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On Silent Wings.

Chapter One

Silent wings

Six months of intense training had gone by fast, the blasting of engines ran through my ears as i sat against the side of the cold steel walls. Resting for the few moments i had left, red zone was approaching.
The light air whistled through the plane like a thin sheet of paper. "first mission already?" i thought to myself, "are they crazy?, they are sending me to die" my thoughts were ripped away when the red light pulsed into the dark space of the back of the plane.

Four months ago,
"move a quarter inch to the left" a rough voice spoke through the earpiece. I aplied the movement slowly keeping the weapon steady over the mount. The Sg-1 was clunky but very officiant, the back end was heavy, rough on the shoulder.
The target was a watermelon, just about the size of a human skull, although i never did see it through the scope of the sniper.
Long range targeting had a delicate way of aiming, everything effecting the bullet, a gentle breeze could throw it off sending it completly in another direction.
The heat was almost tourture, waves of warmth filled the air around my eyes and sight. My gun became anchored to my body becoming heavy, pushing me down as i lay completly flat on the sandy serface.
The wind had come in strong from the west without warning, i panicked swerving the large weapon as the sand hit my eyes.
"what in the ******** did you just do?" my earpeice rang my entire side. "im sorry sir, the wind hit my eyes i reacted..." before i could finesh my sentence a training commander removed me of my arms. I stood up to my feet, body shaky from laying flat on my front for seven hours. A tired but stern suit became visable through the heat wave, i corrected my pose and was ready for him.
"sir" i said with respect, "you failed" the rough voice struck my confidence away in seconds. Sgt. Williams was a rock of a man, seen way to many of his friends bleed out. Overall he still has a heart that beats, a green baret with a purple heart that he never shows anyone.
I knew blew it, i could see the shame in his tired scratched up auburn eyes hiding behind wrinkles.
"dismissed, return to your home for the weekend but before you do i would like a word in my office" my eyes could not help but wonder what that ment...."this was new for Williams" i thought.

Later that evening before departure.
I was packed and ready for home, walking up to the door of the man who has tought me to survive in harsh conditions, kill with everyday tools if needed, and to take pain like no other...but in this case he was expecting me??.
My nerves shot through my arm as i slowly opend the door.
I told my legs to move trying to hide the shaking in them, only been in this training camp for two months, i had still not become comfortable yet.
Sgt.Williams was facing the small square window he had in his office, the pale of the day was fading causing the dim lines across his face between the blinds.
Smoke had filled the room up, clouding it. My eyes had started to burn already but i stood straight with a arched salute.
"sir!" i said as calm as my vocal chords could.
"take a seat Eric" his voice was different now, and what was with the names now...this must be bad.
As i walked over to a soft leather chair taking a seat, i saw my dossier on his desk.

Birth name: Eric Joseph Oshea,
Born: Limerick, Ireland
Age: Nineteen
Height: 5`8inch
Weight: 168 pounds
Eye color: green/blue
Applied for: Sharpshooting
Marital Status: Single

It had continued with more information about my family and friends that i had grown up with.
The confusion hit me even harder, "how did he get all this information on my family...my friends even?" the thoughts clouded my mind even more.
Sgt.Williams turned around puffing his cigar, putting it out on a silver ash tray as he took a seat on his large black leather chair.
His eyes reached up and met mine, this look was not the stern one i had become used to,
"Eric, i don't understand you.." my brow swelled down over my eyes
"sir..i do not understand"
His hand slammed down on the dossier
"you know exactly what the ******** im talking about!!" i broke my eye contact in an instant almost jumping at his tone.
"in your goddamn first three weeks here, you hit fourteen long range targets without even trying..." his voice had caught me off guard.
He knew what i was doing now..how could i be so stupid.
Williams stood up from his seat now, my neck craned back to look up at him.
"so do you want to explain to me why you are able to hit a target up to 766 yds, but not one at 1.51miles?" he was as serious as i have seen him and his voice showed it.
My lips split open to speak but before i could he told me what i was thinking.
"your holding back now,.....its to late for that Oshea"
I looked down to the soft deep rose red carpeting at my feet, saying nothing.
He could see that was caught, like a kid who lied to his parent.
"enjoy your weekend, in four months we are sending you to Peru"


Four Months later.
The red light had pulsed the third time,
"its jump time people!" the pilot roared over the speaker
My heart thumped harder and harder as i stood up, hooking up to the pole above my head.
I had about fifty extra pounds of equipment on my body causing me to sway on my footing at first.
The M-107 was a fat gun, and a damn heavy one to, the thing needed to be carried in four pieces. That was the brunt of my extra weight, besides a sidearm with seven more clips, three silencers and a few "pineapples"(grenades).
A set of bright blue eyes turned around from in front of me, scrolling my body up and down looking almost as nervous as i did.
I smiled lightly back to the slim narrow face of the most stunning girl i had seen in my life, who was she?, what is a girl like that doing here? more and more questions shaking my brain until the horn went off.
She turned around fast, grabbing her rope as i did, the tension was heavy in the small tube of the plane.
The six man team was ready, all in a row.

HALO jumps(High Altitude Low Opening) scared the ******** out of me, the landings always hurt in the training, chances of breaking a leg was high, catching a high drift and landing on enemy grounds are high...heart thumping harder now as the thoughts smacked my mind more and more.
"move!!, move!!, move!!" the front man yelled as the light stopped pulsing and stayed red. The first man dragged the rope connected to the long metal pole stretching the body of the plane.
We all followed in the row, blue eyes was next i could feel the damp cold air already pushing me back. She unhooked herself as her body flung down into the night.
I was next, moving up to the door the air pushes harder, my face hurt until i folded the oxygen mask over my face. Turning the small valve on my shoulder on i could breath again, the night sky was fully visible now. A pat on my back signaled my go.
Clipping my hook off i let my body go, falling towards the earth. Time had slowed down as my face was forced up to look to the horizon. Light like i had never seen, soft, glowing streaks shredding the night sky, it was day on the other side of the world and i could see it.
The tight air held me like a weak child, controlling my movements descending so slow but yet i was moving fast and the speed kicked up after i broke through the second wave.
My pieced apart weapon strapped to my chest felt like it would burst through my bones at any moment, the wind was shredding sound even through my mask defining my ears.
"was i ready for this!!??" thoughts yelled and whimper in my mind, a part of me wanted to shut my eyes and never pull my release rope.

Chapter 2
Blue Eyes.

I had opend my eyes during the night to once again stare at the cold colored ceiling. The piping was arched over the small bed i slept in, a small room with very little space to put no more then a set of boots and clothes for the next day.
I always seem to wake five minutes before the alarm, i hated it some mornings and loved it on others. Arching my waist up to no now sit at the edge of the bed. This was my first week here and i wanted to make a good impression.
Walking over to the tiny sink i turned the hot handle and let it run for a moment as to let the warm water begin to flow out.
The hot water streamed down my hands as i filled them, splashing the soothing water across my face had always helped me wake more.
Buttoning up the shirt given to me, looking at myself in the napkin shaped mirror. The shirt was a deep green and a little scratchy, but it was free so i guess i should not complain.
Completing my early morning routine, folding my new shirt and pants for the next day, making my single sized bed and brushing my teeth, i was ready to go.
I walked past the alarm switching the little green light off, continuing to the almost closet size door opening it to see a shimmer of daylight hit the narrow halls.
4:59am, the time i have seen this past week, every morning of everyday. I hope it begins to grow on me a little more as the days go by.
I often wonder back to when i joined the Military, and always remember the reasons clearly.
Money.
For school, my family could never afford the schooling i needed to do so i had made my choice then and there. I would join the Military, serve for a year and get the funding i needed to continue my education.
Later i would find out that was never the case and things are not that easy.

Making my way the sub-court where the mourning always started, at breakfast. I took my seat as i had done for five days now with strangers around me, ones i care not to know. Most i would not see again.
Endless rows of clean cut tables filled with willing and unwilling soldier's eating there morning meal, my eyes would often raise to see the people around me. Most were as young if not younger then i was, not many females.
I put the toast to my mouth taking a bite of the over dried bread, maybe the eggs would be better as i put a piece in my mouth,....nope.
Twenty-five minutes was up and so was our breakfast, i removed my plate along with everyone else at the table i was seated with. Bringing it up and washing it out in sinks filled with hot foamy water then placing the plate on a drying rack.
I turned around to walk to the outside training field, and for a moment i saw blue eyes right in front of me, ....i was frozen in my spot. My heart had no words left, i could not speak.
"please move.." her voice was soft with a heavy Russian accent.
My mouth opend then smiled as i moved so she could clean her plate. Damn i felt like an idiot.
The day had ended faster then expected, and the only thing that helped it move along was those bright blue eyes.
That night i laid in the hard bed staring at the small digital clock, watching the green dots blink on and off.

On and off, on and off
Present day.
A green light flashed on and off telling me it was time to pull the rope for my parachute. She was here!!,...she was with me, right now at this moment.
I pulled the rope with ambition, my body jolted up as the wrinkled fabric exploded open above me.
Floating down silently, i tugged up on the hangers to help control the wind rushing against the open chute. The air was hot, humid. I could feel my body begin to sweat already.
Hovering over a small set of trees i pulled the hangers tighter to set me over just behind them.

Clashing a few top branches as i made my decent to a small hill.
We are in Peru, Lima, just outside the border of Junnin, hot as hell but the most beautiful place i had ever seen.
Landing with a crash, my right leg had made a sound i feared, the bone popped and felt loose.
"********!!!" a muffled voice screeched out from under the oxygen mask. I was more ashamed at myself then in pain.
I feel my arms lifted and my body dragged, it was my Sergeant in command.
"what is it?" he asks with control.
"my knee, i broke it" even through the mask my voice was filled with shame.
The Sergeant looked over the knee, feeling out spots that would be broke,
I could see the rest of the squad slowly making there way over, all i wanted was to keep this mask on.