The Endless War (The Endless Wars #1)

Chapter 1

An annoying beep wakes me from another restless sleep. Fuck, I can’t wait to get out of this shithole. Reaching over, I grab my phone, glancing at the screen. I’m immediately blinded by the light it gives off.

“Fuck,” I groan, dimming the brightness so I can determine what the time is.

Shit, I better get dressed and out to chow before all the edible choices are gone. I rush through my morning routine, then haul ass.

Dropping my tray onto the table, I sit down with what the military considers breakfast, digging in quickly, since we have to hit the road soon. Miguel and Chad plop down beside me, giving me a quick fist bump.

“Fuck, this shit again,” Miguel grumbles, and I grunt in commiseration. “You would think the government could afford to award us with some better food. We are out here all day, every day, in this fucking heat, busting our asses, and now we have to eat this shit,” he continues.

Chad looks over and laughs. “Just put a little hot sauce on it to add some flavor,” he says with a smirk, pushing the bottle closer to us.

“Get that shit out of here.” Miguel huffs as Christopher walks in and sits down on the other side of Chad. He gives me a scoff when he sees I’ve already eaten half of mine.

“Hey, Chad,” Chris says, giving him and Miguel a fist bump before bending his head to say grace.

I watch as the other guys copy his movements and laugh under my breath. I wait ‘til they are done before leaning closer to Miguel.

“I don’t know why you guys insist on wasting your time with that, it’s not like anyone is listening,” I mutter and Miguel clenches his fist in annoyance.

“Why do you have to shit on us every time we do our thing?” he snaps. I drop my fork and lean in closer.

“Because I’ve been doing this long enough to know that if there was a higher power, then they don’t give a shit about us, so why would I return the favor?” I reply earnestly.

Chris butts in, “You might not have faith in him, but he has faith in you, Evander.”

We don’t have time for this debate again. Breaking the conversation, I stand up abruptly.

“Mount up, girls, we have to do a valley run today,” I order and they all look at each other before simultaneously saying, “FUCK!”

“I thought we were done with that fucking route,” Chad replies quickly, frustrated.

“I thought Delta company was doing that,” Christopher whines.

“Sorry, guys, Delta got pulled off it to provide additional coverage for troop movement coming into the country,” I say, grabbing my trash and moving toward the door.

“Evander, would you know if they are our replacements?” Miguel asks, bringing all eyes on me. I sigh, watching the hope in their eyes diminish.

“All I know is that the timing is about right for them to be our relief, but we all know how much Uncle Sam loves telling us one thing, then fucking us at the last minute.”

“Fuck, I hope they are. We have been in this shithole for almost a year now,” Miguel grunts before standing and tossing his trash.

“Regardless, we have a job to do, so mount up,” I say again, moving toward the exit. I don’t bother looking back, footsteps sound behind me so I know they are following, even if their steps hold a bit of hesitance. Miguel is right though, this shit is getting old.

When we get outside, I place my hat on my head. The sun blinds me for a second as the hundred and fifteen degree heat punches me in the face. Getting to the Hummer, I notice Robin in the driver’s seat ready to head out.

“Good morning,” I say, jumping in the passenger side, “didn’t see you at chow,” I continue, leering at her.

“I’m all set, Sir,” she replies, raising her travel mug full of coffee. Laughing to myself, I lean out the window. “Chad, you’re on the fifty.”

“Got it,” he replies, climbing up.

“Let’s go, ladies, we’re burning daylight. The faster we hit the road, the sooner we’re back,” I shout out the window to the others.

Miguel gets in the backseat behind me and Christopher jumps in behind Robin. We take off and head through the poor excuse of a gate into the desert. We have about a four hour drive until we get to the town that marks our return point.

Rolling through the desert, everyone in the Hummer is joking around and I notice that Robin looks on edge.

“Calm down. We have done this run dozens of times before without a problem,” I shout, so she can hear me over the engine.

“Just past this next ridge is the town we have to run through and we’ll be at our halfway point for this route,” I say in a failed attempt to calm her down.

Just as we crest the hill the earth erupts with a deafening blast, hitting the driver side rear quarter panel, throwing the vehicle into a violent spin.

Fuck, we just got hit by an IED. As we come to a stop, I’m disoriented.

All I can hear is muffled sounds drowned out by a horrible high-pitched ringing.

Looking around I see my squad thankfully moving, just as dazed and confused as I am. Peering out through the shattered windshield, I can just make out the town.

Regaining my bearings I key the radio, “Alpha Team to Base, Alpha Team to Base.” Before I can finish my transmission I hear the repeated pinging of metal on metal and a distant popping noise.

Fuck, we are taking fire.

“Chad… CHAD,” I yell looking back at him. “SNAP OUT OF IT AND GET ON THE FIFTY CAL.” Over the radio someone replies. “Go Alpha Team.”

“Base, we have been hit by an IED, about two hundred meters from Daman, and are taking fire, we need immediate evac,” I yell into the radio, throwing the mic.

“Miguel, Robin, Christopher—get out there and fuck these bastards up!” I roar, beating on my door trying to get it open.

The radio crackles again, “Base copies. Black Hawks enroute, ten Mike.” I throw my door open, then jump out and yell, “Black Hawk’s ten Mike’s out.”

As soon as the last word leaves my mouth, it feels like I get hit by a truck as I take a round to my chestplate.

“You good, Evander?” Miguel yells.

“God damn, that fucking hurt. I’m good, lets fuck the bastards up.”

Staggering to my feet all I can hear is the deafening sound of the fifty caliber unloading, and the fainter sounds of my squad’s M4s, as they unleash hell. Robin yells with a high pitched scream. Fuck, she’s hit.

I run to the other side of the Hummer as bullets whiz past me. She’s on the ground, groaning. I kneel beside her, then yell for Christopher. As I look her over to see where she got hit, Chris drops to my side.

“She took a round to the shoulder, it’s a through and through,” I tell him, and he nods.

He pulls the quick clot out of his bag before looking at her. “This is going to hurt like hell,” he warns, as he packs it into the wound. She lets out a blood-chilling scream before passing out as a result of the pain.

“Miguel, get over here!” I scream as loud as I can.

He runs around the back of the vehicle and slides to us.

“She took a round in the shoulder. Christopher stopped the bleeding, you two get her to the back of the Hummer,” I command.

When there’s an alarming patch of silence I realise the fifty cal has stopped, I look over to Chad.

“Fuck, we’re out!” Chad yells at me. Just then a searing, burning pain hits my right leg. I glance down at the bullet wound that’s seeping blood and pouring down my thigh. Son of a bitch, I’m hit. I quickly pull the tourniquet from my pouch and apply it, clenching my teeth, to stop my roar of pain.

It will do for now.

I take a deep breath, then turn towards the distant gunshots.

They are shooting at us from a building right on the edge of town, no more than a hundred yards away.

I reach into the Hummer, grab my FN SCAR, and hit the dirt.

My leg throbs, but I ignore it as I take another deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

I look through my scope.

BANG.

The rifle recoils into my shoulder and through my scope I watch the red mist as my bullet finds its mark. Adjusting and taking another deep breath, I fire again.

BANG.

Another round finds its mark. Something in the distance pulls my attention. Thank-fucking-God.

Standing up with a wince, I yell, “Black Hawks are almost here, cover Robin at the rear, Chad and I will cover the front.”

I’m thrown forward as a bullet smashes into my backplate. It feels like someone hit me in the back with a sledgehammer. I crumple to the ground from the force of the impact and the pain. The whooshing sound of the helicopter brings a sigh of relief from my lips. Not much longer now.

I yell out to my guys, “Get her the hell out of here and over the ridge… GO!”

I switch the rifle from single to full auto and unload the entire magazine at the building we are taking fire from. As I throw another magazine into the rifle, a searing pain hits my chest. I look down as blood pours through my body armor.

I just took a hit to my left lung. Chad looks back at me and starts to move in my direction.

“Ge–t the he–ll out of h–ere… NOW,” I scream, gasping for air. He gives me a look of discontent, but listens.

At that moment a Black Hawk lands on the back side of the ridge behind the Hummer, as another does a strafing run towards the town. I load my last mag as one more round passes through the shattered plate and into my chest. Hitting the ground, all I can hear is distant shouts of my name.

My vision starts to fade in and out and I feel colder than I’ve ever felt before. I look over towards the Black Hawk. Miguel and Christopher are loading Robin in. Chad runs to my side, “Come on, the chopper is here, we can make it,” he yells, grabbing me.

I shove him away, forcing his hands off of me, “Go, I’ll cover you,” I wheeze. He squeezes my hand.

“No, you’re coming with me! Now, shut up and cover us,” he says before grabbing the back of my vest, and dragging me to the chopper.

With the last bit of strength that I have, I raise and point my rifle toward the town and squeeze the trigger.

As the mag empties, Chad and I get pulled onto the helicopter by Miguel and Christopher.

They look at me and I offer them a weak smile.

As I roll onto my back and look at the roof of the chopper, I fight to keep my eyes open as my body gives in to the pain.

At least they are safe now. Then everything fades to black.