The hole. That's what I call it. "Guarding!" I shout . Tunnel
duty. Dark, cold, damp and lonely. A thankless job. One for which I am
well suited It appears. Occasionally you'll hear the echo of intermittent
foot steps or maybe the ricochet of a stray bullet. Other than that it is
just the constant dripping sound of seeping water and the flutter and
crackle of the burning torches. So why do I do it? It's my job, it's what
I do. And I do it well.
"Pumpkin, you there?" I heard from
the com unit.
"Yhea Flame buddy," I shot back. "The
dancing girls have all packed up and left and my Limo is waiting at the
curb. What's up? "
"Hehe....you very funny man!" he
said with a chuckle . "Just thought I would check on you man. I know
it can be a bit boring on Tunnel detail. Not much action down here
tonight."
"Flame my friend, I thrive on boring, it makes my
job easy!" I replied. "Besides, if we were seeing action here it
would mean upper defense has been breached right?" As we were having
this discussion I was pacing back and forth counting the vertical mortar
joints in the south wall of the Grand Ball room.
"Well there is
that I suppose," Flame said. "You did catch the message about
the lack of organized attack by the reds didn't you? "
"Yhea,yhea
sure.......but don't you believe it buddy ," I said with more than a
bit of sarcasm. "I think its a feint soldier! I believe they are
grouping for a major, organized attack designed for maximum penetration
from what they have learned from their numerous sorties of late. "
It's at times like this I wish I had some remote explosive devices like
Student and Spaceman have. "As long as the Com link holds up we will
be fine . Just a little warning, that's all we need."
As I
continued counting the mortar joints, I got to thinking about something
Flame had said earlier. Something about Handi being out of position. "Flame,
you see any more of Handi out there?"
"Yhea as a matter of
fact, I'm talking to him now Pumpkin," he replied. "He says he
has something to tell you."
A slight chill passed through me. It
wasn't like Handi to be wandering about down in the hole like this. Must
be something important. "Well send him in, and have him bring me a
few spare rounds for my double barrel just in case."
A short
silence ensued and then Flame replied, "He's already on his way, you
want me to call him back?"
I thought for a moment and the more
I thought, the more this just didn't make sense. Handi didn't need to come
tell me something. He could have told Flame or contacted me on the com
rig. "Sit tight Flame and keep alert. Something doesn't add up here."
I slid a little deeper into my private little hell hole almost to the
point of backing against the wall, the point of no retreat. This is the
wrong direction I said to myself. I need to meet him half way down the
tunnel. Approaching footsteps caught my attention as I walked onward
toward the lighted entry way. There standing in the framed doorway stood
Handi.
"Hello Pumpkin, I got something here for ya!"
I stood my ground. "What brings you down to the hole bud?" I
questioned. "Last I knew you were on offensive detail tonight. A
little out of place here aren't we?"
He answered as he slipped
his gas mask over his head . "Yhea well you really don't have a clue
how out of place I am now do you.. ...Pal.
An explosion ripped the
air and slammed my now limp body against the wall as the spy ran past,
laughing. I could hear the echo of his insanity as I crawled on the floor
toward the clear air in the entry room. Well he got the drop on me, no
arguing that point. But I had the fool trapped, and although I was
hallucinating and was seeing explosions and the discharge of energy
weapons, I could still function and was thinking clearly .
"Flame,
it was a spy! I don't know how they got Handi's genetic code but the copy
was flawless. Not your fault buddy. I took damage but am stable at half
health. He is on my turf and for that... he dies."
"Pumpkin,
wait for the medic, your not your self!" Flame shouted.
"Bah!!
We haven't had a decent medic worth his ax since Lee Harvey left the unit.
The spy is mine! I wait for no one!" was my reply. I looked down the
poorly lit tunnel and planned my approach. Not much planning involved
here. My style is to hell with caution, full speed ahead!
"Coming
for you," I hollered to the spy. I launched a pair of rockets down
the tunnel followed by a grenade. Quickly I hit the reload. I heard a
grunt as one of the rockets did some splash damage. Still the low life spy
hid around the corner. I launched 2 more rockets and stood my ground half
way down the hole. The last 2 rockets exploded with no results. That's
when he made his move. He came screaming around the corner and was heading
toward me with his side arm firing wildly yelling, "You have to
reload, you have to relo......."
His whole life boiled down to
that half word. He bet his life on his unsupported belief of my stupidity.
As he lay dyeing, his broken battered body twitching, he said, "You
had to reload......how...?" The life drained from his body and as
Flame came up behind me I talked to the dead man. I said, "Don't you
believe it buddy. Screw you and everyone who looks like you. You are
owned!"
As I turned and walked back to my post I muttered, "Eight
hundred and forty two."
"What's that Pumpkin?" Flame
asked.
"Mortar joints," I replied, smiling.