thought.
“Tech, do you know where the rest of them went to?”
Luis Garcia spoke up from the armory, “Mike, some of them were killed when they tried to get into the tunnels, but a lot of them headed to the smoker.”
“Is there anybody out at the smoker?” Mike asked.
“Matki’s here. He said he saw Mitchem and Ben out there earlier.”
“Can anybody locate Ben or Mitchem?”
“No, they checked the sleep tunnel, but nobody can find them.”
“Roger Luis. Ken, did you hear all that?
“Yeah Mike, I heard.”
“What do you think?”
“We can’t leave them out there.”
“Yeah, I agree.”
“Everybody hear that?” Mike asked.
A chorus of voices replied in the affirmative.
“We can’t leave Ben out there, we have to go and get him.”
“What about Mitchem?” somebody asked.
Mike paused for dramatic effect, “Well, we’re going out there anyway, might as well pull his ass out of the fire as well.”
Chuckles, and a few out right laughs came over the channel.
“Ken, let’s move out of the tunnel, and then we’ll move in formation over to the smoker.”
“You got it, Mike.”
“You want my team to go out first?” Mike asked.
Murphy spoke, “Mike, we got this.”
“You sure, Murph?” Mike asked.
“Yeah, Mike. You spec ops types try to keep hoggin’ the spotlight. Time for us to get some of the glory.”
Ken was in charge of security, but Murph was its heart and soul. Ken was a great guy, but the security team would cowboy up and ride to hell for Murphy. Murph knew that, but he didn’t have an ego problem. Ken was lucky to have a non-commissioned officer like Murph. It worked out for Murph. He hated meetings, so he was happy that Ken was ‘in charge.’
Ken took over, “Okay, we have to secure the courtyard first. I need Joseph and Murph in the lead.”
“Jesus,” Joseph said.
“Okay, since Joseph doesn’t want to be first in the chute, Stein, you’re up.”
Stein replied, “Roger.”
“Wait, I didn’t mean . . .” Joseph started.
“I don’t have time for your crap, Joseph. Murph, Stein, Joseph, me, Bill, Craig, Scott, and John. Stack up in that order. Murph, you go straight out, Stein left, Joseph right, then we alternate as we go. Questions, suggestions?”
Mike spoke, “Ken, we’ll follow you out, alternating in your pattern. Don’t forget to watch top side for spawn that may be on the wall.”
“Roger Mike, I’ll take center, and watch the top of the wall.”
Ken did one more check of his team, “Alright, go, go, go!”
Mike and his team were still watching the front opening. He couldn’t watch what was going on, but he heard one shot, two, and then three. More shots rang out, and the pattern intensified as the security team dealt with the threat in the courtyard.
Mike felt Mickey move away, and then felt a smack on his shoulder as Mickey let him know that he was moving. Mike moved back, smacked Everett on the shoulder, and turned to head back to the courtyard. Mickey’s bulk blocked Mike’s vision beyond Mickey’s back. Suddenly Mickey was outside, turning left. Mike ran out through a curtain of water, turned right and walked into chaos.
Carcasses of spawn sprawled across the courtyard, blood and water slicking the cobblestones. Drapier was down, possibly due to the slick surface, though there were dead spawn around him. Joseph and Yee were standing over him, shooting at spawn coming down the steps. The spawn leaped toward the three Airmen. Drapier started cursing. There was yelling and more shots rang out among the howls and snarls of the dragon spawn.
“Bad Idea, Mike,” he thought. He was running and gunning, shooting to take down the spawn that were still coming at the Airmen. Something came out of the dark and slammed into him. His feet couldn’t maintain a purchase on the wet cobblestones and he went down, tumbling across the courtyard. He slammed into the legs of
“Tech, do you know where the rest of them went to?”
Luis Garcia spoke up from the armory, “Mike, some of them were killed when they tried to get into the tunnels, but a lot of them headed to the smoker.”
“Is there anybody out at the smoker?” Mike asked.
“Matki’s here. He said he saw Mitchem and Ben out there earlier.”
“Can anybody locate Ben or Mitchem?”
“No, they checked the sleep tunnel, but nobody can find them.”
“Roger Luis. Ken, did you hear all that?
“Yeah Mike, I heard.”
“What do you think?”
“We can’t leave them out there.”
“Yeah, I agree.”
“Everybody hear that?” Mike asked.
A chorus of voices replied in the affirmative.
“We can’t leave Ben out there, we have to go and get him.”
“What about Mitchem?” somebody asked.
Mike paused for dramatic effect, “Well, we’re going out there anyway, might as well pull his ass out of the fire as well.”
Chuckles, and a few out right laughs came over the channel.
“Ken, let’s move out of the tunnel, and then we’ll move in formation over to the smoker.”
“You got it, Mike.”
“You want my team to go out first?” Mike asked.
Murphy spoke, “Mike, we got this.”
“You sure, Murph?” Mike asked.
“Yeah, Mike. You spec ops types try to keep hoggin’ the spotlight. Time for us to get some of the glory.”
Ken was in charge of security, but Murph was its heart and soul. Ken was a great guy, but the security team would cowboy up and ride to hell for Murphy. Murph knew that, but he didn’t have an ego problem. Ken was lucky to have a non-commissioned officer like Murph. It worked out for Murph. He hated meetings, so he was happy that Ken was ‘in charge.’
Ken took over, “Okay, we have to secure the courtyard first. I need Joseph and Murph in the lead.”
“Jesus,” Joseph said.
“Okay, since Joseph doesn’t want to be first in the chute, Stein, you’re up.”
Stein replied, “Roger.”
“Wait, I didn’t mean . . .” Joseph started.
“I don’t have time for your crap, Joseph. Murph, Stein, Joseph, me, Bill, Craig, Scott, and John. Stack up in that order. Murph, you go straight out, Stein left, Joseph right, then we alternate as we go. Questions, suggestions?”
Mike spoke, “Ken, we’ll follow you out, alternating in your pattern. Don’t forget to watch top side for spawn that may be on the wall.”
“Roger Mike, I’ll take center, and watch the top of the wall.”
Ken did one more check of his team, “Alright, go, go, go!”
Mike and his team were still watching the front opening. He couldn’t watch what was going on, but he heard one shot, two, and then three. More shots rang out, and the pattern intensified as the security team dealt with the threat in the courtyard.
Mike felt Mickey move away, and then felt a smack on his shoulder as Mickey let him know that he was moving. Mike moved back, smacked Everett on the shoulder, and turned to head back to the courtyard. Mickey’s bulk blocked Mike’s vision beyond Mickey’s back. Suddenly Mickey was outside, turning left. Mike ran out through a curtain of water, turned right and walked into chaos.
Carcasses of spawn sprawled across the courtyard, blood and water slicking the cobblestones. Drapier was down, possibly due to the slick surface, though there were dead spawn around him. Joseph and Yee were standing over him, shooting at spawn coming down the steps. The spawn leaped toward the three Airmen. Drapier started cursing. There was yelling and more shots rang out among the howls and snarls of the dragon spawn.
“Bad Idea, Mike,” he thought. He was running and gunning, shooting to take down the spawn that were still coming at the Airmen. Something came out of the dark and slammed into him. His feet couldn’t maintain a purchase on the wet cobblestones and he went down, tumbling across the courtyard. He slammed into the legs of
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