The Chameleon Soldier: NOW AS AN ALIEN BLUE HE CANNOT DIE. (31 page)

“How the hell did you arrange to join this company?”

She seemed to sense his anger at her being there, and didn’t answer him.

“Don’t you realize how dangerous these patrols are?” Killian persisted. “For Christ’s sake, Dolly, the gooks have tunnels all over this area.”

“That’s why I’m here. I’m a reporter who’s reporting on the war.”

“And you could be a dead one soon. How’d you get permission to do this?”

“Most companies are allowing reporters to accompany them now” she answered.

“Okay, but how’d you get Captain Wheeler to allow you to join this company?”

Dolly smiled. “I told the captain I was a friend of yours, and you suggested it.”

“What? I never did!”

“Of course not, but the captain didn’t know that.”

Killian was pissed off, but there wasn’t anything he could do about her being there.

“I’ll talk to the captain as soon as we get back, and straighten this out. This isn’t any place for a female reporter.”

“You do that, Killian. In the meantime, leave me alone.” She walked away.

Killian couldn’t let it go. He now felt responsible for her.

Over the next hour, as the platoon, led by a scout, Lieutenant Jamison, and a radioman, moved through the jungle, Killian stayed a short distance from Dolly Blue, keeping an eye out in her direction. At the first sign of danger he planned to protect the headstrong reporter. It was the first time he’d been in a war-like situation when a woman was present. He didn’t like it, and muttered to himself as they walked through the jungle.

Then, from behind them, without any warning, the Viet Cong, like ants, began pouring out from an underground tunnel. They were yelling as they fired AK-47 assault rifles and SKS semi-automatic carbines at the platoon. The Americans hit the ground and returned fire. The Viet Cong continued to rush the American patrol. Bullets flew, grenades were tossed, and flamethrowers belched out bursts of fire. American and VC soldiers screamed in pain as they were killed. Killian was moving toward Dolly Blue when he saw her take two hits to the chest. She was flung backward like a rag doll. As Killian fired and killed the Viet Cong who had shot her, he was hit in the leg, but he continued firing at the other gooks. The fighting had become disorganized with both sides firing at one another at close range, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Killian could feel bullets striking his body, but he had the advantage of not being able to die by gunfire. He killed every VC who got near him. Dead men covered the ground, both Americans and Viet Cong.

Killian knew he was in bad shape. He glanced across to where Dolly Blue was lying; it was obvious she was dead. Then he felt the pain of a bayonet going into his back. He pulled away, and fell to the ground. Standing over him were two Viet Cong, their bodies dripping with blood from many bullet and knife wounds. However, they were grinning and Killian knew at once that they were Blue Warriors. Then they morphed into tall Navajo Indians. One of them was Lupan.

“Lupan!” gasped Killian.

Lupan bared his white teeth. “Yes it’s me, Taglito Silaada,” he hissed. “After all these years, and now I have you.”

Killian tried to rise, but Lupan jabbed the bayonet into his stomach. He fell back. He could feel the pain of the bayonet as well as that of his other wounds, which were beginning to heal. He could also see the wounds of the two Navajo’s were healing with similar speed.

Lupan snarled as he twisted the bayonet in Killian’s gut, and then turned to his fellow Blue.

“Narvezgane, pick up that flamethrower, It’s time we put an end to this red-bearded soldier’s life. He has lived too long.” Lupan threw back his head and laughed.

Narvezgane turned and approached a dead soldier lying on the ground, who had been holding a flamethrower. But he was startled; when he saw a woman pick up the flamethrower, and point it at him. As the reporter, Dolly Blue stood facing Narvezgane she transformed into a tall, long-haired Navajo Indian woman. Narvezgane stopped and stared at her.

Lupan looked over, equally shocked at the woman’s transformation. “Doli, it is you!” He hesitated, as though incapable of believing what he was seeing. “Look,” he shouted, pointing at Killian, “We have the evil Taglito Silaada, who has killed so many of our people! Set him on fire, Doli, send him to his death!”

Killian lay stunned as he watched Dolly Blue, or Doli, whom he had thought dead, standing before Narvezgane, transformed into a Navajo Indian woman. He stared at her in disbelief.

“No!” the woman shouted back at Lupan. “It is you and Narvezgane, who are murdering monsters that need to die. Lupan, you are both evil Navajo Blue Warriors. Years ago you murdered my parents and my older brother because they would not join you. I have been looking for you these many years!”

“Get her, Narvezgane!” yelled Lupan.

Narvezgane started to move toward her. She pulled the trigger on the flamethrower, and the Blue Warrior was instantly set ablaze. He screamed as he was set on fire. He turned into a wolf standing on its hind legs. He howled, and then there was a bright flash of blue light, followed by a ribbon of blue-white smoke that ascended up into the sky.

As soon as Doli set Narvezgane ablaze, Lupan sprinted for the tunnel opening, and dove in. Doli started to go after him.

Killian sat up and shouted at her. “No, it’s no use! He’s gone; it would be too dangerous for you in the tunnels.”

“I can’t let him get away.”

“It’s no use. By now Lupan has transformed back into a Viet Cong. You’d never find him.”

Doli halted and came back to him. “Are you going to be alright?” she asked.

Killian gave her a pained smile. “The stomach wound is the worse, but they’re all healing.”

Doli dropped the flamethrower to the ground, and knelt next to him.

“I have been following you, Killian. I was sure you’d lead me to Lupan. Now I’ve let him get away. I’m angry about not killing him.”

“You saved my life. Someday we’ll find Lupan, and end his evil.”

She nodded. Doli stood up and looked around at the bodies of the Viet Cong, and the American soldiers.

“I’m going to see if any members of the patrol are still alive, but I don’t think so. I know Narvezgane and Lupan would have killed any soldiers who were still living.”

Killian started to get up.

“No, you heal. I’ll be back in a minute.”

She walked away as Killian lay back in the grass, letting his wounds painfully heal.

Minutes later she returned. She stood looking down at Killian and shook her head.

“They’re all dead, even Lieutenant Jamison.”

“When the Viet Cong stage an ambush, they always send two or three men out front,” Killian told her. “Their job is to destroy the radio, and kill the radio operator so neither he nor the officer in charge can call for help. The lieutenant and the scout were the first to die.”

Doli sat down next to Killian. He shot her a puzzled look.

“I wonder why I didn’t know you were a Blue. In the past, I’ve always known when another Blue was nearby.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman.”

Killian smiled. “It could be. I’ve never encountered a female Blue before.”

For a few moments there was an awkward silence.

“Doli, how did you know I was a Blue, and might lead you to Lupan?” Killian asked.

“I was able to sense it, plus I knew Taglito Silaada was a tall white man with red hair and beard. You were looking for Lupan, as he was for you.”

“I guess I’m easy to spot.”

“You are.”

Killian stood up and stretched stiffly. “These are the worse wounds I’ve ever suffered.”

“Are you healed now?” she asked.

“There’s still some pain. But I’m okay. How about you? I saw you take two hits to the chest.”

“I’m fine, totally healed. The wounds were small.”

Killian stood looking at the field of carnage. “The rules of engagement state that the dead are never left behind. They’re to be extricated to the nearest safe ground, if humanly possible. This is an impossible situation. The only thing we can do is to remove their dog tags, and return them to headquarters.”

One by one Killian carried the dead American soldiers to a collection point, which was next to the body of Lieutenant Jamison. Doli collected all the dog tags.

When they’d finished Doli looked at Killian. “How do we explain our not being killed or wounded?

“I’ve been thinking about what to tell them at headquarters.”

“And…”

“You stepped in a hole and sprained your ankle.”

“I did?”

“Yes, and I stayed to help you. We fell back a few hundred yards behind the patrol. We heard the firefight begin, but by the time I caught up to the battle the slaughter was over. Everyone was dead. Maybe some of the gooks retreated back into the tunnel.”

“Will headquarters buy it?”

“I believe so. It’s well known the Viet Cong like quick ambushes and battles. They strike and run. This time they killed the entire platoon.”

“Yes, it makes sense.” Doli thought for a moment. “Why’d you stop me from going into the tunnel? I might have found Lupan. The VC couldn’t kill me.”

“I told you, it was dangerous. It would have also been futile. The VC has built an enormous system of underground tunnels. They’re not just concealment shelters, but fighting bases to provide troop support, plus,” he smiled, “you’d never fit into the tunnel; you’re too big.”

Doli shot him a kiss-my-ass look.

“The Viet Cong force the villagers to build the tunnels low and narrow, so only people of their stature can move through them,” Killian explained. “Our soldiers call them ‘spider holes’. Most westerners are too large to move through them.”

“I could have transformed.”

“Yes, but still it would have been too dangerous.”

“She nodded. God, this is a weird war, Killian. We’re not only fighting in the sky and on land, but underground as well.”

As they walked back toward their base camp, Doli morphed back into Dolly Blue.

“Damn, that’s it,” said Killian.

“What?”

Killian grinned. “I just figured out your name, Dolly Blue. Doli is the Navajo word for ‘bluebird’. Doli Bluebird is Dolly Blue.”

“Took you long enough to figure it out, smart guy.”

A little over an hour later they were outside their base camp.

“What now, Killian? We can’t walk in looking like this.”

“I think we can make it to our tents unseen and change clothes. Later, you go see the medics and have your ankle treated. I’ll report to Captain Wheeler, and give him these dog tags.”

“That’s your plan?”

“It’s the best I’ve got.”

They circled the camp, and entered near the back of their tents.

“Remember to limp,” said Killian.

Captain Wheeler accepted
Killian’s report. His face was as pale as death as he looked at the pile of dog tags on his desk. He fumbled through them and held up Lieutenant Jamison’s tag.

“Jamison was only a kid.” He looked at Killian. “For Christ sake, they were all baby-faced kids.”

The Captain arranged for copters to go in and evacuate the bodies of his men.

Later in the evening, after Doli had submitted her story of the day’s events to her newspaper, she and Killian went to the Caraville Hotel. As soon as they reached the rooftop lounge, they were joined by Ellen Devoe and other reporters eager to hear about their tragic day. Dolly sat with her well-wrapped left ankle resting on a chair seat, answering questions. As Killian watched, and occasionally answered a question, he made the decision to go back to the States.

After leaving the hotel bar, and while returning to the base camp, he and Doli discussed his decision. She didn’t like the war any more than he did. Doli, however, wanted to pursue Lupan.

“Doli, I understand your feelings. I want to find Lupan as much as you do. But this isn’t the place. He’s joined the Viet Cong, and is living in the tunnels, which are long and complex. They weave hundreds of miles between dozens of villages. This is now his territory, he knows it well, and we don’t. It could be months or years before we’d find him again, or maybe never.”

“I’ve been looking for him for a hundred years. What’s a few more, Killian?”

He grinned. “So have I, but I’m going to be patient. He’ll come back to the United States someday.”

Doli didn’t say anything.

“I’m going to check and see what time I can get a flight back to the States. If you change your mind, let me know.”

The next morning Killian met with Captain Wheeler. He informed him he’d had enough of Vietnam, and intended to catch an afternoon plane for the United States. The captain understood. The two men embraced and wished each other well.

When Killian exited the captain’s tent, Doli was waiting for him.

“Do you think you could help me with this luggage?” she asked.

Killian smiled, picked up her suitcase, and they headed to the airport.

O
n the plane,
Killian told Doli the story of how he’d become a Blue, of his being in the military, and of serving during the Civil War. He told her about his ranch in El Paso, about meeting his best friend Kipling Smith, and about Zack Smith’s ranch in Virginia. He also told Doli how he had gone after Lupan when he took to killing the despicable people in charge of the Indian boarding schools, and of his later involvement with the team investigating the CIA, and the Mafia’s connection to that organization. He finished by telling her about Vietnam, and the death of his friend Connor Boyle.