Wizards’ World War (s.3): Dispatch 7- Mexican Standoff (January 2013 Blog Chain)

Right, I nearly missed this one. That’s a bad habit I need to break. So….

January 2013 Blog Chain

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Starting Date: Monday, January 7, 2013
Open to all forum members, even after it starts!This month’s prompt: 
The Number 13With 2013 upon us, now is the time to thirteen it up. Anything from “Happy New Year 2013” to “Triskaidekaphobia” and all points in between!Instructions:
Simply post your blog’s URL in this thread to join. Each post should be less than 1000 words if possible. Read and comment on other participants’ posts if you possibly can–they’ll be doing the same for you!

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Seasons 1 & 2 – Dispatch 6 – Dispatch 8

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 Ciudad de Tijuana,  Baja California-Estado de Mexico, Estados Unidos Mexicanos, 13 de febrero, 7:15 hrs -8 GMT

Staff Sergeant Malhoon manned the light machine mount atop the lead Humvee in the patrol.  In thirteen years in the Corp, he had seen it all and seen it twice. From boot to the middle of nowhere and back again. He earned his fair share of Purple Hearts and scars along the way. The streets of Tijuana didn’t look any different from Baghdad or Kabul, except the signs were in Spanish instead of Arabic. After several cross border “incidents” the Mexican government agreed to “joint” patrols with the U.S. military. This morning patrol was supposed to be the first join mission, but somebody screwed up the force assignments and the L.T. told him to get the platoon moving while he sorted it out.

He whistle the first bar of the Marine Corp. At that moment he spotted the words “Montezuma’s Revenge” spray painted on the side of building. It disappeared in a blink of an eye. As the convoy maneuvered around heavy traffic it encountered a protest group blocking the avenue. At that moment the face of school girl, no more than nine years old, caught his eye. The girl, wearing a school uniform jumper, smiled Malhoon. Then the face warped into grotesques forms: pustules, fangs, horns and blood. The endless pounding of a beating heart filled his ears. The smell of cordite and blood suffused his nose.

He aimed.

He fired.

The girl crumbled.

People screamed.

The world spun.

He fell.

Hands pushed against his throat.

His life ebbed.

The light dimmed.

They rushed him across the border to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego. The doctor took one look at the bullet wound that through Malhoon’s throat and declared him DOA.

One little girl: Martina Andrea Alvarado.

One shopkeeper: Mario Antonio Rodriquez.

Two Marines: Private Louis Coltrane and William “Bill” Malhoon.

A protester: Gloria Maria Santos.

And nine wounded from Marine fire.

Thirteen casualties, four dead, nine wounded.

One casus belli.

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Well I hope you liked it and as always check out the rest of the chain.

Participants and posts:

orion_mk3 – http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com (link to post)
Ralph Pines – https://ralfast.wordpress.com (link to post)
SRHowen – http://srhowen1.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
areteus – http://lurkingmusings.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
angyl78 – http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
Amanda R.: http://www.twoamericansinchina.com/ (link to post)
randi.lee – http://emotionalnovel.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
ConnieBDowell – http://bookechoes.com/ (link to post)
writingismypassion – http://charityfaye.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
Araevno – http://www.simonpclark.com/ (link to post)
Briony-zisaya – http://fantasywriterwannabe.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
Kewii – http://kellyneeson.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
katci13 – http://www.krystalsquared.net/ (link to post)
HistorySleuth – http://historysleuth.org/ (link to post)

MsLaylaCakes: http://www.taraquan.com/ (link to post) [Jan 9-10, 24-]

Bumped:
bmadsen – http://hospitaloflife.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
pyrosama – http://matrix-hole.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
gell214 – http://gelliswriting.blogspot.com/ (link to post)

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