helicopter!”
“Grace!” Leah spoke calmly through the radio. “You two need to get up here. Over.”
Grace and Joshua turned to look up at the woman under the protection of the water tower. Grace gave another thumbs up that she understood.
“Sorry,” Grace said, looking at Joshua. “I wasn’t concentrating on the radio when they were shooting at me.”
“That’s okay. It’s just that the same bastards that are down there, also shot my brother,” Joshua said, he sat back against the rock even though bullets kept striking the ground around them.
“Is he okay?” Grace asked, and then looked back up at her mother.
Leah was waving frantically for them to get up there. The helicopter had disappeared and she wanted them to move, now!
“I don’t know,” Joshua said, and then turned around the rock and fired four or five rounds at the soldiers. “Go, I’ve got you covered!” he yelled.
Grace didn’t hesitate; she took off running straight up the hill. She could hear Joshua firing continuously as she ran into the arms of her mother.
Leah wrapped her arms around her only child and fell backwards behind the safety of the steel leg of the water tank. “Oh baby, my baby,” she said, over and over.
“Mom, I’m okay! It’s okay! I’m fine,” Grace said, letting her mother hug her.
“I thought I lost you,” Leah said, the tears falling freely.
Daisy was excited and wanted to be part of the action. She tried to jump up and lick Grace’s face.
“Mom, I’m right here. You didn’t lose me. You trained me well, I’m right here.” She absorbed the hug for a few more seconds and put her hand on Daisy’s head before snapping back to the situation at hand. “Mom, Mom! We have to get Joshua up here, they’ve called in more troops!”
Leah let go of her daughter, holding her at arms length and blessing her with a wide motherly smile. “Okay. Okay, we did train you well…I’m so glad you’re all right,” she said in only the way that a mother can talk to her child.
“Okay, Mom,” Grace said, feeling the pressure of her own tears press against her eyes. “Let’s end this!”
Leah nodded, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her shirt. “Let’s end it,” she said, agreeing.
Grace looked around and down from the tank leg to see Joshua still in his defensive position. The soldiers had stopped firing; if anything, they looked like they were getting ready to bug out.
“Mom, they’re stuffing things in a bag, it looks like they’re retreating,” Grace observed.
“No, they’re hiding. That gear is in a strategic position for a reason. Those two aren’t soldiers, their technicians or engineers or something,” Leah supposed.
“So, what does that mean?”
“Let’s get Joshua up here first, and then we’ll figure it out.” Leah keyed her microphone. “Joshua, we’re going to give you some cover, run up here when we start. Understood? Over.”
Joshua gave thumbs up and bounced a few times on the balls of his feet, ready to sprint.
“Now!” Leah ordered.
Both women took shots at the two soldiers, sending them diving to their place of cover. Joshua took off, never looking back. He closed the distance quickly and didn’t let up until after he rounded the leg of the water tank.
“Thanks,” he said, catching his breath. His hands pressed into his knees as he gulped large amounts of air.
“I’m Leah,” she said, extending her hand.
He took the hand. “Joshua Tiller, nice to meet you, ma’am. Glad you’re safe, and thanks for the cover,” he added. She nodded curtly.
“Okay, now that we know each other, what about those guys, the communications equipment, the incoming troops and…” they all ducked under the main part of the water tower as the helicopter buzzed them, unleashing bullets. Most of the bullets hit the ground behind them or bounced off the top of the tank. “About that!”
“Grace!” Leah spoke calmly through the radio. “You two need to get up here. Over.”
Grace and Joshua turned to look up at the woman under the protection of the water tower. Grace gave another thumbs up that she understood.
“Sorry,” Grace said, looking at Joshua. “I wasn’t concentrating on the radio when they were shooting at me.”
“That’s okay. It’s just that the same bastards that are down there, also shot my brother,” Joshua said, he sat back against the rock even though bullets kept striking the ground around them.
“Is he okay?” Grace asked, and then looked back up at her mother.
Leah was waving frantically for them to get up there. The helicopter had disappeared and she wanted them to move, now!
“I don’t know,” Joshua said, and then turned around the rock and fired four or five rounds at the soldiers. “Go, I’ve got you covered!” he yelled.
Grace didn’t hesitate; she took off running straight up the hill. She could hear Joshua firing continuously as she ran into the arms of her mother.
Leah wrapped her arms around her only child and fell backwards behind the safety of the steel leg of the water tank. “Oh baby, my baby,” she said, over and over.
“Mom, I’m okay! It’s okay! I’m fine,” Grace said, letting her mother hug her.
“I thought I lost you,” Leah said, the tears falling freely.
Daisy was excited and wanted to be part of the action. She tried to jump up and lick Grace’s face.
“Mom, I’m right here. You didn’t lose me. You trained me well, I’m right here.” She absorbed the hug for a few more seconds and put her hand on Daisy’s head before snapping back to the situation at hand. “Mom, Mom! We have to get Joshua up here, they’ve called in more troops!”
Leah let go of her daughter, holding her at arms length and blessing her with a wide motherly smile. “Okay. Okay, we did train you well…I’m so glad you’re all right,” she said in only the way that a mother can talk to her child.
“Okay, Mom,” Grace said, feeling the pressure of her own tears press against her eyes. “Let’s end this!”
Leah nodded, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her shirt. “Let’s end it,” she said, agreeing.
Grace looked around and down from the tank leg to see Joshua still in his defensive position. The soldiers had stopped firing; if anything, they looked like they were getting ready to bug out.
“Mom, they’re stuffing things in a bag, it looks like they’re retreating,” Grace observed.
“No, they’re hiding. That gear is in a strategic position for a reason. Those two aren’t soldiers, their technicians or engineers or something,” Leah supposed.
“So, what does that mean?”
“Let’s get Joshua up here first, and then we’ll figure it out.” Leah keyed her microphone. “Joshua, we’re going to give you some cover, run up here when we start. Understood? Over.”
Joshua gave thumbs up and bounced a few times on the balls of his feet, ready to sprint.
“Now!” Leah ordered.
Both women took shots at the two soldiers, sending them diving to their place of cover. Joshua took off, never looking back. He closed the distance quickly and didn’t let up until after he rounded the leg of the water tank.
“Thanks,” he said, catching his breath. His hands pressed into his knees as he gulped large amounts of air.
“I’m Leah,” she said, extending her hand.
He took the hand. “Joshua Tiller, nice to meet you, ma’am. Glad you’re safe, and thanks for the cover,” he added. She nodded curtly.
“Okay, now that we know each other, what about those guys, the communications equipment, the incoming troops and…” they all ducked under the main part of the water tower as the helicopter buzzed them, unleashing bullets. Most of the bullets hit the ground behind them or bounced off the top of the tank. “About that!”
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