Their Call, Calico: The Series
Part Eight
◀ Back to Part Seven | Table of Contents
Based on Original Published Work by Author
☯ Legend on reading Calico’s/Armistice’s Life:
☴ Indicator for dialogue: “ ”
☶ Indicator for thought, and lyrics: Italic Font
☱ Indicator for action: Bold Font or wording with quotations.
☳ Poems and Songs [ are indicated ]
☷ Names : Bold Italics
☵ Setting set inside: Brackets: {SETTING}/{BOLD}
Calico’s innocence is far from dissolved. His cage is broken.
Rendemra a bit weaker, now, tugs the leash with jerking pulls as he ascends the stairway.
The two of separates, go through the gate into the village.
{ It is strangely silent. }
Rendemra:
“( looking around as to why there are no hymns being sung, or torches being lit) Brottos, grubbies! ”
{ Silence goes through the fields, through the mountain tunnel, the Hall of Fountains, while weaving through Rendemra’s scope of determination.}
Rendemra:
“ Not today! Not today! The gorilla whore are here, and I do not have a Lemur to sacrifice. Pathetic destruction of the gorilla whores : Calico, you’ve destroyed everything! I won’t be able to make it back in-
I have to go on my own. Think, think. Yes…”
Rendemra starts to pull furiously on Calico’s leash. Calico keeps trying to breathe as he moves into Rendemra’s space.
As he edges near the psycho of all pure kinds, Rendemra grabs the end of the leash and draws it back to lash Calico against his skull.
Calico blanks out. Rendemra then drags Calico’s body back to the gate and ties the leash to it.
Rendemra:
“ Refrain from movment before I return, or the clannars will be ordered. I have to look my best to play the part. They must always be ready to solely serve our population on arrival. I will return for your corpse, bear.”
{ Grand Mama Yama Tattoo Shop, Seoul, South Korea — one year ago.
The sound of the door sensor electronic chime sounds off, as one of Yongshan Garrison’s Lieutenant waltzes in. Behind him is a civilian, an expat living in Seoul for business.
The Lieutenant goes by the name, Armistice Silver; the expat, Lionel Brushing.
Armistice is wearing a t-shirt with uniform camo trousers.
Lionel, a casual button-downed red shirt. He has a rugged beard, one long beaded dreadlock, which he lets sink into his shirt, and a dragon-like falcon on his neck.
It’s midnight. }
Armistice:
“ Okay, okay. I mean it could be any bird of prey right? It doesn’t have to be a Phillippine Eagle, right? How about a Harpy Eagle?
Lionel:
“Armis, you clearly lost. A bet is a bet. Last thing you need to hear about when I see you at the billiards room at your base, is how you were dishonest around a civilian.”
Armistice:
“ How old are you?! I am beyond wasted.”
Lionel:
“ You’re going to get this whether you like to or not. In the morning it will be a very valuable lesson for an astute military gent like yourself.”
Armistice:
“ What did you put in my drink?”
Lionel goes over and talks to the owner and describes what to put on Armistice’s chest.
Armistice, reclines on a nearby spa table. His eyes wander into a drunken meditation and smiles. He laughs a bit, and then calms down and looks around for Lionel.
Is this all a dream? Did I not clearly ram Lionel’s boss’s Hyundai Genesis into a red mail post, betting him 900,000 won I could use my elbow to drive stick?
Armistice:
“ Hey Lion boy, I haven’t felt like this since I was twenty-one, man!”
Lionel goes over to Armistice.
Lionel:
“ In a sense, you did me a favor. My boss is an asshole.”
Lionel is also a bit woozy as well. He puts his hand on Armistice’s hand as if to stable himself. Armistice’s eyes look towards Lionel’s, but can’t seem to reach them. Suddenly, he loses his balance and knocks over Armistice with the spa table.
The owner comes over, and yells at them to get out.
Armistice contorts into laughter followed by interchanging drawn-out belches.
The owner goes back to his phone to call for the local police. Lionel folds his legs back up and is about to make a run for it, but he stops and helps get Armistice to his feet.
Unfortunately, Armistice can’t seem to stand up correctly, and he leans on Lionel’s back for support. As Lionel kicks the door open, {the scene looks as if he just rescued Armistice from a burning building. They continue to head out as the police sirens approach their position.}
Armistice fades out.
{ Armistice’s eyes open up. It’s 3:00 AM on the dashboard clock.}
Lionel:
“ I was pretty sure you could handle your drinking, but shit, man. Don’t your army buddies mention about soju?”
Armistice:
“ That was ahh yah. Still feeling it, baby. ”
Lionel:
“ Look, I don’t know what time you have to be at your post, but I’ll take you to my pad. You’re too buzzed for the bus, you know how they’re out here with out-of-whack Americans?
You remember when we first met, when you were at Zama?”
Armistice:
“ Tokyo was sweet.”
Lionel:
“ I still think about what you did, and — ”
Armistice zonks out.
{ It’s 7 am, Armistice slightly gives into answering the morning sunlight. He looks down to see that he is sitting, legs bound by rope to a metal chair.
Somewhat frightened, Armistice pans around with eyes still blurry. He feels sensory in his hands and body. A stark realization enters his boundaries.
He is naked. Dread fills his visible state.
Waxed cement flooring is below the metal fold-up chair, and the room is layered in bricks. There are bags of … if only he mastered Pyojuneo, he thought.
Just ahead of him are cut pieces of rope. Armistice feels an itch come to his wrists, and sees rope marks.}
Did someone remove my arm bindings?
Armistice, looks around and tries not to make too loud a sound. He begins to untie the rope around his ankles and stands up. Immediately, he begins to vomit. He then tries to hold it together.
He goes to a door ahead, and it opens with a simple twist of the handle. The sunlight beams in.
It’s a bear enclosure at a South Korean zoo. Brown bears are wondering the landscaped layout, and the door closes shut behind Armistice. Armistice tries to open it- and it is locked shut.}
Why did he do this to me? I remember, I stood up for him when Ryan and Arnon wanted to punch his lights out. He touched my leg, and they took him by his arm.
{ Armistice wakes up, and sees that he has vomited all over a pillow.}
Lionel:
“ Easy there, Armis.”
Armistice:
“ I remember.”
Lionel:
“ What aspect of last night?”
Armistice gets up and removes his shirt as Lionel’s eyebrows raise. He takes Lionel’s hand away from his coffee, and uses his finger to draw the eagle tattoo on his chest.
Lionel:
“ And what does this mean?”
Armistice lets go of Lionel’s hand; he’s confused, and oddly, he feels betrayed by this abrupt response. He wants to respond, but no, it’s clearly not what he wants. He goes back to his shirt, turns it inside out and tucks it back in.
Armistice:
“ Look, the sheets, I am sorry, man.”
Lionel:
“What about the sheets?”
Lionel proceeds to take another sip of coffee.
Armistice:
“What’s gotten into you? Look, I can get you more sheets from the base. It’s my fault.”
Lionel:
“ You remember anything else?”
Armistice:
“ Like… the car? Shit, I am sorry.”
Lionel:
“ I don’t have a job anymore, how am I going to support my children?”
Armistice:
“ Well, okay…children?!”
Lionel:
“ You clearly thought wrong.”
Armistice:
“ I don’t know what this is (a twinge emerges from his cranium, as a bead of sweat drips under his ear and his face warms up)…
I have tried to work out the complexities. I thought why do I keep wanting to see you. I thought you were — so I should be your way, too.”
Lionel:
“ What are you trying to work out? ”
Armistice:
“ Fuck me, geeze. I don’t know what I thought. We keep meeting, at least I see you, and you make me feel like a different man, like someone I lost.
I don’t know what I am trying to say. It must be in my head. Shit, I have men to train. I need to clear my mind. (exhales) I got to piss.”
Lionel:
“ Okay, just two doors down.”
Armistice:
“ I can find it.”
Armistice comes out of the bathroom even more stressed out, and he begins pacing. He looks up at Lionel, and then back at the mess he made.
Armistice:
“ You touched my side, my shoulder, my leg, my hand; you practically did whatever you wanted with me last night.”
Lionel:
“ I just moved you onto the bed, I guess your body did the rest.”
Armistice:
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?
I am taking this way too hard, that’s what this is.
I mean you just lost your job because of me.”
Lionel:
“ You do have quite a chest. Is that what you want me to say?”
The room is shrinking, what is going on with me?
Armistice:
“ You, you really? Aw, fuck!”
Armistice goes up and delivers a piercing glance to Lionel.
Armistice:
“ Can I see your hand again?”
Lionel:
“ Sure? ”
Armistice takes Lionel’s hand and slowly moves it over his chest. Armistice begins to breathe, more intensely.
Lionel:
“ You okay, Armistice?”
Armistice pulls Lionel’s hand down to his crotch.
Armistice:
“ I bet you would rather feel this, too?”
Lionel:
“ The fuck? ”
Armistice knocks Lionel over and starts to gnaw his lips as if to devour them.
Lionel:
“ Get the… Hell out of my home!”
Armistice:
“ I own you. You need this, you want this. ”
Lionel:
“ You’re ravenous! You mean nothing to me.”
Armistice:
“ You mean everything to me, and you want me to see you as the same. To feel you.
I’ve thought about you since Tokyo.”
Lionel:
“ Two years… Armistice…Leave; whatever sexplay this is…. this friendship is finished. ”
Armistice is furious. Nights he has spent. Sleepless nights. If he didn’t have a victory, his efforts needed a payoff.
He goes up to Lionel, takes his coffee cup and throws it across the room and it shatters against the window.
{In the next door apartment it awakens a baby, and the loud wails begin to drive anger and fear between Armistice and Lionel. }
Armistice:
“You absolutely want this, and you’ve made it very clear. A touch can be so many things, but the language coming from you… Oh, that’s just rich. You know exactly what you’re doing!”
Lionel is terrified. He backs up and his hand darts for the gun in his top desk drawer. His fingers fumble through sheets and paper, and there it is… the handle.
Armistice:
“ Did you make sure the safety is off? If you want a clean shot, you better be ready to do so. Something you’ve probably done several times to me without me ever knowing. But I’ve definitely felt it, bits of it… ”
Lionel, pulls it out and fires it at Armistice’s leg. Blood begins to run through the camo down to the wood board flooring.
Lionel:
“ This is your last warning, Armistice. ”
A silent tear forms out of the screaming and huddled footsteps of the neighbors next door, runs down Armistice’s neck. He backs up a bit with his hands up in the air.
Armistice:
“ Do you know how much you put me through? How much I had to hide and lie, just to see you again? ”
Lionel walks closer to Armistice, and moves the muzzle against Armistice’s temple.
Lionel:
“ Make up your mind…
You really… are fixated on me.”
Armistice’s hand goes slowly to Lionel’s dreadlock and slowly runs his fingers down it.
Lionel punches the gun into his head, and Armistice falls back onto the bed.
Lionel:
“ You were always… useless. Go back to your boys on your base. Semper Fi to your job, not your dick! Get out! ”
Armistice, quickly rolls to the side and kicks out Lionel’s leg and he falls against a garbage pail, losing the gun on the floor.
Armistice then pounces on Lionel unleashing his inner Therochordis, to eliminate what he had longed for during his service. He disarms Leonel permanently.
He, then takes a long drag of Lionel’s lips, and yells against his chest.
{The pain in Armistice’s leg is unbearable and he falls to the right of Lionel.
Sirens. Loud knocks at the door}. Armistice fades out.
{ It is late into the night. Armistice and his platoon deploy from the helicopters into Woraksan Park. The bamboo stalks sway and tap and flap against each other as the helicopters take off to survey the area by spotlight. }
Armistice:
“ Okay, Bravo, go to the farthest end of the perimeter and find that Lead weapon. Alpha, let’s go through the main gate. Mission papers, Team Leader Kenneth.”
TL Kenneth:
“ Here you go, sir.”
Armistice:
“ Okay, we’ll make a beeline past the detected Buddha statue into the gate. Okay team: rifles out, lights on, no speaking; follow my signals. Understood? Let’s go. We don’t get paid by our loitering.”
Armistice kisses a dog tag in his shirt and proceeds to lead his team.
{ Team Leader Kenneth goes to Mirra Campbell towards the end of the group and they begin to have a conversation as the team examines the area before progressing further.
The rain begins to stream into the forest, and the mist fogs up their goggles. }
TL Kenneth wipes his goggles.
TL Kenneth:
“ You think Armistice can handle another mission? His metal leg set us off the last mission in the detector at that dog breeding meat packing front near Chon Buri. Two civilians and one pooch — it could have been a hell of lot worse.”
Mirra:
“ The man’s complicated. Ever since his friend died in that suicide, he hasn’t been the same. My brother died from suicide. You can never tell who cannot handle life. I always doubt myself, like if I should have done this or that and looked for the signs…ya, fuck. It hurts, man.
Their death stays with you all your life. Let’s get on, Kenneth, there’s movement up ahead in those bushes. ”
Armistice is ahead of them, and signals to hold up the team. He then indicates to make a perimeter around the bushes.
TL Kenneth:
“ I got 12, you get-”
Mirra:
“ 6, Ken, I am on it. ”
Armistice moves forward, and the bushes shake some more.
{ The flash of lightning flickers against the mist, followed by the mounding barreling of a loud drum passing by.
Armistice moves forward to prod the bushes with his rifle.
A water deer nimbly gets up, and looks back, and then eyes Armistice’s rifle light. Its ears move back and forth.
Armistice stands up and holds his neck, as he thought its head was that of Lionel. He squints. The deer walks away into the rain.}
TL Kenneth:
“ That deer had serious teeth. Is everything out here like this?”
Mirra:
“ Pussy… Haven’t you ever seen a water deer? What do we do with it, Armistice? Should we follow it?”
Armistice:
“ Lion-deer — Water deer, I mean are fine, just, don’t pet its jaw. Anyone, have a canteen? I left mine on the copter?”
TL Kenneth:
“ Take mine, sir.”
Armistice nods, and takes a swig of water, and wipes his mouth.
Mirra:
“ Okay, sir? ”
Armistice:
“ Team, let’s continue. Kenneth, our target should be — give or take 200 yards in front of us. Have your machetes ready to cut through debris and vines. Let’s move out.”
Armistice walks ahead, and a build up of rage suddenly drives him to cut through bamboo that’s not even in their way. Taking swipes at it, his mouth opens with each slice.
Quentin (of the team):
“Sir, are these blocking our trail?”
Armistice:
“(he slows to a realization) … No…I guess not. We could use some bamboo sticks. They’re always useful. ”
TL Kenneth:
“(whispers to Mirra) I told you, so.”
Armistice coughs, drinks more water and puts the canteen in his belt. He signals to move forward.
They approach the tunnel with the tiger paintings inside.
Mirra:
“ They’re still in good condition. I wonder, what the detection of lead on this is? I’ll take a picture, sir. “
Armistice:
“ Follow Campbell’s initiative. We need to collect pictures, sketches and paint samples. If you spot it, bag it up. Keep moving. Fifty yards. ”
{ The rain increases. They’ve reached some stairs, and Armistice stops everyone in their tracks. He puts his hands to his ear. }
Armistice:
“ You hear that ? ”
Quentin:
“ Sounds like multiple animals moaning and growling, sir. A high likelihood those are mammal.”
Armistice:
“ How many would you estimate there are up ahead? ”
Quentin:
“ Fifty, possibly one-hundred.”
Armistice:
“ Safety off. ”
Quentin:
“ Confirmed.”
TL Kenneth:
“ Confirmed.”
Mirra:
“ Confirmed. ”
{ Above the stairway through shrubs is the moving of orange and black stripes fastened to a vertabrae column. }
Pengall peers through the vines at the gorilla whore troops, below.
Pengall:
“ What do we have here? This wasn’t on Rendemra’s plan of the antiwonian conclusion. ”
Lothrall:
“ It has been a while since we’ve dined on the flesh of the gorilla whore. ”
Tortristur:
“ They have weapons and switch lights. Let’s use the heron trick.”
Pengall:
“ Yes, that will be wondrous. Let us dine.”
Another larger clannar, Jurgusan, slowly approaches to Pengall’s side.
Jurgusan:
“ There are others we have detected going to the opposite end. They have already murdered a wild boar.”
Pengall:
“ You serve us well, Jurgusan. Time we do not have: proceed. To serve Rendemra.”
Jurgusan, Tortristur, Lothrall:
“ Unto Death.”
The clannars dematerialize into the mist.
{ A lightning bolt strikes a bamboo grove up ahead, and the sound dominoes through the group. Armistice, as he is leaning against the wall near the stairs, suddenly sinks against it. The wall is drenched in water and dripping glazed mud. He pushes himself from it, only to fall back in a trench near the stairs. }
Armistice:
“ Shit! ”
Armistice starts to claw himself back up from the trench, and his platoon helps him up.
Mirra:
“ Armistice, you oka — We need to call the helicopter to get you first aid supplies — the snake, pin the snake, Quentin! ”
Mirra reacts as she sees the snake uncurling from his leg.
Mirra:
“ Quentin, what is it? What type of snake?!”
Quentin who is trying to hold the snake, gives up as it falls out of reach.
Quentin:
“ Shit, Armistice, shit!”
Mirra:
“ Get your mind together, Quentin! You specialize in taxonomy, correct? You worked at the Smithsonian? Botany, Biology, Zoology, I read your CV. Quentin, Focus!”
Quentin:
“ Gloydius… blomhoffii. If I am correct… The viper family… A Moccasin, or a Japanese Mamushi. ”
TL Kenneth:
(turns on his walkie talkie) “ We’re going to need medical backup, our platoon commander, Armistice Silver has been — ”
Armistice:
( pulls the walkie talkie out of his hand, and whispers ) “Stop, Kenneth. Don’t make a sound.”
{ Pengall’s head surfaces out of the mist and he opens his mouth to showcase his teeth. Kenneth’s back is facing Pengall, but Armistice, Mirra and Quentin have eyes on the tiger. }
Mirra:
“ I have a head shot. Can I take it? Sir.”
Sudden realization passes into Armistice — Any gunshot, and our enemy could have our position; dead in the mist.
Armistice:
“ Machete or bayonet blades only. Everyone else, keep your lights on the target. Careful, Mirra.”
Mirra hands her rifle to Kenneth, and unclips her M9 bayonet blade. Carefully, she turns around moving her weight to her outstretched right leg. She, then quickly lunges forward to Pengall. Pengall doesn’t attack, instead he whimpers and backs up slowly. He appears to be completely timid and runs off.
Armistice:
“ Beautiful, Mirra, problem averted.”
Mirra walks back.
TL Kenneth:
“ I’ve never seen a tiger in the wild act so timid.”
Mirra:
“ Well, you’ve never seen this chica show off her survival skills like a luchadora meets Rambo ( she flexes and kisses each of her biceps).”
Armistice, suddenly keels over onto the ground. He laughs to himself, and then Mirra rushes to Armistice and gets him by the hand.
Armistice:
“ You held my hand… Whoa, strange, got a little light headed, there. Mirra, thanks.”
Quentin:
“ You only have maybe an hour max. Camostat.. that’s it. Don’t think that we have it in the helicopter, but maybe back at HQ. ”
TL Kenneth moves to the side as some debris hits his eyes. Lothrall pounces at Kenneth biting him directly in his face.
Quentin starts to shoot his rifle at Lothrall.
Armistice:
“ What the hell did I tell you?!”
Pengall pounces and snatches Mirra’s leg tossing her down onto the drenched forest floor. She rolls and stabs him in the ear. Pengall shrieks. Other clannars navigate to the area.
Jurgusan comes to the scene holding a torn off-hand from the other platoon team in his jaw. Blood is dripping from his whiskers.
{ Armistice’s platoon is cornered. }
Kenneth struggles to feel for his helmet chin strap to take it off, and the tiger lets go. A chunk of his face hangs out like a swung-open cabinet door. He tries to speak but blood pours out his face and through his mouth.
Armistice unhooks his M67 grenade behind his back.
Armistice:
“ Here kitty, kitty. ”
He tosses the grenade as far as he can towards the tigers ahead of them.
Pengall knows exactly what that object is, but he can’t hear his own growls. The tiger lets go of Mirra and tries to leave, but Mirra has another M9 bayonet blade on her belt and stabs him in the chest. The animal falls over.
Armistice:
“ Flight Zero Code Alpha T XO, pronto! ”
Mirra:
“ You know that move takes off everyone’s salary.”
Quentin puts the safety back on his rifle and goes to Kenneth who has fallen to his knees, as Lothrall succumbs to his bullet wounds.
Kenneth tries to speak, but his jaw bone tears out through his wound.
Quentin:
“ Brother, you were always a great leader. Try to hold in your breath. Let me try to stop your bleeding… Mother always said you’d become a general and make our family proud.”
The grenade explosion rattles the forest.
The brottos leave Gammina at the Zen Labyrinth, and start to head towards the noise through the Palace Temple’s dragon gate doors.
Kenneth can’t get words out, but only bubbles, blood and saliva.
Mirra:
“ He’s your actual brother?! I have a military background, but I’ve never heard of family members being able to serve so closely, especially in a private military company. ”
Quentin rips his shirt and tries to make a tourniquet. The tourniquet doesn’t hold under the tearing skin.
He holds his brother’s back as Kenneth starts to give into the injury. Quentin holds his brother’s hand.
Armistice leans against the wall, {and blood drips out of his nose onto his shirt. He realizes he doesn’t have long, either. The same feeling came to him when he was kicked out of the military after the loss of Lionel at his own hands. He found this high paying private military not long afterwards through Mirra (who he met in Tokyo). Clearly, this group was more rag-tag on a premium budget. }
Quentin:
“ I love you, brother.”
Kenneth’s right eye rolls, and his body becomes limp.
Mirra puts her hand to her mouth. She quickly, takes Quentin’s rifle, turns the safety off, and starts blasting it towards the forest, screaming.
Armistice pulls himself out of the moment and gives a nod towards Mirra.
Armistice:
“ Let’s go. Leave your brother, Quentin.”
Quentin, closing in an embrace with his brother’s corpse, is quaking and rocking in sadness.
Mirra:
“ This is war. This is always war. It’s what we’re hired to avoid, but we just walked right into it.
Either we leave you to die, or you get out of here with us, now.”
Quentin doesn’t budge. He feels like he has lost everything.
Armistice gets up and tumbles over and separates Quentin forcefully from his brother. Quentin punches Armistice in his stomach. Armistice spits out blood on Quentin’s face.
Armistice chuckles.
Armistice:
“ You don’t want to make two of us, do you? Quentin? ”
END OF PART EIGHT
Including Content from the original story published in the author’s work
The Trails To Attrition © 2007, Wasteland Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 9781600471520© 2024, Their Call, Calico: the Series
Wasteland PressAdam Mullin (a.k.a. Good Day, Adam)
