Short Stories

Enemy Fire

There I was being held at gunpoint in front of
my team. My team. Who holds someone at gunpoint in front of their own team? All my guys had to do was defuse a bomb. Something we only had to do 3 other times. Great. I could practically "see the light" already. It's not that I don't trust Jay it's just... he's not the best at working under a time limit.. and our other diffuser isn't here because he's on break.. Great. I whisper "don't forget that I love you" to myself as I look down at my wedding rings. Jeez... I told her I wouldn't leave her but now look where me and my team are. We might die because of some stupid trap that we walked straight into. Then jay defuses it with 20 seconds to spare, the people holding me let me go. I feel some relief. Now to get past the enemies. My team and I go out to the exit, getting word from our eyes from above telling us that there's 20+ people out there. Oh no.. I talk to our snipers over the comps in our ears. I tell them to take out as many as they can. But before I can finish telling them that the enemies start shooting through the exit doors. Crap. We tackle the people we need to be safe so they don't get shot. But I notice that they threw a few hand grenades in through the holes in the door. Shiiiiiiiit. We try to protect the kids as best as we can. But some of the concrete from the walls breaking got into the skin of one of the kids. I tell one of my men to stay back and try to protect them. The rest of us get up and get ready to go out and shoot some fuckers. Then Hercules says "I'll distract them" and runs out. Is he? what. Um. No. We go after them. I notices our snipers already shooting. We shoot down all of them. Of course we aren't completely unharmed. But we're all alive. We get back to the ship and I explode on Hercules.
"Are you fucking suicidal?! This was not supposed to be a suicidal mission and you almost made it one! Ever do it again and I swear on my life I will never talk to you again!!" I had tears rushing down my face at this point. He just stares at me then mumbles quietly "yes ma'am..." The rest of our team was standing there staring at us, shocked that I had yelled. I didn't talk to him the rest of the ride home. Once we landed we decided we were going to go surprise our partners at Tree House rather then changing first. Once we get there I immediately attack my wife in a tight hug. She hugs back immediately. God I missed her so much. I pull away and say "so this crazy idiot defused a bomb today." Messing up Jays hair. "And this fucking idiot threw himself in enemy fire" I say looking at Hercules venom lacing my words. "Like it matters." He says quietly once I turn away. I turn back to him, obviously pissed off but sad at the same time. "'Like it matters'?! Of course it fucking matters Hercules! We could have fucking lost you!!" I yell. "Who cares?" He says back. "I care!! The team cares!! Our friends care!! Alex fucking cares!! You fucking idiot! I swear to god! No matter how many times anyone fucking tells you you fucking care you never seem to get it through that thick ass head of yours. You fucking matter Hercules. To me. To alex. To our friends. To our team. To this world. Hercules, you are one of the best fighters we have and if we would have lost you who the hell knows what would have happened..." at this point I'm crying my eyes out. And Alex is standing at the doorway staring at Hercules. Hercules stairs back. Alex attacks Hercules with a hug, crying into his chest. My wife walks over, pulling me into a tight hug.