The Insurgent (SFPF: Short Fiction Post Friday) (813 hits)
Category: GeneralLabels: fiction
Rating: 2 on 19 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Jack 11058 Hates Johnny (View user info) at 2006-04-14 12:29:51 EDT
Baking with the heat of the desert sun, a dervish sprung from the sand and spun its way through the outskirts of the town. It died a whimpering death in the shadow of what had once been a humble but happy home, the sand returning to the baked ground against one shattered wall.
Inside, the remains of the house smoldered. Red gouts of blood and gibbets of flesh that were once the family pet, a breedless but faithful mutt, were splattered against the refrigerator, which let out a slight tick as the last of the cool escaped it. A trail of blood slunk across the floor, leading to what once could have been a man. His left leg ended above the knee and a determined crimson trickle escaped through the half-cauterized femoral artery. His skin was crisped black, the only traces of its natural sun-browned hue visible impossibly on the backs of his hands.
He was scrabbling his way to his daughter's bedroom, but when he arrived there he would find God had been merciful indeed and allowed the artillery round to land square on the child's bed. His daughter, now nothing more than a settling red mist, never knew what was coming. Before the man died, he would find a small measure of peace in that fact, and also that she was now with her God.
In the middle of the street in front of the house, a platoon of the occupying enemy rested in the shade cast by their armored personnel carries. They were laughing, sharing water from their canteens, reloading their weapons. One soldier had a wound to his upper arm bandaged by a medic. It bled lightly, but he would live. Two canvas-wrapped corpses lay in the bay of one of the APCs, dirty combat boots showing at the end of the roll.
It had a brief and easy battle at the edge of town. After a quick barrage of machine gun fire downed the two forward scouts, and a quick retort from the soldier's rifles, the insurgents melted away into the town, leaving four of their own dead in the dust of the streets. The soldiers left them there, and counted the vultures wheeling lazily through the painfully blue sky.
The soldiers were waiting for the rest of the battalion to show, so they could finally pacify the small town that had been such a hotbed of insurgency. Down the road, dust rose from the wheels of a dozen APCs and the treads of six main battle tanks.
Near the town square, the commander of the local insurgent group waited on the roof of what had been the town's police station. He watched the main street with a pair of ancient, cracked binoculars. If this battle were like the dozen other he'd somehow managed to live through, the invaders (occupiers, if he was honest with himself) would drive right up the main road to the town square, blasting away with machine guns all the way, and firing their main guns of their tanks at any real or perceived threat.
He prayed fervently, mouthing the words of the ancient prayer silently, that the enemy would do so again. They would not be prepared for what awaited them. Every car parked on the streets in and around the town square was packed with explosives, mines, old rockets, nails, screws, ball bearings, anything that would explode or make a deadly hail of shrapnel. At the four corners of the square and in the towers of their place of worship, faithful warriors waited. They were armed with rocket launchers left over by the defeated military or stolen from the enemy. A hundred other men armed with rifles and machine guns similarly acquired waited in alleys and basements for his signal.
If all went according to God's plan, the APCs would disgorge their troops in the center of town as the tank platoon took up defensive positions. Ideally, the tank platoon would be disabled by rocket fire and the car bombs. Then, he would send in his loyal foot soldiers, his Holy Warriors, to cut down the enemy, hated and cursed by God may they ever be.
When he saw the dust cloud rising on the edge of town, the insurgent let the binoculars rest on his barrel chest. He dropped to his knees and took out the Holy Book. He read a couple of lines, and said a brief but fervent prayer to his God. He continued to kneel, holding the Book in his left hand. He brought the binoculars to his eyes as the invaders (occupiers) came into view about a half mile down Fry Boulevard, which housed what had in antebellum times been the main shopping district of Sierra Vista, Arizona.
A platoon of armor led the way. The Black Crescent Pan-Islamic flag flew proudly from the lead tank; underneath fluttered the blue battle pennant of the People's Islamic Republic of Indonesia. Speakers mounted on the side of the turret blared a tinny crackling call to prayer in Arabic. Further back down the line, he could see the maroon pennant of The Wahhabist Caliphate of Saudi Arabia flapping from the antenna of the lead APC.
Mindful of the angle of the sun and careful not to make the rookie mistake of sending a lens flash at the enemy, Steve Jenkins lay the binoculars on the cracked adobe tile of the roof. He clutched the Bible a little more tightly and kissed its worn leather cover before stuffing it into his shirt. If he was going to die, it would be with the words of his God next to his heart.
He slid down past the crown of the roof, so its front edge was between him and the enemy. He'd lived through four years of the insurgency and his instincts were sharp. He'd be able to tell by sound when the enemy was within the trap. He gripped the flare gun in a sweaty hand. It was loaded with a red flare, which would signal the detonation of the car bombs and the rocket attack. A green flare nestled in his front shirt pocket, ready to bring forth his loyal soldiers to, God willing, destroy the enemy foot troops.
The tanks ground to a halt. The invaders were within the trap.
Sounding an exultant battle prayer, Jenkins raised the flare gun and sent a small red sun into the sky.
User Reviews
Submitted by jack11058 (user info) at 2006-04-18 20:32:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
i can see your point, conor. i was indeed going for the ubiquitous american name. could have easily been smith, jones or rogers.
in my experience, the most common soldier name in movies and print is the everpresent Kowalski.
Submitted by ConorJS (user info) at 2006-04-18 20:16:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by jack11058 (user info) at 2006-04-16 10:54:59 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by ConorJS (user info) at 2006-04-16 00:13:05 (#)
Ranking: 2
+2, but naming him Jenkins almost cost you dearly.
No shit. It actually PISSED me off.
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i don't understand.
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It's just that Jenkins is the most stereotypical name for a US soldier ever. I had a little dialogue with Foolproof about this once...
Such a good short story, an interesting angle to think about things from, and you named him JENKINS!!!
eh, have another +2
Submitted by Doodles (user info) at 2006-04-18 20:01:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-04-15 23:30:13 (#)
Ranking: 2
I'd be interested in the aforesaid free-for-all contest. I'd need a map of the States, though, I've no idea where anything is there.
Good story.
Does this mean I have to start labelling all my posts Short Fiction Post [insert day here]?
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All right Stager here is your US geography course for the year. You have New England in the N/e coastal portion, going farther south you'll come across Washington D.C., our capital. Going father south you'll come across the south and the 'deep' south were you will find: me, ghola, good moonshine New Orleans, Cajun food, fried chicken, Atlanta, and Six Flags over Georgia (We have it all man, Australia ain't got shit on us). Now don't let anyone tell you different the south only extends from Kentucky on the northern border to Texas on the west it's bordered on the east by the Atlantic and Florida is not counted as being part of the south. Next you find the Midwest a big hunk of farming, and only farming, moving on. You then have the West Coast (consisting of California and Los Vegas everything else is Midwest). You will find Hollywood Los Vegas and porn film places on the West Coast. Well that about wraps it up for the United States of America; yeah I know we are the shit.
Submitted by nrduncan (user info) at 2006-04-17 13:18:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by jack11058 (user info) at 2006-04-16 10:54:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by ConorJS (user info) at 2006-04-16 00:13:05 (#)
Ranking: 2
+2, but naming him Jenkins almost cost you dearly.
No shit. It actually PISSED me off.
=-=-=-=
i don't understand.
Submitted by ConorJS (user info) at 2006-04-16 00:13:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2, but naming him Jenkins almost cost you dearly.
No shit. It actually PISSED me off.
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-04-15 23:30:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'd be interested in the aforesaid free-for-all contest. I'd need a map of the States, though, I've no idea where anything is there.
Good story.
Does this mean I have to start labelling all my posts Short Fiction Post [insert day here]?
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2006-04-15 11:49:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by omnifica (user info) at 2006-04-15 10:49:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
oh sookie tawdre
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-04-15 09:50:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff as usual.
-Dave
Submitted by r0fl (user info) at 2006-04-14 19:20:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Raises hand: "Oooh, oooh, me too."
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Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2006-04-14 17:53:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2006-04-14 14:45:35 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Jack_McCallum (user info) at 2006-04-14 13:58:07 (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff here.
(Here my switcheroo story from a while back. http://www.ubersite.com/m/73625
I considered starting an After the Pandemic - style story-free-for-all that was just like this, a mass Fundamentalist Islamic invasion of the USA (and Canada, you think hardcore Islam on the march would turn a blind eye to spreadeagle nekkid 'exotic dancers' and a society that enables homosexuality?), but then realized with so many peacenik pussies on this site it would never fly.
Could have been fun, writers from all across the country describing what would happen in each of their home towns.
Oh well. Thanks for this though.
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Do this McCallum. I'd play.
great stuff as usual jack.
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I'd play too.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-04-14 15:14:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
good job, Rod Serling
nee-nee-nee-NER
nee-nee-nee-NER
nee-nee-nee-NER
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2006-04-14 14:45:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Jack_McCallum (user info) at 2006-04-14 13:58:07 (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff here.
(Here my switcheroo story from a while back. http://www.ubersite.com/m/73625
I considered starting an After the Pandemic - style story-free-for-all that was just like this, a mass Fundamentalist Islamic invasion of the USA (and Canada, you think hardcore Islam on the march would turn a blind eye to spreadeagle nekkid 'exotic dancers' and a society that enables homosexuality?), but then realized with so many peacenik pussies on this site it would never fly.
Could have been fun, writers from all across the country describing what would happen in each of their home towns.
Oh well. Thanks for this though.
===
Do this McCallum. I'd play.
great stuff as usual jack.
Submitted by ScottPeterson (user info) at 2006-04-14 14:24:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Needs more Confederate Air Force patrolling the skies.
Submitted by Jack_McCallum (user info) at 2006-04-14 13:58:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff here.
(Here my switcheroo story from a while back. http://www.ubersite.com/m/73625
I considered starting an After the Pandemic - style story-free-for-all that was just like this, a mass Fundamentalist Islamic invasion of the USA (and Canada, you think hardcore Islam on the march would turn a blind eye to spreadeagle nekkid 'exotic dancers' and a society that enables homosexuality?), but then realized with so many peacenik pussies on this site it would never fly.
Could have been fun, writers from all across the country describing what would happen in each of their home towns.
Oh well. Thanks for this though.
Submitted by fried-green-potatoes (user info) at 2006-04-14 13:06:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
"Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--
A field where a thousand corpses lie."
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You should submit this.
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2006-04-14 12:54:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
At first I was all, ugh another one of these then I was like, hmmm, i think he has something up his sleave, then i was all, yeah there ya go, nifty twist.
I give it a J on a scale of 1 to banana.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2006-04-14 12:34:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
you're the Man