Last Hope (31 page)

Soto let out a small sigh. “I still
remember it a few days ago. James was making fun of Gary because
Maire kiss him, now he is dead. Maire is dead, Juan died, no one
will talk about that, and now Kato pass away. We are getting
smaller Boris.” Soto told him.

“
So it may seems, but the
ones that are still alive Soto. you, me, Gary, Maizah, Andres,
Andrea. We are all still alive. I don’t think any of us are going
to go away for a while Soto.”

“
One can only
hope.”

Boris laugh a bit at Soto words.
“Thrust Von was born.”

Over at Gary’s barracks. Mandisa was
banging on his door. “Gary, Gary I know you are in here! Gary? Gary
open the door!” Mandisa stop the banging as she let out a sigh.
“Look, I wish I was there when Kato died. If I was faster, she
could still be alive today. You have no idea how much I am blaming
myself for this Gary, please. Open the door Roman!” With no answer
coming from Gary she turn her head and start to leave the male dorm
upon which she ran into Adam. “Adam.” She says with
sigh.

Adam took Mandisa outside where the two
of them could talk with fresh air. Adam spoke first. “Was she a
good person, Kato?”

Mandisa took in a deep breath as she
was remembering her lost friend. “She was one of the toughest girls
that I know. She was shy at first, not talking to anyone but the
first Soto that was here. After that she became an alcoholic after
Soto died. Sandra want to put an end to her depress state and gave
her Sandra for a few days which seem to made Kato better and she
started to come out of her long hard shell and start to open up to
other people.”

“
Where is Sandra
now?”

“
Don’t know. I don’t think
she left or anything. To be honest, after Kato died I have not
thought about Sandra in a while. I am sure wherever she is, she is
doing just fine. I think I’ll go ask Commander myself where she is
at when I get my head clear from Kato’s death.”

“
Mandisa, you told me
something. While we were on that mission together, you told me that
the day a death no longer affects you, you should get out. I need
to be honest that Kato’s death did not really affect me that much.
Does that make me a bad person?”

“
It makes you a soldier
Adam. Life is about losing. No matter what you are going to do,
people are always going to die. You will die, I will die, nothing
will change that. The trick, is to not to lose your sanity before
you lose your life. We are not ordinary soldiers Ada,. The average
soldier's life in a third world country is greater then getting
behind a wheel in a first world country. For us, it’s the opposite.
Each time we go out there, there is a good chance we may not make
it back. Celebrate each time you return home Adam, and remember
those that were not able to make it. Life, will one day pass you
by, before that happens try to make the most of it. Or else you
will become what Gary has become, a monster trap in his own body,
unable to break free, waiting for death to knock on his door. If
death does not come knocking, then there is a good chance that Gary
might knock first.”

Commander had a distress call from
London of the Sons attacking civilians so Commander sent out a team
to clear it up. When the team got there three sons appear, everyone
pick their targets and everyone miss. Andrea took aim again and was
able to hit a son. Gary fire at the same son and was able to hit
it. Andres fire at same son, miss. Maizah fire at same son, almost
kills it. Boris kills the son. One son tries to move, Soto fire at
it but miss. The other son kills a civilian. Boris shot at the son
that move, hit. Soto fire at the same son again, kills it. Andres
fire at the last son, miss but set a car on fire.
“Seriously?”

Andrea fire at the son, it try to run
but Andrea still hit it. Maziah fire at the son, miss. Gary fire at
the same son, miss but set a car on fire that exploded hurting
Andres, the son retreats. The car that Andres set fire to exploded
not killing anyone. “For fuck sake Gary, you want more of our men
to die!” Gary did not reply to Andres words. Andres was able to
save someone.

Two swords appear, one moves, Gary hit
it, then a mech could be seen in the distance. Gary stares at the
mech in anger, as he want his revenge for that machine killing his
wife. Boris shot at the same son that Gary hit, kills it. Andres
moves forward, found the son that retreated, fire at him but miss,
set another car on fire, where the son was at. “Another one?”
Andres said in annoyance.

Andrea moves forward, found the son
that Andres miss, fire at it but it ran, Andres still hit it. The
mech moves closer, starts scanning the ground near Maziah, the car
that was on fire blew up but no one died. Maziah moves out of the
way, shot at the son, hit. Andres shot at the son again, hit.
Andrea rushes forward, kills the son and save someone. It was a
female. “You’re safe ma’am, go over there and you will be just
fine.” Andrea told the female. She was so greatful of Andrea saving
her that she gave him a giant kiss before running off to
safety.

The mech fire it missiles, hurt Boris,
the mech then fire a laser at Maziah, miss but hit andres, he is
bleating out, the car is on fire that was next to Andres. Two
drones appear, and a sword moves close to Maziah and Andrea. Andres
was on the floor after the strong hit by the laser from the Mech.
He could see Gary close by and was unaware that the car he was
using for cover with was on fire. “Gary.” He calls out for
help.

Boris fires a rocket at the mech. Soto
kills the sword that was near Maziah and Andrea. Andrea shot at a
drone, miss. Maziah fire a rocket at the mech, Gary moves out of
the way of the burning car. Andres, not knowing why Gary was
leaving him, kept calling out his name. “Gary! Gary I need your
help, please save me, Gary!” Gary ignore Andres cries even though
he could hear them. The mech fire at Gary, hit. Gary kill a drone,
the mech fire a laser at Boris, miss, then at Gary, Gary is
bleating out. The car blew up killing Andres.

Boris fire another rocket at the mech.
Soto moves closer to the mech, the mech fires at him, miss. Andrea
reloads. “Lets take him out before anymore men goes
down!”

Maziah toss a grenade at the mech. The
mech fire a laser at soto, miss, then fire at Boris, he is bleating
out. Soto destroy the mech with a rocket, was able to save Gary and
Boris, and 11 people out of 18. When the mission was over Soto
became a captain, same thing with Andrea and Maziah. Boris is
wounded for eight days, Gary seven.

Soto was at the bar with Adam as he
talk about the mission. “Gary just let Andres died?” Adam said in
shock.

“
Did not even bother to
help.” Soto told him with a sigh.

“
That surprises me.” Adam
told Soto as he finish his drink.

“
Not me, not anymore.” Soto
told Adam as he finish his drink and order another one. “We all
have been trying to move on from my sisters death. It has not even
been a week yet and I am still fucking depress. I lost my long lost
sister, this time she is not coming back. I have not been keeping
myself lock in a room, drinking whatever life I have a way has my
premature son is in the hospital.”

Adam let out a small sigh. “I know what
you mean. I wish I could had known Kato more but, it was not meant
to be.” Adam pause as he let Soto finish another drink. “What are
you going to do now?”

“
I am going to get massively
drunk, then wake up with a giant hangover. It’s the only way I can
force myself to sleep tonight.” Soto told him as he orders another
beer.

Adam walk into Sic-Mad where he found
Gary just laying there with his eyes opens. Adam spoke first. “I
know what you did, you let a man, a good man, die
today.”

“
He would had died even if I
did stabilize his wound.” Gary mumbles.

“
At least he would had died
knowing that you at least you still care.”

“
I don’t care about anyone
anymore.”

“
Even your own son. Von
Gary?” Gary did not reply to Adams question. “I may not know your
wife very well but i do know that she would not want to see you
like this!” Adam got a little loud but quite down for remembering
that Boris was in here.

“
How would you know that?
You just told me that You did not know her. She was a slut, cheated
on my every time I left for a mission.”

“
Now you are in the denial
part out of your five stages of grieving. Do us all a favor and get
through the rest. You know for a fact that she never did that to
you, stop lying to yourself to make the pain easier. I did some
digging around, found a person called Chavez?” Adam stop and Gary
turn his head to look at him. “I know, you put your life on the
line that day, missing bullets, healing him, to bad that car
exploded killing him, kind of like how Andres died today right? The
only difference was that you actually try to save someones life.
This time you gave up. You may not know this Gary, but when you are
out there, you give them hope. When you are out there you make them
feel safe knowing you will take care of them, now look at you. If
you can’t save lives, then why don’t you just end your owns?” Adam
toss a small six caliber revor on Gary’s lap with a bullet. “You
would rather be with your wife right? Well I am giving you the key
to that lock floor my friend. Gary pause for a minute as he pick up
the gun and open the chamber to place the bullet inside then spin
the cartridge. Adam watch as Gary put the gun inside his mouth as
he pull the trigger, click. “Can’t even kill your own life,
pathetic.” Adam watches some more as a tear came from Gary’s eyes
as he pull the trigger again, click. Adam continue to watch as
Gary’s hands start to shake as sweat came from his forehead. Click,
click, click. Gary pulls the trigger again.

Mission 38 The Wake Up Call

“
Wait, so Gary did not kill
himself?” Chang ask Adam as they were eating breakfast the next
day.

“
He did pull the trigger the
sixth time, but that would not have mater. I took out the firing
pin in the revolver so the gun would not fire anyway.” Adam told
Chang.

Chang just laugh at himself hearing the
story. You're insane Adam.” Chang told him. “I don’t think I would
have ever done that.”

Adam just shrug a bit. “I wanted to see
just where Gary was falling with his depression status. If he did
not pick up the gun then I knew that he was strong. If he did pick
up the gun but did not pull the trigger then I would know that he
is still strong but just need a little bit of help. If he did pull
the trigger the first time and realise that he did not kill himself
then I would see that he was in a bad place and that he just needed
to be shown the light. Gary pull the trigger all six
times.”

“
What does that tell
you?”

Adam let out a slight sigh. “That
either tell me one of two things. The first one being that Gary is
beyond saving, or that he needs to find something else to fight
for.”

“
What about his
child?”

“
At this point. I don’t
think Gary can handle raising a child by himself. It will remind
him to much of Kato. However I also think that his child may be the
only thing that Gary has left to fight for in this War, and if his
child gets taken away from him. Then the next time Gary bleeds out
on the field, he may just end it there.”

“
It’s believed, that the
acts of suicide will send your soul to Hell. If Gary does that,
then he won’t even be able to see his wife in the
afterlife.”

Adam let out a small sigh. “I did all
that I could to bring Gary to the light. I honestly think that Gary
is beyond saving now. Soto gave me a recap on what happen on
Mission 34. Gary gets wound, Soto orders Gary to retreat. He told
him that if everyone else dies. Gary can live on to save more
lives. I don’t think Gary knows just how much people look up to him
here. The one guy who can heal you in battle is now not doing crap.
Everyone always told Gary that he needs to keep fighting, now he
needs to tell himself that.”

Chang let out a small sigh. “Do you
think that he is going to have the will to go on?”

“
I guess we are going to
find out.”

Gary force himself to fall asleep with
the revolver still in his hand laying next to him. Mandisa was
standing outside the door with Sara and Anna as they were watching
the soldier slowly tearing himself apart. Sara was concern for
Gary. “Isn't there anything that we can do Mandy?” Sara
ask.

Mandisa let out a small sigh. “I don’t
think there is anything that we can do Sara.”

“
What about his son? You and
Sandra promise to take both Anna and myself in, ould we also bring
Von with us as well?”

Mandisa let out a slight sigh. “About
that Sara, Sandra and I have been talking.” Mandisa let out a pause
before continuing. “We think it may be better for you and Anna to
stay here. You both know military life so well. You can read
military time, you know the alphabet, you built a tank above all
else. Sandra and I kind of want to get away from this life. Try to
be normal.”

Anna step into the conversation. “No
ones normal. Once you leave this place, you can never return to the
civilian life the same ever again.”