Væmpai?

By Michael A. Vega

Discover what lurks around the corner of the Vietnam wilderness as a soldier named Kansas, along with his comrades struggle to fight for their lives. What Kansas does not know is that death is not the punishment in this deceitful battle, but merely an escape from a cursed life waiting for him ahead. Catch the breathtaking scenes of Vmpai engaging book that will keep you up all night long!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477105627

Michael A. Vega

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Book preview

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Copyright © 2012 by Michael A. Vega.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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This book is dedicated to the memory of John Vega Sr., William Baker Jr., Anthony Annuziata, and Irene Petrone.

Special thanks to Johanna Vega, Gary Candela, and Stacy Maron.

The idea for the book came from Gary Candela, who asked me to write the story and let me run with my own ideas throughout. I deliberately never watched or read Twilight, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, or other new vampire shows or books so as not to have any outside inspiration; any similarities are purely coincidental.

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A flash of red lights were seen streaking through the cloudy skies above the platoon unit as the soldiers ducked for cover. As the deafening roar of the explosions occurred, it had made it nearly impossible to hear Sergeant Grayson bellowing out his orders to the men. The patches of smoke that were combined with the smell of death consumed the air as the troops hid in their man-made trenches from the devastation that was taking place around them. The soldiers took cover from the gunfire as the land and trees were being violently torn apart by the bombs and bullets that shredded the area.

Kansas, the sergeant called out to Jessie Canstin, who the fellow soldiers of the platoon had given the nickname Kansas due to the similarity of his last name and the state. Get up that hill and take two men with you, we haven’t got time to spare, Sergeant Grayson ordered.

Kansas scanned the land and witnessed the sprawling Vietnamese soldiers covering the surroundings of the area. They outnumbered his troop by the hundreds and were beginning to swarm down the hill toward the platoon entrenched in their foxholes. Kansas leered back at the sergeant with a look of distraught on his face and hoped he would alter his decisions.

Do it now! the sergeant ordered again. We have to get the explosives on that airfield, we need that airstrip, we have to hold our ground here until the air strike comes, now take two men and go!

Broken arrow, broken arrow! a soldier was heard screaming into the military field phone.

The enemy had set up camps along the hill adjacent to an airfield that the United States Army wanted to occupy. Grayson’s intention was to possess the airstrip, allowing them to land aircraft along the lines with supplies and ammunition for the troops in the surrounding area. Kansas was discouraged about the situation at hand and pondered a different solution to the dilemma that was placed upon him. He could detect Sergeant Grayson screaming at him again and pointing up the hill, but couldn’t distinguish what he was saying over the gunfire and explosions. He regrettably understood that he would have to obey the orders regardless of how much he disapproved of them.

Kansas looked over the platoon to decide who would accompany him on the mission and stopped on his friend Rick. Rick hailed from Nevada, and the two had met in boot camp at the same time to fight in the Vietnam War. Rick had a wall of fear covering his face and shook his head no to Kansas as if he was pleading with him to exclude him from this situation at hand. Rick had a newborn child back home and often spoke of seeing his only son again and watching him grow up. He never revealed his son’s name to the other soldiers because his superstitious ways made him believe that if he had said his name, he wouldn’t make it home alive.

Kansas glanced over at the men of the platoon who shared the same expression as Rick’s, except that now Rick’s look differed from the others. The sound of bullets piercing into a bone was heard as three shots had ripped through Rick’s skull while he fell to the earth to his demise. Kansas looked over at his dead friend and heard Grayson frantically screaming his name again. There were many replacements for the dead soldiers that had fought before them, and he didn’t know everyone’s name in the platoon.

You two, Kansas ordered, pointing to two other soldiers he randomly selected from the troop that he barely knew.

No fucking way, one of the soldiers shrieked to him as he trembled in fear from the explosions around him. Sergeant Grayson ran up to Private Jones and screamed in his face, Jones, get your nigger ass up that hill, or I will shoot you dead right here, do you understand me? Get up that hill and follow orders!

Come on, guys, Kansas told them, You’re dead if you stay here anyway, we will go around the side through the jungle and flank them.

Kansas had finished his orders to the men as he set out to embark on his task as he noticed Jones had taken a bullet to his neck and was leaning against the trench wall, clutching at his throat. The blood had begun to spew out in all directions as it covered the other soldiers around them. Kansas felt a nauseous feeling sink into the pit of his stomach as he observed the blood dripping down the other soldiers’ faces from Private Jones’s bullet wound. The sight of blood had always made him nauseous ever since he was a child, and he couldn’t bear witnessing anymore. He pointed to soldiers he knew well and pulled the two of them away from the mayhem. He wanted to escape the bloodbath and the sight of Jones gasping for air as he was clinging to his life. A medic attempted to halt the bleeding and pressed some bandages on Jones’s fatal wound as he died in his arms.

Let’s get some covering fire! Kansas shouted before running off with the two soldiers. Covering fire! he heard soldiers yell as they shot in the direction of the North Vietnamese army.

The three soldiers departed from the platoon and the enemy that was firing in on them. They headed off to a secluded area in the jungle alongside the hill that the platoon occupied as the gunfire was now heard farther away.

Their intentions were to make their way through the jungle and flank the Vietnamese army from the side of them. The orders were to set up explosives on the landing area and blow up the ammunition bases and surrounding enemies so they could seize control of the airfield.

We are going the wrong way, Gonzo told him as they ventured deeper into the wooded area far from the devastation.

You think we are going that way? Kansas told them as he stopped next to a tree to rest and catch his breath. Are you fucking crazy? I don’t even have enough explosives, I just wanted to get out of there alive, he said, panting and leaning with his hands on his knees. Fucking Sarge has got it in for me, he never liked me from day one.

I don’t think he likes anyone, the other soldier, Davis, added as he looked around the area that appeared to be safe and quiet for the time being. The three men were sweating profusely from the jungle’s immense heat as dehydration was not too far away. They had all been stationed overseas for a year and a half and had witnessed their share of men die. The perils that lie in this location alone would make someone decide against walking through them, let alone have a war in one. Everyone had enough of the bloodshed and fighting for something they knew nothing about. Most of the soldiers there weren’t expecting to return home alive.

This thought repeatedly played in Kansas’s mind all too often, and it was one that he would want to erase.

What are we going to do? Gonzo nervously asked.

Listen, Kansas told the two men who had accompanied him, This war is almost over, the American public has had enough, and we are probably going to be pulling out soon. He started looking around and scoping out the area. So until then, I say we head up those mountains where no one is fighting and lay low for a while. When the time is right, we can return from the mountains and say we were captured and that we escaped, he went on as the two men listened intently to Kansas’s plan in disbelief. Davis, who was the most patriotic of the three, had a conflicted look on his face that Kansas recognized immediately.

Look, Davis, Kansas told him, this war doesn’t mean shit to anyone anymore. We lost, and the three of us getting killed while we are trying to blow up an airfield where no one wants to go doesn’t sound worth it. If you want, you could go back to Sergeant Grayson and tell him all of what I said, if he is even alive. Let’s get moving, Death won’t find us today, he ordered as he heard gunshots that sounded closer to them. Kansas took off and ran deeper into the jungle away from the danger along a man-made path as the two men contemplated the plan. They watched their temporary leader flee and considered their next move.

Fuck it! Gonzo said and followed after Kansas. He got ten feet and turned around running backward. Come on, Davis, we fought enough, he told him and went back to trailing Kansas. Davis looked around and came up with the decision to stick with the men rather than be alone in the jungle. He always prided himself on obeying orders, and now with Kansas seemingly in charge, he followed along with these as well.

The three soldiers ran throughout the day while taking breaks and stopping along the trail to rest. They checked their coordinates so that they could return the same way when the war was possibly at an end. Kansas took out his map and was intending to lead his team high up a mountain area with a small village nearby. He was almost positive there would be no fighting taking place in that vicinity and felt they might be safe for the time being. He had hoped he’d be able to get some fresh drinking water and maybe something to eat but knew they had a long way to go.

They stopped and rested as Gonzo leaned up against a tree and took out a pack of cigarettes. He handed a smoke to the other two men and let out a sigh. The three men lit their cigarettes and looked around the region. Kansas glanced over at Gonzo and observed him.

Gonzo was a short Hispanic soldier who bore a small resemblance to Freddie Prinze and was fearless with a quick temper. He resented taking orders from some of the white officers, but admired Kansas and would listen to him if he felt he knew what was best for those around him. Kansas was thin and tall and not an imposing figure as Gonzo decided to trust his fellow officer, who he always viewed as intelligent.

Gonzo knew he was a long way from where he grew up in Bronx, New York, and often thought he had a rough time there. He now realized home was a picnic compared to the carnage he saw in Vietnam and missed his neighborhood. The war made soldiers make promises to themselves but most died before they could keep any. He often thought that if he made it out alive, he would marry his girlfriend Maria. He envisioned starting a family with her and living a full life together, but the first step was to get home and in one piece.

It’s quiet out here, Davis said as he looked around as Gonzo slapped an insect that was harassing him.

Fucking bugs, man! Gonzo shouted to no one in particular. I can’t take them anymore—they’re the size of birds! His anger quickly subsided as he looked over at Kansas who was staring intently at something off in the distance. Gonzo peered in the direction Kansas was leering at and couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He assumed he was just daydreaming or perhaps losing his mind from the images he had witnessed in the war.

What’s up, man? What are you looking at? he asked him. Kansas took his machete out of his belt holster and started to walk in the direction he was staring at without responding to him. The two other soldiers looked at each other and followed along, unaware of what his intentions may be. Kansas walked through the brush and stopped in front of an object that was lying on the ground. He stood there and stared at a dead monkey that he had discovered as the two men came beside him and observed the body. They had seen many animals they had never seen before in their time overseas, but this came as a surprise.

Whoa, that’s a monkey, said Davis, who was sweating the most, being the heaviest of the three. He was a Southerner from Georgia who often spoke of going home and working on his parents’ farm after the war. His sandy blonde hair was dripping wet as the weather was getting to all of them.

How do you think it died? Gonzo asked quietly.

Some other animal probably killed it, Davis answered as he looked around to see if there was a dangerous predator among them.

Why didn’t it eat it? Gonzo said as he continued with his questioning.

Don’t know, Davis said as the heat seemed to be increasing by the minute.

It looks like the blood was drained out of him, Kansas added as he stared at the dead animal. Let’s get moving, a village shouldn’t be too far away, he said as he led the two men away from the rotting carcass.

Keep your gun loaded, Davis said to Gonzo as they walked off.

No shit, he responded sarcastically.

The men went back to running through the treacherous conditions of the Vietnam land to their final destination. The objective was to find a place as high and as far away from the war as they could possibly be without ever having to fight again.

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Two American B-57G jets flew overhead of Sergeant Grayson and his crew as they watched them obliterate the area with bombs. They cheered on the destruction as they spotted the enemy running for their lives before they were shot down on the hill.

I told you, I told you the air strike would come if we just held our position, the sergeant cried out to his men "Fucking gooks think they are gonna beat