the binoculars to Masterson.
The scarred soldier took the glasses and opened his mouth to speak when Clem raised his hand, silencing him. “Listen,” he said.
Rogers rolled his eyes. “What now, old timer?”
Clem pointed to the sky and looked at the tree tops. Slowly, the sound of helicopter blades beating came into range just before a pair of Apaches tore over their heads, so close to the treetops, they knocked snow off the high branches. Following the terrain, they dropped in elevation then banked hard into a gun run over the nestled crop of hills Clem had pointed out earlier. Without slowing, the attack helicopters let loose a salvo of hydra rockets. Bright streams of white disappeared into the hills. The sounds of thundering explosions echoed back as it mixed with the belching of the helicopters’ 30mm guns.
Blue streaks reached up into the sky after the Apaches, harmlessly falling far off course. The helicopters banked hard and made a second high-speed pass, launching Hellfire missiles before climbing and disappearing. The enemy fire ceased, the cluster of hills now engulfed in fire and smoke. Secondary explosions snapped and popped from the cluster of hills as the sounds of the Apaches faded. Jacob looked down and could see the men on the hilltop perch up with excitement on their faces.
“Well, I’ll be… our birds can kill them,” Clem said.
“Who are they?” Jacob asked.
“Pelee. They must be out of Pelee Island. They’re the only ones with attack birds left,” Masterson said.
Jacob grabbed his pack and started to stand. “Then that’s where we’ll go. The airspace must be clear; the Blackhawk could get through… right?”
Rogers shook his head. “No. Whatever these things are, they’ll be going after them now.”
Jacob turned to face him. “How? You saw the helicopters… those shots didn’t even come close. They don’t have air defense.”
“You may be right, but I don’t like assumptions. We’ll use the diversion of the Apache strike to get our own people back to the bunker.”
Clem grabbed a handful of dirty snow and squeezed it in his fist. “He’s right. They’ll focus on those attack birds. Start moving whatever they have after them to pinpoint the source. We can move away from it. Take advantage of the vacuum.”
Masterson climbed to his feet, lifting his rifle with him. “Okay, I like it.” He pointed a finger at a nearby soldier and called him close. “Send two of your people back to the compound. Tell that pilot to ferry the first batch out.”
The young soldier turned to run away when Masterson grabbed his shoulder. “Make sure that old bastard knows to turn around and come straight back, and tell him I don’t care if he returns on fumes.”
“Yes, Master Sergeant,” the man said over his shoulder as he rushed off.
Jacob watched impatiently as a pair of men accepted their instructions and moved back down the hill. He looked up at Masterson and grabbed his sleeve. “What the hell are we still doing up here?”
Masterson smiled. “Our day ain’t done. I want to take a peek in them hills.”
Chapter 9
The point man and his dog stealthily rose up and approached the steep slope angling down to the intersection. “I’ll lead us out,” James whispered.
“Stay close to him,” Rogers said, leaning in to Jacob so the others couldn’t hear. “I don’t like the looks of this.”
Jacob filed down the hill, keeping James to his front. As he moved he watched the rest of the patrol step up and file in behind them, slowly joining the column. James led them down the face of the hill and pushed up against the hard-packed shoulder of the road. He knelt into cover, causing the rest of the men to follow his lead. Jacob crouched in the heavy grass and weeds, feeling the cold snow press against his clothing.
They lay silent, becoming one with the terrain while James and Duke strained their ears to listen for any sign of danger at the side of the road.
The scarred soldier took the glasses and opened his mouth to speak when Clem raised his hand, silencing him. “Listen,” he said.
Rogers rolled his eyes. “What now, old timer?”
Clem pointed to the sky and looked at the tree tops. Slowly, the sound of helicopter blades beating came into range just before a pair of Apaches tore over their heads, so close to the treetops, they knocked snow off the high branches. Following the terrain, they dropped in elevation then banked hard into a gun run over the nestled crop of hills Clem had pointed out earlier. Without slowing, the attack helicopters let loose a salvo of hydra rockets. Bright streams of white disappeared into the hills. The sounds of thundering explosions echoed back as it mixed with the belching of the helicopters’ 30mm guns.
Blue streaks reached up into the sky after the Apaches, harmlessly falling far off course. The helicopters banked hard and made a second high-speed pass, launching Hellfire missiles before climbing and disappearing. The enemy fire ceased, the cluster of hills now engulfed in fire and smoke. Secondary explosions snapped and popped from the cluster of hills as the sounds of the Apaches faded. Jacob looked down and could see the men on the hilltop perch up with excitement on their faces.
“Well, I’ll be… our birds can kill them,” Clem said.
“Who are they?” Jacob asked.
“Pelee. They must be out of Pelee Island. They’re the only ones with attack birds left,” Masterson said.
Jacob grabbed his pack and started to stand. “Then that’s where we’ll go. The airspace must be clear; the Blackhawk could get through… right?”
Rogers shook his head. “No. Whatever these things are, they’ll be going after them now.”
Jacob turned to face him. “How? You saw the helicopters… those shots didn’t even come close. They don’t have air defense.”
“You may be right, but I don’t like assumptions. We’ll use the diversion of the Apache strike to get our own people back to the bunker.”
Clem grabbed a handful of dirty snow and squeezed it in his fist. “He’s right. They’ll focus on those attack birds. Start moving whatever they have after them to pinpoint the source. We can move away from it. Take advantage of the vacuum.”
Masterson climbed to his feet, lifting his rifle with him. “Okay, I like it.” He pointed a finger at a nearby soldier and called him close. “Send two of your people back to the compound. Tell that pilot to ferry the first batch out.”
The young soldier turned to run away when Masterson grabbed his shoulder. “Make sure that old bastard knows to turn around and come straight back, and tell him I don’t care if he returns on fumes.”
“Yes, Master Sergeant,” the man said over his shoulder as he rushed off.
Jacob watched impatiently as a pair of men accepted their instructions and moved back down the hill. He looked up at Masterson and grabbed his sleeve. “What the hell are we still doing up here?”
Masterson smiled. “Our day ain’t done. I want to take a peek in them hills.”
Chapter 9
The point man and his dog stealthily rose up and approached the steep slope angling down to the intersection. “I’ll lead us out,” James whispered.
“Stay close to him,” Rogers said, leaning in to Jacob so the others couldn’t hear. “I don’t like the looks of this.”
Jacob filed down the hill, keeping James to his front. As he moved he watched the rest of the patrol step up and file in behind them, slowly joining the column. James led them down the face of the hill and pushed up against the hard-packed shoulder of the road. He knelt into cover, causing the rest of the men to follow his lead. Jacob crouched in the heavy grass and weeds, feeling the cold snow press against his clothing.
They lay silent, becoming one with the terrain while James and Duke strained their ears to listen for any sign of danger at the side of the road.
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