ANA Reborn by Carl Facciponte - HTML preview
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Chapter 29
he bomb team met in the base training room to T brief on their objectives before setting out for the abandoned car.
"Okay, troops," Ralph said, "We will be training on an abandoned car. We checked it out yesterday, and there are no real bombs buried in it. Just the same, we will use every precaution and technique just as if there were bombs planted in unknown portions of the car. So stay on your toes."
One of the Afghan privates raised his hand for a question.
"Yes, Bibi, what's your question?"
"It will be over 43o C today, that is 110o F. Will this be a long training session?"
"Bibi, we will take our time. To rush could cost you your life and the lives of the others on your 225
team. It is better to be hot and sweat rather than die. Wouldn't you agree?"
The Private nodded his agreement.
"Good. Let's head out."
They found the site as it had been left the day before, except the wind rearranged some of the sand around the wheels of the car.
The team checked the area of the car for footprints or signs of disturbance. They used mirrors to inspect the undercarriage. They found no explosives.
"Good job, so far, guys. Next, let's get the door open, inspect the inside of the car, and open the hood." Ralph stood five feet away from the car and noted the progress of the search in his training review notebook.
The driver's door was opened with no problems. Bibi did a mirror search under the driver's seat while kneeling in the sand. He leaned across the seat to inspect the bottom of the passenger's seat. No one heard the slight click as the microswitch within the seat material was depressed. Ralph, Bibi, and five other soldiers within twenty feet of the car also never heard the 226
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two kilos of C4 explosives detonate. The black cloud from the blast formed a mushroom-like cloud that rose seventy-five feet above the spot where the car was formerly located.
A panicked call from one of the Afghani troops to the base requested helicopter medical aid and evacuation for the survivors within the blast radius, but far enough away not to be mortally injured.
General Lance Coopers was notified by the base Commander immediately of the incident.
Lance walked to Ana and Rhett's room and opened the door without knocking. "There has been an accident with the training program this afternoon. Unfortunately, there are fatalities and injuries. I want the two of you to be on the medevac choppers leaving in two minutes. Let me know exactly what you find."
"Yes, Sir," Rhett responded." Is that the exercise Ralph was conducting?"
Lance displayed little emotion. "Yes, it was.
His condition is currently unknown. Get hot," he ordered.
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The two raced to the helicopter whose rotors were already spinning up. Warrant Officer Rilley, in charge of the chopper, said the flight was to carry only medical personnel and the wounded.
There was no room for riders.
"General Coopers ordered us to get on this flight," Ana said. "If you have a beef, take it up with him. Right now, there are dead and wounded at the site that need care. Let's go!"
Rilley nodded his consent and motioned them to climb aboard. The passengers could see a black smudge from the air where the car once sat, surrounded by bodies and soldiers applying first aid to the survivors until the medevac unit arrived.
The choppers landed in a cloud of dust and sand. Ana and Rhett jumped from the helicopter and ran to the scene to check on Ralph. They found a burned and disfigured body that was Ralph several yards from the vehicle's position.
"Oh my God, NO!" Ana shouted as she knelt in the sand and cradled Ralph. She convulsed with waterless tears.
Rhett dropped to her side in the sand and put his arm around her in comfort. "I, I don't know 228
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what this feeling is," he stammered." I've never felt anything like it. It's like my insides are being torn out. Is this what the humans call grief?"
Ana gently laid Ralph back onto the sand, turned on her knees, and clung to Rhett. He could feel her spasmodic convulsions. In what would have been the place where a human's heart would be, he felt pain for Ana and prayed for the ability to comfort her in her grief.
"Soldiers, we need you over here to help carry the dead and wounded to the choppers," Rilley shouted over the noise of the propellers.
Rhett and Ana nodded, stood, and lovingly picked Ralph up to lay him inside the helicopter.
There were more injured than the four medics could attend to. Ana and Ralph helped them in administering first aid to the survivors.
"You're pretty good at this," one of the corpsmen said to Ana. "Where did you train?"
"I learned first aid in civilian life," she said as she looked up the emergency medical procedures online, "and just happened to remember this part of the training. I guess you never forget the important things."
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"Well, thanks for the help," the medic responded.
Two additional people died in the base hospital, bringing the death toll to nine people.
Ana and Ralph met with Lance and gave him all of the details.
"It's a damn shame this happened," Lance said with only a small show of feelings.
"General," Ralph said, "I know you have to fill out the official paperwork, but I was wondering if it would be okay for us to notify Ralph's fiancée in your stead."
"Sure," the General said. "Do that. I hate to contact people about things like this. It can get so messy."
Ana
tensed
and
began
to
speak.
Ana, interrupted Rhett, please don't speak now. It won't do any good. Keep remembering you are talking to a merciless buffoon.
The couple stayed in their room for the rest of the night, tightly wrapped in each other's arms on the bed, fully clothed.
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Late the following morning, Ana made the call to Martha.
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