Call to Arms: Betrayed

Prologue, 2014, Ukraine, then U.S. Army Base

The sound of chopper blades awoke both of the soldiers. Captain Jeremy Burkhart stirs and then wakes First Lieutenant Alyssa Blackwell. She looks at him, pale and dehydrated. "Told ya, Blackwell!" he says, his voice husky and strained. Blackwell smiles and then licks her chapped lips.
  "You were right, Burkhart. You sure it's an American plane, though?" Blackwell asked as he nods. They both stand and then begin to flag down the plane. The plane lands and they both get on. "Captain Burkhart?" the pilot asks as Jeremy nods. "First Lieutenant Blackwell?" he asks as Alyssa nods also.
"You've been missing for six months. Where have you been?" he asked as Alyssa faints. "How about we wait until we get back to base before we talk, savvy? We're both dehydrated and starving," Jeremy says as the pilot hands him a bottle of water.
  "Did you at any time go into Pripyat or anywhere near Chernobyl?" the pilot asks as Jeremy sprinkles a few drops of water on Alyssa's face. She opens her eyes and then takes the water. "I think," Burkhart said as he takes the water. "Slow your roll, kid," he said as Alyssa nods.
  "When we get back, you'll have to go through routine decontamination shower to make your you didn't pick up any radiation," the pilot says as Alyssa takes the water again.
  "Jerry," she said, her voice still husky. "Yes?" Jeremy asks as Alyssa takes his hand.
  "Swear to me you'll never forget what we went through here, Burkhart. Swear to me on your daddy's grave," Alyssa says as Jeremy takes her other hand. "I swear on my father's grave and the old condom he gave when I turned 15 that I'll never forget Pripyat. Not now, nor ever, that I, Jeremy Lee Burkhart, will forget Hell," he says as the chopper touches down.
  "Well, Captain, we're here. I'll go in and tell 'em you're here. They'll send out a decon crew in hazmat clothes and they'll come and take you in. If you have any valuables, you're gonna lose 'em 'cause they gotta burn anything that got radiated," the pilot says as they both disembark. "You have your daddy's St. Christopher medal and Purple Heart, or your brother's Bronze and Silver Stars?" Burkhart asks as Alyssa shakes her head. "I left 'em here. I knew we were going into that territory and I didn't wanna lose 'em," she says as they both look at the hazmat crew. They both take off their gear and then are escorted inside by the crew.

****A few hours later****

Alyssa collaspes onto her bunk, feeling for the place she'd hidden her dad's medals. She pulls them out and then stares at them. Two were for her daddy, who'd served during Vietnam, been wounded and worn the St. Christopher when he'd gotten his Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Cross, which had been buried with him. And the others, the Bronze and Silver Stars, for her brother, who'd served in Iraq for six years, had served with honor and courage, only to be killed in action in 2013, the same year her father had died. Several tears leaked out of her eyes as she imagined her mom, standing at the kitchen sink, crying over her. Her only comfort her brothers and sisters, who didn't know what she went through as an Army wife. Would she bury another or an empty coffin to show yet another in her family was dead?

"Blackwell! General Hardbrook wants to see ya!" a man yells, frightening Alyssa. She wipes away her tears, puts on the St. Christopher medal, and then stands. She tucks in her shirt and then walks out of her barracks. She enters the main hall and stands by Burkhart. The general enters and all the troops salute him. "At ease, men," he says as they all stand before him. "So, all of you were deployed in Ukraine?" General Hardbrook asks as they all nod. "Captain Burkhart and First Lieutenant Blackwell, were you the two who were put down near Pripyat?" Hardbrook asked as they both nod. "Six months in a nuclear zone. Damn, that's mighty brave," he said as he claps both of them on the shoulders. "You're braver than I would've been, kids, I'll give you that, but where's the other six men who were assigned to your group?" he asks as Alyssa sighs. "Dead. Some from dehydration and some got radiation poisoning. We couldn't treat them without getting sick ourselves so we left them, sir," Alyssa says as Hardbrook sighs. "Is that true, Burkhart?" he asks, looking at him. "Yes, sir. We did all we could. If we'd stayed with them, we would've either got radiation poisoning or would've died from it," he says as General Hardbrook sighs. "Good men, all of 'em. Didn't deserve to die like that," he says as he stands in front of all them again. "You are all honorably discharged. You're all discharged. You cannot speak of this incident to anyone. After all the paperwork is filed, you'll be given new identities. This incident will be highly classified as never happened. Do you all understand?" he asks, looking over the troops. "Yes, sir!" they all say as a man came in. "Before you go, you'll be asked to give fingerprints and whatnot," he said as they all lined up...

***********How was my beginning? Comment Yea or Nay as to if I should continue**********