Merciless

Even though she hadn’t been here every morning recently, she was around often enough. I couldn’t imagine Sophie not being here at all. Would I ever see her? Would she stop by to chat? Would she call me? Would she welcome me into her home? Or would the relationship end like every other working relationship I’d had? Where she’d become part of my past? Where she’d be gone like she’d never been there at all?

That thought sucked the air from my lungs. I’d already dealt with so much loss in my life. I couldn’t stand losing Sophie, too. But I couldn’t push her to stay. That would be awfully damn selfish.

“Mercy?” Mason yelled from the living room.

“Yeah. Coming.”

Apparently, this was our family bonding time: watching the boob tube together. I sat on the couch next to Mason, and we chuckled through an episode of The Simpsons. Then the Xbox came out, and father and son became embroiled in World of Warcraft.

Belly full, warmed by the booze, I allowed my eyes to drift shut. The sounds of Mason and Lex talking smack while doing battle faded into the background.

I stood on a hillside in the last dark moments of night before dawn teased the horizon. I wore combat fatigues. An M60 strapped over my shoulder. On patrol, on the prowl, but where was my partner? We weren’t allowed to go over the fence alone.

My feet wanted to pace, but I remained still. Watchful. I inhaled and got a nose full of the putrid, raw-sewage stench of Iraq. I glanced down to see sand blowing across my boots. The wind whipping against me didn’t cool my body. How could it be so hot at night?

A hum of approaching vehicles reverberated in the distance, and I automatically lifted the rifle toward the sound.

There, at the top of the hill. Three Humvees. They clicked their headlights on, blinding me. I squinted, my eyes watering at the searing light. I held my hand up and noticed what those lights illuminated.

Bodies.

The first set of headlights shone on Arlette Shooting Star. I could hear her screaming for help. Before I could move toward her, a javelin sailed through the air and pinned her to the ground, piercing her heart.

The headlights above her went out.

The second set of headlights shone on Verline. She was on her knees begging for help. Before I could move toward her, a red slice appeared across her neck. She reached up to stop the flow of blood and with another slice across her wrist, her hand fell to the ground.

The headlights above her went out.

The third set of headlights shone on Levi. I wanted to run up the hill toward him, but I looked down to see my boots mired in sand. My ankles disappeared, then my calves, then my knees. I screamed, helpless, wanting to save Levi from what I knew was coming. I glanced up but it wasn’t Levi on the hillside, dead. It was Dawson.

Shot through the head. Eyes blank. His light just… gone.