Читать книгу Love Without a Home - Shari Mong - Страница 9

“We are coming under heavy fire,” one soldier says. Kyle was hunkered down behind a rock on the mountain. It had been an intense firefight with the Taliban. “KYLE!”, his friend Garrett yelled, “You okay?”

“Yes sir I am,” Kyle shouted back. They were in the mountains of Tora Bora. They had gotten word that the leader of Al-Qaeda was hiding there.

They trudged up the mountains like the Vietnam Veterans trudged Hamburger Hill. Kyle’s good military friend Brett had been shot. He was bleeding profusely. Kyle had gotten up and started firing again while managing to get to his friend Brett.

“Come on man, you have got to survive. Don’t leave me man.” Kyle held Brett crying.

Brett looked up at Kyle and grabbed onto his arm. In Brett’s choking words, he told Kyle, “Please, tell my wife Ellie that I love her. Tell my daughter Dolly that I love her.”

“No man, you’re not going to die, not like this man,” Kyle cried. “We are going to get out of this and grow old. We are going to hang out together and share stories our kids can meet and be friends.” At that time, Kyle did not know that he would never have kids with his wife.

“I am not going to get out of this alive,” Brett choked, coughing up blood. “You have to promise me that you will tell my wife and child what I have asked you. Please, give my wife this letter and my daughter my dog tags, I want her to know that her father died with honor and courage. That he died defending her freedoms and to always remember that you have to fight for what you believe in.” Brett took his dog tags off and handed them to Kyle and pulled a letter he had written out of his pocket and handed them to Kyle.

Kyle started shaking Brett, “No man no please.” Brett took his last breath and died. Kyle held on to him tightly until he heard Garrett hollering at him.

“Hey man the choppers are here firing on the Taliban.” The Taliban had fled and they airlifted the men out of there. They took Brett’s body and loaded it on the chopper. Kyle stayed right beside him with his hand over Brett’s. Kyle looked down at the mountains where the firefight had ensued. It was a battle he would never forget.

Kyle woke up sweating and breathing hard. The sun was just coming up. He sat up and put his hands over his face and rubbed it. He went over to the water and washed himself up. He ate the rest of his dinner from last night and headed to his usual spot for another day of collecting.