Long Shot | 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Chapter 13

Finding my footing on the roof of Building B once more, I walked over to Tanto and Boon, who were sitting in lawn chairs and cracked a small smile their way. "Miss me?" I joked as I stood next to them.

"So much." Boon rolled his eyes.

"You oka-" Tanto started, but I cut him off by placing a hand on his shoulder.

Looking down at him, I flashed a smile. "Tanto, I love you man, but if you ask me if I'm okay one more time I'm gonna 'accidentally' go all friendly fire on your ass."

"Well, I love you too." he mocked me as he placed his own hand over my own. "You know, they're gonna get this figured out. Come at us with technicals next. We'll have to get down off this roof and engage them direct."

Boon sighed as Tanto took a swig of his water before dumping the rest over his head. "Yeah, I know."

"I never really get scared. Is that weird?" Tanto said out of nowhere as he swiped the remaining water off of his face. "Whenever bullets start to fly, I always feel protected. You know, like it's...as long as I'm doing the right thing, God'll take care of me. But that's crazy, right?"

Boon let out a low scoff as he popped a handful of peanuts into his mouth. "Not any more than everything else you say."

Tanto chuckled as I sat down on the ground and reached for something to eat. "Hope God has a sense of humor. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

"I had a good call home today." Boon told us.

I looked up at him as I bit off a chunk of a chocolate bar. "Yeah?"

"Talked to my kids."

Tanto nodded. "Me, too."

Silence fell over us for a while and I could feel Boon's eyes on me as I turned to grab a bottle of water. "What about you?" he finally spoke up. "Good call home today?"

"No call home today." I replied as I twisted the bottle cap off and took a small sip of the luke-warm liquid inside. "I don't really have anyone at home to call. It's funny, y'know...men go off and serve their country and no one bats an eye...but when women do it...when I do it...everyone thinks I'm just avoiding having a family and being irresponsible with my life. My parents are gone, my fiance, who I'm not even sure is my fiance after all of this, gets pissed at me every time we talk because I chose to be here instead of at home, sitting at a desk, with him. And for kids...well, it's pretty evident from everything else I've said but, never really got around to that. This, right here, right now...this is all I have. When I touch down back home, there won't be anyone waiting at the airport for me. When I get home, it'll just be a waiting game until I get sent off somewhere again."

Boon let out a heavy sigh when I finished ranting. "That's a fucking rough go, man."

"It's not so bad." I assured him. "Sometimes we have to make choices in life...and every once in a while you regret the choices you make...but even now as I sit here on this roof with you assholes just waiting until a hoard of angry Libyans start shooting at me again, I don't regret for a second that I chose to be here."

Silence engulfed us once again and the two guys in front of me just stared as if I had spoken in a completely different language. "Of course, right now I wouldn't mind being home for a little while so I could take a hot shower, sleep in my own bed, not fear being killed around every corner, and visit this amazing little bakery just down the street that makes the best apple fritters I've ever had."

"Hey, we need some bodies on Building A eyeballing our visitors." Rone thankfully broke the somewhat awkward silence.

Jumping up, I grabbed for my AK and helmet, deciding that I wasn't going to need the sniper anymore. "Yep. That's me." I volunteered myself.