The Road to Haifa
Chapter 4 — Broken Lands
by Alyssa Plant
 
Her hands were covered in blood and her face was hot with tears. As she attempted to stem the blood flow, she screamed,“MEDIC!”

 

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 Chapter 4 — Broken Lands.

After passing several groups of people on the street, Sarah began to realise that nobody was giving her strange looks, and she began to relax.

Annoyingly, Mira seemed oblivious of her stress.

With a slightly shaking hand, Sarah pulled a cigarette from her bag and lit it.

Inhaling the sweet smoke, she felt the nicotine work its way into her blood stream, calming her nerves slightly.

Why was this such a big deal to her? The countless missions, enemy fire, fear of death didn’t compare to walking down a street in a skirt. Stopping for a moment as she walked to stare off into the distance and take a drag on her cigarette she realised for the first time in her life, this mattered.

The bullets never mattered, the enemy combatants, the bombs, the danger… She was a place keeper then. It wasn’t her life she was living, it was David’s…

Slumping down with her back against the stone wall she sat down on the roadside, pulling her legs upto her chin, and felt her eyes moisten. This was her.

If she was seen through now, it invalidated her. SARAH. Being seen as a man would be like a bullet to the head. She wondered which would hurt more.

“You ok honey?” asked a worried Mira kneeling beside her.

“I’m sorry; I’m just a bit shaky.” Sniffed Sarah. “This is all so new, I’m scared.”

Mira grimaced. “I’m really sorry.” She sighed rubbing Sarah’s shoulder. “I keep forgetting you haven’t done this before. You just seem so….” She frowned searching for the right word. “Normal?”

Sarah shrugged whipping her eyes “I’m not DOING anything….” She sighed. “I’m just being me… no different to how I normally am. That’s what’s making me so nervous…. Like I’m wondering if I’m doing things wrong, and stuff…” she trailed off.

Mira nodded solemnly and pulled herself to her feet, offering Sarah her hand. Once the two were on their feet, she enveloped her friend in a tight hug.

”Nobody on this planet, never mind this dusty back end of nowhere can see anything than my beautiful friend.” She whispered.

Smiling weakly Sarah broke the hug and reaching for Mira’s hand, set off towards the city centre with a new purpose. This could be a mission too… her mission now had purely selfish goals.

Sarah Yakobavitch did not lose.

Reaching the central shopping district of the city, the two began to peruse the shops and boutiques that filled the busy streets.

Initially very awkward, Sarah began to acclimatise to the fact that she was infact, a girl, and as such, allowed to be in the women’s section, and trying on clothes. Each time she saw a mirror, she saw less and less reason to fear discovery.

She was a young woman shopping till she dropped… or till her friend allowed her to drop.

”Here try this.” Beamed Mira in a way that suggested it was an order as opposed to a suggestion.

Sarah eyed the dress cautiously. It was a blue silk dress that covered part of one shoulder, and her upper arms, whilst barely reaching bellow her crotch. It was loose and flowing and was beautiful to the touch.

“Do I leave my skirt on to try this?” She asked curiously. Unsure as to weather it was simply a long top she was being too paranoid about.

“Nonsense girl, get down to your undies and I want you in that pronto.” Announced Mira as she began shooing Sarah back into the changing room.

After stripping down to her underwear, Sarah turned to face her latest objective. Conquer the not quite a…dress…

With a small shrug she slipped it from the hanger and proceeded to step into it and pull it up her legs.

The first thing she noticed was the shock. The silks touch against her skin was an alien feeling. She immediately wanted the dress, no matter how indecent it may prove to be.

After being sure she wasn’t flashing, she stepped outside the changing cubicle to find Mira perusing another rack.

“Mira?” she called quietly.

Mira turned and dropped the top she was holding; “Oh my god, you are getting that.”

Sarah grinned and ran her hands down her body feeling the smooth material.

“This dress feels AMAZING.” She beamed. “Are you sure it’s decent?” she stage whispered.

Mira nodded enthusiastically. “You look amazing.” She grinned.

Smiling, Sarah returned to the changing rooms to admire her image in the mirror.

She couldn’t believe how well the dress fitted her. How had she missed this so long? She didn’t look like a man at all. Even knowing the sad truth, it was hard to believe she wasn’t her own sister.

Back in her original outfit, Sarah hoisted the pile of clothes onto her arm and proceeded to the till to ring up another expensive trip.

“You know we should get some lunch now if you….” Mira started but was cut short by a deep vibration that shook the shop and a deep rumble like thunder.

Both girls looked at each other wordlessly.

“Stay here.” Sarah commanded, and in one motion pulled her magazine from its holder and locked it into the magwell of her carbine.

“STAY HERE MIRA.” She yelled as she made for the door.

As she stepped out onto the street, she saw a mass of confusion. Looking both ways in the mass of human panic she saw smoke rising further down the street.

Her worry was gone; she had switched herself off to personal troubles. Her training kicked in as she moved down the street in the direction of the blast, her carbine shouldered.

As she neared the blast, she saw the entire front of a small shop was missing, black smoke billowing from within. There were security forces around the shop, trying to see past the smoke, clearly awaiting the arrival of the fire services.

Sarah’s eyes immediately noticed the sign above the shop, or lack of… It was a disused building. This made no sense.

Why would the terrorists target an empty building?

It clicked….. Diversion!

Moving through the crowd to the store front Sarah grabbed one of the higher ranking police officers at the scene by the collar dragging him around to face her.

“Miss excu…” he began

“I’m Sayeret Matkal, This isn’t the main attack, the place is empty; your men are in the wrong place.” She barked.

Realisation dawned on the man’s face. Sarah began to sprint back up the street the way she had come. Behind her she heard the thunder of boots following her almost synchronous with the thumping of her heart.

The terrorists were flushing people towards their attack. This wasn’t the normal hit and run cowardice normally employed. This was organised.

She hoped Mira had the piece of mind to remember her job and Contact the headquarters. Sarah realised she would need her comrades; things were beginning to go from bad to worse.

Elbowing her way through the sea of people Sarah fired her carbine into the air, the bark and flash temporarily stunning the panicking civilians around her.

”GET BACK.” She screamed at the surging crowd. Locking eyes with the police officer, she saw him nod and bark at his men, forming a cordon pushing those that could be contained back down the street.

Sarah turned and ran.

As she neared the end of the street she came into a small courtyard surrounded by shops and café’s. A corrale in the city’s narrow winding streets…

As she scanned the area around her, she heard the bark of a Kalashnikov on the far side of the courtyard.

Spinning on her heels, she saw several men wearing Shemaghs and balaclavas firing into the crowd and throwing grenades.

Moving to cover she raised her rifle. She didn’t have a shot; there were too many civilians in the line of fire.

“Shit.” She muttered and vaulted the small wall she had been knelt behind.

Moving down the flank of the courtyard, she was partially covered by market stalls and café fronts from the sight of the gunmen.

Rounding a small Coffee Vender’s cart, she raised her rifle and put several rounds into the scull of the nearest gunman.

He jerked and dropped heavily sideways, his weapon sliding across the cobbled floor.

The other 4 men had not heard the shot or seen their comrade fall.

Sarah switched to semi automatic and carefully adjusted her position.

There were too many civilians, it was a clusterfuck.

She slowly raised her rifle to her eye, and aimed down its sight.

A gunman was in the act of pulling the pin from a hand grenade. Without thinking, Sarah pulled the trigger.

As the puff of red mist sprang from the man’s chest she saw the grenade fall to the floor by his feet.

She watched as the man toppled forwards on top of his own grenade. Absorbing the brunt of the blast, but showering the surrounding area in a bloody shower.

She wanted to cry but she hadn’t the emotion to spare or the time to herself. Mechanically she moved off at a sprint towards the nearest cover.

By the time she reached it, her own volley was accompanied by the pop of more ar15s being fired.

Within seconds, the remaining terrorists had fallen.

Looking around her Sarah saw the olive uniforms of IDF troops and police forces swarming the area.

In a daze she stared around intently; trying to force herself to catch sight of any further threats.

Satisfied that they were safe. She quickly ran towards the fallen civilians and knelt by a young woman in the courtyard who was bleeding from her chest and whimpering quietly.

Tearing the woman’s blouse open she put her hands to the bullet wound bellow the woman’s left breast.

“Hush, it's ok.” she soothed to the young woman.

Sarah felt tears running from her eyes as she looked into the woman’s eyes.

Her hands were covered in blood and her face hot with tears as she attempted to stem the blood flow.

“MEDIC!” She screamed in a half sob.

The woman coughed and gripped her bloody hand. Sarah felt powerless as the woman slowly died.

After what felt like an eternity two paramedics reached her and took over from her attempts to stabilise the woman.

Wiping her eyes, Sarah stood and looked around her at the sea of carnage. There were people screaming and dieing around her and she was powerless to do anything.

Hot tears ran down her cheeks and burnt her skin as her tears blurred her vision.

“Sarah!” she heard the voice before it registered that it was Mira calling her name.

She turned to be enveloped by a hug from her friend.

“Are you ok?” she asked, looking concerned.

Sarah nodded weakly. “I’m fine, I just….” She sobbed

“Hush baby.” Mira cooed. “You did what you could.” She soothed, rubbing her friend’s back.

“I…” Sarah sobbed, trying to calm herself. “I’m fine now.” She said. Not quite sure if she was telling herself or Mira.

“Yakobavitch?” Sarah turned towards the voice calling her name. She came face to face with several of her unit.

“David? What the hell, man?”