explosion in the air that was loud enough to penetrate my ringing ears as it hit its mark. Grigori tossed Daniil the other one before leaning over the limo and lifting his machine gun and opening fire, providing protection for Daniil, who fired this one just as expertly and quickly. Another explosion from above and a whistling sounded as the gunship started to go down.
Daniil jumped off the car, pulling two grenades from his stash and tossing them at a group getting too close. He turned and yelled at me over the explosion that rocked the ground beneath me. I couldn’t hear him, but he twirled his fingers and jabbed a finger toward where the helicopter had gone down as he crouched behind the limo. He pulled two small handguns out of his waistline.
I nodded. He wanted me to make sure the assholes were dead in the copter. It was a safe job since they were more than likely dead. He was protecting me in his own way. I stayed low since I couldn’t hear if anyone was near, slowly making my way through the brush, rolling, and crouching behind trees where I could. It felt like it took forever, but I made my way toward where the copter had gone down, smelling burning metal the closer I got, my ears only barely recovering.
I stopped when the smell became overwhelming and tried to listen, but the only sound I could lightly make out was gunfire and grenade explosions in the distance where the firefight was happening. I breathed deeply, ready to start again when a man stumbled out from behind the tree I was hiding behind. He was bleeding from the head, and he looked dazed as he walked, his mouth moving as he said something over his shoulder that I could only barely hear but not make out.
My body froze, my heart stopping and then pounded against my chest as he stumbled over a limb, not watching where he was going, talking to the other man behind him that walked with a limp and a bloody arm that came around the tree. I lifted my weapon immediately, the second man seeing the movement and falling to the ground lifting his own gun.
And I froze. Completely froze.
My light machine gun hung limply down by my side, my one decent arm not lifting it to fire. I was tempted to lift my arm in the cast in front of my eyes.
I was such a coward. To talk about killing was one thing.
To do it was a whole other ballgame.
Roman was suddenly next to me. He peered down the sight of his gun and fired.
He shot the guy aiming at us first before changing course and killing the stunned and dazed man next right before he was able to get his gun from his holster.
I scooted behind a tree, my breathing ragged. I hadn’t seen anyone else, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone. My thoughts raced as I checked the terrain. No other movement. I kicked a rock far ahead of us. Nothing.
I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief, though. I kept my head in the moment, scoping out every angle as Roman and I jogged to the helicopter. It was still burning from the tail and stunk to high heaven, lying on its side, the ground tore up all around it. My ears finally picked up the crunching of grass and the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees. I ignored the heat of the flames coming at the gunship from behind.
Roman slowly climbed up its belly, staying in place there. Gradually, he peered up and over, into the open door after hearing no sounds. He shook his head, and stated, “There are only three seats inside, and one of them has a dead body in it still. I got the other two.”
I cleared my throat. “Thank you, Roman.”
He dropped to the ground. And winked. “You can say you got them.”
I instantly shook my head. “Nope.”
His gaze scanned my face, and then he nodded. “Your choice.”
We slowly made our way back to where the gunfire was dying down. I seriously hoped that was a good sign. Less gunfire could mean a greater amount of the opposition dead, or vice versa, a greater number of our numbers dead since we were completely outnumbered.
I
Daniil jumped off the car, pulling two grenades from his stash and tossing them at a group getting too close. He turned and yelled at me over the explosion that rocked the ground beneath me. I couldn’t hear him, but he twirled his fingers and jabbed a finger toward where the helicopter had gone down as he crouched behind the limo. He pulled two small handguns out of his waistline.
I nodded. He wanted me to make sure the assholes were dead in the copter. It was a safe job since they were more than likely dead. He was protecting me in his own way. I stayed low since I couldn’t hear if anyone was near, slowly making my way through the brush, rolling, and crouching behind trees where I could. It felt like it took forever, but I made my way toward where the copter had gone down, smelling burning metal the closer I got, my ears only barely recovering.
I stopped when the smell became overwhelming and tried to listen, but the only sound I could lightly make out was gunfire and grenade explosions in the distance where the firefight was happening. I breathed deeply, ready to start again when a man stumbled out from behind the tree I was hiding behind. He was bleeding from the head, and he looked dazed as he walked, his mouth moving as he said something over his shoulder that I could only barely hear but not make out.
My body froze, my heart stopping and then pounded against my chest as he stumbled over a limb, not watching where he was going, talking to the other man behind him that walked with a limp and a bloody arm that came around the tree. I lifted my weapon immediately, the second man seeing the movement and falling to the ground lifting his own gun.
And I froze. Completely froze.
My light machine gun hung limply down by my side, my one decent arm not lifting it to fire. I was tempted to lift my arm in the cast in front of my eyes.
I was such a coward. To talk about killing was one thing.
To do it was a whole other ballgame.
Roman was suddenly next to me. He peered down the sight of his gun and fired.
He shot the guy aiming at us first before changing course and killing the stunned and dazed man next right before he was able to get his gun from his holster.
I scooted behind a tree, my breathing ragged. I hadn’t seen anyone else, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone. My thoughts raced as I checked the terrain. No other movement. I kicked a rock far ahead of us. Nothing.
I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief, though. I kept my head in the moment, scoping out every angle as Roman and I jogged to the helicopter. It was still burning from the tail and stunk to high heaven, lying on its side, the ground tore up all around it. My ears finally picked up the crunching of grass and the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees. I ignored the heat of the flames coming at the gunship from behind.
Roman slowly climbed up its belly, staying in place there. Gradually, he peered up and over, into the open door after hearing no sounds. He shook his head, and stated, “There are only three seats inside, and one of them has a dead body in it still. I got the other two.”
I cleared my throat. “Thank you, Roman.”
He dropped to the ground. And winked. “You can say you got them.”
I instantly shook my head. “Nope.”
His gaze scanned my face, and then he nodded. “Your choice.”
We slowly made our way back to where the gunfire was dying down. I seriously hoped that was a good sign. Less gunfire could mean a greater amount of the opposition dead, or vice versa, a greater number of our numbers dead since we were completely outnumbered.
I
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