“Here’s the safety.” He touched a long, manicured finger to a lever next to the handle. “Keep that on until you’re ready to use it.”
“Thanks,” I said, reaching sideways to give him an awkward hug.
He stood unresponsive and I felt him stiffen under my arm. “Yes, well, if someone has to go, I’m glad it’s you.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said, easing my duffel over my right shoulder. Night had fallen. It was time to leave.
“Other side,” Marius instructed. “You want to leave your firing hand free.”
I opened my mouth to protest, because really, who was going to shoot at me in the middle of camp? But then I shut it. Marius was right. I needed to stay in position to defend myself, if only because I needed to get in the habit.
“Do you know how to use all those?” I asked him as he returned the weapons chest to its place.
“I wouldn’t have them if I didn’t,” he said, his back to me.
Rodger and I exchanged a glance.
“Be careful,” Rodger said, closing in to smother me with a bear hug.
“Piece of cake,” I lied, before heading out into the night.
* * *
The red dirt path was bathed in flickering torchlight as I made my way silently across camp.
There weren’t a lot of people out, and I thanked my lucky stars I’d managed to hit the lull between dinner and late-night debauchery. Most of the people out were either returning from shifts that ran late, or catching up with a friend before heading out to the club or home for the night.
I nodded to a pair of nurses going the opposite way, my hand sweating against the canvas strap of my bag, the gun in my pocket bumping against my leg with every step.
Don’t mind me. I’m just going AWOL.
Lord help me. I hadn’t even snuck out of the house as a never-wild and anti-rebellious teenager. The consequences, namely disappointing my father, had seemed too high. So why not make a go of it when I was only risking my medical career and my life?
My heart pounded and I was tempted to turn back, go home, forget I’d even run into Marc. I’d gone ten years without him. Why not another ten? Or twenty for that matter?
But I had to figure out what was happening over at the MASH-19X. I tightened my grip, straightened my back. I was the only one who could.
The oracle had predicted a hideous new weapon. It was bad enough that the war would start up again soon. If I could learn what was happening, if I could prevent some of the horrific injuries, some of the senseless death, it would be worth it.
Please, let it be worth it.
The helipad was set up on a hill overlooking the surgery tent. I ducked into the shadows between surgery and recovery and tried to stay as inconspicuous as I could. I was a shadow. Alone.
Breathe in, breathe out, I reminded myself as I made a dash for the unlit side of the hill. I didn’t dare take the main path. It blazed with torches, and I wouldn’t have been too surprised to run into a few guards as well. We kept some of the helicopter fleet gased up and ready to go at a moment’s notice. This was a strategic place in more ways than one.
I battled up the rocky ground, bracing my hand against the sharp stones when I felt myself slipping. There was no way to do this quietly. The rock crunched like glass under my feet.
This was one of the few natural rises on the limbo plain. Chances were, they’d located our MASH unit here to take advantage.
There was a road off the back side—probably where I’d find my jeep—but I wasn’t about to snake around the base of the hill in the dark. There were shallow caves back there. No telling what liked to nest in them.
Besides, I had somewhat of an excuse to be on the helipad, more than I did wandering the cave openings below.
If any guards spotted me, I’d tell them I’d lost my keys.
And pray they didn’t search my boots.
At last I reached the top and stepped up onto the smooth, flat dirt of the helipad. I didn’t see any guards, at least
“Thanks,” I said, reaching sideways to give him an awkward hug.
He stood unresponsive and I felt him stiffen under my arm. “Yes, well, if someone has to go, I’m glad it’s you.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said, easing my duffel over my right shoulder. Night had fallen. It was time to leave.
“Other side,” Marius instructed. “You want to leave your firing hand free.”
I opened my mouth to protest, because really, who was going to shoot at me in the middle of camp? But then I shut it. Marius was right. I needed to stay in position to defend myself, if only because I needed to get in the habit.
“Do you know how to use all those?” I asked him as he returned the weapons chest to its place.
“I wouldn’t have them if I didn’t,” he said, his back to me.
Rodger and I exchanged a glance.
“Be careful,” Rodger said, closing in to smother me with a bear hug.
“Piece of cake,” I lied, before heading out into the night.
* * *
The red dirt path was bathed in flickering torchlight as I made my way silently across camp.
There weren’t a lot of people out, and I thanked my lucky stars I’d managed to hit the lull between dinner and late-night debauchery. Most of the people out were either returning from shifts that ran late, or catching up with a friend before heading out to the club or home for the night.
I nodded to a pair of nurses going the opposite way, my hand sweating against the canvas strap of my bag, the gun in my pocket bumping against my leg with every step.
Don’t mind me. I’m just going AWOL.
Lord help me. I hadn’t even snuck out of the house as a never-wild and anti-rebellious teenager. The consequences, namely disappointing my father, had seemed too high. So why not make a go of it when I was only risking my medical career and my life?
My heart pounded and I was tempted to turn back, go home, forget I’d even run into Marc. I’d gone ten years without him. Why not another ten? Or twenty for that matter?
But I had to figure out what was happening over at the MASH-19X. I tightened my grip, straightened my back. I was the only one who could.
The oracle had predicted a hideous new weapon. It was bad enough that the war would start up again soon. If I could learn what was happening, if I could prevent some of the horrific injuries, some of the senseless death, it would be worth it.
Please, let it be worth it.
The helipad was set up on a hill overlooking the surgery tent. I ducked into the shadows between surgery and recovery and tried to stay as inconspicuous as I could. I was a shadow. Alone.
Breathe in, breathe out, I reminded myself as I made a dash for the unlit side of the hill. I didn’t dare take the main path. It blazed with torches, and I wouldn’t have been too surprised to run into a few guards as well. We kept some of the helicopter fleet gased up and ready to go at a moment’s notice. This was a strategic place in more ways than one.
I battled up the rocky ground, bracing my hand against the sharp stones when I felt myself slipping. There was no way to do this quietly. The rock crunched like glass under my feet.
This was one of the few natural rises on the limbo plain. Chances were, they’d located our MASH unit here to take advantage.
There was a road off the back side—probably where I’d find my jeep—but I wasn’t about to snake around the base of the hill in the dark. There were shallow caves back there. No telling what liked to nest in them.
Besides, I had somewhat of an excuse to be on the helipad, more than I did wandering the cave openings below.
If any guards spotted me, I’d tell them I’d lost my keys.
And pray they didn’t search my boots.
At last I reached the top and stepped up onto the smooth, flat dirt of the helipad. I didn’t see any guards, at least
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