The Day of Wakening

The Man In The Mask (Chapter 10)

The Man in the Mask (Chapter 10)

I woke up later with an incredible headache, and I started hearing gunshots and screaming. I rose up to find I was being carried by Zero, who grumpily said, “Bout bloody time your arse woke up!”

“Enemy reinforcements!” shouted Captain Taylor.

I looked up and saw four Russian soldiers lying on the ground dead.

“Grenade! Get down!” yelled Falcon. I suddenly hear a loud boom and the door nearby us flies open. I looked and the enemy was firing on us from within, using the cover in the main hallway. We were on the second floor at the time. I looked over and saw Captain Taylor toss a frag grenade at the enemy. I suddenly looked back at the enemy and without even thinking I sprinted for the nearest line of cover- a soda machine that was knocked over. I took a deep breath and grabbed my rifle- my hands sweaty from the constant fear of dying. I wiped the sweat from my face and turned to open fire. I could feel the sweat roll down my chest and my eyes become concentrated on the enemy. I expended twenty rounds before bringing my rifle back and reloading. I turned back to fire and nearly had my head ripped off by a shot. I reached for a flash bang in my utility belt and bent my head down. I popped open the lid and when I felt the time was right tossed the flash into the crowd of enemies. As soon as the explosion went off, I hopped up and directly opened fire on the area where the flash had detonated. My ears were ringing nonstop due to the flash bang’s proximity- it literally felt like someone was blasting a dog whistle in my head. I could hear the extremely high pitch of the flash bang bouncing off the walls. The shots I fired directly hit three targets which I could confirm as neutralized; I saw them fall to the ground while the other two tangos jumped for immediate cover. There was an elevator at the end of the hallway; the stairs had been cut off by a small fire. I turned to the team and bellowed, “Run! Go, go, go”. In one fluid motion, without  needing conscious, I leapt as high as I could have thought; jumping over the drink machine and quickly pulling my rifle to my face; the reflex scope was right near my eye. I carefully moved through the debris from the fight, the rest of the team was closing in behind me. When out of the corner of my eye I spot movement, I immediately turned my head and opened fire on what I suspected was an enemy soldier. Out of nowhere something grabbed my leg. I look down and it’s a dying enemy… His face covered in blood and his eyes gleamed with pain. I was struck with remorse. He looked up at me half dead and said in a low whisper, “Please, just kill me…” I didn’t know what to do, I grabbed my rifle and aimed it at the defenseless soldier, but before I could fire I hear Falcon scream,

“Behind!”

I turned my head and saw an enemy soldier- his rifle aimed towards me. My eyes widened in fear while my heart played an intense rhythm. Miraculously, right before he had his chance he fell to the floor. I turned my head the other direction in reaction and there I saw Captain Taylor holding his pistol in his right hand: he had shot the Russian soldier point blank. The soldier is still half dead lying on the floor, crying on;

“Please! Shoot me; I don’t want to suffer any longer. “

I grabbed my rifle pointed it towards the soldier.

“Forgive me” I muttered, looking away as I pulled the trigger. I fired one shot, but it was enough to send him to his chosen heaven and deity. The room became silent. I felt like this war had completely changed who I was. I stood there for a moment, frozen by the sheer act I had just committed. Then I felt something; someone grabbed my arm, I turned to look and heard a voice.

“Come on, you did what was right, that’s all we can do anymore…we, we should try and get down to the first floor.”  Captain Taylor let go of my arm and said “we need to get the hell out of Nags Head. “ I looked over towards the elevator shaft, I began to carefully cross over the debris to reach the elevator; the room was bloody, dead bodies littered the entire hall; a small snack machine had cracked and smashed glass lay everywhere. I crossed the glassy canvas; it felt like I was walking on popcorn and wood chips. I slowly crept through, beside me Zero was scoping out the area to make sure there weren’t any threats still around. By that time I had reached the elevator. Beside it, covered in blood, was a body shot to pieces during the fire fight. I reached my hand over to press the down arrow on the elevator. Next to me was the rest of ‘Team Delta’ - A Squad.