The Soldier Next Door

What defines fear? The feeling that grips your stomach, suffocates your lungs, and tears your heart will slow agony from your chest.

What is fear for a Marine? The joke that you tell at night around the fire. It brings you only but a sense of what you truly are. You fight, and you fight to the end.

But what is fear when you see it on the faces of the men that you vow to protect? It is a pain that rips your flesh from your body to an agonizingly slow pace.

This is something that you do not foresee. You do not expect a child to lead you into the belly of a beast. You are trained to always be on alert. But when you are a man with a child or even one on the way, which most of us are, you do not expect to be deceived by one.

We have been forced to sit down on our knees in front of what seems to be some of the most intimidating men that most of us have seen. What do I see them as? They are fools; they have no idea the error they have just brought onto themselves. But the question now remains what do they intend to do? It shall be their downfall even further as what it has become.

And I think that I have yet asked too soon. Now, you are taught that you also do not say a single word when you find yourself captive. But, god, I am even afraid to say that there is a bit of Johnny in all these young boys. Gibbs that has been through this before, knows that only one thing is going to happen. He was the very man that had to bear witness to this the last fateful time.

It has now been ten minutes since we have been taken captive. They have not yet made their move that we are anticipating. They are speaking Persian, which they foolishly think that none of us do understand. From what I can hear from their whispers, they have no idea what to do with us either. Well, they are as dumb as you come.

But I have spoken yet too soon. The first man to go is Mathews; I see the terror flood his eyes like a rapid-fire. It feels that I have just hit an iceberg head-on, and I am slowly drowning. He cannot do this. He is an excellent Marine. But he cannot do this. In fact, no man in this room can do this. Even I, I cannot do it, not again.

It has now been twenty minutes since we have been taken captive. Williams and Lewis would have by now realized that we are taking far too long. Let us hope that they do not enter the building themselves and rather radio for a second squad to come in. But then again, they know I like being thorough; it might take me up to ten minutes max to make completely sure again. That in this side of Falluja is reckless.

And reckless is about how they are going to get, or should I rather say ruthless. There is this incredible stench that finds itself lingering in this room. Now there is a very distinct difference between that of an animal and that of a human, and let me say that there have been no animals that have died in here recently. Have we perhaps come across the group that is going about killing Marines. That I do not want to know.

It has been half an hour since we have been taken captive. They have now taken Matthews much to the sensations of horror into the next room. You do find the incredible urge to cover your ears if they are going to torture him. But that shows weakness. No matter what move you make, weakness cannot be one of them.

So as expect. There is a voice raised a pitch too high. Clear words are spoken. “You are going to tell us where it is.” There is absolute silence. Yet more words are spoken. “Do you want to die today? Tell us where it is.” What where is it? The base? They have two changes, shit to nothing. But do they care? No. Matthews will pay for his silence. Then. BANG. There is an echo of what is clearly I gunshot that echoes through the building. Terror sets in. Gibbs looks at me. I only but close my eyes for one brief second. This is not happening. Not again.

It has been forty minutes since we have been taken captive. As I play the echo of the gunshot through my head, I know that there is nothing I could have done. But then the man speaks again. “Next time I shoot, it is for real. Tell me where it is.” Relief beyond anything one can imagine fills my being.

But yet Matthews does not say a word. I hear the man say, “Give me your knife.” God, there are so many things he can possibly use that for. A memory of having a knife driven into a leg that is already broken consumes my mind. This cannot happen to Matthews. This will not happen again.

It is fifty minutes since we have been taken captive. The reality has set in. The man has now cut Mattews, where I do not know, but from the slight hitch in his voice, it must be bad. Then once again, “Tell me where it is.” Then there is a loud thud, more like a snap, as he once again fires, this time though he has shot Matthews. Matthews, which one can truly understand, lets out a whimper of agony. Once again, that is not enough. Another shot rings through the air. To a frightening horror, he has once again shot Matthews again.

I have now decided, my intention is clear.NôvelDrama.Org content.

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The man that has been guarding us while his boss has been ripped his ravage on Matthews looks at me somewhat in shock. But yet he does; he leaves the room with only one man and the rest of my squad with his gun shoved into my back. I briefly glance at Gibbs, and he knows what is about to happen.

It is an hour since we have been taken captive. I am not doing everything that goes against the rules. I have done this before. Does this make me feel brave enough to do it again? Some would say foolish. I say honor, courage, and commitment, we live by these values. It is courage and the commitment to my squad that shall make my choice to do this without hesitation.

As I can to stand in front of this rather towering asshole, which is only but an inch of what I am. I look him straight into those empty merciless eyes.

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There is a look of somewhat surprising on his goddamn ugly face as he watches me offer myself up for what he is yet to do to Matthews. He only but laughs at me, “Guess you both shall die today, and if you are any clever, you shall speak now and save your friends’ lives.” But it falls onto death ears. He might as well be gargling on his words, for the only one leave here in a sack of shit shall be him.

It is an hour and ten minutes since we have been taken captive. I have been tied up next to Matthews that is begging by the mere look in his eyes not to do it. And if eyes can speak for words, he knows the a plainly refuse to listen to him.

So it begins, as if the man is stuck on a record player, “Tell me where it is.” I look him square in the eye to taunt him; well, does he think I am half as stupid as he is? But he is not done, “Tell me or I shoot your friend.” Yet, I still remain quiet.

It has been an hour and twenty minutes since we have been taken captive. I have made one fatal mistake, I have underestimated the determination of a ruthless monster. I thought that if I come and save Matthews from the torture that is yet to come, I have been sorely mistaken. The man tries to shoot me in my leg as he did with Matthews, but as it only makes the sound of metal against metal, his curiosity gets the better of him and he shows for the other man in the room to lift my pants.

“Well, look here, half a man.” Well, now believe me, that if you have determination behind you, it hurts like a bitch as he slams the grip of his gun repeatedly into the bottom of my stump. I grind my teeth in absolute pain but not once do I falter.

It has been an hour and a half since we have been taken captive. I am sitting tied up to a chair, next to me is Matthews. We have been repeatedly asked to lead them to our camp. We do not give up. We will not give in. I, and so does Matthews, watch this man lift his gun and point it to our heads.

Honor. Courage. Commitment.

Then a loud bang.