Drought Read online

don’t you try and use that stupid radio of yours again?”

  To his surprise, Mathis obliged. “Hightower. This is Chaos Two-Three actual. Respond. Over.” He paused for a few seconds while listening to the static. “Chaos Two-Three actual. Respond Hightower. Over.”

  “Anything yet Two-Three?” Cole asked bitterly.

  Mathis ignored him and fastened the receiver back into place. “Come on, gettin’ into pissin’ matches won’t help us none. The water won’t wait for us to stop arguing.” He began to proceed ahead once more.

  Cole eyed his flask. Quarter full. Mathis was correct. At this rate, they’d be dead sometime tomorrow or the day after.

  2:09 pm

  Cole stopped once more, releasing his M4A1 from its harness as it slipped into the sand with a soft swish. The matte black chassis seemed to shudder in the sunlight, as if screaming in pain. Dropping to his knees, he placed his gloved hands on top of the grains, taking a moment to recollect himself.

  Mathis crouched into a squat position and stared off wistfully into the distance.

  Cole panted sharply, feeling lightheaded and stunned, as if a flashbang had gone off. As much as his body demanded it right now, he refused to take another sip of his flask. He had to conserve his water until his body was flirting with a lack of functionality. It was dangerous and highly risky but if it meant he could hold out longer until he got out of here then… "Aren't you thirsty?" he asked Mathis weakly, looking up.

  "I am," came the simple reply as the large man began to smoke a cigarette.

  Cole grimaced. “What the fuck are you doing?”

  “Smokin’.”

  “No shit… Are you insane? You’re battling dehydration and you’re smoking?”

  “Calms the nerves.” Mathis shrugged and held the pack out. “Don’t you smoke?”

  “I quit.”

  “Since when?”

  “Now.” One less bad habit to carry over into his new life once he got out of here. How long had they been walking for exactly? He couldn't be sure. It had been some time. Perhaps three days. Maybe longer. His dry lips burned so much, they felt as if they’d been scraped against a rough sidewalk.

  It was becoming ever more tempting to take that one simple sip but he had to refrain. The journey ahead was incalculable, unbound.

  They had miles to go—maybe more, maybe less—into unknown territory with no foreseeable limits or boundaries in sight. Just… nothingness. Absolute desolation.

  "Three-Two." Cole looked up at Mathis. "You should take a drink. It looks like you could use it."

  "I'll be fine," Cole countered instantly. “You should stop smoking.”

  Mathis frowned. "Don't be stupid," he replied tactfully. "Your body’s sufferin’. You need to address the problem."

  Cole’s eyes narrowed marginally as a sinking feeling overcame him. Just why was Mathis so intent on having him use up what little water he had left? Standing up, the weary Army Ranger picked up his rifle and reattached it to his harness before wiping away another thick trickle of sweat. "Let's keep moving," he ordered.

  His dark skinned companion shook his head once before standing up, extinguishing the cigarette, and silently following suit while the afternoon sun continued its onslaught upon the two men below.

  2:32 pm

  Cole’s mouth felt as if it was peeling apart from the inside. The burning sensation within his throat had become excruciating. His mind began to race as chemical reactions within his body prompted him to overreact.

  He began coughing and heaving violently while struggling with the flask, unsuccessfully trying to untangle it from his belt. He needed it. A few drops of water at the least. Just anything. With his body shuddering involuntarily, his twitching fingers managed to let loose the vial as he fought to remove the cap.

  At last, the lid was successfully detached and before he could invert the flask to allow the precious liquid to soothe his mouth and esophagus, a gloved hand fiercely grabbed the vial away, causing him to fall back.

  He looked up venomously at Mathis, who glared back sternly. "What’re you doing Three-Two?"

  Feeling nothing but contempt, Cole’s emotions began to race. His sudden anger drowned out his body’s desperate cry for water. "What does it look like fool? What’re you doing? That's my water!" He grimaced in pain as the loud words coming out only added to his discomfort.

  For the first time ever, Mathis began to display signs of agitation and fatigue by breathing sharply. "Did you see your hands Three-Two? How unstable they were? You were about to empty that water everywhere but inside your mouth."

  Cole pursed his lips as he attempted to calm his surging anger. "Give me the flask Mathis, now..." he growled impatiently.

  Mathis appeared apprehensive for a moment as he eyed it with interest, glancing at how much remained inside. "Not much left in here huh Three-Two?" he replied after a moment's silence.

  "Give me the flask," Cole replied with an outstretched arm.

  There was another pause from the taller soldier before he practically tossed it back to him.

  Cole leapt up forcefully, snatching it in midair to ensure that nothing spilled out. With a snarl, he shouted, "What's wrong with you? You could've spilt it!"

  The look of indifference on Mathis’s face was back. “You're not yourself Cole."

  Cole snorted. "Me? Not myself? I didn't just throw the flask, nearly emptying the water!"

  "You're not yourself Cole," Mathis repeated a second time, in a more chilling manner.

  For the first time since the start of their journey, Cole felt the overriding warmth engulfing his body give way to an unfamiliar coldness as it crept all along his back, wrapping its bony fingers around his spine, just begging him to scream out in pain.

  Glancing down at his flask, he all of a sudden no longer felt thirsty.

  3:11 pm

  As Cole continued on clumsily, he noticed that Mathis had stopped.

  "Three-Two."

  The weary Army Ranger turned around. "What is it?"

  Mathis opened his mouth, as if searching for the right words before replying. "You didn’t save me."

  “What?” Cole shouted.

  “Nothing.”

  3:58 pm

  "Three-Two." Mathis had ceased walking again.

  Cole turned around irritably. "What is it?" he barked.

  Mathis swallowed slowly, making it look painful. "At this rate, we both won't make it."

  Cole frowned and muttered several curses under his breath before continuing on once more. "Not this shit again,” he snarled.

  “I’m serious Three-Two. Time to face the facts.”

  “Keep moving," Cole shouted over the side.

  "Why do you keep running away from your problems?"

  The words prompted him to halt, as he stood numb and rigid.

  Leah, his fiancée back home, would usually ask the same thing whenever they argued. Leah… What would she be doing now? Worrying about him? Worrying about whether he’d make it back home? Or was she possibly occupied with other tasks at the moment? He felt bad about how he’d left things the last time he spoke to her. They’d had another fight…

  He finally turned to face Mathis. "Stop talking and move. You’re worse than my lady back home."

  "We won't make it," Mathis stated simply, still rooted to his spot, the sunlight glinting off his dog tags.

  Cole’s patience was wearing thin. "We will. You have to have hope."

  "Hope is a last resort, given to those who have nothing left worth living for. It can play cruel tricks on the desperate mind."

  The cryptic words did nothing to soothe Cole’s temperament. "Mathis, just shut up and keep walking! Your B.S. ain’t helpin’!"

  "Is that an order?" Mathis spat back.

  The question caught Cole off guard as it was something most of the men in his unit would jokingly ask whenever he made a simple demand. “Just… Come on…” he said with a shake of his head before resuming his march.

 
4:22 pm

  By this point, there was no other way around it. Cole absolutely required some water to calm him down. Mental concentration and discipline had taken him so far but his body was in a total state of failure, threatening to shut down, as his aching limbs trembled violently. Sharp splinters of wood were crawling within his throat, dancing up and down its lining as they abused the soft tissue. Removing the lid from the flask, he tilted the vial as a thin stream of clear liquid seeped inside his mouth and down his throat.

  Even though the water was very warm, it was pure bliss. Never had it tasted better in his entire life. He wanted more, to simply let the entire flask empty away as he drowned himself in ecstasy, but he couldn't. He couldn't because the time and place wouldn’t allow it.

  Returning the flask back to his belt, he heard a boisterous laugh coming from Mathis. It was very uncharacteristic of the usually dark, guarded soldier.

  "Mathe?" Cole peered at him in question.

  The taller man continued to chuckle. "Couldn’t hold out Three-Two? Not like the Ranger in you is it?"

  Cole appeared perturbed for a moment. "Mathis, what's wrong with you?"

  At this, Mathis’s eyes widened considerably as a sly smile took hold of his face. "What's wrong with me? Three-Two, you sure you're askin’ the right question?"

  Cole’s eyes flickered all over Mathis, studying him curiously for a brief moment. Unconsciously, during that time, his right hand had tightened around the grip of his rifle but now, as realization of what he was doing sank in, he pulled it away. "We better keep moving," he stated cautiously.

  "Yeah of course…" Mathis responded quietly in biting fashion. "Onwards…"

  5:01 pm

  Cole now made sure to walk within fair distance of Mathis as the two men moved along. He had begun to get an uncomfortable vibe from the tall and muscular sharpshooter and one question in particular kept plaguing him as he thought more and more about it: Since the start of their journey through this surface hell, had Mathis ever taken a sip of his water at all? Cole could’ve sworn he hadn’t seen him do it even once. It was peculiar and odd… and impossible. But maybe Cole had simply failed to spot him doing so. Despite his heightened soldier instincts, the current motor functions of his body were processing at an all-time low. He was sluggish and not very attentive.

  A feeling of despair had crept up within the last hour as certain undesirable scenarios began to race in his mind.

  What if Mathis was right? What if they didn't make it? What then? Would the only two survivors of a violent ambush at the hands of several extremists fall to the derisive heat of the inanimate desert?

  "Three-Two." Mathis sliced through his thoughts. "You gotta understand."

  The Army Ranger turned, observing his comrade curiously. "Understand what?"

  "Open your eyes."

  Cole squinted and the permeating heat wave did nothing to soothe his agitated nerves. "Mathis, you feelin’ okay?"

  His counterpart grunted in amusement. "Better than okay. I’m whatever you want me to be."

  Cole had no reply. He turned on his heel and began marching on ahead again before he was halted by a sharp cry.

  "Cole!" the sharpshooter shouted vehemently. It was the first time he’d addressed him by his actual name. It gave him goose bumps. "Don't turn your back on me!"

  Letting out an exasperated sigh, he faced Mathis once more and with a cold look, said, "Mathis, you're not yourself. You're not well."

  “That makes two of us then huh?”

  Cole took several steps towards the larger man and stopped, a distance of ten feet separating them. "We'll stop when the sun falls and rest up for the night."

  "No rest," came the disapproving words.

  Cole shook his head. "We're resting…" he began.

  "No rest," Mathis stated clearly once more. He readjusted his large bag and walked past his tired comrade.

  5:34 pm

  Cole stared at his gloved palms in fascination.

  How old was he? He couldn't be sure anymore.

  He saw Mathis observing him from the side quietly. “What?” he shouted over some wind.

  His companion didn’t respond.

  5:57 pm

  The sun wasn't nearly as strong as before but nevertheless, it was a force to be reckoned with as it continued its merciless onslaught on the two figures below.

  Cole’s teeth were clenched as he blinked profusely and sweat invaded his eyes from above. Stealing a glance at Mathis over to his far right, he noticed the sharpshooter no longer walking as effortlessly as earlier. There were staggers in his step and the certain determination that accompanied him earlier seemed to have abandoned him now. For the first time ever, he looked human.

  6:07 pm

  "Cole," Mathis shouted authoritatively.

  Wiping more sweat away, Cole acknowledged him. "What is it?"

  It was hard to tell from the distance and the heat obscuring the surroundings but it appeared to Cole that Mathis had just smiled, albeit in a cruel and sinister fashion. It was strange to Cole how much differently his fellow soldier had begun to act. "Your girlfriend Leah…"

  “Fiancée,” Cole corrected.

  “Whatever. You think she’s waiting for you? She’s not. She’s already found another guy to fill her up.”

  The words stung, piercing Cole’s heart far more than he had anticipated, prompting him to halt. His eyebrows furrowed down into a scowl. "Watch yourself Two-Three."

  "You’re a coward…" Mathis enunciated the words mechanically.

  "Mathis, what's wrong with you?" Cole bellowed, his breath picking up.

  A deep, hoarse chuckle escaped the sharpshooter’s lips as it reached Cole’s ears.

  For the second time that day, Cole found himself easing his hand over the handle of his M4A1.

  Then, as quickly and unexpectedly as the laughter had come, it died down in much similar fashion as Mathis gazed back with steely eyes. "You're nothing but a coward you know that? You think you’re special, different from the rest and that you’re not just another lowlife degenerate, but you are.”

  “Shut your fucking mouth.”

  “You’re gonna die out here alone you know that? No one’s looking for you. No one’s gonna bother searching for scum. The sooner you accept it, the less painful your end will be."

  Cole’s patience was beginning to wear thin as his venomous eyes began to twitch. "I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t hear a single fucking stupid thing you just said. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about and I’m gonna blame it on the sun."

  At this, Mathis quirked an eyebrow. "Don't I?"

  Cole shook his head. "No, you really don't."

  "What makes you think you’re any different from these whackos we’re fighting?"

  "I don't kill and slaughter people mercilessly and without reason."

  "Not back home anyway. You just beat defenseless women instead while you’re drunk out of your mind right?" Mathis shot back.

  Momentarily stunned, Cole paused to collect himself. "You— You don’t even know what you’re saying…"

  Mathis’s stoic expression was turning darker by the minute. "Sure I do. You thought you were doing it for a purpose. Well the Iraqis had a purpose as well."

  "It’s time you shut your goddamn mouth and keep moving befo—"

  "They at least fought for what they believed in…"

  "I said keep moving."

  "They didn’t run away at the first sign of trouble. They fought to the bitter end and died with their brothers."

  "Don't test me!" Cole’s voice rose gradually.

  "You’re a coward who beats women and who went AWOL on his team."

  "Mathis!" The Army Ranger’s eyes were fiery and wide, creating a surreal image.

  "You should’ve died back during the ambush along with the rest of them you gutless piece of shit."

  "Eh…" Cole struggled for a split second with his emotions as they waged war within before erupting. "Damn
you!"

  Bringing his rifle up, he aimed and fired several rounds, the thundering sounds echoing across the great expanse.

  Mathis barely had time to react as he dropped to the ground and rolled around before pulling his pistol out and aiming back, firing off several shots of his own. The explosive gunfire chorused around them and Cole fell to one knee, clutching his left abdomen in pain. Grunting, he looked down at the dry blood on his stained uniform from the entrance of the bullet.

  Breathing heavily, he looked back across at Mathis. The sharpshooter glared back lividly, appearing ready to fire again but uncertain if he should. Cole’s shoulders continued moving up and down as he heaved at an alarming rate. He no longer felt the acute pain from the wound. It was numb now, as if having existed for days. Closing his eyes and shaking his head in shame, he dropped his rifle and bowed his head.

  "I'm… sorry…" he whispered softly, yet loud enough that the words found their target.

  Mathis remained motionless as he watched Cole collapse to the sand discouragingly and from exhaustion.

  6:33 pm

  The two men sat across from each other, their legs crossed as they stared at the same point in the sand from their respective positions.

  7:01 pm

  "Cole."

  "Yeah Mathis?"

  There was a lengthy pause and for a moment, Cloud was unsure if the other man would respond at all. "Why do you keep running?"

  "I... don't."

  Another momentary pause before… "Why do you keep running from your sins?"

  Cole surveyed Mathis blankly.

  7:56 pm

  The sun hung low but it was an irrelevant point in this case.

  Fatigued, aching, weary, starved and suffering from extreme dehydration, the two men marched along, now side by side, their shoulders briefly brushing from time to time.

  Mathis paused and clutched at his abdomen before collapsing forward with extended arms. It was the same area Cole had been shot. Cole, doing his best to maintain his own sense of balance as the disorientation and weakness began to spread, crouched next to him. His throat felt as if it were completely scalded from exposure to boiling water.

  "Mathis?" he choked out.

  "This is an effort in vain."

  "Mathis…"

  "Maybe… Maybe it's best we combine the water and one of us moves on."

  Cole weakly stood up, and with anger overtaking him, said, "No."

  "Come on… There’s only room for one of—"

  "I said no!"

  Mathis coughed once and nodded, wiping some blood from his mouth before standing up. He took several steps back. "All right Three-Two… We'll have to do this the hard way then."

  Cole stood poised and ready. "You've lost your mind Mathis."

  "Why don't you ever notice Cole? Why don't you ever notice things?" Mathis cocked his head to the side. "You're so oblivious. Damaged beyond repair."

  "We’ll get through this. We just gotta stay strong."

  Mathis shook his head. "Won’t listen huh? Fine. Time for some Darwinism. Winner moves on while the loser gets whatever fate this environment has in store."

  Cole anxiously studied the man ahead. Mathis stared back impassively, no trace of emotion now evident on his face. "We're not fighting Mathis."

  "No…" he agreed, "we're not fighting. We're doing an essential process of elimination." At that instant, his hand crept towards his holstered pistol again.

  Cole took a step back, pointing a finger