Cauldron of Fire by Todd McLeod

Author:Todd McLeod
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Swordworks Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

Major Elliot McNally, veteran of innumerable meetings and policy planning sessions, wasn’t happy. “I don’t like this, Sergeant. We don’t know who we’re shooting at.”

“The enemy, Sir.”

“That’s as maybe, but we came here for a prisoner. We can’t take a prisoner if they’re all dead. Hold your fire when we go in. I need to evaluate so we can get this right.”

Like last time.

Hawkins groaned to himself. The guy could get them all killed, and he wasn’t having any of it. To hell with the orders. A moment later he squeezed the trigger.

The long burst of .50 caliber machine gun fire tore through the wall surrounding the well, and the bullets ripped into the guy hiding behind the well. A moment later, the rest of the jeeps opened fire, and the night was torn apart by heavy fire. Inside of the first minute, they’d hit all four targets, and slowly, the gunfire petered out. There was just the noise of Intelligence Major Elliot McNally shouting at them to cease fire, which they did because there was nothing left to shoot.

“Dammit, I told you to hold your fire. They’re all dead.”

And we’re alive. Best not say it aloud. McNally might take it the wrong way.

Eddie glanced through the Starlight scope and worked it around the village. Looking for something, anything, a Talib they might have missed.

Dammit, there’s a guy, hiding in the shadows.

“Sergeant Dan, there’s a live one. Five o’clock, he’s crouched in a doorway.”

“Is he aiming a weapon?”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.”

“Gimme that scope,” McNally shouted. Hawkins squeezed out of the cupola and let him go ahead, “Yeah, I see him. Men, good news, we may have a prisoner. Sergeant Jones, get out there and secure him.”

“Yessir.”

Dan spoke quietly on the radio, and another Humvee backed away to circle around the dwelling. Minutes later, he got the message he was waiting for. “We’re in position.”

“Copy that. If he tries to run, grab him. Eddie, I’m going out there with Bellows. Cover us.”

“Copy that.”

He waited and watched. Dan and Winston strolled along in the center of the track that ran through the middle of the houses, as if they were going for a Sunday afternoon stroll. At the last moment, as they were passing the target, they split up and ran at him, one either side. Seconds later they dragged him back. They had a prisoner, and Hawkins climbed out to look at him. Jones tossed him the guy’s AK-47. He played his flashlight over the mechanism and looked inside the barrel. It was coated with rust, and if it fired, it’d likely do more damage to the shooter than his intended target.

He switched his gaze to the prisoner. He was young, little more than fourteen-years-of-age. He looked thin, to the point of emaciation, and his clothes were little better than rags. Whatever else they were doing, they weren’t living high on the hog. He wondered what he’d been up to with a rifle that’d only be useful if he reversed it and used it like a club.

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