Lone Survivor_ The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 ( PDFDrive )

You’re probably not going to believe this, but my rifle was again right beside
me, and once more it was the thirst that saved me. Instead of just lying there, a
bloodstained heap in the hot afternoon sun, I thought of that water, now right
above me. At least it had been when I’d flashed past it a few moments ago.
I knew I had to climb back up there or die. So I grabbed my rifle and began
the long crawl to the drink that should restore my life. I scrambled and slipped
over the loose ground, and I am certain by now you have comprehended what a
truly horrible mountaineer I am. I can only plead the gradient. It was
unbelievably steep, not quite sheer but almost. A great rock climber would
probably have taken full gear in order to scale it.
Personally I’m not sure which I was worse at, going up or falling down. But
it was two hundred feet to that water. It took me two more hours. I blacked out
twice, and when I reached it, I plunged my head in, just to free up my tongue and
throat. Then I washed my burning face, cleaned the gash just below my hairline,
and tried to get the blood to wash off the back of my leg. I couldn’t tell whether
the sniper’s bullet was still lodged in there or not.
All I knew was I needed to drink a lot of water and then try to attract
attention and get to a hospital. Otherwise I did not think I would survive. I
decided to move up a few yards to where the water was lapping off a rock and
splashing into a small pool. I lowered my head and drank. It was the sweetest
water I had ever tasted.
And I was just getting into this real luxury when I noticed there were three
guys standing right above me, two of them with AKs. For a moment I thought I
was hallucinating. I stopped drinking. And I remember I was talking to myself,
just mumbling really, flicking between reality and dream.
Then I realized one of them was yelling at me, shouting something I was
supposed to understand, but in my befuddled state I just couldn’t get it. I was
like a badly wounded animal, ready to fight to the end. I understood nothing, not
the hand of friendship, not the possibility of human decency. The only sensation
I could react to was threat. And everything was a threat. Cornered. Scared.
Suddenly afraid of dying. Ready to lash out at anything. That was me.
The only thought I had was I’ll kill these guys...just give me my chance. I
rolled away from the pool and held my rifle in my get-ready position. Then I
began to crawl away over the rocks, braced all the time for a volley of AK
bullets to rip into me and finally finish me off.
But I “reasoned” I had no choice. I would have to risk getting killed by these
guys before I could hit back. Dimly I recall that first character was still yelling