Siblings and Lovers Ch. 03

"I know how much you will miss me and believe me, I will miss you even more, but I have made my decision. I have to go."

After a lot of cajoling and comforting, she finally let go of him and he was on his way.

The physical training was intense, and his drill sergeant was unusually cruel. There were times when he thought he should return, but those haunting images flashed before his eyes, keeping him there. They trained in impossible terrain and endured many hardships. It was all for a greater cause.

Then finally the day came, his squadron was sent to Kabul. From there, they would go to Bagram Air Base and get their assignments. The trip was difficult, but a few days later they were finally there. It was the start of the war and the battle was intense. Every day the militants would rain down RPGs and improvised crude bombs. The main supply route was also frequently under attack. Kyle was in one of the squadrons assigned to protect the convoys.

The days seemed like hell, but the nights were even worse. The biting cold, coupled with the constant sound of shelling, meant no sleep for him. But he felt good. Finally those visions of falling buildings had ceased. Over the first two and a half months, the army destroyed the closest militant hideouts. Things stabilized around the base, which became a launching pad for further assaults deeper into Taliban territory.

As the dust settled, Kyle settled into his new life too. He began to enjoy putting himself out there and fighting for his country. Deep down, he knew that he was fighting for himself. He was reclaiming his life. That day at the subway station, his mental state almost killed him, and now it had metamorphosed him into something else entirely.

The only blemish was that he had been completely out of touch with Dana. Given the remote and dangerous location, there was no means of personal communication. Then one day, he received a call from his commanding officer.

"You have a visitor. She is waiting for you in the main building."

Visitor? She? He instinctively knew who it was. He tried to work out how she got here as he walked into the main building. In the main lobby, wearing a smart suit and trousers was his sister. She spotted him and ran over to hug him tightly. He felt the familiar feeling of warmth wash over him as they held each other for the first time in months.

"How have you been? There was no news from the front. I was worried sick."

"I am fine. Never mind that, what are you doing here? It's a war zone."

"I know. The firm I work for is consulting with Blackwater, those overpaid private military contractors who are fighting with you. They wanted one of us to go the heart of the battle and do a financial assessment. Basically an estimate of how much money they need to put into the war effort. As you can guess, not many suits were willing to go down to Ground Zero, but I jumped at the chance. Now I can finally see you again. I will be here for a few weeks at least. We can spend some time together."

Kyle listened spellbound. She had risked life and limb to come here and visit him. A gruff voice broke the silence. It was his commanding officer.

"So now that you have met our auditor, it's your responsibility to show her around so that she can get on with her inspections. Take a car from the motor pool."

Smiling from ear to ear, Kyle escorted Dana to the vehicle lot and pulled out a Humvee. She got into the passenger seat and he took her on a tour of the base first. He showed her the airstrip, the control tower, the barracks and the other buildings as she took notes.

"Thanks, this should be enough to get started," she said with a smile at the end of the tour.

"It's a shame that we have war here. This place is actually quite beautiful. The mountains are scenic and the ravines are spellbinding as well."

"Really? Why don't you show some of these places?"

Wordlessly, Kyle drove the Humvee out of the gate. He drove along the winding mountain road as they passed gorges and valleys. The scenery was breathtaking. She looked about with childlike wonder in her eyes. Finally, the vehicle reached a viewpoint. They got out and marvelled at the rocky valley. They got back inside after a while and started heading for the base.

Unable to restrain herself any longer, she leaned over and kissed Kyle on the lips. He stopped driving to return that kiss. Their tongues moved in unison. She withdrew her tongue to say something, but was cut short by an explosion behind them.

It was a remnant group of militia. They had taken cover behind the mountain ridge and were firing RPGs at them.

Galvanized into action, Kyle drove as fast as he could. He zigzagged to avoid getting hit. The blasts kept coming, some to the right of the car, some to the left. They were still a few miles from the base. The shooter had a clear view from his vantage point as he kept firing.

After some time, the frequency of blasts reduced. They were slowly going out of range. Then an RPG slammed into the back of the Humvee. Thankfully, neither of them was wearing a seatbelt and they were both thrown clear of the wreckage.

Dana lay face down on the road. She had numerous injuries all over her body. Her limbs were in excruciating pain. Using all her strength, she lifted her head to see Kyle sprawled unconscious just a few feet away from her. The only thought that came to her mind was that they would die in this godforsaken place, far away from home.

Slowly, Kyle stirred. He opened his eyes and looked at her, smiling with relief. His expression abruptly changed to one of horror as he looked further down the road. He began crawling on his stomach towards her, his eyes fixed on an object further down the road.

Dana turned her head to see a small, shiny object by the side of the road, several feet to her right. She recoiled in horror as she realized it was a rocket which hadn't exploded. It was just lying there, like a time-bomb which could go off at any second. Kyle clambered on top of her and blocked her view of the bomb, using his body to shield her against the imminent explosion.

She couldn't see anything, but realized what was happening and tried to push him off. Then she heard the blast. The ground under her shook momentarily as the shockwave hit them. The force of it caused Kyle's limp body to roll off her.

Immediately, Dana got on her hands and knees and saw him lying flat against the dusty road. There was shrapnel embedded in his limbs as well as his back. Barely conscious, he motioned her to use his walky-talky to contact the base.

That was when he passed out.

*

For all those who go far away from home to fight our wars, because we can't.