Chapter 12: A memory of a coward
Afghanistan 2010
"What the hell is this…?" A person gritted his teeth as he read a document in his hand. He had fair skin, short dark hair, and dark, sharp eyes.
He stood from the stool and walked out of the camp. After looking around, he walked a little and entered another camp.
"Hello, Captain Mark Baller. First Lieutenant Ivan Slade is reporting." The dark-haired man saluted the person sitting in front of him.
"Well, Ivan, it looks like we have some important matters to discuss. Have a seat." The person named Mark Baller said and offered Ivan a seat.
Ivan nodded and sat. He then placed some documents on the table and asked, "Then I will be frank here, Mark. Are we really going for such a bloodbath here?"
"Hmm, bloodbath, eh? Sir Ivan, they are terrorists. Calling it bloodbath is…."
"As I said before, I will be frank here so you can cut this crap and answer me without cracking Afghani weed." Ivan interrupted his captain, who was in a higher position than Ivan.
Mark stared at Ivan for a couple of seconds before deep sighing.
"Look, Ivan, it is all the orders from Major, so my hands are tied. Besides, after our last loss against their forces, Major had to deliver some results. As you can see, our next operation is necessary."
"Are you kidding me?! Are you saying that we should use drones in the middle of such densely populated areas to take clear advantage? We are making the same mistakes again and again. We are talking about innocent lives to face some terrorists."
"Ivan, you might be my subordinate, but as young talent from Special Forces, you can have a slight edge against me. You can contract Major, but we both know the result." Mark spoke and then resumed his paperwork. "Now, if you excuse me."
"You will regret it, Mark," Ivan said one last time as he went to exit.
"Goodbye, Ivan." Mark smiled and resumed his work.
Ivan came out of the tent and looked at the dark sky.
After failing in two majors, he joined the military. As superb talent in shooting and close combat, he even made his way towards Special Forces. He was happy that being in the army was one way where he could exercise his talent, but who would have thought that his mission to 'protect his country' would turn out to be the massacre of innocent lives.
Seven freaking years, Ivan understood that their 'fight against terrorism' was nothing but a drama to sponsor weapon dealers and manufacturers. He had taken numerous lives of so-called 'terrorists' where 75% were innocent people who were just caught in the conflict.
Women, children, elders, Ivan had killed people of every age and gender. Every time he killed, he reminded himself that it was all a necessary sacrifice.
But he knew he was a sinner. He also got used to hallucinating dead faces now.
There was nothing he could do but take orders.
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Ivan walked slowly and entered a burned-down room where he found Captain Mark silently looking at something. It was so sinister and haunting that even Ivan couldn't help but drop to his knees.
It was a figure of a burned-out mother protecting her child in her embrace….
"…Mark, they are terrorists, right? Say something, dammit!" Ivan stood and asked the man, but Mark was just lost in looking at the burned mother and her child.
"This is the reason we are sent on this mission! This, this fucking Afghani weed!" Ivan yelled and threw a pack of Afghani weed that he had taken as a sample for his mission.
Ivan now understood that it was all for the weed. It is corruption.
"I told you, Mark. You will regret it! Why are we fighting for?!" Ivan yelled but took a deep breath, "Who am I talking? Not that you can understand anything. Anyway, let's get going. I am sure this isn't your first time seeing this kind of scenery."
Ivan was about to leave when Mark spoke, "You know Ivan, I have a nine years old daughter. Do you know what she says every time I return home?"
Ivan stopped his steps and turned around, curious about Mark's words.
"My daddy defeats evil people." Ivan smiled as a tear left his eye, "Seeing such innocent eyes, how could I tell her that her daddy also has to kill children of my daughter's age? I fear… I fear if I tell her that…."
With a shaking hand, Mark pulled a pistol and put it on his neck.
Ivan widened his eyes and jumped to stop Mark from committing suicide, but…
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[I, First Lieutenant Ivan Slade, found Captain Mark's body. The mission was a success, but Captain Mark had to sacrifice himself to protect us. He was closest to the time bomb we found. May he rest in peace.
Now on to the second topic, I have some hidden evidence against Major Brown, who was responsible for this mission….]
If word of his suicide went out, Mark would be discarded as a disgrace to US Army, but his wife and daughter would also suffer as the family of a coward.
So Ivan had to blow his body with a local time bomb that can be found all over Afghanistan to make it look like an accident.
Ivan was typing his report when he heard a voice.
"Oo sounds like someone wants to be kicked out from the army…."
Ivan leaped back from his seat and aimed his gun at the person who had just spoken.
"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down, Lieutenant Ivan. It is just me, Joe." It was an African-American guy named Jonathan Penny (Joe). He was also sent to Afghanistan along with Ivan. "Now put down your weapon…."
"It depends on your answer. I think you know what happened today, so you should also know that I am in a fu*king horrible mood." Ivan said.
"Don't worry, dude. I am with you here. Look, I already got the order." Joe said and showed me a paper.
"Fu*ker, how did you get a transferring order?" Ivan was confused. Here he was trying to leak some sensitive information, and there was Joe, standing with a Transferring Order to Alaska.
"Hoho! You won't believe, no, you will believe what just happened today."
"You tried ra*ping your colleague?"
"How did ya know?!"
"Seriously?!" Ivan just guessed on a whim.
"Yeah, he was a fresh, a smooth white boy. Today, I 'accidentally' inhaled some weed next to the freshman. I didn't know what happened afterward, but I remember chasing after his ass. It reminded me of my girlfriend's juicy ass!"
"You have a girlfriend?" Ivan asked,
"Yeah! And she has that round Brazilian juicy ass, MUHAH! I was to eat it as soon as I return."
"Motherfu*ker, you have been here with me for two years. When did you hook up?" Ivan asked as he sat down, "You sure she isn't cheating on you or something?"
"Cheating? She *is* cheatin' on me! And with my brother on that! He was the first to inform me and now always regularly sends his sex clip with her." Joe laughed and made some dirty signs, "I still want to fu*k her."
"You are one horny sick bastard…." Ivan shook his head and resumed writing his report.
Then he felt Joe's hand on his shoulder and saw him smiling at Ivan.
"You know I also had a similar experience. A man tried to attack me, but I killed him on the spot, assuming him a terrorist, but I later found out that he was just a father who had lost his family in a drone attack.
Ivan, I might not understand what you are going through, but you need to leave this place. This is not a country but a hell for humans like us. Don't try to fight them. Just leave."
Ivan nodded and lightly sighed. He wanted to show the true nature of these hypocrites to the whole world, but he didn't have the strength to fight with a superpower. He will be crushed anyway.
"Now, I don't have boobs, but you can cry on my chest. Though, you can play with my nipples. It felt good~."
"Fu*k off!" Ivan frowned and punched Joe lightly.
"Hehehe, anyway, gotta go now. I will keep in touch with you for a while. If you want, I will introduce you to some prime Brazilian asses, which I will certify personally with my dick. Bye." And Joe left.
Ivan shook his head and then smiled.
"Now, what are other methods for getting kicked out other than ra*ping a dude…?" Ivan sighed.
Ivan was just a coward, or he would also have left this world. Unlike Mark, Ivan didn't even have a family, but he was a coward.
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[WAKE UP, BIT*H!! SYSTEM IS HERE!]