After the second explosion and the grunting Pig, there was little left of the VC that had charged toward them. Chris had shot another, he had watched the red blossom on the man’s chest before he fell. When the distinctive popping of the AKs died down, he felt a thrill that they had won and he smiled a toothy grin. 

“Hey, man, I got one!” he exclaimed just as the flare exploded in the sky. His laughter died and he huffed a breath, even dying Charlie was an asshole. 

If the grenades and gunfire did not zero in their position then the flare certainly would, it was likely a known signal and soon the trees around them would be full of the enemy. Chris rubbed the sweat from his brow, cleaning his glasses on his t-shirt before glancing at the two black men next to him. He felt that  slight trembling in the limbs and the pounding of his heart. It was a rush to be in combat, to be at the edge of death and look right at it and spit in it’s face. Not this time, bro. It was like shredding a heavy and coming out the other side and Chris had come to realize not long after getting over just being shit scared was that he was starting to enjoy the shot of adrenaline that came with a gunfight. It was ass puckering for sure but what fun things in life weren’t? In the quiet moments it bothered him that he might like it too much, but his dad had told him not to be a coward and disgrace him anymore than he already had. Well, fuck it, Dad. Chalk another body up for you, he thought. It was only when he thought of Diana that he felt a little bad. Touching the silver ring around his finger, he tried not to remember her and concentrate on the job they would have when more VC showed up to the party.

“Chuck’s gonna choke on that pork,” he said, with a small chuckle at his own joke before reaching for his radio and shooting a look towards Davis. “Hey, Sarge? Wanna make a phone call and maybe arrange for a ride?”