Caliber

Chapter 7

Dj walked off the plane and headed for the debriefing center. The top half of his armor was removed to dress his shoulder. He was wearing a white under armor shirt. That was ripped from the arm down. Blood stained it in some spots, his arm in a sling, Kerria walked up to him as he sat down in one of the chairs. The target was in chains on the other end of the table and Dj glared at him.

"Tell me that you'll have the medical team look at that." Kerria said, breaking Dj's continue glare at the target. Dj looked up at his sister and smiled.

"Duke cleaned it and field dressed it," Kerria looked at him.

"I'm fine Kerria, advil is doing just fine with this." Dj said and Kerria rolled her eyes at him.

"Look, I know that you still worry about me. But I'm getting better, I didn't rip into Street for tackling me back there."

"Well, you were the one that stood up and got shot. So there's reason for me to still be worried." Kerria said and Dj ran a hand through his hair. Then he looked at her with a ghost of a smile.

"You know, you look like mom when you worry." Dj said and Kerria smiled at her twin.

"Do you realize that you just called yourself girly?" Dj smirked.

"My dear twin, there's nothing girly about me. I actually came in here to ask if you really needed me. If not I'm headed home I hurt," Dj said and he turned and started to walk to the door.

"No, Duke can debrief for you, going home to lick your wound?" Kerria asked after him and Dj just waved back at her.

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Dj pulled out his key to his apartment building. Winching at the pain in his shoulder and at the memories that were forcing themselves on him. He made it to the elevators before a sheen of sweat formed on his forehead. A memory of the day he got captured flashed inside his head like a flash bang grenade.

Flashback

He was in the backyard of semi well off family in Iraq. He was watching for tangos that would do anything to get the technology. The little girl of the man they were protecting noticed him in the bushes. The little five year old came out with food to give him when all off the sudden they were rushed out of nowhere and a tango grabbed the little girl. The food went flying as a nine millmiter pointed at her head.

Dj stood up and walked out of the hiding place to get to the little girl. He knew what they would do to her if they escaped with her. He couldn't let that happen not to her innocent soul.

"Wait! I know everything that her father does, take me. Just let her go," Dj said as he dropped his gun. He was rushed and pushed to the ground. His hands behind his back and his head turned so he could see the little girl. They had tossed her to the side, the look of horror in her eyes as she looked back at him would haunt him forever if he survived.

"Look, she knows nothing, I'm your gold mine. Just leave her out of this, I'll tell you everything!" Dj exclaimed, lying through his teeth to get them to focus on him. He saw Duke drawing his weapon and he shook his head. Mouthing the words,

'Take care of my sister for me, tell her I love her.'

Then they hit him upside the head and he felt himself being drug backwards, his last sight was Duke nodding and dragging the five year old to a car.

End of flashback

Dj got to his floor and stumbled to his apartment door. Opened it, stumbled in and slammed the door shut. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he went to his kitchen. Pulled a bottle of whiskey out of the cubard. He took a deep pull of the burning liguid. And he kept drinking it to drown the awful memories out. Kept drinking until he passed out right there on the floor of the kitchen.