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Long Time Gone Part 5
Posted By: grylsy<grylsy@hotmail.com>
Date: 21 November 2003, 6:15 AM


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Long Time Gone Part 5: Unexpected Party


Chris walked slowly towards Alison dodging several locals as they drunk cheap 'hooch' and sang into the night, as soon as he made it to Alison, he noticed that her 'friends' who looked like a pack of 'bimbos' to him were looking at him and whispering. One of the girls whispered something into Alison's ear, Alison face changed from a smile to shock 'playfully' slapping her friend. Obviously something about me thought Chris. "Come, sit down," insisted Alison's voice, her voice was like a choir spreading cheer in their peaceful voices. "Sure" came Chris' reply sitting down in the nearest seat to Alison.

From the other side of the room from Chambers' point of view, it all seem like some weird T.V show, Miller came over, drunk as usual. "What's the ladies' man doing over there?" insisted Millar taking a long drink from his half empty mug, "he's trying to get Alison to marry him!" came Chambers' sarcastic voice, "what the fuck do you think he's doing! He's talking to Alison." Miller just eyed Chambers suspiciously and took another swig, slamming his now empty mug on the bar, "bar keep! Another beer if you wouldn't mind" the bar tender didn't, he brought Miller a fresh beer.

Miller left the bar without another word walking, well more of less stumbling towards McAllen and Parker, soldiers around the room started to notice Miller walking, well it was pretty hard he was tripping over everything on the floor, even an empty cigarette packet! Alison looked up from Chris and saw Miller walking towards her and Chris, she turned her gaze to Chambers who as looking at back at her she mouthed the words 'what the fuck?' towards Chambers, he shrugged his shoulders and returned to talking to an old friend. "Don't look now but the comedian is coming over," said Alison hiding her face from Miller with a hand, Chris looked behind him and saw the problem, Miller kept coming towards them until he was standing behind Chris.

Chris turned again and said "well hello Frank, what you up to?" Miller replied, "uh, nothing just wondering if one of your lady friends," he stopped looking at Alison's 'friends', he continued "could show a soldier a good night out," before Chris could reply one of the women stood up wrap her arm around Miller and whispers some words in his ears. Miller smiled, "ok" he said interloping his arm with the women and they were off. Alison was the first too speak "well that went better than planned", Chris nodded, not bothering to talk.

Alison and Chris chatted the night away, even though they had 3 day passes Alison was planning to go shopping with her friends, so, thought Chris, this is my only chance to tell her, Chris took a deep breath and was about to talk when Alison just stood up, the light reflecting off her hair, Chris bit his lip, a face many people saw when he was nervous. "What are you doing?" he asked, "just follow me" came her reply. Chris followed Alison outside the bar; the street was deserted except for the odd drunk wandering around for money to by more alcohol. "So" Chris broke the silence, "So?" came Alison's reply riddled with curiosity, "I've seen how you look at me, and well Chambers told me before we went in the ba.." Chris' face blushed instantly, "he told you?" asked Chris. "Yeah he did, and well the point is I like you but just not in THAT way, you understand don't you?" Chris' face went blank of emotions, hmm shot down again, and didn't even get to take off... Chris shook out of it, "oh, well couldn't hurt to ask, I suppose you'll say 'we can still be friends?'" Alison face showed it all, it was what she was going to say, "How did you know?" she asked looking at her feet, "just a feeling, it always ends like this, let's be friends and stay in touch, but by next week your already found someone new and forgotten about your old 'friend' and the cycle starts again." Chris tried to look her in the eyes when he said this, but she was looking at her feet and was scraping her shows on the pavement. Alison raised her head, "sorry if this hurt you, but you're just not the type of man I'm looking for," man? Thought Chris, know one had ever called him a 'man' only his mother, but that's how mothers are.

Chris put out a hand of forgiveness, Alison stretched out her hand, they met and shook hands firmly, the way life longs friends would do, "Well I guess this is good bye then, I'll catch you later," Alison's head filled with thought, good bye? But we'll see each other back at base, won't we? Alison was just about to say what see thought, but Chris gave her that knowing look, so she kept quiet, "no, Alison, we won't good bye." Chris turned his back and walked back into the bar, he was waiting for the inevitable reply, but it never came. Alison just stood there, not bothering to reply as Chris' frame disappeared inside the bar, she was just about to go into the bar to say good bye, but decided against it, she started walking up the street, towards the local inn, she needed to sleep.

Chris sat back down next to Chambers, "so? Came Chambers voice, Chris made the vesture of a aeroplane crashing along with sound affects, "that bad heh?" Chris reply came quick and swift, "yep, crash and burned," "Pity, Alison was a real looker," said Cambers finishing off yet another beer. "Don't you think you've had enough Chambers? We got a 3 day pass and you're going to spend the rest of it in front of a toilet with a hang over." Chambers looked up, "yeah, your probably right, McAllen, let's go find somewhere to sleep, I don't intend of being thrown in the brig for public drunkenness!" Chris nodded; nothing was worse then loosing your Leave Pass for being thrown in the brig by MPs (Military Police).

Chambers and McAllen stood up and left the bar, Chambers was singing softly, Chris just lifted a invisible hat to on lookers as he steered his friend to the nearest inn, they checked in and got a room with 2 beds, as soon as they made it into the room they collapsed on their beds, and slept softly into the night.

***

For Jeremy Winton, sentry duty was pretty tame, no one ever came through the southern entrance to the city, and only thing that way was miles and miles of jungle fauna. Jeremy was leaning over the guard post's 7.62mm Light Machine Gun, staring into the night, Jeremy usually wasn't so bored, he would have had a guard mate, but nearly everyone was on leave, only essential personal were at their posts. Jeremy couldn't complain he had got the last leave when his guard mate got to guard the quietest road in the country. But if he had a guard mate tonight he might have spotted the man stalking up behind him with his FAIRBURN assault knife drawn for an easy kill, for Jeremy it was quick and god how painful, he hit the ground spluttering blood squirting all over the guard post walls.

When the job was done, the assaulter waved at, what appeared to the normal eye a bunch of trees, but it was in fact a large group of Rebels preparing for one last offensive, if they didn't get the Country this time, they would destroy as much of it as possible.

***

Alison opened her eyes, looked at the clock, 3 am, she had only been asleep for 3 hours, so tired thought Alison pulling some more blanket over her, she opened her eyes again, looking at the clock again, then shifting her gaze towards the USP custom lying next to it. She found herself thinking about Chris again, maybe I should give him a chance, besides if it doesn't work out I'll be on Reach and he'll probably be on Earth still. Under the pistol was yesterdays mail, she had kept it in her pocket, she sighed, going to Earths pride and joy, a isolated Colony know as Reach. Strange name thought Alison.

Suddenly Alison jumped out of bed as she heard the unmistakeable sound of gun fire, her training took over, she grabbed the pistol and paper, she slid the slide of the pistol back, it snapped forward but then rapidly back "shit, no bullets!" screamed Alison placing the empty pistol under her shirt, she looked out the window, the gunfire was louder now. Alison saw men, women and children running away from un seen enemies, Alison ran out side, trying to ask the locals what was happening but they were to hysterical to get an answer from.

Chris heard the gunfire too, Chambers didn't he was sound asleep, Chris jumped out of his bed, rushing over to Chambers shaking him violently. "Wake up! Someone's attacking us!" Chambers open his eyes groggily, "what the fuck? No, its just exercises McAllen now go back t..." *PING* came the ricocheting sound as a bullet came flying threw the windows, sending smashed glass all over the room, with that the sleep snapped away from Chambers and he was up and about. Chambers dived behind the bed taking Chris with his, luckily he did this as a more well aimed burst of gun fire erupted and crashed through the window. The bullets missed, they both breathed a sigh of release, suddenly a slight howling sound could be heard, "he do you hear that McAllen?" Asked Chambers looking up at the roof as if he had X-Ray vision. "FUCK!" Came Chris response grabbing Chambers by the collar and throwing him out the window, Chris followed suit, jumping without a seconds hesitation. Chris landed on his feet, Chambers didn't Chris kept running picking, well dragging Chambers by the collar away from the hotel room. Not a second too soon as it was hit by a mortar bomb and exploded in toothpicks.

***

Alison heard it before she knew what it was, a mortar bomb, she checked the window before jumping out, she couldn't see anyone but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone around, thanks to this damn darkness you couldn't see twenty metres in front of you, let alone see someone else. But she it was either that or face the mortar, she jumped through the window, and ran towards the other side of the street, she took it all in, she did have enough time to go through the door, but oh well. Then Alison noticed someone jump, no, hurled through the window of the room next to hers, it looked like no it couldn't be, it was Chambers! Then following Chambers came someone else, it was Chris! Chris dragged Chambers to the other side of the street. Then the bomb hit, pure devastation wood went everywhere. Alison stood up and was just about to yell to Chris and Michael when something hard hit her over the head.

Chris looked up from the explosion, he had mud all other his 'civvie' clothes, Michael was no better, and he was actually covered in more mud than Chris. Chris drew his empty pistol and told Chambers to wait here until he came back.

Chris walked slowly and silently up the street, his empty pistol held out in front of his, Special-Forces style, hands held firmly with one hand making a cup shape under the one holding the fire arm. Even though it was empty it would be better to look armed instead of defenceless. Chris walked passed the alley where Alison had been sitting well Chris didn't know that, he kept walking until he heard a slight shifting sound, clothing against asphalt. Chris froze he looked back and then he saw it, a Rebel leaning over an unconscious women and he was undoing his belt, the women's knickers were already pulled down to her ankles and her skirt had been lifted up, he's going to rape her! Thought Chris not know who it was Chris was about to pounce when he notice the rebel was holding a FAIRBURN knife and it was resting lightly on the women's throat, this changed everything, if Chris tried to grabbed the rebel he might kill the women, but then Chris' mind filled with crazy ideas, it's just a girl and so what? It will be one less Rebel as well, so no loss, no gain. Chris surprisingly agreed with this new side of him, he walked up behind the rebel whop had now got his 'thing' out and was getting 'it' ready, Chris then saw the women's face, it was Alison, she had a slight head injury which was leaking blood over her face, Chris then filled with a absolute rage he just charge the Rebel grabbed his knife hand and whilst keeping up the momentum swung in underarmed into the Rebels rib cage, but he wasn't dead, Chris freed the knife, grabbed the Rebel in a strangle hold turned away from Alison and slit the man's throat from ear to ear. Blood sprinkler sprayed the surrounding walls of the alley, the man dropped to his knees, looking up at the sky, he could see his own blood, his life, draining from him. Chris savoured the moment, for some reason the blood seemed to calm him, it covered his clothes and hands but only a few droplets hit his head. Then he remember what the man was going to do so Chris gave him one last violent kick in the back, the body went flying into the main street.

Chambers saw the corpse, blood all over the place, but he couldn't make out who it was, but it defiantly was a man, oh shit I fucking hope it ain't Chris, Chambers stood up, and moved slowly up to the corpse, it wasn't Chris, a sigh of relief hit Chambers like a cool breeze. Chris pulled Alison knickers back up and put he dress down, no good telling her what might of happened, he tried to rouse her with a few childish slaps to each check, nothing happened. Chris looked next to her, the dead Rebels MP .357 SMG sat next to Alison, Chris took it, sliding the safety catch off and knocking the bolt backwards, loading the 1st round into the chamber. He put the weapon over his should with its sling, and picked Alison up, he held her in his arms like a husband carries his new wife after a wedding across the threshold. Chris walked slowly outside the alley, he saw someone kneeling next to the dead Rebel, then suddenly the figure saw them and stood up brandishing a pistol, and the Rebels webbing which held the magazine for the SMG slung over Chris' shoulder. "Chris!" came the voice, it was Chambers, "hey Chambers," came Chris' reply, "Chambers u take the MP and gives us that guy's pea shooter." Chris passed the MP over and took the pistol with its spare clips; the pistol looked new somehow, yet old. It was an old 9mm pistol, Chris had never seen one before, but a weapon is a weapon!

Chris and Chambers started walking back to the base, they should meet up with their fellow soldiers before more Rebels come, then they heard it, the unmistakable clatter of tank tracks, but they both knew, the Coalition had no tanks in the area...


That's the end of that chapter...





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