this has been the start of a story ive had in my head a while. i wanted to post it here to get critiqued and maybe even go further with it if its enjoyed.

No Title

“Target acquired. 1500 meters out.” Ken piped up after almost an hour of dead silence.

“I got him. He’s heading this way, and cut that meter shit out I’m an American.” I replied

“I think he took the bait, he’s full sprint now. Should close the distance pretty quick. When are you gonna take the shot.”

Looking at the range markers I realized I didn’t want to waste the shot and risk this bastard getting away. Ive waited too long. Ive put too much blood sweat and tears into getting to this point and I was not going to shoot him outside a comfortable distance.

“I’ll take him at 500.”

“Don’t be such a pussy, you can get him at 900. Are you even sure he’ll get that close?” Ken prodded

“Look at him, he hears the screams, he’s curious. There is no way he wont come see this helpless victim laying there pleading for help. This fucker will come and he will die.” I snapped back a little harsher than I intended.

We lay there as the target presents itself at what we checked to be 675 yards. I started readying myself for the shot. The wind was dead calm. It was early, a cool crisp morning. I was wearing two layers to keep warm while laying here and I was still fighting a chill. It would be winter soon, time to prepare the ATVs for storage and get the snowmobiles ready once I finally got home. Home seemed so far away at the moment. I always hated the trips back because the anticipation was a killer when all you wanted was for the trip to be over.  At least the truck would be warm.

I shake off the distraction and keep the crosshairs on my target as Ken starts calling out ranges. I exhale and start squeezing the trigger. Immediately after hearing the rifle crack I relax and focus on my target. He was still moving slightly when I found him. After getting hit he dropped and scurried off into a bush that must have appeared to be good cover in his last shocked adrenaline filled moments. I kept my scope trained on him. There was no need for a follow up shot he was in his death throes and would stop moving soon. I turn my focus to the screamer that drew my target in, and silenced it.

After about twenty minutes we figured it would be safe to go retrieve the body. As we got up we were surprised to get rushed from behind. Ken turned first and realized it was one of the targets buddies come to see what happened and silently got the drop on us. Ken raised his AR as I heard him yell and watch him drop prone. Three shots rang out all hitting the poor bastard as he dropped mid sprint and didn’t move again.

“Did you yell contact before you dropped and shot him?” I laughed hysterically as I got up from the ground.

“Fuck you, force of habit. You spend some time in a combat zone and tell me some stuff doesn’t get engrained in your head.”

I chuckled as I tell him it was ok, and I just thought it was funny.  I realized Ken has been having trouble since he got back from this last trip from Afghanistan but if I went easy on him he would have been even more pissed at me than he was for me making fun of him.

“Well why don’t you grab the dog you turned into a fucking pile of mush and ill go grab the one I killed.” I said as I hopped on to the ATV

I think I saw a one finger salute as I drove past Ken over to the electronic rabbit first and then the coyote laying in the bush. This has been a much needed trip I think to myself as I drag him out and on to the back of the Polaris ATV. Ive been working so many extra hours lately that I just needed to get away. A week of hunting and trapping with the guys was just what the doctor ordered.  I reach Ken who had put what was left of his attacker on his ATV and was waiting there.

“you ready?” I asked

“yea. Lets head back to camp.”

Well, I think it has potential!  Give us more!

This could go so many different ways. Please continue.

Yes , please, so that we may garner more.

I like! Please go on...

Got more to post tomorrow night. Been too busy working two jobs to post earlier. The good thing is the extra work gives me time to clarify things in my head before getting written down

On the way back to camp I couldn’t help but think about how messed up Ken was when he came back this time. He dealt pretty well on his first few deployments but this last one something had to have happened. This was the only time I wasn’t over there with him so I didn’t get the story first hand and I didn’t want to ask if it bothered him that much. He was right though, even though I spent some time over there I wasn’t in actual combat. I went over as a civilian contractor working on Blackhawks. Ken was an Air Force para rescue man. It was nothing but pure coincidence that our deployments lined up almost exactly and that we were both at Kandahar.

Suddenly I snap back to, realizing Ken had been trying to get my attention over the helmet headset.

“TOM!!”

“Yea?”

“Jesus Christ. What the fuck are you doing? I’ve been trying to get you back from lala land for the past five minutes.”

“Just fantasizing about your sister. What’s your fucking issue?” I replied.

“Fuck off. You see the smoke down there in the valley?”

“Yea.” I thought for a minute. “I don’t even know how anyone got out there. There isn’t even any trails going out to where it’s coming from.”

“That’s what I was thinking. No trails nearby either. And they would have passed the cabin if they went on ATVs and hiked out.” Ken stopped his quad and I parked parallel to him. “If we don’t see any ATVs hidden off the trail I want to go check it out.”

“Agreed. No one should be here and they definitely shouldn’t be having a fire when it’s so dry out.” I scanned up ahead real quick and added. “Fucking yuppies”

Ken and I started up and rode the rest of the way back while scanning the sides of the trail. We didn’t see anything by the time we rounded the corner to the cabin. At the cabin we were met by Steve sitting on the front porch looking out to the valley where the smoke was coming from.

“You guys see what’s causing the smoke?” Steve asked

“No, we were gonna see if you wanted to go check it out later on after it gets dark.” Ken answered

Steve loved operating after dark. He was Army infantry and was the one responsible for whipping my ass in to shape when I met him in Kandahar. We hit it off instantly when the first time we met he nicknamed me ‘cover’ when asked why he said if we had to go on a recovery outside the wire and I got sent along he was going to use me for cover. After that we began hitting the gym together and became good friends.

Steve was also the one responsible for getting Ken and I to start prepping. As soon as I got back from my first deployment I used the money I earned to pay off my house and truck and pick up the land for the cabin, none of which were lavish but they did what they needed and they were mine. As far as guns I was already well equipped. I loved shooting since I was a kid and had amassed a pretty big collection. Once I was able to afford bigger and better things I began building military rifle clones. The guns weren’t the only part of the prepping but they were the glamourous sexy part that everyone thought of. Realistically we stockpiled a little bit of everything so we actually had something to protect with those guns.

“I got breakfast in the oven, eat up and we’ll start planning the mission.” Steve said

“Yes sir” I sarcastically replied as I turned back from the smoke, letting hunger take over.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

Don't keep us waiting to long

I take it no more chapters

There's more coming. Just slow. Hadn't really gotten everything down when i posted the first part but I'm working on it harder now.