he hates doing, I now do for him. But it's totally worth it to know that I got to see her. I did laugh when I was expecting my bollacking from Jimmy, for his first thing to say was "Why didn't you let me talk to her!" Though the laugh soon disappeared when he hauled me over the coals for breaking into his laptop. "Maybe don't use Password1 as your password." I mumble. It stopped him in his tracks. "I-uh. I need something easy to remember." He complained. "How about Missy's birthday?" I suggested and he faltered again. "Or maybe not." I smirked.

Anyway, that's how I'm currently acting as his personal bitch, but I'm lucky. I really should have gotten into a lot worse trouble for that. It's also not the first time I've done something like that, but thankfully Jimmy has a soft spot for Ava.

Life in Lashkargah has become a normality. There's a constant tension in camp where we're waiting for a call to move in on the Taliban troops that are congregating around the city. The decision has been made to attack them before they have the chance to do the same to the city.

Using satellite images, we can see the migration of their men and predict that we'll be moving in within the next few days. This gives us some time to come up with a suitable game plan. That's where we are right now. Jimmy, Hamza, Julia, myself, and the Sergeants are sat in the small 'conference room' we've created in our compound. Not quite like the one Tony Stark had built for the Avengers.

We're analysing each image and identify points of interest within the city that they would likely target. This will give us the opportunity to set up defensive units at these points whilst also providing men for a full frontal assault. "They have roughly 300 men. It's too much for us to attack with no fall back." I argue for the hundredth time for why we need to have a defensive approach. "They break the line, they have the run of the city and then we're screwed." I add to my argument.

"What would you do?" Jimmy turns for my advice. I look to the map and the images, plotting in my head the possible outcomes for different scenarios. "I'd set up our own mortar line. That would force their movement towards the city in disarray. There we have 4 squads to initiate the attack. Again, this will naturally see them break away to get to the city. I say we let that happen." I explain, receiving a shocked gasp from some of them. "You want us to let them by?" One of the sergeants ask. "Only if they break away. That's the point of us having the defensive positions. We know that if we're dug in, we have the advantage. We can set up in a way that we force them to the locations we want." There's a silence as they take in what I've suggested.

"Look, they don't have any idea how big our platoon is here. That's our biggest surprise. We use that to our advantage. Manipulate the battlefield and we force them to fight or surrender. There's too much risk for an all out attack." I back my argument up. Ultimately this is Jimmy's decision and I'll follow him anywhere. "She's right." He sighs, rubbing at his forehead. "We'll be spread too thin if we try and take them all on. Hamza, with Y/l/n, identify the areas of strategic importance. Tomorrow, you need to talk to your trusted informants and keep as many civilians away as possible." Jimmy orders.

"We'll then start to bring troops in to take up the position to launch our attack at dawn on Monday." He decides. We go over the plans of attack and we're dismissed to inform the rest of the platoon. "This is risky." Julia says to me as we're walking towards our room. Being the only two females, we've been assigned a room for us away from the men. "I know." I agree with her to her surprise. "But it's the best choice." I defend. "I trust you." She tells me and it gives me a confidence boost. But also makes me realise that this has to go well, or any injuries or deaths are on me.