been going on?” she asked.
Another distant impact shook the rafters. “Couple of hours, maybe… Don’t worry, it’s not close.” Jacob put his head back and looked at the ceiling. “The cloud cover and valley just make it seem like it.”
“You’re going back out, aren’t you?”
He forced a smile and nodded as his hand squeezed her shoulder. She moved closer, letting her head rest in his lap. Jacob could see the swelling in her eyes, knowing she had cried when the stories of the base’s destruction sped through their meager camp. He dropped his arms on her shoulders and felt her trembling.
“I’ll go if they’ll take me. This isn’t like before; we have to stay ahead of them to survive.”
Laura moved, reaching up to grasp his hands. “Why do you have to go?”
He sighed, squeezing her hands. “This isn’t something we can hide from.”
She turned her head to look up at him but didn’t speak, and she closed her eyes while pulling his hands to her cheeks.
“We’re going to have a look around. I’ll be back then we can leave and find some place safe,” Jacob whispered.
“I know you’ll be fine. I just want us to be together.”
***
Before the others woke, Jacob followed the men out of the block house and into the cold morning air. He felt the near freezing temperatures bite at his neck and pulled up the collar of his shirt. He caught a whiff of cigarette smoke mixed with the brisk morning air. Turning his head, he saw Buck with a wool blanket over his shoulders, a smoke in one hand, and a thermos cup in the other while Masterson and Rogers crowded around him.
“Have the bird prepped and ready when we get back,” Masterson told him in a matter-of-fact tone.
Buck nodded his head slowly and smiled, showing his stained teeth. “She’ll be ready.” Buck paused and looked left and right before stepping closer and lowering his voice. “I can only take ten. You’ll have some decisions to make.”
Masterson grimaced then returned the pilot’s smile. “Multiple trips then; I’m sure you’re up for it.”
Buck shrugged. “Assuming we have fuel to top off the tanks for a second trip, and what about security?”
Masterson looked back and caught Jacob listening in on the conversation; he brought up a gloved hand and slapped Buck’s cloaked shoulder. “Let the gunfighters worry about that; just be ready to go.”
Masterson stepped into the clearing near the helicopter and waved his arms, bringing the twenty-man patrol into a tight cluster. The plan for them was to move back down the trail to the cabin and barn, then meet the dirt access road. If all remained clear, they would move over it and into nearby hills. Once on high ground, they could set up a hide position so that they could observe the main road and intersections.
Most of the soldiers in Masterson’s party were veterans and knew the part they would play. Experienced, they had performed these drills countless times on foreign battle fields. But today, everyone was wary. Even though the noise of the distant battles had dropped off with the rising of the sun, the men still didn’t know what to expect. This wasn’t Afghanistan or Iraq where everyone played a role; nobody knew what to expect from this new brand of invaders, or even what purpose the Deltas would have in everything.
“Don’t get too heavy on your triggers; we have half of a missing company out there and who knows what else. Stay quiet and keep this place a secret as long as we can.” With that, Masterson ended his conversation and pointed to Rogers.
Rogers took a deep breath and dipped his chin. “A’right, let’s get this done. James, you got point. Jacob, take slack with me.”
Jacob found his spot in the file and patroled cautiously with his rifle in the crook of his elbow, his gloved right hand resting on the stock. They packed light for the patrol; no heavy rucksacks or body armor to weigh them down. Most of them didn’t have armor anyway,
Another distant impact shook the rafters. “Couple of hours, maybe… Don’t worry, it’s not close.” Jacob put his head back and looked at the ceiling. “The cloud cover and valley just make it seem like it.”
“You’re going back out, aren’t you?”
He forced a smile and nodded as his hand squeezed her shoulder. She moved closer, letting her head rest in his lap. Jacob could see the swelling in her eyes, knowing she had cried when the stories of the base’s destruction sped through their meager camp. He dropped his arms on her shoulders and felt her trembling.
“I’ll go if they’ll take me. This isn’t like before; we have to stay ahead of them to survive.”
Laura moved, reaching up to grasp his hands. “Why do you have to go?”
He sighed, squeezing her hands. “This isn’t something we can hide from.”
She turned her head to look up at him but didn’t speak, and she closed her eyes while pulling his hands to her cheeks.
“We’re going to have a look around. I’ll be back then we can leave and find some place safe,” Jacob whispered.
“I know you’ll be fine. I just want us to be together.”
***
Before the others woke, Jacob followed the men out of the block house and into the cold morning air. He felt the near freezing temperatures bite at his neck and pulled up the collar of his shirt. He caught a whiff of cigarette smoke mixed with the brisk morning air. Turning his head, he saw Buck with a wool blanket over his shoulders, a smoke in one hand, and a thermos cup in the other while Masterson and Rogers crowded around him.
“Have the bird prepped and ready when we get back,” Masterson told him in a matter-of-fact tone.
Buck nodded his head slowly and smiled, showing his stained teeth. “She’ll be ready.” Buck paused and looked left and right before stepping closer and lowering his voice. “I can only take ten. You’ll have some decisions to make.”
Masterson grimaced then returned the pilot’s smile. “Multiple trips then; I’m sure you’re up for it.”
Buck shrugged. “Assuming we have fuel to top off the tanks for a second trip, and what about security?”
Masterson looked back and caught Jacob listening in on the conversation; he brought up a gloved hand and slapped Buck’s cloaked shoulder. “Let the gunfighters worry about that; just be ready to go.”
Masterson stepped into the clearing near the helicopter and waved his arms, bringing the twenty-man patrol into a tight cluster. The plan for them was to move back down the trail to the cabin and barn, then meet the dirt access road. If all remained clear, they would move over it and into nearby hills. Once on high ground, they could set up a hide position so that they could observe the main road and intersections.
Most of the soldiers in Masterson’s party were veterans and knew the part they would play. Experienced, they had performed these drills countless times on foreign battle fields. But today, everyone was wary. Even though the noise of the distant battles had dropped off with the rising of the sun, the men still didn’t know what to expect. This wasn’t Afghanistan or Iraq where everyone played a role; nobody knew what to expect from this new brand of invaders, or even what purpose the Deltas would have in everything.
“Don’t get too heavy on your triggers; we have half of a missing company out there and who knows what else. Stay quiet and keep this place a secret as long as we can.” With that, Masterson ended his conversation and pointed to Rogers.
Rogers took a deep breath and dipped his chin. “A’right, let’s get this done. James, you got point. Jacob, take slack with me.”
Jacob found his spot in the file and patroled cautiously with his rifle in the crook of his elbow, his gloved right hand resting on the stock. They packed light for the patrol; no heavy rucksacks or body armor to weigh them down. Most of them didn’t have armor anyway,
Similar Books
