A Windigo's journey

"Alright Alpha squad welcome to your first mission in Afghanistan," said the General. "Your mission is to track down and kill Muhammad  Saleed.  Our intelligence has figured that he and his gang are hiding in this abandoned town. Your mission is to find and kill him at all costs. Do you understand soldiers!!"

"Sir yes Sir!!"

"Good, now I want everyone ready to hop on the transport truck in 2 hours time. NOW MOVE IT!  GO GO GO GO!"

"Ugh, that briefing was horrible!" said John.

"Yeah, the general can be so demanding and loud sometimes," replied Thomas.

"Well, that's what we signed up for as soldiers anyway," smirked Ian.

"I guess your right, I'm just ready for my time here to be up so I can go home and see my girlfriend," said John.

"Exactly", said Thomas.

  "Well we better get ready to hop on the transport truck, don't want the squad leader mad and all!", groaned Ian.

All three walked towards their cabins packing their guns, ammo, food, and other military gear into their large packs. As they walked out of their cabins they joined back together and proceeded walking towards the transport truck.

"So looks like the losers are early this time", said Josh.

"Can it!"

  "Ha!, you losers couldn't even shoot a guy if he was gonna shoot you and your whole family.  What a bunch of scaredy cats!"

We continued walking trying to avoid Josh and his train of insults. When we finally arrived at the truck station the General spoke.

"Alright soldiers thank you for being on time. Now your mission is going to be one of the most dangerous we have done in this squad before," said the general.  "If you would all please load up on the trucks we will be on our way to kill Muhammad Saleed! Now move it!"

When they had all loaded up on the two trucks they were off to an abandoned town.

Ian's POV

Dang all the seats near John and Thomas are taken, well guess I'll have to sit next to Burt.

"Hey Burt how ya doin'?",  I said.

"O pretty good", he replied.

O God his breath smells and I think the whole truck can smell his pits too.

This is going to be a very long truck ride.

Johns POV

"Alright!  Finally off that dang truck," I said.

"Yeah!", groaned Thomas. "That was a back killer."

I asked Ian about the ride and he complained that it was horrible because he had to sit next to "smelly Burt".

As we all walked down one of the streets as a squad we were listening for any kind of noise. When had gotten to the center of the city the General decided to divide us all up into groups of three.  Thomas, Ian, and I got put together and were on our way down one of the streets when I heard a suppressed bullet and burning feeling in my stomach.

"Guys, I think I've been shot!"

They both swerved around and saw my shirt slowly growing red by the second.

"O MY GOSH he's bleeding!", yelled Thomas.

"I know!", replied Ian.  "We need to get some bandages and pressure on the wound pronto!"

" Alright", said Thomas in a very shaky voice.

I heard Ian yell for Thomas to go get some more guys to help carry me to the medical tent.

I heard the voices of my comrades shouting and the sensation of cloth being wrapped around me.  I felt pressure on my wound everything was black around me but I could still hear. For a few minutes all sound went and I was in a black void.  I was being bounced around because I was being carried. Some of my hearing came back.

"Quickly, get the bullet out and sew him shut!", yelled the doctor.

I heard a female voice explain that she was sticking in an IV and I felt a prick on my arm.

"It's okay,  John, I'm here."   I heard Thomas say.

If I could have cried then I would have.  Thomas had been like a brother to me in the squad and I would never forget it.

"Were losing him again!", I heard the nurse scream.

Then every thing went black.

Thomas POV

"Dang, we lost him," yelled one of the nurses.

"No, not John he actually had a girl friend to live for unlike me and Ian."

The doctor told us he was sorry and that the general had given us the day off.  He tried to tell us that he was sorry for our loss and that John was in a better place.  He even tried to smile.  Thanks Doc! But we are not taking the day off!

We were ready to get total revenge for our lost friend.  Ian and I headed out of the medical tent, determined to get revenge for our best friend.  We started walking down the street where John had been shot when we heard another suppressed bullet.  Luckily, it landed in between my feet.

I turned around and saw a man sitting in a window with a pistol.  One shot to the head killed the guy and he fell down two stories.  We cheered!  John's killer was dead.  We still had the bigger challenge ahead of killing Muhammad Saleed though. Thomas and I decided to head back to base camp and check in with intelligence.  Hopefully they had picked up on his location.

Johns POV

"Hello John, it's time to wake up to your new life!"

"What?" "Who are you?", I replied.

"It doesn't matter.  What matters is that you wake up and begin your new life," the voice said.

"Oh, okay," I replied.   "Just as long as I can sleep like this for a long time."