Glenn's eyes surveyed the room. Most of them from within were either looking through the minuscule lens, manning the grenade launcher above the vehicle, or jotting down notes while awaiting some action. The DIVO ahead, First Lieutenant Mann, leisurely conversed with the Sergeant driving the hunk of metal down the terrain, which, to Glenn, felt more earthy than dry. His group had turned away from the base camp in search of another ACV seemingly stuck in some mud a few miles outward, yet the camp suspected an enemy was the cause. No matter the reason, he couldn't wait to step out of the cramped space that locked his knees to his six-foot tall body and the metal ceiling that dug into his shoulder blades.

A part of him willed the need to curse. He was in pain. Uncomfortable. Drowsy. Annoyed. The list went on. Had he spilled his guts about it all, the military would have his head on a spit. His opinions did not matter, this problem mattered more. So he scowled in silence, letting the soft bumps and side jolts toss him around like a ship in a stormy sea. Hearing the men chuckle and whisper jokes to one another as they approached the rendezvous point.

Then silencing the second the vehicle rolled to a stop.

"Eyes up, we got motion," someone said. Glenn's eyes raised, watching the men push and shove to each corner of the vehicle. He closed his eyes just to wake himself, listening to a few more voices he couldn't put a name to:

"Three-o'clock?"

"Yep."

"I can't tell if it's them or not."

"ACV's there. See?"

"Maybe they're trying to dig it out."

"Lights then. Code it."

He reopened his eyes; the First LT had gathered a flashlight, turning it on and off to the outside. Still, Glenn saw nothing, heard nothing, said nothing. Not that it mattered, he still wasn't entirely focused on the problem at hand. He didn't want to focus on it if it was this boring-

"Oh God..."

Glenn's head turned. First LT's eyes widened, dropping the flashlight to his side, already at a loss for words. Even the sergeant driving the vessel gasped in shock, his voice wavering on a broken tremble.

"W-What are those things?"

"Go," Mann growled. "Back up, back up!"

"Sir?"

"Fucking fire! Fire now!"

An onslaught of gunfire suddenly shook the ACV. Glenn flinched in fear, hearing roars and screams of pain coming from the outside of the vehicle. His heart was racing, eyes wide in concern and confusion. He had no clue what was happening.

The ACV wheeled around, skidding across what felt like a muddy clearing before plowing head first into a river's edge. Glenn gasped, snapping his fingers across the metal beam above, his legs swinging about uncontrollably. He heard a sound, like an animal, echoing from above, then a sickening crunch. The gunfire stopped; all eyes turned to the grenade launcher above the tank.

There was nobody there. Just the empty sky, and a trail of blood.

"Oh shit!"

Before Glenn could say a word, the vehicle suddenly struck something heavy, throwing most of the men straight into the wall opposite of them. Glenn fell to the ground with a shriek, hearing a soft groan coming from the ACV, then a crack. The whole room turned head-over-heels and flipped to the ceiling, throwing the bodies of the remaining men into its hilt, then rolling over again. Glenn was tossed back and forth, side to side, his head ringing as his bones met metal, and his skin splintered like glass. One more flip later, the ACV rolled onto its side.

And Glenn slumped to the ground with a soft thud.

...

His head continued to shake. There was nothing but silence here, and he knew that. His fingers trembled with the blood of his flesh, and his eyes dilated inward, adjusting to the bodily shock. Once he regained himself, he let out a soft cry of pain and dragged himself forward. The rest of the men weren't moving.

He didn't want to know why.

TO BE CONTINUED...