Ambush

It was one of the more complex order's we have received thus far. And I could not have chosen someone more competent to deliver it than Lt. Memphis

My squad, dirtied with sweat and half wiped cammie paint, stood around the dirt terrain model under the forest canopy. Our muddied hands wrote down notes as Memphis pointed out the route to our Objective rally point near the Ambush site. He spoke in a tone similar to an instructor. The heavy Tennessee accent that he would usually speak with was drowned out by confidence and clarity.

"I will take the security unit, along with both our flanks, assault unit leader, and Radio man to the assault position, located here." He said pointing with a long stick. The red yarn simulating the trail ran South West to North East, only 600 meters from our current position. Walking to that in the tree line would be easy compared to the patrolling we did earlier today. Distances between some of the check points was as far as 1500 meters through dense vegetation.

"We will set the ambush site according to our standard operating procedures. We will set no later than 1845. The enemy is expected to pass no later than 2015." He said. "As ordered, all ammo will be expended. Leave no one alive."


Although it was training, and the people we would be ambushing were Lieutenants from another platoon, the idea struck a cord. After the brief, I fed a long belt of blank ammunition into the feed tray of my machine gun. I slammed the top hatch closed and pulled the bolt to the rear.

This was going to be a serious mission.



It had been 2 1/2 hours since I moved a muscle.


Lt. Memphis had successfully navigated us to the ambush site and set the squad just 20 meters parallel to the trial. Once in the assault position, no one could move, as we could be spotted.

Laying in the prone, I took another deep breath and tried to block out the pain. My helmet, weighed down with the night vision mount, strained my neck as I looked over the sights of the weapon. Ants had been eating at my hands all night long. Despite using my pack as a rest for my torso, circulation to my left arm was slowing being cut off.

Moving was not an option. I was laying in dry dead leaves. Moving just a bit made a loud enough noise that someone could hear. That patrol would be coming any time soon, and I didn't want to be the one who blew it.

I maintained physical discipline.

But my mind did not

Why don't they just fucking hurry up I thought. I can't stand this much longer. Come ON!

My anxiety grew. The pure anticipation of the enemy coming was almost too much to bear. I had been poised for an attack for such a long time that my mind was giving out before my body.


And then I heard it.

Foot steps.

I gripped the pistol grip of my machine gun hard and looked into the darkness. I could barely see. But I heard them. They were moving fast.

Rocks were being kicked.

The shuffles became louder.

I clicked the safety off my weapon as silently as I could. My eye's became wide. I held my breath.

Closer...


Louder...


They were passing in front on the trail.

"I will initiate fire" I remember Lt. Memphis saying. " We will wait for the entire patrol to enter our kill zone, then we will engage."

For the love of God Memphis, shoot these mother fuckers already

Those last moments took forever.

BANG

A rifle went off. I reacted almost immediately. I pulled the trigger while pulling the butt-stock of the weapon into my shoulder. What ensued was the loudest sound of gun fire I have heard yet.

The machine gun shook as the bolt ejected round after round. The clink of brass and steel fell to my right as the blanks exploded from the barrel. I became immediately deaf from the other 3 machine guns and 11 rifles all expelling rounds as fast as possible.

As quickly as it began, all fire ceased.

There was no movement.

I could smell gun power and smoke radiating from the chamber. I could feel the heat from the barrel as the 60 round's that passed through it in less than 10 second more than likely overheated it.

And the squad remained still.

Marines from the right end of the line got up and moved to the kill zone under Lt. Memphis's order. They searched the 'dead' for intelligence and for confirmed kills. I could imagine the Lt.s that we just shot at. They must have been sitting on the ground, tired from moving through the tree line just like us.

Once they did their check's, they ran to the other side of the line and back toward the rally point in the rear. Finally i was able to get up. My back started to spasm from lack of water. My left arm was asleep. Ignoring what I could, I used the rest of the strength I had left to keep my guard up.

We could still be attacked.

My squad moved silently from the attack point and into the darkness. Our mission was not over. We had to navigate through the blacked out forest back to the landing zone.

2000 meters in the dark.



Thanks for reading :-)