Moon Dust | Generation Kill

Chapter 12: Hunting Dragons

With her eyes closed, Katie was sure the men in the humvee thought she was sleeping based on the conversation they were having. She had no idea how the topic had been brought up because one second she was lost in her own thoughts, and the next, she was listening to Brad complain about how kids and women and marriage were the worst things in the world.

"Women will always cost, but marriage is the most expensive way to go," Brad said matter-of-factly from his spot in the passenger's seat. "If you want to pay for it, go to Australia. For a hundred bucks you can order a whore over the phone. Half an hour later she arrives at your door, fresh and hot, like a pizza."

Shifting slightly, Katie couldn't help but scoff. "Yeah, a pizza that gives you herpes or some other STD."

"Oh, good, you're awake." Brad huffed as he took another bite of whatever it was that he was eating.

"I was never asleep." Katie sat up a little and gave Whiskey a few pats on the back. 

Walking alongside the vehicle, Nate banged on the exterior twice before popping his head into Brad's window. "Twenty-hundred hours Zulu time we go in. Hitman Two is leading the battalion, your vehicle is on point for all of us."

"Yes, sir."

Adjusting his gaze to Ray, Nate continued. "Once we cross the Euphrates, expect contact from both sides."

As Ray nodded, Brad pointed to the blue dots on the screen in front of him that displayed a map of Iraq. "Taskforce Tarawa Amtracs. Looks like a CAT team, straight-leg grunt platoon."

"Gotta be careful about blue-on-blue contact," Nate informed. "Any potential targets we see within three-hundred meters of our position, double-check to make sure they're not friendly."

Looking down at his watch, Ray sighed. "What time local is twenty-hundred Zulu?"

"Twenty-three-hundred hours," Nate answered. "It'll be dark. It's to our advantage."

"True, sir, if we had enough batteries to power our night optics," Brad inhaled as he spoke, the frustration of having to ration supplies evident in his tone.

"We turn everything on when we move."

Brad accepted the reasoning. "I'm just glad they had the wisdom to push us through at night."

"I'm assured that we will be crossing that bridge before dawn." Nate peered into the back at Katie to make sure she was listening as well. "I'm assured of this."

━━━━

With the sun high in the sky and the heat as hot as ever, Bravo Company began to lead the convoy over the Euphrates bridge. If there was one thing you got used to as a marine, it was being disappointed and lied to, which was why no one was all that shocked when orders to move out weren't given until mid-morning instead of before dawn, as promised.

With Walt now on the main gun of Brad's humvee, the vehicle began to rumble over the bridge, Ray swerving gently to avoid a crashed tank and other debris. 

"Be advised, we're gonna see friendlies on our right immediately after the bridge." 

"Hitman Two, this is Two One Bravo. Be advised we have friendlies on both sides. How copy? Over."

Listening to the radio chatter, Katie made sure Whiskey was tucked safely between her legs before turning her attention back to the scenery out of her window. "Well, look at it this way, at least we aren't wasting battery power for our night optics." Katie rested the barrel of her gun on the window frame of the humvee. "Even though Lieutenant Fick was 'assured' that we would be over this damn bridge before dawn."