Distressed III

Distress III
Jonny and the T-72 had become partners quickly, finally having someone to confide in and having nothing else to pass the time they communicated, at first it was details about what diversion they wanted, then it just turned into conversation. Jonny quickly realized that she was a tank, and asked her many questions about things he was curious about. It took a day or so to make a splint for Jonny’s legs and once that was done really they had no objectives to accomplish, they just talked. They told stories of home, of service, and of jokes. Being in military service they had a common dark humor, very dark and twisted humor. They bitched about faulty new gear, rambled on about how nothing in the military really makes sense, and gripe about any other thing a lower enlisted can possibly gripe about. 72 had warmed up to her new comrade and asked to be given hot food again from the terrorists, as they thought the canned food they were giving her she was eating whole, and when it was received she passed it to Jonny, and he admitted that Achmed was right, the Qaeda did have pretty good food. It was after a month of recovery when 72 explained her origin story to him, how she got there.
“I was once a proud Soviet tank, once I was the most formidable beast on the field in the Red Army, but, like all technology, I was replaced. Eventually the crumbling Union decided to start selling Soviet military grade weaponry to our allies and I’ll admit, I was a little scared then. I wasn’t sold then, instead I was sold by Russia, after the American invasion of Iraq, to the Afghanistan army. The level of respect I was given plummeted to a mere awkwardness, but improved over time. One night, one night the base was raided and I was stolen and brought here. At first I was a willing ally to the Al-Qaeda until I noticed that I was treated even worse here, and the things I was made to do was horrible, inexcusable, and overall repulsive.” She mentioned how in the Quran forbids masturbation, but doesn’t mention anything about animal sex, and then she stated how she had sexual advances on her but when she refused them she started a lot of problems and this led to a fallout between her and her ‘allies’ which eventually led to her being raped twice, an untimely and mysterious death of a high ranking terrorist, and that this led to her being thrown into this pit and do nothing but stare out at a mountain. The rape triggered her mission to get out; she had already dealt blows and accomplished many goals before she fetched Jonny, ans they had many more to achieve. That story made Jonny respect her a little more and wish to help her more, but at the same time she’s still an enemy. And as he explained how he felt to her, he recited a good quote he picked up from his favorite game ever.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“What’s that mean, John?” She thought Jonny was his whole name so she nicknamed his nickname.
“It means that you and I aren’t on good terms, but we both hate the terrorists more.”
“So we work together like in the Great Patriotic War?”
“Exactly.”
“I would consider you a friend, one of my closest friends, John.”
“Why’s that?”
“You listen more than anyone has before, we’re funny, mostly I enjoy your company.You appreciate my probably terrible English and deal with it.”
“For being taught during the cold war, and only now using it, it’s pretty good, tankovy.”
“Thank you John, that’s a little uplifting.” Time elapsed as they sat there, doing almost nothing, the boredom was unbearable that day and Jonny asked if he could look out the periscope. She allowed him, and he struggled to contort and move his body to the scope, she helped move his stiff legs. She would relax and move his muscles regularly to keep them healthy and prevent from locking up but even still the lack of use was apparent as he pained to move. But it was all worth it. He spun his little world around, taking in the sunlight, the colors, the ever-familiar smell of shit that is the Middle East-neither knew quite why it ALWAYS smelled like shit-and all the intelligence. So many hidden bombs and weaponry disguised to hide from peering drone eyes! He was breath taken and astonished with how much the goat-fuckers had! Tankovy assured him it wouldn’t be around that long with their plan, but he was still shook, maybe the war wasn’t going to end anytime soon. Well, the last part was known, just that America was trying to ‘leave’ the conflict. While he was looking around he tried to see what tank she was, she said she was a tank, but not the model. He couldn’t get a fix on exactly what she was, but based on her height she’s post T-55.He really wanted to know what she was it was driving him nuts! He could have asked but he refused to let his only mind game end so soon. After all, it was going to be months before he could see much else.
And months it was, about five and a half months elapsed before they broke off the casts and splints. They seriously started planning the attack, she began stirring again, a trend she introduced long ago so nobody would think differently when she’d randomly get up and drive around. Jonny would watch and note the locations of key assets, this affected their plans but they were determined to make this all happen. As the date grew closer Jonny would curl up into a ball to work and stretch his muscles, he’d curl for ten minutes and rest for five, again and again until he could do it effortlessly again. Tankovy had noted that without much to groom himself Jonny’s beard had grown long and full, his hair was a mess and his face dirty. He would blend in well with the right clothes, so she got to fabricating him some garments and robes and a turban for him to wear. It would at least help him blend in more than a destroyed American uniform. She had also began making her own little bombs to use against the Taliban, she had played around with timers and had perfected a time fuse for an hour. It worked every time she tested it, the timer not the bombs. As the sun set on the game day they prepared mentally for the challenge. As the time ticked away until about 2340 local time they reviewed and reviewed and reviewed, practiced and practiced and practiced. There was only one thing left to the wind and that was his strength. They worried that he wouldn’t be able to walk on his weak legs. “You ready John?”
“Show time, I’m ready.” He gathered the bombs and put them in his string bag with the timers set, he really hoped he could trust Tankovy to set them right. She double checked her set ups nearly every day.On her cue he opened the hatch and took a deep breath, and climbed out of the hatch. His body ached, creaked, groaned and stretched. He sat on her hull and readied himself for impact, he jumped off and his legs instantly buckled. He came crashing to the ground in pain and misery, grunting and seething, Tankovy yelped worried and scared. She went to get him and call it off when he struggled up, forcing himself up like a drunk. He staggered to his feet and endured the pain of his shaking legs as he stood there, just happy to be there. He carried on, putting forth his effort to get to his first marker.
First he stopped by a cave entrance covered by a plywood sheet with sand and rocks glued to the wood and that was further camouflaged by brush in front of that. He placed a bomb under the sheet of wood next to a pile of rocks that supported the side. He then shrugged on, hobbling down the way to the I.E.D. pile and put two there, just in case one faulted. Next he moved over to the other side and put one by a few sandbags, that spot had problems with mudslides and they were hoping to trigger one with the bomb. Next was some more explosive equipment set out for quick use, most was tucked away in the caves and she wasn’t going to risk her biggest asset that much. Regardless he went over to the entrance of the cave that they used for ammo and tossed one into the black void, hoping it would reach. That bomb was for the livestock but he untied the gate and their leads. He wasn’t that cruel. Lastly was thier fuel depot, it was a bunch of Jerry cans, oil barrels, and one old septic tank. Even still it was a lot of gas. Tankovy had already grabbed her fuels and clustered all the fuel together for the bomb. He tucked one under a Jerry can and stood up, turned around, and saw a figure off on the other side of the valley. The rest of his body started to quiver. He had no guns, no more bombs, and knew almost no Arabic, hide, stupid!
He panicked and looked around, he wanted to hide under the fuel but how would he get in there? He looked around and thought, cave? He might be going there. Animals? What if he’s going for some goat milk? FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKITY FUCKITY FUCK! He decided on something but it was too late, he was seen and the figure was approaching. He shook and came up with a ploy, a folly, to try to get the upper hand in a fight. As the figure approached Jonny acted ill and sickly, which he was so it was a rather easy act, and once the man was close enough he acted as if he was falling. The man-who was asking if he was alright-dropped his gun and went to catch Jonny. Jonny raised his fist and threw himself into the man. He landed a punch right in the man’s eye and fell into him, catching himself while the man momentarily held him. Jonny then lashed his head up into the man’s jaw. He gained his footing and stood against the arab. Now the arab was angry and was realizing that this wasn’t an ally, he reeled back and instantly charged in. Jonny’s training kicked in and he stood to throw him down, the terrorist fell right into the setup and almost effortlessly Jonny wrapped him up and twisted him onto his back, straddled him, and chocked him while punching into his temple. The terrorist used a free arm to swipe at Jonny’s arm, dropping Jonny onto him, Jonny came up and tried to choke him again but his hand slipped up and he had his hand over his mouth. The terrorist played dirty, trying to preserve his life, and bit at Jonny’s hand. Jonny growled in anger and pain and kneed the jaw again, this time catching the tongue and severing it. The terrorist screamed and covered his mouth, still screaming and thrashing about. Jonny lunged off, grabbed the gun, and smashed in the terrorist’s head with the butt over and over until he was dead and then some. He stood over the terrorist almost hyperventilating, and looked upon his work. The terrorist’s tongue had indeed been severed as it hung out of what was left of a skull, the eyes popped out and the brains glistened in the moonlight and darkened the blue-lit sand. The blood flowed like wine, and like wine stained all it touch, the sand turned black and shone like oil. Bits of bone and teeth littered like glass and hair was all over the place making it all one sloppy mess. Jonny looked at his hand, it was bleeding vigorously and his thumb was spurting blood like a hose. He instantly grabbed that and held tight, painfully tight, as he very slowly felt everything return to his sense while his adrenaline pumped. He was running with rifle and thumb in hand to Tankovy. He rushed up to her and begged “bandage! Bandage! Please, bandage!” She calmly moved his hand and then rushed to stop the arterial bleeding. She lifted him up into her driver’s hatch and carefully wrapped his palm and fingers. He looked into her eyes, they were a light blue with white impressions. He looked over her turret, it was a low and wide turret with an oblong shape that was tallest on his left, her right, where he would sit. She had a massive lamp on the right side of her gun and a massive machine gun on her roof for the commander. Her turret cheeks had bits and tubes on them for smoke charges he reckoned. He figured out which tank she was. He couldn’t stop himself from saying it. “You have beautiful eyes, Tankovy 72.”
She stopped and thought, then glanced up to his eyes. “Thank you.” She went back to finishing the wrap and Jonny watched her. Once it was wrapped up he climbed into the turret on his own, surprising her. He climbed into the hatch and waited, and she waited, they waited silently. Now it was her half of the plan. At exactly 0040 the bombs detonated. The ground shook and the entire valley illuminated with fire and filled with ash. She kicked her engine to life and it roared to life, amidst the screams, explosions, and rumbling Jonny heard the engine purr and growl, the heavy diesel engine whined and wheezed as it shifted gears, then again hummed as she sped towards the fire and chaos. As her skin grew hotter her adrenaline pumped harder, her hope rose, and her determination strengthened. Jonny watched through the periscopes the damage they caused and it brought delight to him, but it wasn’t enough. He opened the hatch and stood up. Tankovy was shocked. “Wha-What are you doing!?”
“Fuck these bastards!” He grabbed the heavy machine gun and racked the slide. He shifted the gun over to the side and pressed the butterfly trigger, shooting at anything standing at human height. The massive gun tore anything flesh in half, ensuring that it was going to die. All Jonny felt while he cut down the dozens of terrorists down was the rattling in his bones, his arms going numb, and the vibrations of the engine in his legs. He chanted various insults and phases of vengeance as his blood boiled at the thought of letting one of them survive. He gunned all the terrorists that were confused, scared, panicking, and grabbing whatever they could to defend themselves to no avail.
“John! Aim front! Guards!” She automatically turned the gun to the front and pointed at the areas the RPGs usually waited. One instantly stood up to aim at her but a burst from Jonny’s gun hit him in the neck and flung his head into the night sky. The other guard freaked out, panicked, and prematurely launched his rocket into the other side of the mountain. That triggered a rock slide that fell behind them. The man who would give the signal of enemy stood bewildered by the hill, she specifically changed course to hit him, and when she did his body collapsed like a wet noodle against her bow, splitting open his guts and slowly slipped off her bow, being dragged and gutted as he completely fell off her body.
They raced into the dunes and kept going, laughing and celebrating that they got away! Jonny was going home! He was very excited, over joyed and tearing up. Tankovy was free! She could go home! She felt a wall of emotions hit her, she, too, teared up. Once they felt that they were in the clear they stopped and discussed where they were, she pulled out a map and Jonny went back down to her diver’s hatch to help navigate. She could barely pull her gaze off of him, she had no idea how good looking of a man he was until then, she just had the time to think about it. He scanned over and over the map trying to read the Arabic writing, she did steal it from the terrorists. Suddenly he had to piss, he asked to relieve himself.
“Go ahead, John, no more shell case.” He was excited about the freedom she granted him, he climbed out and walked down and a little behind her on the slope and undid his pants, and relieved himself. He moaned out in relaxation, and enjoyed himself. It occured to Tankovy what she really wanted!
“Ah, yeah.” He moaned as the stream eneded.
“Jonny?”
“Yeah, Tankony?” He asked shaking his dong off.
“Don’t bother zipping your fly!” He was about to ask why when he turned to glance at her and knew why.