An eventful morning

An early morning in the battle fields of Viennam.

An eventful morning

The sound of their guttural voices awaked Nick up at dawn, the whole lot of them were crouched in a circle around their leader �" having their briefing, listening to his instructions no doubt.

Nick listened to him too with a fast beating heart, and with much regret, for not having learned some words of their language.

By the time he rose to a sitting position, and stretched his frozen limbs a bit, one of them came and took him aside and watched him while Nick crouched and succombed to his natural needs.

On coming back covered by the lone V.C. gun, he was given a drink of water, while they stood up in haste the entire group, forming two rows on each of his sides . Nick did not wait to be ordered to move on, with a rifle butt; but was ready to move instantly just like a robot.

On they marched again, leaving the ruined village behind them and heading southward toward the jungle’s edge. Under the last few trees, before the open plain and the almost knee tall grass, they stopped and crouched again, waiting for their leader's instructions. Their leader stayed behind them ready to send them forth, and watch their advance from his shelter.

In the far distance, miles away, dim sounds of a battle reached their ears; and the typical and the unmistakable regular clatter of chopper engines far above.

Suddenly Nick grew very excited, fears and suspicions clutched his heart and a terrible urge groped him, to rise and run for his life!

But they'll shoot me down right away. The whole lot of them! That must be the reason why I was brought down to the south; that's where I’m being led for, to my own death!

The quick revelation shocked him and he kept looking about himself, cautiously afraid his face might betray his very innermost feelings.

Or maybe they are going to exchange me for someone of their own ranks… Someone who was kept in one of our bases, or prisoners of war camps?

At that very moment two choppers appeared on their west flank, flying low over the rice puddles in the open plain. But Nick lost the sight of them, as they merged with the jungle fringes and plunged deep into the vast green patches, the clatter of their engines fading slowly away.

Are they going to use me in some way for their own ends? He wondered.  Walk me over a minefield, or push me over barbed wire fences...? GOOD GOD!!! Should I try to escape right now...? It’s too late...! Too late...! Better wait and see...

He kept thinking as his thoughts were chasing one another in frenzy.                   

A short high-pitched grunt came from behind, it was their leader. They got up to their feet again the lot of them, adjusting their belts and battle harnesses.

Before Nick could make up his mind on anything, they were marching out, straight into the open plain, with Nick in their midst. The sky cleared up and the first rays of the rising sun fleeted towards them, chasing the morning mists away, caressing tenderly their faces. They were not fifty yards out in the open field...

WHEN A CHOPPER CAME FLYING LOW LIKE A HUGE MONSTROUS INSECT!

Straight into their faces it flew, and another one followed, up to the left. The V.C.'s panicked shouting excitedly on both his sides; they leaped back and started to run, as fast as they could towards the jungle's shelter. With his eyes still fixed on the approaching chopper, Nick stumbled and fell forward hitting the ground. Half way down before his hands actually touched the grass, he heard the shots two long bursts of an automatic rifle, just from behind him.

Bullets whizzed about and above and then the chopper joined in, with its high velocity guns �" spitting flames of fire!  He could see the guns rattle on both of the chopper's sides. A rocket left the round gleaming fuselage, just as the chopper passed over him and exploded with a deafening noise at the jungle's edge. The second chopper buzzed right after, its guns still spitting fire; its thirty millimeter shells slashing the air around him, hitting the ground with nasty little explosions!  But then quite suddenly the choppers soared above the treetops and disappeared, as fast as they appeared. The clattering sounds of their engines, fading slowly away and a sudden unexpected silence overwhelmed him.

© Haim Kadman 1991 �" all rights reserved.

Reviews

[Marie]

This is so well written and so exciting. I was absorbed in it from beginning to end. But then I felt something else should happen.

[Haim Kadman]

It's an eccerpt Marie a tiny of the whole plod. But what did you expect what's missing in your view?

[Marie]

I just wondered what happened to Nick; whether hesurvived or not.

[Haim Kadman]

He survived and was rescued Marie, the plot must go on...

[Marie]

I'm glad to know that.