Fallen Angels

Chapter Three

My eyes struggled to open. I could hear voices, but couldn't see anything. Everything was either in Mandarin or just illegible. A name. My name, perhaps? Then I hear it again. It was like a distant echo. Maybe it was just my imagination, or the Mandarin molding itself to English in my mind.

"Porter..." I heard. My eyes opened. Light poured into my eyes. Not the bright, white sunlight, orange light. Fire. "Porter, wake up." My hearing was much more clear. I could make out what they were saying, and it was coming from the left. I turned over, looking straight at Baker. Baker had scars all over his face. A black eye signified someone had hit him intentionally. He was gripping his arm, and blood poured out of his mouth. Fuck, just what I didn't need, the Chinese. 

"There, you are." Baker said, lowering a hand to help me up. I took it, raising up to my feet. I took a moment to understand where I was. It was some sort of stone structure. There was a stairway leading upwards to my left, and to my right was a doorway outside, and I assumed it was an exit. There were three other people. Two traditional soldiers, one holding an an-94 and the other holding some type of shotgun. The third was an officer, carrying some sort of Chinese pistol. One of the soldiers was standing next to Baker, looking over at me. The officer turned to Baker. "Name?" He said in plain English. "Why should I tell you, communist piece of..."

The soldier standing next to Baker smacked him across the head with the butt of the rifle. Baker fell to the ground. I was about to retaliate when the soldier grabbed my arm. I looked over and he grinned at me as if it were nothing. "Don't do it, Porter..." Baker said, gripping his face.

"Ah, Porter. Get over here, American." The officer said. The soldier who hit Porter grabbed me by the collar, dragging me to the officer and then throwing me down to the ground. He then put a foot over my back so I could not get up. "Now, this will be nice and simple. I don't have any tools, so I will make my own. Tell me why the hell you Americans are in Bolivia and interfering with us."

I didn't say anything, and after a long pause the officer shrugged. "Very well. Bring him here." The officer started walking towards the stairway. The soldier took his foot off me and grabbed my collar again, dragging me up the stairs. We finally made it to the top. The officer was leaning against the side of the tower, looking over at the distant warfare. The soldier kept hold of me, but I was able to look around.

We were in a village, maybe in some sort of church or lookout place. There was a forest about a mile from here. Distant fields and villages were pluming with smoke. Fighters loomed the skies, shooting at infantry and other fighters alike. I could see infantry trying to fight a tank off, destined to fail. Abram tanks were quickly driving to assist, maybe they would get there on time. It was too late for me, anyways. The scene was beautifuly chaotic.

There was a small wooden chair in front of me as well, I knew what would happen next. The soldier shoved me ahead of him, closing an unseen door behind me. He then forced me to kneel down. "Last chance, capitalist pig. Tell me why you are attacking the People's Liberatoon Army or face the wrath of the red dragon." The officer spoke. I didn't say anything. The officer smiled. "It's good for you to not talk, we can take out time." With that he kicked me across the head, knocking me to the side. He then grabbed a rope from a utility belt. He picked me up by the collar and shoved me into the wooden chair. He then proceeded to tie my hands to it.

After he was finished, he took out a combat knife from his belt. The sun just started peaking over the horizon, allowing the knife to gleam. He looked at it for a moment, then looked at me. The officer walked over to me, holding the knife in front of me. It was stained with a crimson color, blood. "This was your friends knife. Baker, right?" The officer spat onto my face. "He told nothing. You tell me more?" He then stabbed me in the left thigh. He took it out quickly, then stabbed me in the right thigh. I grit my teeth, trying to focus past the pain. He left the knife there, watching me. He looked at the Chinese soldier behind me, then nodded. The soldier opened the door, walked through, and closed it. Only the officer and I were left on the tower.

"You Americans think your invincible, right?" He punched me across the face, forcing blood out of my mouth. "Let's see that happen. When I'm done with you, you'll be lucky to die with a bullet." He then punched me again across the other side of my face, forcing more blood out. He then rapidly took the knife out of my thigh, my legs shivering under the pain. The officer thought for a moment, then put the knife away and substituted it with his Chinese pistol. He aimed at the knife markings in my leg. He forced it into the wound, putting his finger onto the trigger. He fired once, and I felt the bullet fly through my leg and out the other side. He then put the pistol in my other leg, firing and letting the bullet lodge into some unknown essential in my body.

The pain was tremendous, and I continued gritting my teeth. "Tell me why the hell your here, GI!" He whacked me across the face. I then talked through a blood filled mouth. "Devin Porter, Captain, United Sta-" My words were cut off by the pistol fired into my chest. I yelled, knocking my head against the back of the chair. I tried to stay conscious. If I didn't the officer wouldn't hesitate to kill me. "You have a wife, Captain?" The officer spoke. I shook my head. The officer smiled. "It's for the best, no one will have to cry over your coffin." I kicked him right in the privates. He winced, walking backwards a little. For a moment I thought he would fall off, but he was able to steady himself.

"Play like that, American? Okay." He then walked back, took out a knife and stabbed me in the privates multiple times. I yelled again. The gritting teeth technique wouldn't work. I need another way to focus past the pain. My privates hurt like hell.

"The truth is, American, I want to watch you suffer. Your people will cause another world war. Asia is at war. South America is at war. Now North America." He raised the pistol at my head. "And since your allies with Europe, they will wage war. So tell me, I really want to know why your here." I smiled and started speaking through small tears.

"Since when did you know so much English?" I asked. My privates hurt very badly, and I couldn't explain it. Wasn't even sure if they were there anymore. The officer continued aiming at me. "You can learn things in war. Other languages, already know some Bolivian." I shook my head. "No no, somewhere else. Where?" 

Suddenly, I had become some sort of tormentor. The man got a little emotional. He wiped his eyes, but maintained focus. "Shut up, American! Why do your people hurt me so much! Why...are...you...here!" I didn't say anything else. He got very upset, quickly walking to me and grabbing the knife. He raised my hand, then cut off the thumb on my left hand. I yelled through more tears. I haven't been through torture, and already I was done with it. The officer smiled and cut off the ring finger. I yelled more.

Finally, he untied the chair, then grabbed me by the collar. He smashed me into a wall placed my head over the open air outside of the tower. He then stabbed the knife into the stone beside me. "Why!" He demanded. I said nothing. He grabbed the knife, stabbed me in the back, then grabbed his pistol and aimed it at the back of my head. "Tell me!" He pressed the trigger. 

A click, the magazine was empty. He threw me against the wall next to the door. He then ran over, grabbed my collar and opened the door. There was the soldier from earlier, standing outside. The officer threw me down the stairs, and I rolled over and over until I hit the first floor. I rolled for a second, the second Chinese officer running over. He aimed his gun at me when the officer spoke. 

"Hold fire. I want him alive. Let me see his friend..." I looked over at Baker, who was in some sort of makeshift cage. The soldier grabbed me by the arm, which was hurting tremendously, and dragged me into the cage. He then aimed the shotgun at Baker, signaling for him to get up. Baker got up, and the soldier grabbed him by the arm. He threw Baker in front of the officer. The officer looked down on Baker, kneeling in front of him. The officer started speaking. "Now you will die, filthy pig. No one will save you." There was sudden gunfire from outside, and everyone turned to face the door. The officer stood up, taking his pistol, and aiming it at Baker's head. Fuck, I didn't want to lose another man. Baker was a good man, but then again so was Francis. Why did they have to die? "Porter, I hope you understand that you caused me this..." The officer yelled.

Suddenly the door leading outside bursts open.