“What about you, Lee?”
“All that time Donny has been serving his country, where do you think I’ve been? I know this area. I can help.”
“And you think you can keep up with them?”
“You are kidding me. I can outrun them any day of the week.”
“N…” began Donny.
Ramos cut him off.
“Done.”
Donny looked pissed, but there was nothing he could do to change it.
“Okay, let’s get to work. We’ve got foxholes to dig.”
“Really?”
“What we went through back there was bad, Jay, but it was our preparation that kept us alive. You want to be ready when they find us next time, or not?”
“My favourite part of the day,” smiled Ortiz.
They got to work without much more complaint, but Ramos still looked concerned. He had no idea what they should be doing. This was not like any situation any of them had been through.
“Where are you, Ross? You have to be out there. We need you right about now,” he whispered to himself.
It wasn’t long before they were hunkered down for the night. He was sharing a foxhole with Ortiz.
“Never thought it was going to go down this way, you know.”
“Really? This is exactly the way I thought it would be. Outnumbered, outgunned, and nowhere left to turn. How could our lives end any differently?”
“You kidding me? I didn’t sign up to die a glorious death.”
“There’s no glory to be had here. If we fall, nobody will ever remember it.”
Ortiz fell silent for a while, but it didn’t last long.
“So, what about Ross, do you think he’s dead?”
“No way.”
“He should have been with us. If he could still walk, he would have.”
“I don’t care. I won’t believe it until I see a body. Jack Ross has survived the worst kind of crap you can imagine.”
“I was there, I know.”
“For some of it. Jack has been riding these storms out for his whole damn life. Hell, sometimes I wonder if he was born with a rifle in his hands. I’ve never known a more natural soldier.”
“That why you never looked for promotion? You could have been leading your own team by now.”
“Yeah, well, some things are more important than promotion and pay. This is my home, my family.”
“Really? This is your home? Some damp ass forest in the middle of nowhere, running with school kids with AKs?”
“Can’t say it’s where I expected us to be, but here we are. Those kids have proven themselves as hard a fighter as any.”
“But they aren’t invincible. You didn’t see them back at the camp. They were terrified.”
“And you weren’t?”
He shrugged.
"This sucks, everything about it sucks," complained Ortiz.
But Ramos lay back and smiled, looking up at the stars with a beautifully clear view of the skies.
"Still alive, aren't you?"
"Just about."
"Well, that's something, isn't it?"
Ortiz smiled. For no other reason than he needed some joy in his life at a time like this.
"Get some rest. You've got four hours. Make good use of 'em."
* * *
"Don't talk much, do you?" Lee tried to get some conversation out of Dunn, but failed.
"Leave the man alone. He's here to do a job, a job he does very well."
"Yeah? Well, you know what I do really well? I throw. I can throw a ball like nobody in the county, maybe even the state. Even better than you ever could."
"Okay?" Donny asked, perplexed at the sudden change of topic.
"That's what I do well, but I can't do it right now, can I?"
Donny laughed as it dawned on him what his brother was getting at.
"You gotta understand, Dunn and his team, they're on a whole different level. They live this all the time."
"That right?"
"Yes," said Dunn stoically.
"So this is just a walk in the park for you, another day at the office?"
"Yes and no."
"Really?" Lee jeered at his brother.
"Training, planning, preparation, that’s what makes us good. The operations to carry out, a few days or weeks, sometimes a few hours, but not this."
"This?"
"An operation with no end in sight. No rest, no objectives. We're blind."
"Well, that's plain unsettling."
"Yes, it is," replied Dunn.
"This whole situation is fucked up. I mean; somebody has to be doing something, right? This is America. What are our armies doing?"
"Probably the same as us."
"Yeah, but we're a few guys. The Army's got tanks and gunships. They can handle this, can't they?"
"If what hit them was no more than hit us, sure," replied Donny.
"What are you saying?"
"What if whatever hit our cities and bases was proportional to what came here?"
"What?"
"This is a small town, wouldn't need much to suppress it, so you wouldn't send much. They couldn't have expected Ross' team to be here."
"And?"
"So, if you were gonna hit a big target, you'd do it with enough force to make sure you succeeded."
"You're saying this here is just small fry."
"Yes."
"If this was the worst of it, it would be over by now," added Dunn.
"But that means..."
"That the country is over run, yes," replied Donny.
"You can't know that. Come on, we're the most powerful country on Earth."
"Still believe that, do you?" Dunn asked.
"You don't?"
"A month ago, I'd have said yes, but now..."
Gunshots rang out, and they all dropped down, looking around for movement. It didn't seem close enough to have been aimed at them.
"What the hell was that?"
"Gunfire, our kind, Lee," replied Donny.
"Coming from where? Who?"
"Could be stragglers of ours."
"Ross?"
"Maybe," replied Dunn.
"We came here to get to high ground. We should stick to mission."
It was clear Lee didn't want to get into a fight, and that was understandable.
"If those are our people, and they need help, we are going to give it," replied Dunn.
"The three of us? What are we gonna do?"
"Something, anything."
He leapt to his feet and rushed towards the sound of the gunfire.
"Come on." Donny ran after him.
Lee groaned and followed them. "These idiots are gonna get me killed," he muttered.
They rushed through the undergrowth as two more shots rang out. They had to be close now, nothing more than fifty metres away from the source. Several more shots rang out, bringing them to a cautious halt.
"A single shooter?" Donny asked.
They wanted to believe it was Ross. They looked at one another, even though it seemed like such an unrealistic hope.
"No return fire?"
"I don't like this, Donny, not at all," said Lee.
Dunn continued to advance cautiously. They came to a small opening in the trees and found a metal container about the size of a small van. The sound of fire was emanating from it, although there was no sign of any weapons or muzzle flashes.
"What the hell is this?" Lee asked.
Dunn looked around in all directions, confused and suspicious. The gunfire stopped, and there was a grating sound like the cranking of gears.
"It's a trap!" Dunn hollered.
Ramps lowered on all sides of the container, and enemy soldiers poured out. Dunn fired at the first and killed it, but a wave of fire came back their way, forcing them to take cover amongst the trees.
"Still think this was a good idea?" Lee shouted.
Donny drew out a grenade and pulled the pin, launching it towards the container as more of the enemy po
ured out. But as he tossed it, a shot struck his hand. The grenade went higher than he'd intended, right over the top of the advancing enemy. He cried out in pain as he turned back into cover. Gunfire ripped through the foliage all around them as the grenade exploded. A second after it blew, a much larger explosion launched them off their feet and rumbled through the ground. It was an almighty blast that had to send a shockwave for a mile all around. Trees and dust were launched into the air as the deafening explosion almost burst their eardrums.
Finally, the dust began to settle, and Dunn was the first to get up to survey the scene.
"What the hell did you do, Donny?"
"You must have hit whatever power source was in that container," said Dunn.
Donny nodded appreciatively, but he was still wincing in pain. His brother rushed to his side, but was struck by a single shot, as he got halfway. He went down, and Donny looked horrified. He fought through the pain to lift his rifle and return fire. A few of the enemy had survived the blast and were advancing towards them. Donny fired at one, and Dunn was engaging another two. More were joining them as they got up from the blast that had thrown them to the ground. They were firing manically as shots returned their way, but both were firmly in the cover of broad trees.
Donny reached for another magazine, but Dunn went straight to his sidearm. He continued firing and knocked two more down, but they kept coming. He dropped the magazine from his pistol and reached for another, but one enemy was on him. He dropped the pistol as the soldier turned the bend with its rifle raised and ready to fire. He grasped the muzzle and yanked it around as it opened fire. Two shots struck another soldier and killed it, but the one in front of him struck with a backhanded strike to the face.
The blow was hard and stunned Dunn, opening up a deep cut across his cheek and forehead. He held on for dear life, yanking the soldier back as it swung again. He used its momentum against it and pulled it headfirst into the tree. Its steel skull split open as it crashed into the hard timber. But a shot rang out, hitting Dunn in the chest. He stumbled back from the impact on his armour as another hit his left arm. He collapsed down beside his pistol. He quickly reached for it and drove home a fresh magazine before sitting up and firing three shots at his attacker. A burst of fire rang out beside him as Donny opened fired and killed another. The forest finally fell silent as Donny breathed a sigh of relief.
He'd been so pre-occupied with the fight to survive he had forgotten about his brother. He rushed back to his side and turned him over. He was at least still conscious, though he looked stunned. He checked him over, and finally Lee winced in pain. There was a hole in his jacket near the left shoulder. Donny pulled open his jacket to see the wound.
"You lucky son of a bitch!" Donny realised it had just glanced the shoulder. It was an open and bloody wound, but nothing they couldn't handle. But he winced himself as his hand was in agony as he reached for a dressing.
"That was too close," said Dunn.
Donny nodded in agreement, looking up to see the soldier patching his own wound.
"What the hell was that all about?"
"They're drawing us out."
"What?"
"We're fighting guerrilla war tactics, but they want a straight fight on their terms. So they put out the bait and reeled us right in."
They looked around at each other, all bloodied and sore.
"Look at us, a right state," said Lee.
"Still alive though, aren't we?" asked Donny.
"We can't stay here. We triggered this, and they'll surely be back to check on their trap before long."
Donny helped his brother to his feet. They were all sore, but they knew they had to keep going.
Chapter 6
Ross opened his eyes and gasped for air. He was stunned, disorientated, and covered in mud. He was soaked through. He could hear fast flowing water nearby. He was dehydrated and his head was pounding. He looked over his shoulder to see a river. He was lying on the edge of it, and a trail up to his position marked where he had climbed out. Some of what had happened was coming back to him. He remembered being on the run and firing wildly at an enemy. He looked around for his rifle, but it was nowhere to be seen, despite the fact he had two full magazines still in his webbing.
It was a relief at least to see his sidearm still in its holster. But he drew it and instantly realised how light it was. He dropped the magazine to see his fears confirmed. Empty. He had one magazine for it in his webbing. He slammed it in before holstering it once more.
"Not much to work with," he croaked.
His mouth was dry, and he could barely get the words out. He crawled back to the water's edge, cupped his hands in the water, and took his fill. He poured more over his face and tried to wipe the mud away. He looked around for some sign of life, friendly or hostile. There was nothing. He was still and listening for something, anything, but it was tranquil. That was both a welcoming and horrifying sound. He was relieved to have found a few moments to relax, but he had no idea what had happened to his team and the rest of the group. He couldn't remember much about what went on over the last few days. He remembered their camp coming under attack, and he remembered running, but to where and from what, he could not recall. His head was throbbing, and he ran his hand through his hair to find a deep cut and swelling.
"Where the hell am I?"
Though he was more concerned with where the group was, than where he was geographically. He didn't know the area well, and he had no maps, not even a compass. He looked about, trying to get his bearings, but none of it was familiar. It was just more forest in all directions. Terrain that was great for concealing them from the enemy, but also as problematic for them to navigate. He had to reach high ground. He needed something to get his bearings.
He groaned as he got up. He was aching and sore, and he felt like he needed to sleep, despite the fact he must have been out for some time. The last thing he remembered it was nighttime, but it had to be at least noon now.
"Well, this sucks."
He took another look at his surroundings. He was anxious, not for himself, but for the others.
They need my help, and what good can I be to them now?
There was no sun in the sky due to heavy cloud cover, so he could not even get a sense of direction. He looked for the options he had. There was a slight opening not far away through the trees that was as good as any. He was walking to the unknown, and he hated it. Throughout his career he had always had information on where he was, and where he would be going. The unknown was terrifying. He wished something could have prepared him for this.
"What the hell is this country coming to?"
He wished he knew what was going on across the country, yet in part didn't want to, having some idea of how bad things could be; not wanting to see his country in that way. What they were facing here had to be a pinprick in events that were unfolding.
He walked for hours, and the sun was setting far quicker than he'd expected. He must have been out for a lot longer than he had thought. He feared the night, and with good reason. Not only that, but he was alone. He’d spent his life working with a team he could rely on. Survival training had prepared him for this, but not well enough. During all those gruelling exercises, there was no real threat besides the environment. He was alone in enemy territory now. A bizarre feeling when this was somewhere he always called home.
He stopped to catch his breath, wiping his sweaty forehead and groaning as he looked around. It seemed no different to where he had started. It was as if he was making no progress at all, and that was the reality of his situation. No idea where he was going, who else had survived, and where they were. Blindly wandering with little hope of getting anywhere.
"Jesus Christ, how did it come to this?" He angrily shook his head in disgust and disappointment.
The light was failing fast, and he looked around for some refuge to shelter in for the night. That is when he caught a glimpse of movement and froze. There was a squeal or groan from somethin
g up ahead. He spotted it. One of the huge enemy soldiers, the ones they only saw at night, a towering figure with the armour of a tank and tremendous strength. It was crying out as if in pain. He didn't know what to do, but finally the creature turned and squared off against him. He'd been seen, and he knew it.
If I stay still, maybe the beast won’t be able to see me. Maybe they track movement?
But he had no such luck. It lifted its arm and pointed right at him before giving out a battle cry shriek.
"Ah, shit!"
Ross ripped his sidearm from its holster and ran. He was exhausted, but the adrenaline surge made him forget and fight through it all. The creature was hobbling, clearly wounded, and made no attempt to fire at him.
Is this a wounded straggler, like me?
The thought passed from his mind as he ran for his life. He looked back, and it was hobbling less than before, as if it too was boosted by the chase. It was closing on him. He stopped for a moment to fire, hoping his rounds might do something. He let off three shots. Each found its target, but glanced right off the soldier’s armour, and it kept coming as fast as ever.
"Shit!"
Ideas flowed through his head as he tried to find some solution to the hulking behemoth that was pursing him. He had one high explosive grenade left, as well as a stun grenade. His pistol appeared useless, and the only other weapon he carried was a knife. It was a dire situation. He couldn't run forever. He was already exhausted. He drew out the grenade and was about to pull the pin, when he stopped himself. He had one chance at this and so let go of the pin, slipping it back into his webbing. He continued running and looked behind him. It had closed further, but as he turned back the way he was going, his head struck a branch. It briefly knocked him out, but on regaining consciousness he found himself sliding downhill at some speed. His pistol was long gone. He tried to reach out for something to slow or stop his fall, but he couldn't get a hold of anything until finally he shot out over a cliff edge.
"Shit, no!"
His only consolation was that he was heading for water, but it was a near thirty-metre drop. He prepared himself for the landing as best as possible before smashing through the surface and plunging deep into the cold water. He rushed to get back to the surface, expecting his pursuer to be hot on his trail. Ross breached the surface and gasped for air as he treaded water. He looked around for his the enemy, but there was no sign of him. Then he spotted a figure up on the cliff edge above. It was watching him, but making no attempt to make the dive.
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