Perilous Wake by Matthew Rief

Author:Matthew Rief [Rief, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-17T13:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-THREE

Jason raced across the island, following in the tracks of the tank, hurdling fallen trees, dipping in and out of ruts, and weaving past branches.

The island was four hundred yards wide, and it took him four minutes to reach the other side in the heat and humidity. Sweat-soaked, he spotted the tank up ahead and stopped to catch his breath.

The tank was still fifty yards ahead, rumbling at an idle by a rocky shore. Its engine shut off, and the top hatch opened up. Men appeared, led by Alejo. They climbed down and carried the president’s wife and two youngest children to the ground.

Seeing a blacked-out speedboat approaching from the west, Jason raised his rifle. He needed to slow them down—to force them to drop back down for cover in the tank, but he was beaten to it.

Gunshots fired off in unison, striking two of the soldiers. Alejo yelled out, ordering the rest of his men to assemble near the back of the tank and to return fire. The tank swiveled, and the mounted machine gun sent a stream of rounds into the jungle, firing blindly and mowing down branches.

With their attention drawn to their flanks, Jason snuck close to the armored vehicle. He dropped down at its back, his face in the brush and tall grass, and took aim under its axles. One of the men was prodding the mother and her children toward the nearby boat. Taking aim, he settled his breath and opened fire, blasting two quick shots into the guy’s back. His target went down, falling onto the rocks and into the surf.

Jason shifted his aim as the remaining soldiers scrambled, but Alejo was just out of his view, concealed by the tires. As he crawled back ferociously and rolled for a better view, the flanking gunshots resounded again, putting down another of the soldiers and then striking a man as he popped up out of the tank.

Jason aimed at the warlord for the first time. The man was massive—an intimidating force of a human who oozed rage and towered over the First Lady and her kids.

Before Jason could fire, the criminal leader jerked the woman to her feet and used her as a human shield.

“Let her go, Alejo!” Jason snapped, rising to his feet and aiming at the warlord’s head.

The man ducked down just enough for Jason not to have a shot as the two young kids crouched and cried at their mother’s feet.

Alejo inched backward toward the nearby boat. His face twisted and steamed with anger when he recognized Jason, then his eyes darted right as Alejandra poked out of the brush, her pistol aimed at him. Seeming to materialize out of nowhere, Scott appeared on the opposite side with his weapon also aimed at Alejo.

Scott fired first, pounding a round into Alejo’s side and striking his vest. Alejo lurched to a knee with the shot and grunted as the First Lady tore from his grasp.

A soldier on the boat fired shots, and the criminal warlord turned and dove onto the vessel.

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