Four Horsemen Tales 05 When Eagles Dare by Doug Dandridge

Author:Doug Dandridge [Dandridge, Doug]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 42141633
Publisher: Seventh Seal Press
Published: 2018-10-02T04:00:00+00:00

*

The day was bright and cool, at least to start, though Jonah was sure the temperature would be rising in a couple of hours. They were only a thousand feet above sea level at this point, and the vegetation was beginning to transition from forest to jungle. There were more vines hanging down, which meant less sunlight reaching the ground, and more shadows. There were more birdlike creatures chattering away, and even groups of anthropoid creatures much like monkeys, staring with curiosity at the beings walking by below.

“How many more days, Colonel?” Sarah Cohen asked, angling her heavy rifle over her shoulder as she struggled to keep up.

Jonah looked down at the small woman. She really didn’t seem like the type who’d pick a weapon like the M71 12mm anti-material rifle as her primary weapon. However, she was a natural with the weapon, one of the best the colonel had ever seen. She’d stated in the past that she was in love with the weapon, but that didn’t mean she loved carrying it. Unfortunately, she was stuck with it, since everyone else was carrying a full load of equipment. Almost everyone else was carrying a couple of mortar rounds, or a rocket launcher with multiple refills. She was carrying what was estimated to be her fair share, based on her body weight.

“We’re making as good time as possible,” he said, wiping a rivulet of sweat from his cheek. They’d travelled about twenty-five miles a day for the last three days. Of course they could have covered more on a hard-packed road—up to forty. This wasn’t a hard-packed road, and walking for twelve hours at two miles an hour was very good progress. “I think we should get there in another four days.”

“I think I can make that,” Sarah said with a smile, pulling her helmet off and hanging it by its straps from her belt, “but I’ll be glad when I have a chance to lighten my load by a couple dozen rounds.”

“Me too, Sarah,” the colonel said after a short laugh. He knew the mercenary would never think of jettisoning equipment. None of his people would. But if they could expend ammo killing the people standing between them and the successful completion of their mission, they’d jump at the chance.

“I’m getting a good look at the valley ahead, sir,” Cheung Xou said, walking a couple of yards behind, at times stumbling over something on the ground.

The electronics expert obviously wasn’t paying attention to the world directly around him. Instead, his attention was on the small drone that was scouting ahead, just over the trees. It was sending data back by tight-beam microwave, not always in contact, but often enough to give them a good look ahead.

“What do you see?” Jonah asked, looking back at the Chinese merc.

“A lot of trees,” the large man said with a laugh, “a few clearings, and the escarpment on the other side of the valley. About five hundred miles of cliffs, with a half dozen passes going up to the small plateau on top.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.