“CONTACT FRONT!”

“FUCK!”

Evans dived to the side of the road and tried to track the tracer bullets back to the machine gun. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Lieutenant Stoddart was standing, frozen in fear, in the middle of the road. Without thinking, he dropped his shotgun and sprinted for the Lieutenant, watching the tracers slowly work there way towards the Lieutenant.

With a dive tackle, he knocked the Lieutenant behind an overturned cart. Evans patted down the Lieutenant and looked for wounds, “You’re OK sir.”

Sergeant Giardot ran up to the two of them behind the cart and ducked down, “Lieutenant, what are your orders? We’ve got wounded and we are pinned down.”

“Um… I…” Lieutenant Stoddart started to cry.

“Well Shit,” Sergeant Giardot poked her head up and looked around. She ducked back down and looked at Evans, “Evans, find Corporal Blake. If she’s dead or wounded, take her rifle and take out the machine guns. If she isn’t, ask her why the fuck she isn’t doing that already.”

“Yes Sergeant,” Evans looked around and tried to remember where Corporals Calepino and Blake had been. Usually they were in the back of the platoon right? He saw what looked like the Charles Rifle near a destroyed car. He took a deep breath in. As he exhaled he sprinted back to his shotgun and dived to the ground. Privates Delage and Hawke were hiding behind a pile of rubble nearby. He crawled closer to them and yelled towards them, “HEY! GUYS! I NEED RAPID FIRE COVER!”

The two nodded and poked their rifles out from cover and started firing. Evans waited for the gunfire to be attracted to what seemed to be a machine gun opening up. He then sprinted low towards the destroyed car.

He stumbled over himself on the way there. A sharp pain shot through his leg.

 

Evans woke himself up with a yelp of pain.

He was on the ship. The ship back to Ethslin. Evans was safe. Everything was…

“The hell was that?” Polly looked over at him from the other bed. She flipped the electric light on, “Now I’m all woken up.”

“Just had a nightmare,” Evans rolled over and closed his eyes.

“Oh no, you aren’t just waking me up and falling asleep,” Polly walked over and started poking the back of his head.

He started to turn around when she slapped him, “Don’t. I’m naked.”

“Why aren’t you dressed?”

“The dress is really uncomfortable for sleeping in.”

“Don’t you have a slip or something?”

“These sheets are also really nice and comfy.”

“Could you just get back under those sheets so I can talk to you.”

“Why? I hold all the power now.”

“What power exactly?”

“You can’t look anywhere but that wall. Loser.”

“I’m pretty sure Harvard would call this unladylike,” Evans paused, “Plus I saw you shirtless when I patched that stab wound.”

“And you did a really shitty job of it. So you haven’t seen me with the big scar. Plus I’m also not wearing pants.”

“I’m going to bed now you idiot,” Evans closed his eyes, “Thanks”

“For what?”

“Made me forget my shitty dreams.”

“With thoughts of my beautiful body?”

“I will reopen that fucking stab wound.”

“Ooh you can’t see me dancing around back here.” There was the patter of feet behind Evans followed by a thud.

Evans rolled over, “Are you…” Polly was lying on the floor wearing her slip, “I really fucking hate you.”

“But you looked. Your wife will be soooooo angry when she hears this.”

“You know I’ve killed people before. Many people. There’s a window right over there. I don’t think they’d ever find you. Lost at sea.”

“But would you hurt a woman?””

“You’re just lucky that we aren’t allowed weapons on this boat.”

“Ship.”

“Going to sleep now. Turn down that fucking lamp.”