As the smoke  grenade thickened we moved rapidly. A shout went up from all around. Hmm maybe smoke was a bad idea… Bullets came thick and fast through the smoke to our left up 3rd Avenue. Dipshits were shooting blind….again. Thank God for that.

As I turned to head to our destination three Tangos skidded to a halt at the intersection. They had us dead to rights. Tony, the GI name Genty and Bentz hit the dirt firing suppressing fire, while Bentz calmly took aim with his rifle. Tony took heavy fire and dropped his weapon holding his face.

I could see the guys from the relief team just 50 yards away. One had snuck up along the doorways and alcoves. He threw a ‘nade behind the two insurgents. It plunked down near them. This was gunna be ugly I thought. “Nade” I yelled. We covered up.

The screams were a little disconcerting, as I looked up at them, what was left of the Tango’s was hollering and writhing in pain. Half a leg had landed near me, bits of stuff everywhere, both of them had lost most of their limbs. Nicely FUBAR’ed. Fuck ’em. The insurgents were terror stricken pathetic dying kids now. They were not Allahs warriors.

“Lets go go go go. Bentz go man take our boy Alonzo, Tony you ok dude? “ He looked in bad shape as I ran over to him. “Its my face, shit, I got fragments all over.” He said.
“hmm nice look Tony” As I cleaned quickly, assessing the damage I could see that he was missing chunks of cheek and a flap of skin was hanging from under his helmet, but nothing that a real doc couldn’t fix.

“Tony, sorry to say but its gunna be an improvement, let me give you something from your pack for the pain, we gotta roll bro or we are dead. “

My hands were shaking, the smoke was clearing, and the rest of the crew had not moved.

They were waiting on Tony and I.

Weston said “ take your time LT, get him patched we got ya covered we go together like always”.

I returned the business at hand. “ Tony this all must hurt like a mother, so take a hit and I’ll help you along.”

Weston called, “window!” I look up, not 3 feet from my head was the guy I had just shot. Dazed he took aim across the street at Weston and pulled the trigger. He hadn’t seen me. I lunged up, drove his weapon up and away from my team mates, I tumbled in thru the window in a mess of jagged glass and blood from the bastard I was fighting. Still holding the barrel I slammed a punch to his throat, as he kept his finger on the trigger. I heard all sorts of shit crunch and snap. I kept punching 3,4,5 more times until my hand hurt and it was clear he was dead. “ I’m mad as hell you bastard and you picked the wrong day to mess it up with me.”

Without a glance I walked away and called the all clear.

“Come on lets go.” I said. Tony was pointing to Weston. Who was lying in a growing pool of blood. The smoke was clear and I could see insurgents moving forward. Another GI appeared on the scene. I said to him “ get some gauze on the gut shot. We got to get him out ASAP…..well we all need to get the hell outta here ASAP. I grabbed my 2nd last clip.

I was running out of guns. “8’s help this GI lug Weston. “ I said. Only Bentz was up shooting the insurgents with his sniper rifle wherever he could, barely sighting, firing rapidly. Alonzo was dead, Weston critical, 8’s was limping like a 3 legged dog. As shitty a day you can have.

We made it across the intersection of Avenue C and continued down Third street. A swarm of them came from the building we were just in, GI Genty and I fired to keep their heads down. The other GI’s coming down the street were taking fire from the building where we were headed! “Give me a fucking break I yelled at no one”

Bentz nailed one guy thru the window. The GI who had thrown the grenade was doubled over on the ground holding his arm, blood spurting hard, it looked like 2 fingers were at his feet and he was trying to reach for them in amongst the splattering blood on sidewalk.

“Forget the fingers I yelled, keep pressure on your wound kid” I saw some crazy dude rush him with his gun swung up as a club! What the hell do these people think they are doing.
I quickly put his ass down with 2 rounds.

Whilst swapping for my last clip, 2 humvees approached at speed. They pulled up close screeching to a halt, creating a cloud of dust. The boy’s topside covered us with their .50 cals. We had made it.

The dust will never settle in this place, nor will the enemy, I thought to myself as I leaned against the backside of the Humvee. Medics and aid ran to assist my squad. More soldiers poured up the street seeking to engage the now decidedly reluctant enemy.

My CO approached. “Glad your back safe Lt Monk, you are a lucky mother” He slapped me on the shoulder affectionately. I just grimaced and looked him sadly in the eye. He nodded in understanding and moved to go see the remnants of Bravo Squad.

A soldier handed me some warm water. After gulping it down and dousing my head I watched the droplets fall slowly from my brow and coagulate in the dry fine dust.