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“Bulldog One, this is Medic One, come in.”
“This is Bulldog One, I read you Medic One. Go ahead,” the man said, and Kate looked at her in confusion. Alexis just indicated with her hand that Kate should keep talking.
“What’s your ETA, Bulldog One?”
“We are less than five minutes out. I repeat, less than five minutes out.”
Alexis was filled with relief. She could still get Kate out alive with their team that close. She grabbed the radio from Kate.
“Bulldog One, this is Sniper Alpha. Enemy combatants in proximity. Setting up diversion as we speak. Haul ass, boys. We don’t have much time. Over.”
“I read you Sniper Alpha. Over and out.”
The line went dead, and Kate glanced at Alexis with wide, wild eyes.
“Diversion?”
Alexis nodded. “Dig through my pack. Front pocket, the small one. You’ll find some flares.”
Kate dug through the near empty pack and found four flares held together with a rubber band.
“Take one. Do you know how to light it?”
Kate nodded and answered quietly, “Strike it against a coarse surface like a match pointing it away from face.”
Alexis nodded weakly “Yes, there’s a striking pad on the lower handle if you can’t find anything hard to light it on.”.
“So what kind of diversion are you thinking?”
“How’s your throwing arm, Kate?”
“Pretty good. I’ve played my share of football.”
Another miracle, Alexis thought.
“Okay so here’s the general idea. These flares have wicks that most people don’t use. Works like old school ACME dynamite. Light it, throw, and in five to ten seconds, the flare will fully ignite.”
She stopped speaking. Kate pressed down on the wound in her shoulder and Alexis gasped for breath. She glanced around looking for the best place to start throwing flares.
“Kate, if you can take the three extra flares, sneak through our ditch and closer to the hillcrest. Then light ‘em and toss ‘em as far as you can.”
“That’s a horrible idea. If they see me throw them, they’ll find us right away.”
Alexis nodded. “But if it works, it will distract them long enough for us to make a run for it.”
All the movement was catching up to her, and Alexis felt increasingly dizzy and weak, and the pain in her shoulder felt like a rabid dog was gnawing on her abused flesh.
Kate was silent as she stared at Alexis and worked it through in her mind. Alexis was sure that Kate would come to the same conclusion she had. They didn’t have any other choice unless Kate was going to leave Alexis behind.
“Fine. Talk me through the logistics of this.”
She let her eyes slide closed as she talked through the plan, imagining how it would play out if it were to go exactly as planned.
“Just make sure that you throw them as hard and far as you can. And be fast. Once the helicopter gets closer, they’ll be able to hear it. Then we are shit out of luck.
Kate’s eyes scanned the hills in the darkness, and Alexis handed her the remaining three flares.
“Save the fourth flare to signal our team. If we don’t make it out this time, I don’t think we’re going to make it out at all.”
