80 Wash and repeat

We'd been going out each night for nine months now. We'd spent the last nine months doing the same thing, over and over again I've no idea how many we'd dispatched, but it was certainly having an effect. Fewer soldiers were coming through the various passageways and there was less action during the day as well.

 We slept during the day whilst the soldiers took up the fight during the daylight hours. They would return come dusk, covered in various states of blood from those who had tried their luck in coming through during the light hours. They would head for the bath house as we would be getting up. We’d all meet, swap information as to movements we’d encountered and then after eating, we’d leave to prowl the night whilst they slept for yet another, wash and repeat.

We were all exhausted and although we had lost no-one during the night, the soldiers had taken a hit. Their numbers were down from the initial battle when they arrived at the frontier fort. That flag meant nothing and it became more and more apparent that those coming through were as much part of the Zhang prefecture as the Zhang forces themselves.

My question and that of many of the soldiers, was why were we sent here? What was the ultimate aim? And why did the Zhang troops seem so reluctant to do anything except protect their barracks?

Now it felt like a lull, a quiet before a fresh storm overtook us once more. All we could do was keep going and wait. 

I sat on the door step to our barrack house. I'd fallen in love with sticky rice balls and today I was slowly eating my way through one stuffed with green tea paste.

Xin walked over and plonked herself beside me. "The night feeders were out in force last night. Do you think more meat eaters are finding their way here?" She looked at me eating the rice ball. I broke a piece off and scooping some of the green tea filling, handed it to her. "Thanks."

"I think they have increased in numbers recently. We seem to be coming across more and more. What worries me is the increase in wild dogs and big cats." I took another bite from my rice cake, " at some point we're going to run into trouble."

"I know, I'm worried, what if we start losing men to them?"

"I'm not convinced they'll chase us when there's so much dead stuff lying around. Easy meal." I looked at her, " we wouldn't be so easy." I laughed, "they'd have to chase us, kill us, then eat us. That's a lot of work when there's a dead corpse just over the way."

I finished the snack and licking my fingers, "okay, so we would do well to have a meeting with everyone before we go out tonight. Let's discuss this and what tactics we need to employ. What do you think?"

Xin nodded. Standing up, " I'll let the others know. Shall we meet here as usual?"

I agreed. Seems the most sensible thing to do right now.

"Officer Chen, there's a meeting between the Bǎo Special Forces and the two ladies before they go out tonight. They asked me to inform you and asked if the officers would be willing to join them."

Hao Yang looked at the Attendant as he spoke, "yes, I think this sounds useful. Let the other officers know. Where are we meeting?"

"They said, the usual place." 

Hao Yang gathered his things together and readied for an important meeting.

"It's getting harder to move around out there. The dead outnumber the living and the meat eaters roam freely, picking what they fancy."

"Yes, it's dangerous for us too. Those animals are bold and swipe at us. We'll be killed as well."

" My worry is the spreading of disease. Normally, the dead are carried off, burned, but these lay strewn about. The smell is really bad."

"Why can't we just stick them in carts and give them back. They'll know it's a warning. We'll know it's clearing the land around us."

The conversations went on, the officers listened to all the comments, weighing up their relevance.

"The numbers coming through has fallen. Isn't it time we moved the meat eaters on? Get them to cross through the gorge and maybe play on the other side?"

One of the most senior officers raised his hand, calling for silence. "Thank you gentlemen, ladies, you've given us plenty to think about. You're dismissed. Return to your barracks and remain there until we come to our decisions. Until then, relax. You are not to leave the fort without further orders."

"Sir!" The chorus went up and we shuffled out of the meeting. 

I looked at Xin, "I want to get out and look about. I've heard many a mountain cat recently. I think they're gathering for the easy feeding. Soon they'll be fighting over scraps. I don't want that. We've lured them away from their territories and possibly to their own deaths."

"You worry about your world don't you. War really does make a mess of the natural beat of the Earth, and yet no one seems to notice that destruction do they?" Xin wrapped her arm over my shoulder, " you care too much that's our problem."

"No Xin, it's not I care too much, it's....its....its just....., I love my world, my life, my ways and this war is.... destroying it."

Xin squeezed my arm, "I understand. I want to go home too." She lent her head against mine and we walked back to our room to await our orders.