Behind Enemy Lines

[Tinman]

It was a dark day the North Korean army attacked, many lives were lost and the American government saw it too costly to reinforce and take back South Korea. Two days afterwards they received a message from inside enemy lines that General Yui's daughter was still alive, and had possible information that would lead to the Norths eviction. A team was sent in to extract her and her information, only fate had a different plan. Upon touchdown the team was ambushed, their bird was destroyed along with most of the team. Now all that stands between Success and Failure are a paratrooper, and a medic.


Zave:


I ran through the darkened streets heart pounding, like a bass drum thundering in my chest as I escaped the destruction of the downed chopper. The fire was still burning behind me and sirens wailed into the night, screaming like banishes haunting my every step. I had my weapons strapped to my body to help them from falling off and getting lost. My mind was running through what I would have to do to get out of the city, let alone the country and out to sea far enough to get picked up. We were supposed to be meeting our target at or close to the hospital that was close by here. The streets all started to blur together as the adrenaline started to kick in and drive me farther forward towards my goal. I didn't know what awaited me next in the darkness of this seemingly endless night, but what I knew was is that there was a woman who needed our help, and a country back home who needed hers, I was not going to fail my mission.

 

[Elwin]

Daring to look outside, I peaked through a hole in the shabby wooden door of a shack I had taken shelter in not far from the main camp. It was in a close by village that had been previously pillaged. Not exactly a safe zone, but somewhere to hide for the meantime. The road was ridden with bodies and parts. It was hard to come to terms with these people actually having personalities and lives before ultimately becoming another kill on the road. The stench was unbearable and filled my nose quite tightly despite my best efforts to hold my breath. I reached a shaking hand into a satchel bag I had managed to keep with me and pulled out my canteen; a quick swig and I pushed the lid back on, terrified as I noticed the water contents running dangerously low. Tea seemed to be a distant memory and water was on its way. How I was ever going to survive this wretched war-zone was a mystery to me and I was blessed to have not been spotted yet.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


As I ran into the night the sound of the Sirens was all but a fading echo, a ripple in a pond coming to a final end. I started to walk streets that looked like they were staring to look more like a village then just a city. Things here might be a lot more peaceful or they might be harder then I would like to face right now. I was also approaching where Yui was supposed to be at. I could see the remnants of a base off in the distance, lights still on seeing as the North had it occupied. I crept along the alleys awaiting for any word from Yui "Yui this is bear, come in. I am approaching your position. Yui I repeat this is Bear come in." I hoped she was still alive, or this might be all for nothing.

 

[Elwin]

I heard a male voice in the distance. Understandably my heart pounded as the sound of a man in any war zone to a lost women sparks danger. I clasped a shuddering hand across my mouth and shut my eyes tightly in attempts to stifle any noise that could seep through. In the other hand I clutched a knife I had swiped from my Father's tent before going into hiding. It shook uncontrollably in my grasp until my body twitched violently from nerves and I dropped it to the hard floor beneath me. "Shit, fuck!" I scrambled for the knife; the hut was dark but empty so it didn't take me long to retrieve my weapon.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


Eventually passing by the relics of what seemed like a long ago past I heard a clank as something dropped to the floor in one of the nearby huts. I raised my weapon to my shoulder and turned the safety off as I approached the hut in complete silence. Heart pounding in my chest I didnt want this to be some ambush waiting for him, my mission would not fail, not like this. I slowly pushed the door to the hut open with the barrel of my rifle ever leery of what may be inside, awaiting for me to let my guard down.

 

[Elwin]

I knelt immobile on the ground, holding my knife tightly. I could feel a pulsation in my eyes as they sat wide and awake, staring at the entrance of the hut as the old wooden door creaked its way open. Perhaps if I remain as still as possible my presence will be missed? I knew I was just kidding myself. I was in the middle of the hut, kneeling towards the door - it was as if I was asking it be found. The worst part was that I had never once been in a situation where I may possibly have to fight for myself or escape my brains being splattered allover an abandoned hut. Sweat trickled down my face and strands of coal hair stuck to my lips and cheeks.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


As I peeped the door open I saw the shade of a figure kneeling silently in the darkness awaiting me. I flashed on and off my light a few times to both see what I was looking at, and to blind what it was I was looking at. An enemy blinded is not shooting straight. The lights flashed and I saw it was a small Asian girl, matching Yuis description. I kept my weapon trained on my target and turned the light off. "Yui" I asked really hoping that it was her and not some random civilian that I had just blinded and raised my gun to.

 

[Elwin]

My eyes fluttered uncontrollably at the flickering lights ahead. "Zhang!" I gasped. I'd hoped my voice had been firm but it escaped as nothing more than a pathetic squeak. Confirming my surname was never the best of ideas when facing a stranger in a war-zone and identifying the questioning character facing me with an uplifted weapon in hand wasn't the easiest of tasks for anyone. I could feel the hard floor digging into my bare knees. My clothing was minimal. I wore a damp green sundress in an attempt to blend in with civilians, a pair of worn in walking boots and an oversized black jacket that belonged to the General. I had a pair of trousers stuffed in my satchel and a black beanie but appearing like anything other than a lost young woman could be dangerous.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


"my apologizes" I said as I slung my rifle over my back. I held out my hand to help her up, it was the least I could do seeing and I made her about as blind as a bat just a second ago. "I thought you might be one of the North Koreans" I was a little embarrassed by my mistake and why they would be out here in the first place. I still had much to learn in the way of realistically finding and assessing where threats would be, rather then just assume everyone was my enemy. She had the Generals overcoat on even, that means she was on the base when it got hit. I might want to find out how she got out of that pit when many others didnt..

 

[Elwin]

Hesitantly, I took his hand and hauled myself up, moaning a little as my knees cracked. "Thanks." I kept my tone blunt, no guards were going down today and no respect was to be given to any 'heroes'. I slipped the knife gently inbetween the folds of the trousers in my satchel. "Are you here for a reason?"


I knew why he was here. I was General Yui's lost daughter. But playing dumb was a funner way of being unhelpful to the soldiers.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


I looked a little confused at her question, she surely wasn't this dense to not know that she was a priority target. "Come now, we don't have time to lose, we are losing day light and we have to get you out of here" Either she was going to play dumb the entire time and I would have to carry her out of here, or she would eventually wise up that I am here to help her get out of enemy lines. "We both know I am here to get you out, so lets get on with it already."

 

[Elwin]

"Why? Isn't everybody dead? What use am I?" I let out a laugh, it was sarcastically performed, a winner often used in times when I felt most vulnerable and dealing with situations in the most childish way possible made a surreal situation bearable. What I wanted to do was hide behind the tall soldier and have him lead me to safety. But that was the thing about war. Where was safety? And why did I deserve it above innocent civilians? The whole idea seemed fucked to me. When I saw a soldier all it reminded me of was suffering. I deal with pain in the worst kind of ways. So there I was stuff in a dark hut desperate to escape and I was actually trying to toy with this man.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


"You are the daughter of the general, as well as we are here to get information crucial to help get South Korea in the hands of South Koreans" It was half way bleak her situation, it was only by chance and the manipulation of orders that I was sent here to get her. "That is the real reason, we were dropped this close with orders to get yo out if we can." I slung my pack and pulled out combat fatigues and boots, thicker clothes that might be useful with the coming colder weather. "put these on, you be warmer and wont stick out as much in the night" wit hthat said I turned my back on her so she could get dressed in somewhat privacy.

 

[Elwin]

I snatched the clothes from his hands and took off my jacket. Quickly I slung my dress over my head and dropped it onto the ground. The clothes he had given me were ridiculously oversized. "You can turn round now." I said as I tucked my thick braids inside my top garment layer. The streets were quiet but explosions could be heard in the distance. If a nightmare could be a reality, this was worse than any fictional hell.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


I turned around to see her in the fatigues that were a bit to big for her, it halfway hid her being a girl, except that she was really small, in almost every way by american standards anyways. "well I should be getting orders here soon on where our next objective is" I gave her an ear bud so she could listen in on the conversation, it was just her and I now and she needed to know as much as I did if we were going to make it out of this. "My name is Exavior by the way, call sign is Bear" she was a little cute for an Asian girl, which down the road that might play to our advantage if we need to get to a place I couldn't get into seeing as I am not Asian.

 

[Elwin]

I avoided any eye contact with the man and fixed the ear bud in carefully. All this military business was quite bazaar, I had thought it from the moment General would drag me into his work. It was unusual for me to be here but I had never had anything else. A medic or nothing, he would say. Knowing that I had no one to turn to. Here I was at 22, feeling 12 and hidden behind a pile of ridiculous clothing with a stranger in an abandoned hut. "Alright, can we go?" I felt insane. I knew there was nothing left for us. I watched man after man fall infront of me and this guy will be no exception. Especially with a burden to look after and the enemy swarming us like flies.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


"Just about" that's when orders came in over the ear buds "Kilo team, come in Kilo team." "Kilo team Bear here sir" I said in response. there was a small pause over the other line "We read you Bear, What is the status of Priest, Scholar, Watcher?" a momentary glance down at might feet I swallowed hard as I remembered our landing. A rocket hit the side of the bird making her spiral out of control, Priest and Watcher were crushed by the chopper, Scholar and I were still in the bird as she fell. We emerged from the wreckage trying to get the copilot out before the fire got too wild, that's when the enemy fire came from seemly everywhere and tore the cockpit to pieces. Scholar and I got a few blocks before Scholar was taken out by a sniper. "Sir I am all that's left, Yui is here with me sir, recommended course of action sir?" A new voice came over the comms, a deeper and more weathered voice "Son we need you now more then ever, we need something that wont be easy to get. We need security codes from the acting general of the section you are in."

 

[Elwin]

I half listened to the ear bud, the other half of my concentration fading into the distance. The talk through my ear was just nonsense to me. Mind drifting away, I stepped towards the door and opened it, sick of standing in the darkness. The air was dusting and I coughed slightly, my eyes squinting at the sun. One step forward and I was out the door, standing in the open air.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


I listened intently as he gave me the co ordinates. "I will radio in once we have gotten the codes, Bear out" I walked outside and saw Yui standing there in the sun "Yui?" I asked as I slung my weapon back into my hands. "we aren't getting out of here as soon as you might have thought." I pointed i the direction of the city, "we are going back into the city." I took out my map of the city and showed her out destination. "We are going right into the heart of the enemy and stealing security cods from the enemy, this also means we will be getting into the most securely defended part of the city. The capital district."

 

[Elwin]

I laughed. Again it was a caution of nerves. "Zhang." I repeated and stretched out my arms a little. My pretence was shown up by the uncontrollable shaking of my hands. "I'm going to continue hiding. I do not want to be pulled into any of this nonsense, ill wait till its over, or die trying." Did I sound assertive? I hoped so. My throat was clogged and my words trembled, perhaps noticeabley. Maybe I could use my Asian appearance to my advantage. Slip back on my old clothes and hide like a whimpering housewife until an enemy comes closer for his goods and I stab him in the groin! I smiled slightly, unaware of how little a smile was welcome right now.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


I looked to her "the only way we are getting out of here is through the city anyhow, its other side it the harbor where we will commandeer a boat and get out of here. that is unless you would like to live in a country that women are things rather then people." The choice was clear to me on how I would live my life, it was cliche but it was right, live free or die hard. "I can and will protect you with my life if need be, I can also help you to better defend yourself in case I don't make it somewhere down the line, you are my secondary objective, but I will do whatever I have to to get us both out of here in one piece" I held out my hand to her "You have my word if that means anything"

 

[Elwin]

I hesitated for a moment, ignoring his gesture. "Alright." I paused, then opened my mouth to ask. I closed it again. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer to my question. It blurted from my mouth without thought, regardless. "Is anyone still alive?" More like, was General Yui dead? I hadn't realised that I had been picking at my fingers for a while, not quite sure how long, but my nails had drawn blood on my finger. "Ah..." I hissed and sucked my finger quickly. The taste of the blood was hot on my tongue and rusty. My gaze returned forward and I stared at the man, my finger still wedged between my teeth.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


I stood there for a moment before answering her question. "Your father is alive, many others died protecting him. The rest of my team was lost right after the drop." as she pricked her own finger i slung my rifle back and reached into my pouch to grab a gauze rag and a band-aid. "let me help you with that" I said as I held out my hands for her to give me hers. It wasnt a major thing, but it might show her, even slightly in her eyes, that I care. This was going to be a long few days ahead of us, and I wanted, and was most likely need, all the help I could get.

 

[Elwin]

I fluttered my lashes slightly, pausing. "Um..." I jerked my finger away. "It's fine... it's nothing. Hardly worth wasting resources." He had good intentions clearly and wanted my trust, but I was not ready to let my guards down yet. I couldn't help but pass a smile. "Thank you for the information about my Father. I will pray for the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for him." I was pleased that he was alive and felt that the information was valuable enough to avoid my sarcasm just this once, but the sacrificed men just reinforced my own doubts against the military. It was hard; the soldiers were just men. But they killed other men and that is what made it so hard for me to reason with them, treat them with respectability. When did another wrong ever make a right? My Father would always tease me for having pacifist liberal values,he would tell me that one day I would learn and face reality. Reality stinks.

 

[Tinman]

Zave:


I looked at her as she said her prayers were for the soldiers who had fallen. It was surprising coming form someone who had been against the military in general. I motioned towards the City "shall we?" I asked her as a look came over her face, like she had just realized that something was very wrong. "Are you alright?" I asked in a gentle and concerning voice, I just about put my hand on her shoulder and paused for a moment and decided against it. She didn't like military and didn't want her to be more against me then she already was. The reality of our situation was tat we needed to get some distance into the city before the sun got too high and we would be found. From there we would have to find a place to hold up for the day.