"Yes, Mom." I laughed and walked forward to the man. "Hi. Can y-"
"I was told you'd come. He told me." The man smiled with his eyes closed, his fingers bent in weird ways. "You've been through much pain, I feel your energy."
"...Gandhi...?" I asked playfully and Bruce and Williams laughed, the man did too.
"No, no." He laughed, his eyes opened and he stood up. The dark skinned man was actually very short. "Would you like some tea? Perhaps just some shelter till this sand storm passes. It'll blow off your other leg if you ain't easy." He laughed, walking towards his door and signaling for me to come.
"Oh, no, sir. Thank you, but we have a place to be. I was wondering if you have a quicker route in mind, or something like that... we just need to be there soon... and the way that we see will take a while..." I laughed slightly, the man smiled.
"What happened to the girl isn't your fault, your parents either, none of it." He walked slowly towards a door, "Just come, I like having guests anyways. And after supper," He swung open the door, "I'll let you borrow my horses."
"Sir," Bruce got off the quad and stood next to me, William threw himself out of the back of the quad and followed, "I thank you, but none of this is needed. We can find an alternative route with the quad."
"I see, you have trust issues." The man laughed. I looked at Bruce who was both shocked and pale.
"W- what...? No..." He murmured.
"General Oshaka, he was going to hurt you all, badly. Luckily, you two escaped..." The man's voice faded away as he still talked while walking into the house. Williams followed with no hesitation, yet me and Bruce sat still.
"I don't trust anyone anymore... you're the only one, Wolf..." Bruce looked at me and smiled weakly, his eye still as ruined as ever.
"I trust you too, Bruce... and thank you..." I have Bruce a small, shy smile. Bruce walked over to the door and leaned against the wall, reloading his other guns and wiping some blood off his knife. His pocket on his bicep was full of something, I just didn't know what. A few movements and then I heard the noises. "Why do you do that...?" I walked over to him and grabbed his arm, unzipping the pouch and pulling out all the dog tags.
"I honor my enemies as much as I can... I bury these... I don't know why... I just always have..."
"You honor someone you hate...?"
"I kill the enemy..." He sighed, "but I do not hate them..."
"How could you not?!" I yelled, getting slightly angry with Bruce. "You know what happened with General Oshaka!!! This is- these people are his people!!!" I looked at Bruce and almost growled. "How. Can. You. Not?!"
"Because, they are just human, like everyone else..." He looks off into the distance, sitting 'criss cross applesauce' on the floor. He looked off the mountain side, looking at the base, looking out into the desert.
"They aren't like everyone else! We aren't like them! They aren't like us!!" I stood behind him.
"How are we so different, then?! Huh?! We are both human!! Fighting for what our leaders say is right!!! We all have families that have had rough times!!! We have all been through misery!!! WHAT IS SO DIFFERENT?!" I froze by his words. Dear god, how did he have that discipline and calm tone in his voice?!
"Bruce... I'm... I didn't..." I ran my hands through his hair, twirling some loose strands into curls. He pulled away from my touch slightly, but once my fingertips started massaging his scalp, he moved back, leaning into my hand.
YOU ARE READING
Operation Termite Hill
General FictionHave you ever been somewhere, and wondered how you go there? You arrive in a place where you've only seen in your nightmares, and wonder why you ever set foot in that place? Someone once told me that "If you are ever in a situation that you wish yo...