The Ones Left Standing
By the_last_dragoon & dt_viper
Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out... and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel.... And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for "the universal brotherhood of man" - with his mouth.
~Mark Twain
The crack of a rifle sounded again, and a clump of dirt next to my head disappeared. Scrambling deeper into my trench, I breathed deeply. The smell of gunpowder filled the air so thick, I almost choked on it. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, which were blanketing the sky in one solid sheet of gray.
Shaking my head slightly, I took a quick look over the rim of my trench, leveled the gun, and shot once; watching as the guy I targeted slumped backward into the pit he’d just crawled out of.
Looking at the ruins surrounding me almost brought a tear to my eye. This had once been a very beautiful city, not too crowded, but not to remote. I could remember how it had looked three years ago, when I had taken my senior trip here. I remembered how the Principal had a terrible time getting permission from the school board to let us go to Germany, but he did. And for two weeks, we had traveled all around this area.
Now however, all that was left was the remains of a once great city. If I looked hard enough, I could almost see the school we had visited; now only a pile of wreckage. The clock tower that some of us had stood upon and looked out across the world was now a menacing skeletal structure.
Several feet away, I heard Bryce take another shot. He smirked slightly as his shot had also found his target; one less enemy on there side. Turning to me, he said, “Yo, Jayce, we gotta move.”
“Why?” I asked over my shoulder as I leaned in for another shot. Just as I clicked the safety off, I moved my foot up for better a foothold, and lost my balance. Slipping down into the ditch, I heard a bullet whiz just above my head; right where I had been.
Already moving, Bryce said, “That’s why. We’re almost out of ammo, and the rest of our squad has been destroyed.” He moved quickly, but cautiously down the trench. I followed behind, continually glancing back, to where we had been. As we crawled back over the ditch, a mortar explosion sounded. Staring back in disbelief, I saw that the trench we had been in was now only a mess of debris. Shaking my head, I chased after Bryce, trying to stay low.
As we neared our destination, I could already hear the commander’s powerful voice, booming out orders. Jumping into the crater, we straightened, to find him standing before us, hands on hips. “You two, you’re from Captain Brigins Squad aren’t you? Where is he?”
I looked to Bryce, who shook his head. “He’s dead, Sir. A traitor was in our squad…stabbed him from behind. We managed to subdue him, but not before he had killed several others. The rest of us held out as long as we could, but in the end, only the two of us made it out alive.”
The man sighed, “Damn, we could have used an extra squad right now, our lines are barely holding. Well, I’m Lieutenant Colonel Edwards, and you’re now under my command. What are you anyway?”
“We’re both Second Lieutenants and trained snipers…” Bryce said.
The Colonel waved away his words, “Right now, you’re not highest rank, so your ranks don’t matter. As for the snipers part, you’re just what we’re looking for. We need you to...”
Before he could finish the sentence, the gunner at the top of the trench fell backward, clenching at his throat. Blood seeped out from beneath his fingers. As we watched, another man fell, this time, hit in the chest by a bullet with imminent death written all over it.
Turning and raising his voice, the Colonel boomed, “Sniper! Everybody down!” As everyone scampered down the wall, trying to get well below the edge, Colonel Edwards turned back to us. His face was calm, and his eyes shone with an inner fire. “You two, I want that sniper taken out…Now!”
Without waiting further, Bryce and I dashed across the crater, up and over the rim. As we did, my mind went back over everything that had happened so far.
Bryce and I had been friends since Junior High and all through High School as well. We even looked somewhat alike; both about 6 foot tall, short dark brown hair, slightly muscular. Bryce was half Korean however, while I was full blood American. We thought the same, but acted slightly different. I had always been the one to think things through, while Bryce dashed into it, taking risks. As for motivation? Well, we sort of motivated each other; Bryce would rush into things, dragging me along, and I would need his help after thinking things through.
We hadn’t really thought about going into the Marines together. We were selected for our outstanding gift for sniping. Some of our friends had put in some good words for us to the right people, and they came to see what we could do. On the shooting range, we were beaten only by each other, and we were signed into the Marine sniper division straight away.
When the war started, no one really knew what was going on. We happened to be watching the news one night when a breaking news flash came on saying that Germany had just been destroyed. Several days later, it was determined that Russia had nuked Germany over territorial disputes.
When the U.S. stepped in, telling Russia to back down, Russia launched against us. Fortunately, our anti-nuke satellites were able to destroy all incoming Nuclear Warheads before they got close. Unfortunately, this also meant an all out ground war against the Russians.
Now here we were, right in the heart of Germany, in the ruins of a town called Kassel. This was also a critical time in the war as well, Russia had almost exhausted all of its resources, and the U.S was tired of the fighting altogether.
Bryce and I threw ourselves against a low wall, as a few more bullets flew just above our heads. Looking around franticly, we both tried to find some means to take out that sniper and not get killed in the process. As I glanced down the wall, an idea came to me.
“Bryce, I’ve got a plan. Look down the wall there, about 10 yards.” Bryce turned his head and stared down the wall, studying the area I had pointed out for about a minute. What we were looking at was a section of wall that had been damaged, leaving an opening.
Bryce shook his head, “I’ll admit, it’s a great place to shoot from, but that sniper knows we’re here, he’ll hit us long before we can get a shot off.”
I shook my head, “That’s where I come in. When you reach that whole, I’ll jump up and start running, he’ll be so focused on hitting me, that you’ll be able to hit him.”
Bryce just stared at me for a minute, “Your crazy, what if he guns you down, before I get off my shot.”
I nodded, “I can dodge him for a minute, you just hit him before too long.”
Bryce shook his head, “No, you’re the better shot. You go down there and I’ll do the running. Besides, I promised your mom that I’d get you home alive.”
I shook my head and opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off, "Look, this is our last battle here. We get shipped out in a couple days. Last days, last battle”
Confused, I said “What do you mean, last days?”
He lowered his eyes slightly, “I overheard the Captain talking about it to the Colonel. He said that his division had been out here for the full two years, and was scheduled to be shipped back to the U.S. in a few days.”
I looked closely at him, studying him. We had never been able to lie to each other, so I knew he was telling the truth. I could also tell, however, that he hadn’t told me everything. “What else do you know?”
He smiled, “Can’t keep anything from you can I. When we were in the crater, with Colonel Edwards, I heard over the radio that we’ve got a convoy of armored trucks coming soon. There coming with several squads of reinforcements, and taking some squads back.”
My mind reeled, we were going home. Soon, I would be back with my family, just like old times. We would sit around and eat good homemade food. And to be able to sleep in a good bed, under a good roof, and not worry about getting ambushed in the middle of the night.
I suddenly realized why I was thinking this. I wanted to go home. I wanted all of those luxuries again. And…I almost wanted Bryce to do the running. But…I Bryce was my friend, and friendship came before petty wants.
“I run faster then you. Out of the two of us, I’m the harder to hit.” I said, resuming the argument
He smirked at me, “You’re not faster then me, not even in your dreams.”
I shook my head once again, knowing what we would have to do. Neither of us would ever give in to reason, it was the same old thing again. As a bullet ricocheted off the top of the wall, I held out my hand. Bryce looked at it, swallowed, and did the same.
“You know the rules, best two out of three is the winner. Winner picks to whether to shoot or run.” I muttered
Bryce nodded slowly and we commenced in the oldest way that was ever used to decide anything, a way we had used ever since we were kids...”Rock, Paper, Scissors”.
“Rock, Paper, Scissors!” we said together. “Paper wraps Rock,” I said, “one for me.” he nodded and we did it again.
“Ha! Scissors cut through Paper,” he stated, “That’s one for me”. I shook my head, this was it. Whatever happened here would decide our fate…or was it fate deciding what happened?
“Rock, Paper, Scissors” we yelled together, hands flying, I had chosen rock. Almost scared to look, I shook my head and glanced at Bryce’s hand…
I hung my head low, accepting defeat. He won fair and square, and maybe even by fate, to be the one to run. Through clenched teeth, I muttered, “Fine, wait till I’m at the hole, and when I give the signal, run. Run like you’ve never run before, all the way back to the Colonel.”
Bryce smiled, “Just don’t let him get too many shots off before you take him out, ok?”
Already crawling down the wall, I managed to call back, “I swear by my life’s honor, he won’t get more than two shots. I’ll see ya in a minute, Bryce.”
As I crawled down the wall, getting closer and closer to the gap, I tried to keep my mind blank. I succeeded for the most part; at least, I managed not to think of the future.
When I reached it, it took me a minute to realize what to do, then the old instincts took over. Nothing went through my mind now…my body acted without command. Putting my arm behind my back, I gave Bryce the signal, the same signal we’d used since high school…a simple thumbs-up.
I didn’t need to check and see if he got the signal, I knew he would. I also knew that he would run just like I’d told him to; fast and directly toward the colonel.
When the first crack of the snipers rifle came, I started moving. I was up in a crouch and laying the barrel of my gun across the wall, even before the first crack had ended. I leveled on the sniper, almost five-hundred yard down the way, crouching on the tip of a hill. I saw him re-level his gun and squint his eye, trying to make sure his second shot would hit Bryce.
Time seemed to almost stop. I could see the sniper’s finger begin to tense up. It couldn’t wait any longer…I fired…he fired.
Looking through my scope, I scanned the hill. After a few tense seconds, I saw his body limp and lifeless just to the side of the hill; my shot had hit true.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I picked up my gun and began to jog back towards the crater…back to the Colonel… and most of all, back to Bryce. I was smiling as I jogged, my time was done, I’d served my purpose, and now I could return home.
As I crested a hill, my heart plummeted. There, lying at the bottom of the hill…was Bryce…gasping for breath and clutching at his side. Dashing forward, I threw my gun aside and dropped down to him.
When he saw me, a smile lit across his face. “Did…did you…get him?” he asked me in a soft, raspy voice.
Trying to wipe the tears from my eyes, I nodded, “One shot, one kill.” Looking down to his hand, I could see blood running from between his fingers. I reached down toward his hand.
“Don’t bother,” he said even more softly, “His second bullet went in between my ribs. It punctured at least one lung…god knows what else.”
I sniffed and clenched my fist, “Dammit, if I had just been one split-second earlier…he never would have gotten off that shot. You would…”
He tried to laugh, but a wheeze was all that managed to escape. “Hey, don’t you dare get soft on me now! You got him, that’s all that matters. Don’t you dare think about what might have been.”
Glancing back towards the Colonels position, only 50 yards or so away, he grinned slightly, “Besides, now you can go home, I’ve kept my promise to your mom.”
As another wave of pain hit, he clenched my arm. “Jayce, I have only two requests. Take my body back with you…and…Take care of my mom…and my sister.”
I nodded again and repeated what I had said earlier, “Don’t worry, I swear to you on my Life’s Honor; I’ll watch over them until my dieing day.”
This time, Bryce actually did manage a smile, “Good, you were true to your last one…” and with that, Bryce…the best friend I had ever known…drifted into a never ending sleep, a smile still on his face.
Wiping the tears from my eyes once again, I looked at what Bryce had seen. Coming down the road was a line of armored vehicles, ready to cart away the wounded, dead, or dying. Gently picking up Bryce’s body, I walked toward the column.
I tried hard not to think of anything, but it was no use. The thoughts floated to me without reason, and soon, I gave in to them. Bryce had kept his promise, I was going home. Back to my mom, then straight to Bryce’s family, to tell of his great sacrifice.
When I finally reached it, I placed Bryce’s body in the back, and climbed up into the passenger seat. The driver looked at Bryce with a knowing look on his already sad face. “Friend of your’s?” he asked.
I nodded, “The best one I’ve ever had.” From somewhere in my past, a poem came to me. I smiled as I repeated it to the driver, “And when he gets to heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell. One more solder reporting sir, I’ve served my time in hell.”