The Distance Between Dreams by Sherry L. Brown

Author:Sherry L. Brown [Brown, Sherry L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-18T22:00:00+00:00

28

We our in our last month of deployment. Our team has been working systematically with the marines to clear sections of the city, blasting out pockets of insurgents. In the early morning hours, we muster up before heading out into our transports.

As I’m checking my ammo, loading a couple extra clips into my side pockets, Broussard’s voice comes in through my headset.

“Ryan, Don’t forget, your backing up B team on the clearing.”

I look up to see him climbing into his Humvee, watching me across the expanse of dirt parking lot. Ever since the bomb incident as I call it, he always seems to go to extra effort to stress the orders to me- like he thinks I might disobey. A, “Ten-four Master chief,” is all I reply. I can follow orders just as well as the next guy. I climb in the transport nearest me.

We are split into four groups of four for clearing an industrial complex designated critical infrastructure (meaning we can’t just blow it to pieces with any insurgents that may be inside it). Meaty is our point man, then Centennial, T-Rex and finally me.

The insert is flawless, and I run behind my team, gun at the ready. We reach the back half of the building that is our section to clear, and enter. It is a fairly small space, industrial, with metal walls, grate steps, and near darkness- only lit by the red emergency lighting spaced evenly down the corridor. So, somebody found out we were coming and activated the emergency lights. Good to know we won’t be unexpected.

I follow T’s back, doing sweeps left, right and behind us. We clear three offices and two store rooms, before going down to the next level, where some type of machinery is housed.

Once there, I file in behind my team, Meaty and Cent are already through the far door and into the next section of the machine room. Just as T’s back disappears into the same space, a displacement of light or air alerts me to a presence behind me. Before I can spin and check it out, a sharp pain explodes in my right shoulder- driven in by the weight of a man now on my back. I spin quickly and bring my gun up between us, pulling the trigger while looking into the grimy face of a man with vicious intent in his eyes. He seems as startled as me when he pulls back and places his hand against his stomach and the wound there. He takes a step towards me and I put my rifle up to my shoulder and hit him with another shot in the chest. He goes down this time. The gunshots are muffled pops thanks the to silencer on the end of my rifle.

Death is ugly and raw and quick.

My team is back circling me, looking for any more threats. Meaty takes the tango’s pulse and shakes his head. My shoulder is now screaming, the adrenaline wearing down but I hear Broussard’s voice in my ear over the comm, “ Report Ryan.

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.