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❝That was close!❞ ❝Too close❞
mosul, iraq december 13, 2007
JOSIAH FELT his heart hammering against his chest as he ran for cover from the raining bullets falling on him and his team. Panting, the soldier reloaded his M14 enhanced battle rifle and did not hold back on shooting the enemies on the other side.
Without stopping, Josiah looked over the dusty rock and began firing again ― Liam and Samuel following his lead. It seemed like forever before the bullets stopped and silence filled the air. Cautiously, the three soldiers made their way out from behind their cover spot and raised their weapons in case anyone popped out. Reuniting with the rest of their crew, they began moving further into the destroyed city of Mosul.
"Let's move!"
Josiah's hands tightened around his rifle and kept his eyes focused on anything that moved. He mostly kept his eyes on the buildings, keeping an eye out for a potential sniper ready to take him or anyone else out. A bang was heard before a body hit the ground from above, making him stop in his tracks. Their sniper just saved his ass.
Liam moved up beside his friend, his own rifle in hand, "Captain Hall is making us split. Watch your back, alright?"
"Yeah, you too."
Both Josiah and Liam never liked it when they were separated from each other, it made them both nervous. With one last look, Josiah and Samuel walked in the opposite direction from Liam and together they made their way to the side of one building with one of their lieutenants ― anxiously waiting for the signal to go in.
With the signal given to the soldiers, they knocked down the door and stormed in with their guns raised.
"Clear."
Josiah walked further into the building with Samuel following behind him, watching his back. Stopping around the corner, Josiah peeked his head out to make sure no one would jump out and kill them before nodding at Samuel and moving forward.
"Clear!" Samuel called out to let their lieutenant know.
Lowering their weapons, the soldiers walked back toward the rest of their platoon. After clearing the first building, their lieutenant continued to lead them to the rest of the buildings they had to clear.
Walkin back to the humvees, Josiah immediately looked around for Liam and felt his body sagg in relief when he saw him standing by the vehicle.
"No trouble?" Liam asked once Josiah and Samuel approached him.
"Nah, you?" Samuel adjusted his rifle against his shoulder. Liam shook his head and glanced back to look at their captain and their lieutenant.
Josiah opened his mouth to say something, but he never got the chance when they were, once again, under the rain of bullets. Samuel harshly grabbed both Liam and Josiah and slammed them against the ground just as a bullet whizzed past where his head had been.
"Oh! That was close!"
"Too close."
Together, the soldiers army crawled for cover while making sure they were not shot. Without wasting time, Josiah raised his rifle and began firing shot after shot. It felt like forever before silence filled the air once again. The soldiers stepped out from behind a wrecked car and approached the Humvees. Around them, fallen soldiers laid in front of the vehicles.
Beside him, Samuel let out a heavy sigh. Their captain announced their departure back to base, making them carry the bodies of their fallen comrades towards one of the medic Humvees.
"Alright! Let's head out!" Captain Hall called out with the same hardened expression set on his face.
"All the showers are full!" Samuel complained, his hands carrying his shampoo and towel and watched as men entered the showers with the same things.
"Well then... " Liam sighed, "We're going to have to wait."
"That's going to take forever!" Samuel continued to complain on their walk back to their bunker.
Josiah chuckled, "You'll survive."
"In the meantime," Liam placed his belongings down on his bed once they arrived at their bunker, "We could go use the computer to skype our families."
Samuel collapsed on his bed with a grunt, "Count me out. All my mom will do the entire call is cry and cry. And my dad will just try to calm her down. No thanks."
"Suit yourself," Liam gave him one last look, "Come on Jay."
The soldiers walked out of their bunker and made their way to one of the commanding offices where they held the computer the soldiers used to skype their families. They settled down on the chairs, Josiah logged in to his skype account, and began the call.
Liam leaned back on the chair while they waited for the other side to answer while Josiah leaned in towards the computer.
Seconds after, the loading screen on the computer turned into Mary's face with Leah besides her and the rest of the pack behind them, pushing each other to look at the screen.
"Liam, Jay!"
"Josiah! Liam!"
"How is everything over there!"
"We miss you guys!"
From behind his mother and Leah, the pack shouted out stuff and kept pushing against each other. The only people he didn't see there were his brother and Sam — again. Josiah smiled at Leah which she returned with a bigger smile.
"Hey everyone," Liam waved at the screen, "We miss you all too and everything is good over here. We're both good."
The pack spent the next half an hour talking with the soldiers and telling them everything that has happened in La Push since they left; after, they made sure to give Leah and Mary some time with Josiah.
"Where's Paul? Didn't see him, thought he would be ecstatic to talk to me." Josiah chuckled.
Mary forced smiled, "He's been patrolling with Sam."
Josiah could see right through the lie. "He doesn't want to see me, does he?"
"Every time I skype back home, he's never there. What's going on with him?" Josiah didn't want to admit that he was a little hurt by his brother's actions. He thought Paul would always want to skype with him but all he did was talk over the phone when he called his mother.
Leah and his mother shared a look, she sighed before looking back at the screen, "He's scared Jay."
The look of confusion could be clearly seen on Josiah's face by the way his eyebrows furrowed together, "Why? I don't understand."
"Paul is scared... of what he will see when he looks at the screen. Every time he thinks of you he sees his brother bloodied and beaten." Leah answered this time with a small smile, trying to give comfort to Josiah.
All the soldier could do was stare blankly at the keyboard, "I-I... I didn't know he felt that way. Why didn't he say anything?" Neither of them answered as they could tell that Josiah wasn't asking them.
From the corner of his eye he could see Samuel and Liam standing at the door and signaling behind them. The showers were finally clear. He gave them a brief nod and turned back to look at the screen.
"I got to go but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"
Leah and his mother nodded with smiles on their faces.
"I love you son, take care."
"Love you Eli."
Josiah smiled and blew them a kiss before shutting off the computer. He sat there in silence for a couple of seconds, thinking back to his little brother before standing up and making his way back to his bunker to retrieve his things.
