Marine: Outside the Wire
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Lance Corporal Lara Grayson, or Gray to her brothers, has been stationed at a base camp in Jelawur, Afghanistan. She’s a dog handler, her partner, a German Shepard named Zabba, tracks down Taliban insurgent fighters and IEDs. They take daily patrols, and when engaged in a firefight, they’re usually short lived. But not everyone on either side will come out alive.
Tabatha Steel, a war reporter has been captured by the Taliban, and when the patrol rescues her and her cameraman, tension builds. Their meeting is a game changer in more ways than one.
Jelawur, just outside the Green zone, is surrounded by miles of desert, and a small population living alongside a river. Marines take the ground inch by inch to infiltrate the defense range. At times, they can klick out completely without being harassed, and can move about freely, resulting in a faster process, and Taliban insurgent fighters having less time to set up traps and ambushes. This means being engaged in firefights with only three or four fighters at a time as opposed to a mass before their presence.
Their mission is to ruin the enemy maneuvering from place to place and setting up IEDs and to catch them in the act, and to establish friendships with the locals. So far, Alpha Company has managed to stay safe, but even with the coalition’s presence, there’s still a lot of work to do.
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Marine - Wicked Publishing
MARINE
Outside The Wire
Afghanistan
www.wickedpublishing.net
Copyright © 2017 Wicked Publishing
First Edition
Published through Wicked Publishing LLC 2017
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance of actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission
Cover art by Shiralyn J. Lee.
Dedication:
To those who’ve served, and still serve, and to those who’ve lost their lives in the act of war. No one made you do it, you did it because you could, because you’re proud, and because you wanted to protect your country. You are the brave who keep us safe, and we thank you every day.
To those who’ve lost a brother/sister, someone they’d considered family in combat, your loss is as heartfelt as if you were blood related.
My Grandfather was in the RAF and as a child I didn’t understand just how dangerous his job was. Now, after many years, and sadly he’s no longer with us, I can’t appreciate enough what he and the Military have done to keep us safe, no matter what country we live in, or what era a soldier lived in, or what participation they played.
Acknowledgements
To Colonel Devin C. Young for advising me.
Thank you, author and screenplay writer Joe Gazzam for hooking me up with the Colonel.
Author’s Note
The research done on this book was one of the hardest I’ve had to experience. I connected mentally with Marines and K9 units from both US and UK forces, and to find that they’d been killed in action, or wounded to the point they’d be crippled for life has overwhelmed my heart.
Prologue
Every Marine will question why the hell they joined up in the first place, but they will always find an answer, as the demands of war take precedence over the need to go for a beer in their local bar, or watch their hockey team win against their rivals. Every Marine will fight for, and with, their brothers. Every Marine will protect those who need protecting. Every Marine will be a changed person.
The military footprint has shaped the conflict in Afghanistan.
Introduction
Lance Corporal Lara Grayson, or Gray to her brothers, has been stationed at a base camp in Jelawur, Afghanistan. She’s a dog handler, her partner, a German Shepard named Zabba, tracks down Taliban insurgent fighters and IEDs. They take daily patrols, and when engaged in a firefight, they’re usually short lived. But not everyone on either side will come out alive.
Tabatha Steel, a war reporter has been captured by the Taliban, and when the patrol rescue her and her cameraman, tension builds. Their meeting is a game changer in more ways than one.
Jelawur, just outside the Green zone, is surrounded by miles of desert, and a small population living alongside a river. Marines take the ground inch by inch to infiltrate the defense range. At times, they can klick out completely without being harassed, and can move about freely, resulting in a faster process, and Taliban insurgent fighters having less time to set up traps and ambushes. This means being engaged in firefights with only three or four fighters at a time as opposed to a mass before their presence.
Their mission is to ruin the enemy maneuvering from place to place and setting up IEDs and to catch them in the act, and to establish friendships with the locals. So far, Alpha Company have managed to stay safe, but even with the coalition’s presence, there’s still a lot of work to do.
The base, inside the wire, is a safer place to be but not guaranteed. Outside the wire is a different story. There are no guarantees of safety, in fact, the chances of being blown to oblivion heighten immediately. Afghanistan is a tortured country, and for the world to understand just how bad things are, war reporters risk their lives to share daily accounts on what happens on the ground. Not all information can be reported for the world to know, as restrictions on deaths and injuries need to be reported to immediate family members.
Soldiers battle in temperatures above 40° with sand and dust kicking up around them, and enemy fighters hiding out in surrounding fields ready to ambush. It’s not a career for the weak of heart, and a fraction of a second can change a life forever.
MARINE
Outside The Wire
Afghanistan
Chapter One
Sweat soaked the back of Gray’s t-shirt as she took an advance step with her lead foot toward Iggy. She then slid her back foot forward, before throwing the ball up near the basket, then Iggy jumped, raised his arms up and caught the ball mid-air. Making a fast break, he drove the ball down the mock court, and shot it toward the basket. The ball soared through the air, bounced off the backboard and dropped to the net, rolling over the rim as if it wanted to tease the players, before finally falling through the hoop.
Take that, mother fuckers,
Iggy teased, while showing off his smugness with his arms out wide, and dancing like a rooster under the already hot early-morning sun.
Blake lifted his sweat stained t-shirt, and revealed his firm-muscled stomach, then wiping the perspiration from his face, grumbled, Lucky shot, dickhead.
He spat on the ground, then grabbed a bottle of water he’d placed on top of his jacket, poured some over his head, and gulped the rest down in a matter of seconds.
Kiss my gorgeous black ass,
Iggy replied, then pouted his lips and batted his eyelashes—tormenting his opponent even further.
Don’t pull the race card with me—
Hey, guys, it’s just a game. Although, we did kick your ass, Blake,
Gray jumped in with a heart warming giggle. With a quick shove, she snatched the ball from Iggy’s hands and bounced it once on the ground, then threw it hard at Blake. Here, practice your moves, you need it more than I do,
she joked, while walking backwards, away from him, then high-fived Iggy when he moved alongside her, still full of bluster.
Suck my—
—Sister’s pussy,
she quickly interrupted, and stuck her tongue between her teeth, tilted her head, and gave a triumphantly sinister smirk. You should see his sister, Iggy. She’s got tits like melons.
She grabbed her own breasts and pushed them upward to mimic her visual, her vest top riding slightly up her belly revealed her bellybutton and firm, flat stomach.
Iggy let out a school-girl type of laugh, then mimicked Gray in playfully touching his own chest. She got you there, Blake.
Clenching his fists at his sides, and tightening his jaw muscles, Blake shook his head slowly, and in a low tone, said, Fucking bitch!
I heard that. Your sister didn’t seem to think so at the time, though. She told me dirty-blondes were her favourite, lucky for me, hey.
She turned and placed a firm playful slap on Iggy’s back. Both of them quietly laughed, with little busts of snorts, as they walked away. Come, Zabba,
she said to her German Shepherd.
Zabba, who’d been sleeping in the shade cast across the ground by the wall, immediately pricked his ears up, opened his eyes, and trotted over to her. He remained at the side of her legs as she walked.
Iggy tilted his head, and a deliberate smirk rose in the corner of his mouth. My intrigue has gotten the better of me,
he informed her and tapped her shoulder, then asked, Did you really fuck his sister?
She glanced sideways at him, winked, and gave a subtle smirk, with just a slight pouting of her lips. I did do his sister, but as far as he knows, I’m just kidding with him, he doesn’t know she’s bi-sexual, so keep your mouth shut about that.
You sly dog. You’re worse than a guy.
Oh, really? So, being a female puts a label on me, does it? I like sex, Iggy. I like to fuck, and I fuck girls. That doesn’t make me worse than a guy, it makes me equal, not even that, there shouldn’t even be a contest between sexes. Maybe I should say I’m normal.
Folding her arms over her chest she abruptly stopped walking, and favored her weight on one side. It really pisses me off when women are compared to men, and if we commit the same human acts, we’re considered to be whores, sluts, or deserve what we get, yet when a man does the act, he’s a fucking sex god and gets a pat on the back from his buddies.
Iggy widened his eyes, his stunned surprise showing as he dropped his jaw open. Hey, I’m not the enemy here. I’ve had my troubles along the way. Where I’m from, being black makes it hard to advance in a lot of careers. People make assumptions before they even know who you are. I didn’t chose to be a marine, it chose me. So, when you snap at me because you feel women are a minority, just remember who you’re talking to, okay?
Realizing the tension had stiffened her posture, Gray relaxed her stance. I’m sorry, Iggy. I guess that’s one of the reasons why we get on so well.
She looked down at Zabba and held out her hand, indicating for him to nest his muzzle in her palm. Good boy, Zabba, good boy.
Gray and Zabba had been partners for two years, they had a bond—a well trusted relationship. Zabba was more than a working dog to her, he was an extension of her, and both understood each other’s moves and characteristics, they had to, it could save their lives one day. They had a dangerous job in a dangerous country. Zabba, a highly-trained military dog, specialised in tracking humans and IEDs, and in Afghanistan it was needed.
•••
The dry desert air tasted of hot dusty sand, and no one was immune to sweating under the cloudless sunny sky. Deodorant was useless in the fight against sweat stains under the armpits, meaning half of the unit didn’t even bother to use it, including Gray. She was one of the boys, strong-willed, and ready to go into combat at a moment’s notice. And being that the base was a remote marine outpost, a moments notice was highly likely.
Lance Corporal Grayson, I need to see you,
the Sergeant shouted from an open doorway. You too, Iggy.
Always a pleasure,
Gray muttered humorously.
Iggy rolled his eyes upward, and nudged her arm with his elbow.
Hey, Gray!
Blake shouted, then threw the ball back at her just as she turned around.
Gray caught it and gave him a smug smile. If only you knew I’d fuck your sister again given the chance.
They entered the plywood building, and walked through a narrow passage until they reached