Bookworm
February 12th, 2008, 04:51
Southeast Asia-- summer of 1969 -- on patrol in the God forsaken
jungle. You don't usually have a sniper on point but Frank is wounded, Jim
is on leave, and he is the only one who has more than six weeks in
country and knows what to look for, while some of the squad behind him
are still cherry. Slowly they move through the dappled green hell, every
sense alert until they come to the edge of a jungle river, then motionless
inside the last covering of trees he surveys the area. “Torch,” he hears the
whisper from behind, “The L.T. Wants to know if we are at the ford?”
He raises his hand with a clenched fist, then points left, holds up five
fingers and then pumps his fist once slowly as he scans the far side of the
river. The squad reads the hand signals and freezes in place, then
parallels him as he moves left five meters then holds his fist aloft again.
Slowly, carefully he scans the other bank of the river not wanting to step
into the open yet knowing that he must. He takes one pace forward and is
exposed and catches a flicker of movement seventy yards away on the
other bank as a man dressed in black steps out at the same time.
Time stands still as his muscles react to his training but why is he so
slow. The other man raises a AK47 rifle and begins to fire on full automatic
and he sees the muzzle flash, hears bullets whip through the branches
beside him, then hears the roar of the rifle. His M14 comes to his shoulder
and as his cheek hits the stock he looks through the sights and notices
that the other mans rifle muzzle is climbing from the recoil. His finger
pushes the safety forward, then touches the trigger and slowly he
squeezes off his shot. The recoil from the large caliber round rocks him
and he brings the rifle back on target as his enemy falls on the opposite
bank. Now he takes one step back into cover and motions the rest of the
squad to the tree line edge and tells them to open fire as enemy fire
begins to break out from across the river. The squad begins to fire their
M16's and the roar of a fire fight rings across the jungle.
Yells are heard from across the river and then as the enemy fire dies
the sniper crosses the river with the squad following him at five meter
intervals. As he reaches the man he shot he grabs the empty rifle beside
the body and takes cover as the other members of his squad take
position then begin to search for the enemy. The dead man had fired
twenty rounds and he has fired once. He shakes his head in wonderment.
Slowly, once more he leads his squad back into the jungle.
Dave
jungle. You don't usually have a sniper on point but Frank is wounded, Jim
is on leave, and he is the only one who has more than six weeks in
country and knows what to look for, while some of the squad behind him
are still cherry. Slowly they move through the dappled green hell, every
sense alert until they come to the edge of a jungle river, then motionless
inside the last covering of trees he surveys the area. “Torch,” he hears the
whisper from behind, “The L.T. Wants to know if we are at the ford?”
He raises his hand with a clenched fist, then points left, holds up five
fingers and then pumps his fist once slowly as he scans the far side of the
river. The squad reads the hand signals and freezes in place, then
parallels him as he moves left five meters then holds his fist aloft again.
Slowly, carefully he scans the other bank of the river not wanting to step
into the open yet knowing that he must. He takes one pace forward and is
exposed and catches a flicker of movement seventy yards away on the
other bank as a man dressed in black steps out at the same time.
Time stands still as his muscles react to his training but why is he so
slow. The other man raises a AK47 rifle and begins to fire on full automatic
and he sees the muzzle flash, hears bullets whip through the branches
beside him, then hears the roar of the rifle. His M14 comes to his shoulder
and as his cheek hits the stock he looks through the sights and notices
that the other mans rifle muzzle is climbing from the recoil. His finger
pushes the safety forward, then touches the trigger and slowly he
squeezes off his shot. The recoil from the large caliber round rocks him
and he brings the rifle back on target as his enemy falls on the opposite
bank. Now he takes one step back into cover and motions the rest of the
squad to the tree line edge and tells them to open fire as enemy fire
begins to break out from across the river. The squad begins to fire their
M16's and the roar of a fire fight rings across the jungle.
Yells are heard from across the river and then as the enemy fire dies
the sniper crosses the river with the squad following him at five meter
intervals. As he reaches the man he shot he grabs the empty rifle beside
the body and takes cover as the other members of his squad take
position then begin to search for the enemy. The dead man had fired
twenty rounds and he has fired once. He shakes his head in wonderment.
Slowly, once more he leads his squad back into the jungle.
Dave