Jacqueline Druga - Then Came War

Her reason for being on the roof was to be a lookout and in a sniper position should the enemy arrive. Lana forgot that duty as she visually searched for her husband and the incoming forces took her by surprise.

Binoculars scanning, looking for faces, she turned and caught a single enemy soldier in her sight.

“Just one?” she thought. She moved her binoculars a little more and let out a huge breath as she tried to access the situation so she could convey it accurately.

Behind her she saw the incoming hostile soldiers making their way forward. In front of her, she saw the United States forces were too consumed with evacuating people to see what was about to arrive.

She lifted the radio. “This is Scout 3, anyone. Is anyone there?”

“Go on.”

“We have hostiles, an entire brigade, too many to count. Trucks, tanks, all armed in battle gear are heading south. They’re hitting the gas station now.”

She received a confirmation, and then looked again at the enemy. Suddenly, their steady slower pace increased and they charged forward.

They had spotted the United States forces and town’s people.

She hurriedly switched views back to the town’s people and it was evident word had reached them. The soldiers stopped putting people in the trucks and instead, those who had not been loaded in were being ushered back into the school.

The first shot was fired. Lana took her position to shoot.

The truck by The Tap full and as a final person jumped in, it pulled out. As it did, she saw Ben and sighed with relief. He had been helping get people on that truck and she just hadn’t seen him.

But there he was out in the open and then…. Ben was shot.

He took a hit to the chest and stumbled some before taking another hit.

Lana screamed.

Sniper position be damned, she thought. She hurriedly shouldered her weapon, raced to the edge of the roof to the ladder and climbed down.

“Get down. Get inside!” someone shouted.

Lana heard that and the shots that followed. Not a second into her feet hitting the sidewalk, she heard a shot sing by her head.

“Get down. Get down!”

Screw that, she thought, she wasn’t listening to them. She had a block to go to get to Ben.

Screaming inside, “Oh, God. Oh, God, don’t let him be dead,“ Lana ran as fast as she could to cover the short distance.

When she arrived a soldier was dragging Ben inside The Tap and Lana followed.

The soldier moved quickly, laying Ben on the floor and ripping open a field bandage and pressing it to his chest.

Lana didn’t even get to call out his name. The soldier told her as soon as she entered The Tap , “Hold this tight.”

He referred to the bandage on the chest.

Quickly, Lana knelt down next to Ben, her hand compressing the bandage to his wound.

There was blood on the floor all around Ben.

The soldier secured another field dressing to Ben’s leg and then stood. “Stay put. Stay here. Keep pressure on that.”

Lana nodded.

The soldier rushed to the door, the bright sunlight absorbed the soldier as he disappeared into the mayhem outside.

“Ben,” Lana wept his name. “Please.”

He opened his eyes and groaned. It wasn’t a groan of pain, more one of defeat. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“This can’t be good,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Another sob and Lana lifted his head onto her lap. “It’ll be okay, it really will. You’re just in shock, that’s why it doesn’t hurt. Someone will be back to help. I promise.”

“I’m not holding my breath,” he said.

“Why didn’t you go to Canada?” Lana asked. “Why?”

“Because I wouldn’t be here with you, right now,” he said.

Lana held him tighter.

His eyes shifted to look at her. His eyes were red and his face had grown pale. “You know, if I had gone, I would have never known that you were a closet Sarah Palin.”

Lana laughed and cried at the same time. “Now is not the time for jokes.”

“No, now is the perfect time for jokes,” he coughed. “We stopped joking the last couple of years. We stopped talking, too.”

“And I need you to stop talking now. Save your strength.”

Ben shook his head. “I know how bad I was shot. It’s okay. Because this moment, right now, makes it okay.”

Lana lowered her head to meet his.

“I need you to leave me,” Ben said. “Go below. Leave me.”

“No.” Lana shook her head. “I’m not leaving you. I am right here.”

“Listen to it out there. It’s war. It’s a nightmare. Listen to it.”

“I hear it,” Lana said, pausing as the pockets of thunderous explosions rang out. “And it doesn’t matter. I love you.”

It was at that second, on hearing her words that Ben sobbed. His hand reached up to her face and his fingers ran down her cheek leaving a bloody trail. He tried his best to keep his hand on her, but couldn’t. “I have loved you since the moment I met you. I have no regrets about our life. None.”

“Me either.” Lana sniffled. “And it’s not over. Our life is not over. Someone will come. Someone will come in here and…”

The door opened and the sunlight burst though.

“See,” Lana said of the shadowy figure. “See, someone is here to help.”

It was soldier and he walked in. But he wasn’t there to help, he was aiming at them.

Lana breathed out heavily. “Oh, God.”

“What?” Ben asked.

The soldier shouted something in a language she didn’t understand.

Quickly Lana reached for her weapon, but it was awkward since it was behind her and Ben’s head rested on her lap. “Don’t shoot,” she pleaded and then saw his face.

He was just a boy, no older than nineteen.

“My husband is hurt.” Lana’s free arm reached around and she felt the rifle.

But Lana never got a chance to bring her weapon forward or to engage the chamber.

The soldier fired. More than he needed to. He fired a rapid spray that was aimless and wayward, sending bullets into the floor, then into Ben and finally ripping into Lana.

She peered down, then lifted her eyes and looked at the soldier. Then Lana fell forward onto Ben.

Harry had made it to the top of the stairs, pushing his way through and into the hall of the school.

He was beyond frantic. He hoped above all hope that Tyler was grabbed by a Marine, but he didn’t see him. And when he was told to get back into the school, Harry took another way out.

He had to find Tyler.

The bus that was loading people was still in the back of the school and Harry slipped by it, calling out, “Tyler! Tyler!”

But was he heard over the gunfire?

It was all too reminiscent to Harry, memories of street wars that he had seen in his life. He was in the back of the school and he could only hear the battle. Thus far, it hadn’t reached there and Harry felt safe to keep calling for Tyler.

Tyler said he had to get the box and the only place it could be was George’s house. He had brought it home the night before from the library.

George’s house was close, just a short walk or run.

He ran from the school, taking the long way around to avoid town. Harry was certain that when he found Tyler, he’d have to hide with the boy. It was far too dangerous to go into town.

“Tyler!” Harry yelled. It was getting tough. His legs were tiring and he was getting winded.

But he got to George’s street and his calls were more easily heard. “Tyler! Harry had to slow down. He limped some, catching his breath as he neared George’s house. “Tyler!” On George’s lawn he bent over to stabilize his rapid breathing, rest just a few seconds and then go into the house.