The Ambassador

As the flames and smoke rose around me, I could hear the explosives getting louder and growing closer. As I look down at my rife and tattered uniform, I fear the end is near. My battle buddy Brian and I separated from each other. I haven't see him in seventy-three minutes. Until my first deployment I didn't know an entire town could be destroyed with that time period, but now it's second nature. We have already lost twelve men out of our unit in the last two months. These two months have been nothing but hell. I don't know how I've survived. Brian has been my best friend all my life, we went to school together, enlisted at eighteen and fought next to each other these last four years. Hearing the last bomb go off half a mile from me, brought me back to reality. I needed to get to the dunes out where Sergeant Taylor ordered to meet after the ambush. The town is destroyed, hundreds of Israelis dead and nothing but smoke and bullets in the air. I can't leave without Brian, I won't leave my best friend behind. As the smoke starts to clear, I can see a body....It's Brain! He's been hit! I make it to him and see there is blood on his hip, he's a alive and opens his eyes and just barely recognizes me. I need to get him to the dunes. I lift him over my shoulders and start heading to the dunes away from the chaos. God, he's heavy. We are halfway there when I hear another explosion.  I feel myself falling, damn my whole body aches. Brian got thrown a foot away from me. I can’t feel my legs, I hurt so bad. I slowly get myself up and limp over to Brain.

“hmmm”

“Brain, I got you man. We’re almost to the dunes.”

I get both of us up and start back on the dunes, the last half mile feels like eternity as I hear screams and explosions in the distance. We make it to the dunes and I have to get Brian some help his time is running out. I feel myself getting more and more tired. I just need to close my eyes just for a minute.