The Patrol

Zane woke to a loud ringing noise which was his alarm clock going off. He lay there a minute, his mind fogged, taking comfort in the presence the bed made, it was amazing for a cot. Zane got up and turned it off, he started to undress and put his old clothes on, strap on his sidearm, equip his dagger and put his sword on by his side. 

After this Zane added his trench coat and put on his combat boots, they were getting old. He figured he should ask for replacements at some point. From there Zane exited the barracks and went down the stairs to proceed to the mess hall. He leaves the barracks through the door and hastily makes his way to the mess hall. 

Zane could smell food in the air, it smelled like oatmeal and some kind of meat. His stomach grumbled as he made his way over there. On the way inside he ran into Daniels. 

“Hey after you’re done head over to the armory to get geared up!” Danioels said with authority.

“Alright I will.” Zane responded.

Zane went inside and took a look. The mess hall was huge. There were about fifty tables which looked to seat thirty to forty people, the serving table was at the back with cooks dishing out food. Behind them was a door, presumably the kitchen. Inside the smell was even stronger and his stomach grumbled again.

There were only five people in line so he got in line at a distance as the sixth, Zane really didn’t want to make small talk right now, it was years since he had to make small talk and he didn’t feel up to it.

The line progressed and Zane grabbed a tray and headed up to the first cook. She was wearing a hairnet with an apron and was short but cute. She had blue eyes with blonde hair. She dumped some oatmeal onto his tray and gave him one spoon. 

The next was a male who looked to be in his thirties. He had a hairnet over red hair with a shaven face. He was slim and stood around 5’6, Zane’s area of height. He filled a bowl with what looked like stew and put it on his tray. 

“What type of meat is this?” Zane asked curiously.

“It’s venison.” He replied gruffly.

Zane took his tray and went to an uncrowded table and sat down at the end. After beginning his meal he looked around, there were perhaps sixty people in the mess hall. He assumed there would be more early on which is why he set his alarm clock to seven AM. He didn’t want to talk to anyone in the morning, especially this early in the morning. 

Zane finished and looked at the clock on the wall, it was 7:45 AM. I better get to the armory, He thought to himself and took his leave after dropping the tray off, he left out the door and proceeded to the armory. Walking over he saw Daniels waiting at the entrance. He was waiting with his backpack and a radio in both hands, he handed one to me.

“Hey, what's up?” He asked cheerfully.       

“Just finished eating, not a fan of early mornings.” Zane grumbled to him.

“I wasn’t either at first but you get used to it.” He seemed cheerful and Zane resented that.

“Anyways let's proceed inside and get you geared up.” He swiped a card on the locked gate’s scanner and the gate popped open. They entered the armory and Zane looked around. There were weapon caches all around the walls on the left and right and shelves stocked with ammunition in between. In front of him there were crates stacked along the wall. There were two doors, one in the left and one in the right corner.

“The crates have kevlar and helmets in them and the caches on the left have pistols with ammo and magazines. Big guns and ammo on the right, start with the kevlar and helmets, then help yourself to the ammo.” He said this firmly.

“I’m like a kid in a candy shop right now.” Zane said with a smile.

Daniels chuckled. Zane moved to the left and grabbed four Beretta M9 magazines and started to load them. He filled the magazines and went to the kevlar crates. He put a vest on under his trench coat and a helmet on his head, from there Zane added the magazines to his pouches on his vest.

Daniels did the same only he grabbed a rifle and a sidearm, loaded magazines for the rifle and he grabbed magazines for the pistol. He dropped the magazines in his kevlar vest. He equipped his radio as Zane equipped his own.

“Oh I almost forgot. Where can I get new combat boots?” Zane asks him.

“You can get them in the crates.” He told me. 

Zane goes to the crates and opens them up. Sure enough there are brand new combat boots in the crates. He found a size nine and replaced the older boots with a brand new pair.

“My pistol has some rounds missing. Might as well replace them.” Zane went back to the pistol ammunition, took his sidearm out of its holster and unloaded it. He chambers five rounds in the magazine to make fifteen. Zane loads his sidearm and holsters it again. 

“Well we have some time, it’s only 09:00. Want to hit the shooting range? It’s only down the hall on the door to the right.” Daniels informed him.

Zane thought about it for ten seconds and said, “Sure, why not let me chamber four more magazines.” He went over to the ammunition and chambered four more magazines. Daniels did the same, then they proceeded down a hallway into a shooting range which was large. 

There are ten booths to shoot from and fresh targets at the end of all of them and shells were littered around the booths. Ear muffs were on all the booths. Daniels and Zane take a booth and a target next to each other.

“Let's see how well you can group your shots.”

They put the ear muffs at the booths and both drew their pistols and started shooting at the targets. They after emptying their clips, took their ear muffs off and went to check the targets. Zane's  groupings were all near the center and fairly close together while Daniels’ were a bit off the center and to the left and right on the target.

“Damn son! You beat me! I gotta practice more!” He exclaims.

“Yea I guess so, i’ve had a lot of practice surviving on my own I guess. Hitting squirrels and other small game isn’t easy.” Zane told him.

“Round two?” He asked.

“Sure thing, let's do it.”

They head back to the booths and load another magazine, emptying their clips again slower this time and go to check the targets again. Daniels’ groupings were a little more centered and Zane’s were closer to the center mass this time.they proceed to do this two more times and Daniels checks his watch.

“Shit it’s 09:45 we gotta get to the Humvee for our patrol. Let’s go.” He said quickly. They hastily exit the shooting range and return the magazines on the way out of the armory and hurry to their assigned Humvee. 

They walked up to the Humvees to see the six soldiers from the day before standing around waiting for them, Richards was there as well. 

Zane knew this was him because the corporal insignia is on his uniform and he is the only corporal here. The rest were Privates. He  noticed there was a lack of lieutenants present here and on the base. 

Two of the privates look quite similar, so he assumes they are brothers. They both have hazel eyes with sandy brown hair. They are slim but toned in their muscles. They both stood about 5’9.  The other two were different. One has red shaven hair with a skinny build, with brown eyes. He isn’t particularly muscular but had enough muscle to hold his own.  He has a red bandna designating him as the medic with a white helmet with a red cross.

Lastly the fourth private is a short italian man about 5 '5 with blonde hair. He has green eyes and a handsome face with impressively toned muscles. They are geared with a vest, helmets at their sides, radios and a rifle.    

“So Corporal Richards you know, The two over there are brothers, Carl and David Jackson. The shortie is Anderson and the ginger is Williams.” As Daniels introduced them, the brothers nodded, Anderson looked annoyed and Williams seemed offended. “Zane here is joining us on patrol today, we are sweeping the western part of town today, any questions ladies?”

“Yeah, why is, newbie here joining us? He has no training at all, I mean he’s a civilian.” Richards spoke out. 

“Well surviving eight years on his own proves he has skill and higher ups deemed it okay last night, is that a problem Corporal? Because it shouldn’t be.” Daniels asserted his authority over him.

Richards looked angry, frustrated maybe and he grunted, "Sir, no sir.” 

“Good, now let’s get on with our duties ladies. Richards you’re in Humvee two driving, with the Jacksons, Anderson and Williams in my Humvee. Zane, you ride shotgun with me. Let’s go.” Daniels commanded. They all equipped their helmets and weapons and prepared to set off. 

Richards walked over to the Humvee left to Daniels and Zane’s and hopped in the driver’s seat. The Jackson brothers hopped in the backseat of that Humvee one on each side. Daniels hopped in the Driver’s seat of the one to the right and Zane hopped in the passenger's seat on the right side. Anderson and WIlliams did the same as the Jacksons and hopped into Daniels Humvee. 

“Oh Baby.” Daniels murmured as he pulled the keys out from behind the visor and slipped them into the ignition. The vehicle roared to life and he reached for his radio to contact headquarters; “Command, this is Sergeant Daniels, we are beginning our sweep of the western part of the city, be back in a few hours.”

“Roger that Sergeant.” The radio cackled back.

With that Daniels reversed, then he put the Humvee in drive and started to steer towards the gates. They drove past the checkpoint, the gate and onto the open road with the second Humvee further behind them. They moved at a steady slow pace, around thirty miles an hour. The vehicles that would clutter the streets like in the other city Zane went through were all neatly pushed to the sides. 

It formed neat and tidy paths as they drove up streets into neighborhoods and into commercial areas. It had been two hours before the patrol came upon an abandoned mall, it was large and had parking lots along the road around it. They started rolling into the parking lots to inspect the mall.

There were vehicles littered inside of the parking lots. The patrol was navigating around the mall when a loud BANG rang out and then a CRACK was heard against the passenger's window!

“CONTACT! 3 o'clock!" Daniels yelled into his radio. He pulled into the lot nearest, to get beside a large decaying truck, the other Humvee drove a little further in and got beside a transport. They all exited their Humvee, Anderson took cover behind the Humvee with Daniels, while Williams and Zane moved to the truck. 

A second bang was heard and then a volley of gunshots rang out from the patrol team. Zane drew his sidearm and crouched behind the truck wheel near the trunk. Williams moved to the wheel near the hood.

“Anyone got eyes?” Daniels asked over the radio. Just then another volley of 25 gunshots rang into the transport.

“Five shooters on the third floor 200 meters, one o’clock, four o’clock and three o’clock.” Richards responded over the radio.

“Alright everyone besides Zane and Williams provide covering fire while those two enter the mall. On the count of three.” Daniels commanded over the radio. Zane got himself ready to dart to the entrance, oh boy, he thought.   

“Three. Two .One!” Everyone turned their cover and started firing, the cracks of gunshots were deafening. Williams and Zane bolted from cover but the people on the third floor started shooting again, bullets whistled by him. Then Williams went down with a cry. “BASTARDS!” Zane heard Daniels shout out. He looked at Williams as he cried out. He was shot in the neck and torso by the looks of it. 

Zane continued running and reached the doors. He burst through the doors and took cover in a nearby beauty store behind its counter. As he reached it Zane looked around, the stairs were about fifty feet away with a platform before cascading up more and between them was a fountain. He heard a voice call “One got in!” The gunfire from their side stopped for a moment and Zane assumed they were talking about what to do. His side still let out steady bursts. 

“I’m in.” Zane called on the radio. The gunfire stopped completely.

“Alright try to pincer them Zane. Once we resume our fire try to reach the stairs. Over.” Daniels' voice responded on the radio.

“Alright.” Zane replied back. The gunfire started up again and he looked over the counter, Zane heard a bang! He ducked back under the counter and just barely missed a bullet. Then a flurry of gunshots rang out. After this Zane heard clicking sounds, this was his chance! He stood up and looked around, on the platform were two men in vests and trench coats. Zane took aim and shot two rounds. The guy on the left who was reloading crumpled to the ground. The other guy finished and Zane ducked behind the counter again. BANG, BANG, BANG!

Three shots rang out then stopped. Zane figured this guy was gonna be smarter this time so he looked around the counter shelves and after shuffling through things, found a makeup mirror. 

Bingo. He opened it and used it to look over the counter. The other guy was starting to approach the fountain, his rifle raised. Zane moved to his right more, stood up and shot. Two rounds one hit his vest, the man cried out as it struck him and the other missed. 

Shit, he thought and ducked back down. Three more shots rang out. They barely missed him, one grazed his cheek. Zane used the mirror again, only he held it out to the left this time. The man hadn’t moved much at all; he was holding his ground. 

Zame stood up again and the man’s rifle was pointing to the left this time. Zane fired three more rounds, one hit his vest another his neck and the last one went through his left temple. He crumpled to the ground, dead. 

“Daniels, two are down.” Zane  communicated through his radio. Suddenly the gunfire stops from the second floor and from outside too.

“Good work. We got the shooters on the second floor. Come back outside. Over.” 

“Roger that.” Zane responded.

Zane walked out the doors and accessed the scene that lay before him. There were bullet holes in the truck and as well on the transport. Most of the vehicle's bodies had been eroded away. Williams lay on the ground, dead. 

Anderson and Carl were slipping his body into a body bag. After they were done they loaded him into the back of the Humvee by the truck. It was a grim sight and very depressing, to see someone on your team being loaded into a body bag. Even if Zane didn’t know him for long, it still saddened him.   

“Alright, gather round everyone. Everyone, take a knee.” Daniels called out. We walked over to him, gathered in a circle and got on one knee. “Alright. I already contacted HQ and told them about the casualty and firefight, They said to come back to base, our patrol was pretty much over anyways. Tonight let's drink and celebrate his life.”  

With that everyone  murmured their agreement and got into the Humvees and started the drive back to base. The drive back to base was uneventful, but the scenery was as beautiful as ever. The overgrowth on the sidewalks and roads was bright and vibrant.

The occasional deer was grazing on grass, they would run away as well as small game birds like turkey took flight. The mood on the way back was grim and silent; nobody spoke a word. Leaving the open roads they pulled onto the street of which the base was stationed. Ad they pulled up to the iron gate, Daniels’ contacted headquarters. 

A minute later the gate opened up and they went through. He pulled up to the checkpoint and swiped his gatekey. The checkpoint opened and they entered through to the parking lots, where he pulled into his Humve’s spot, parked, pulled the key out of the ignition and slipped it behind the visor.