Chapter 10: POW for a Day

The raid had been a success and the company commander was very happy. Every squad had two of the tri barrel miniguns now. Staff sergeant McBee was running the platoon until we got a new lieutenant. In a troop formation a week later we had an award ceremony. I was given another Knight's Cross and a Military Cross for the last mission.

The awards I had recommended had gone through so my men got their awards. I also had a visit from the Duke of Cari. We had a nice talk and he gave me a scroll from the king sealed by him. The duke seemed easy to talk to and the scroll was an announcement of the creation of the Order of Thorne.

That made me grin and the duke told me three soldiers would be initiated into the order next week. The duke also told me they had passed the king's request for a noble patent to the hall of lords. That made me shake my head but there was not a lot I could say. After he left staff sergeant McBee had me take the day off to help Anh and Cam.

They had the base commander's permission to start a new store and called on the wives club to help decide what to stock. My squad radios had worked great and the other squad leaders went out and bought sets for their squads. We also heard the traitor major Dawson had hung himself in his cell.

Everything was running smoothly so I should have known someone would throw us a curve. It was two weeks before we got a new lieutenant. Second lieutenant Arnold was straight out of officer training and by the book. The first thing to happen was all none issue weapons or equipment had to go.

We were all reissued rifles and the bastard even started paperwork to make us pay for them. Next was the non issue body armor like my scale shirt. Then we had to begin rehearsing old standard army movements which meant on line or in columns. He did not listen to the squad leaders or staff sergeant McBee.

In fact he told us he did not trust us and we would do what he said or he would have us court martialed. Not even a week and the asshole went to intel for a platoon mission. He had no respect for the enemy or what they could do. In his eyes they were cowards and would run when they saw us.

Everyone was grumbling and I heard more than one say they would let the enemy kill the lieutenant. Some even hinted at tossing him a grenade. He tried to get me to have my squad leave the grenade launchers but each team had two assigned per troop requirement lists. Next was the new tri barrel miniguns but the company commander had them listed as team equipment.

To bad the other squad leaders did not stand up to the asshole. Our mission was to a clearing five kilometers south of a suspected enemy supported village. The Chargers sped over the trees and dropped into the clearing and I yelled as ours slowed and flared, "go!"

I went out the left side and we moved away several steps and knelt and faced out. The Chargers leaped into the air and sped away and I came to my feet. The lieutenant stood and started walking towards the north, "fall in!"

I growled and shook my head as the platoon fell into a single column and went after him. I had a very bad feeling and glanced back at lance corporal Marks, "if we hit the enemy your team goes left and bravo goes right."

He nodded and passed it back. Even from where we were the sound of the lieutenant cursing could be heard. We were probably halfway to the village when the enemy hit us. The platoon was mostly seasoned combat soldiers and we reacted. I gestured and alpha team moved up online on the left as bravo moved right.

We were in a thinner area with few bushes and could see the rest of the platoon. Weapons were malfunctioning and men were going down. The lieutenant froze and then threw down his rifle and turned to run while dropping his pack. He went right passed me and back the way we had come.

I had my rifle up and fired into the enemy and kept having to clear it when it jammed. Staff sergeant McBee had been in front of me and cursed the lieutenant before yelling, "second platoon fall back!"

He looked at me, "cover."

Men were trying to rush back and still pull wounded or dead. I saw more enemy moving in from the right front, "gunners watch the right front! Riflemen use grenades!"

The miniguns opened up and grenades were exploding forward and to the sides. I moved forward to grab two men and yanked them up and pushed them back to another soldier. I went after two more that were down and before I could do anything a mass of enemy rushed out and into what was left of first squad.

Second and third had pulled back through mine and my rifle jammed. I snapped the butt of my rifle into one of the enemy as they crashed into me. I went down and let my rifle go to grab my bayonet. I shoved it into one man and ripped it out to slice across the throat of another. Only they were all over me and caught my arms and I could hear more firing.

I struggled and fought but several of the bastards struck me and I was yanked onto my stomach. I was tied, stripped of weapons and dragged back into the jungle. I struggled and got kicked in the ribs for it. Finally I was pulled to my feet and a cord was put around my neck. I saw corporal Higgins and private Peeve from first squad getting the same treatment.

They were tied like me and my captor pulled on the cord and I staggered as it choked me. The bastard pulled me after him and two guards fell in. At the village we were crowded into a wooden cage on the back of a hover truck. The enemy jumped on and the vehicle left as a blanket was thrown over the cage.

I was on my knees and shifted as I tried to free my wrists behind my back. Several hours later and the vehicle stopped and the blanket was yanked off. The cage was pulled out and dropped. We were in a large camp beside a river. From the position of the sun we were on the north side of the river. The cage was opened and we were pulled out.

We were yanked up and enemy soldiers used limbs to beat us. The cord was cut and we were retied to a frame outside a command tent. Enemy officers came out and looked at us and a colonel gestured, "cut their clothes off."

They were not careful and I was cut more than once. Next was questions and if we did not answer and even if we did they burned, cut or hit us. They took turns and kept it up all day. It was late afternoon when three wooden cages were brought. They were short and slim so we could not stand in them.

There were even bars in the bottom and we were shoved into them. They were not tall enough and I was bent and did not fit. I had to straddle a center bar and my head stuck out between two on the top. My wrists were tied behind my back again and we were shoved towards the road.

A short enemy lieutenant was in charge with one soldier for each cage and two more that were on the flank. When an enemy convoy came down the road we were shoved off and onto a narrow trail beside the road. The bastard lieutenant cut a switch and every dozen steps he used it on one of us.

We were going north and I knew our only chance was to escape now. I twisted and struggled with the cord around my wrist. My wrists were bloody and in pain and after an hour they stopped. I felt the cord slip and my wrists came free. I held them together and gritted my teeth and looked at the lieutenant, "I am not walking anymore asshole."

He grinned and lashed out and whipped me and I stiffened, "fuck you bastard. You are a short fuck only good for cleaning your commander's boots."

He glared at me and then pulled his pistol, "fine. If you do not want to walk you can die right here."

He lifted the weapon and I looked back and he shook his head and gestured to my guard, "pull him out. He will die on his knees like scum."

The two soldiers on the flank were out towards the road and the other two guards were by the other two cages. My guard cut the cord holding the rear wall of my cage and yanked me back. I bent and stepped and then turned and lunged. I yanked and my wrists were free and I caught the bastard's hand with the pistol.

I spun and pulled and slugged him in the throat. I tore the pistol free and twisted as I dove to the side. I fired into my guard as he tried to pull his rifle off his shoulder. I rolled, aimed and shot each of the other two in the chest. I shifted and aimed as the two flankers ran back and shot each one in the chest.

I came to my knees and looked at the gagging lieutenant and stood and stepped and brought a heel down on his temple. I went to check each man and made sure they were dead and then pulled a knife from one guard and cut Higgins and Peeve loose. I returned to the officer and took his belt and changed the magazine in the pistol.

It was a small nine millimeter short. Probably because the bastard could not use anything bigger. I went to the one that had been my guard and took his pants and boots. I also took his combat vest and rifle. I checked the rifle and put the pistol into the holster, "grab pants and boots. We need to get out of here."

I was as sore and in pain as they were but we could not rest. A couple of minutes and they had combat vests and rifles and we were following the road back the way we came. I was thinking ahead, there was a bridge over the river and it would be guarded. If I created a distraction in the camp it would draw the guards and Higgins and Peeve could cross.