Dust in the Wind

Dust in the Wind

Prologue:

“Captain” Lieutenant Jordans said as he tapped Kasic’s helmet. “I got a channel to headquarters sir.”

“What are they saying our orders are now?” Kasic said as he put the binoculars he had been using down.

“Well it’s basically the same as our original ones, an orderly withdraw back to the pacific.”

Kasic smirked to himself. This withdraw had been nothing close to orderly; ever since they had been inserted into this god forsaken wilderness.

“Alright tell the guys were moving out in 15 minutes. Also get on comms and see if you can reach Bravo.”

“Yes sir.” Jordans said with a crisp salute. Which he returned and Jordans walked off. Kasic wondered how bravo was doing; the last time the two companies had been together was when the offensive had fallen flat on its ass. The offensive he thought, of all the times intelligence had decided to screw the pooch. The entire 5th and 6th US marine battalions being inserted into Russia, and intel decided they didn’t want to double check their data. Which had costed hundreds of lives, and all but 7 of his marines.

“Captain!” yelled Jordans who was waving him over. Kasic grabbed his binoculars and ran to where Jordans, who was listening to the radio and occasionally replying. After few moments he put the radio back down. Jordans slumped his shoulders and looked like he was about to cry.

“Jordans what is wrong?” Kasic asked, he noticed the others had gathered around.

“They’re gone Cap.” He said, “Bravo has probably been wiped out.”

“How do you know?” Sergeant Williams asked.

“I was talking to their radioman when all of sudden there was some gunfire and then nothing.” The whole group was silent.

“Where were they Jordans?” Kasic asked.

“They were two miles east of us.” This meant that their only route of escape was gone.

“Ok Jordans see if you can reach Charlie.”

“Yes sir.” Jordans said. He raised the radio to his ear and began to talk. None of them heard the crack, but all of a sudden half of them were covered in blood. Jordans took a bullet to throat from behind. As he fell to the ground in a slump machine gun fire rained out from the tree line.

“Take cover!” Kasic yelled as he dove behind a log. He looked around, and saw private Walters took a few rounds before he could even react. “Return fire!” As he rose to fire off his M45 assault rifle, a bullet hit his ankle and he went down. Before he knew it someone had picked him up and his squad, now down to five including him, was running through the forest. Soon they stopped Sergeant Johnson, their medic, grabbed him and pulled him into a cave that was remarkable deep. Johnson checked his wound and said the bullet had gone straight through his ankle and missed his bones. Johnson slapped on a bandage. The gunfire outside had died down to almost nothing. Johnson stepped into the mouth cave and was greeted by a rpg round that collapsed the cave’s mouth.

“Hmmm.” Kasic said to himself. “Holy shit that almost landed on me,” which brought on a pang of guilt for Johnson’s death. He checked his watch it read 3:22 pm. That entire ordeal had only a lasted a few minutes. Wait, how could he read his watch it was supposed to be totally dark in the cave? He turned and looked behind him. There was an opening? How can this be he wondered to himself. Through the opening there was grass and flowers but outside through the collapsed cave mouth there was snow.

Intrigued he crawled toward the opening. Not knowing what to expect he stood up using the wall just shy of the opening and stepped through.....