AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kate crouched next to Lt. Cole. “Someone’s watching us. I can feel it. How far is exfil?”
Alexis narrowed her gaze and pointed toward a clearing to the south. Kate hadn’t noticed on their arrival that the clearing stood amongst the ruins of a crumbling city. Not a single building had withstood what must have been a bombing run, and their skeletons jutted into the night, shrouded in darkness that cast shadows in the moonlight. Visibility was low here, as the ruins made it impossible to know if they were being watched by unseen enemies hidden amongst the rubble.
They sat in eerie silence and waited for the helo. Kate checked over each patient, taking vitals and making sure that Bowie and Lt. Andrews didn’t go into decline. Sergeant Cassidy was grimacing in pain and rubbing his shoulder but was otherwise silent, and his vitals were still steady.
Kate felt adrenaline pumping through her.
Loud, rhythmic thumping came from the distance, and Alexis motioned for everyone to freeze and be silent. The deep whooping of the helicopter blades drew closer, and Kate breathed a sigh of relief. The sky was just beginning to lighten in the east, and she knew they didn’t have much time before the sun rose for the day. The temperature was beginning to climb as well, and a cold sweat broke out on Kate’s brow as she waited impatiently for the helo.
Kate whispered to Alexis, “I need your two strongest to escort Bowie and Lt. Andrews on the helo first with Sgt. Garcia, flanked by the others. We’ll follow at the rear.”
Alexis nodded and gave whispered directions to her men, and they peered around the edge of the building toward the clearing. The helo came into view through the valley's southern exit, and Kate grew antsy but was frozen in place out of habit. If she could hear and see the helicopter, then anyone in the immediate area could, as well.
The whirring of blades grew louder, and Kate’s pulse roared in her ears. The only other thing she could hear over the sound of the helicopter's approach. The others rose from their crouched positions and prepared to make the sprint to the helo. They’d barely be able to fit them all, and they had to act fast. If there were any enemy combatants in the area, it was about to get froggy.
The Blackhawk helicopter touched down, and the first wave consisting of Huang and Rivera, weapons held at the ready, moved forward with Andrews and Krantz secured between them. Maloy and the other officer, a hulking but silent combat rescue officer whom Kate hadn’t been introduced to, followed with Cassidy between them, providing cover for the first group.
Kate and Alexis drew up at the rear, their weapons drawn and ready for anything. Her heart pounded as they drew closerto the helo, and Kate swiveled to her right as something caught her eye. The barrel of a rifle protruded from the otherwise empty window of a collapsed building. Kate screamed a warning that Alexis barely heard.
“Enemy combatant! Six o’clock!”
Alexis spun, leveled her rifle, took sight, and located the enemy. In the next moment, everything happened at once. Gunfire rang out, piercing Kate’s eardrums, and the early morning darkness exploded into activity. Enemy combatants fired upon them, and the others broke into a sprint toward the helo. Kate and Alexis were still over twenty yards out, and they were taking heavy fire.
Bullets whizzed past Kate’s head, almost nicking her helmet, and she dropped to the ground for cover. Alexis had dropped with her, both realizing if they pushed through to the helicopter, they’d just be bullet meat.
They crawled to a nearby ruin and took cover behind the parts of its frame that still stood. Alexis’s hand went to her shoulder where her radio was tucked.
“Bulldog One, this is Sniper Alpha, come in.”
The radio crackled imperceptibly, but Kate couldn’t hear the response.
“Extraction site is compromised. I repeat. Our extraction site is compromised. Get out of here,” Alexis responded. “We’re pinned down. Take the wounded and get them home. Lt. Cross and I are reverting to Plan W.”
Kate’s mind whirled. She’d only memorized the possible extractions up to Plan D. Her anxiety must have shown in her eyes, and Alexis squeezed her shoulder. The helo rose and took off, rounds of gunfire piercing the air as the door gunner gave them cover. Alexis rose and took off at a run, staying low among the rubble of the buildings.
Kate followed, her weapon drawn and heart pounding so hard she thought it would break out of her chest. Alexis led her to the outskirts of the city's ruins, and they crouched in the cover of a building. The sounds of gunfire still popped in the distance, as if the enemy combatants had lost sight of them and had followed the helicopter instead.
Alexis fixed her gaze with those piercing blue eyes. She felt Alexis’s grip on her forearm.
“Kate- Look at me. Try to stay calm. We are ok. This is my expertise- trust me. First, we need to get the hell out of here. This is a shooting gallery, and the extraction site is compromised. We need to get as far west as we can, then see if we can ruck through the southern entrance. If we have to go north we’ll be flying blind. We’re on our own, and the hike could take us weeks through enemy territory.”
Kate nodded, knowing that this is what Alexis did, what she lived for, and she was damned good at it. The only thing she could do was put her trust into Alexis and hope they stayed off the enemy’s radar. The sun was going to rise over the valley soon, and then movement during the day would be impossible. The heat would dehydrate them and would be deadly, not to mention they’d be far too visible.
“We need to run now. We have maybe fifteen minutes before the sun comes over the eastern ridge, and we need to be as far away from here as possible when it does.”
Kate nodded in determination. “Lead the way. I’ve got your six. I can keep up.”
Alexis flashed her a smile, then took off. “That’s my girl,” she exclaimed.
Ignoring the butterflies that swarmed in her stomach, Kate ran after her, determined not to fall behind.
Chapter 4
Alexis
Sprinting through the desert while the temperature climbed ever higher was now on Alexis’s list of the shittiest moments she’d ever experienced. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she’d taken a bullet in the shoulder during the crossfire at the clearing. She couldn’t be sure if it was a through and through or if she still had the bullet lodged in her but she didn’t want to stress Kate by telling her until they were good and out of there. Luckily, it had been in the shoulder, and it hadn’t seemed to have damaged anything too important. She tried to ignore the fear that if it had been two or three inches to the right, she’d be dead. It hurt like a bitch, and every step forward caused a searing jolt of pain that Alexis ignored. Hot, wet blood ran down her shoulder and over her side.
They didn’t have time for pain or to stop and check the wound. They had to get as far from the clearing as they could and find cover before the sun came out fully. She pushed herself forward, unwilling to let a little bullet hole keep her from protecting Kate. The pain was nothing compared to what it would be like if she wasn’t able to get Kate to safety.
