Survivors by Recht Z.A

Author:Recht, Z.A. [Recht, Z.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Published: 0101-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Time passed in silence. Overhead, the waxing moon was disappearing behind the treetops. Stiles checked his watch, remembered he’d traded it a while back for a few painkillers from the sailors’ medic to help him with his leg, and gave Hal’s foot a tap. “Got the time?”

Hal pulled back his sleeve and checked his watch. “It’s two-thirty. About four hours to sunup. We should get some rest.”

Stiles laughed. “Yeah, like I could sleep after everything that’s just happened.”

Hal shrugged, tucked his knapsack behind his head to serve as a pillow, and leaned back against it, crossing his ankles. “You’ve got first watch, then. Wake me in two hours.” The older man pulled the brim of his baseball hat down over his eyes, and within a few minutes was breathing deeply and regularly, out like a light.

Stiles watched Hal sleep for a moment and marveled at the man’s ability to drift off after such a frantic firefight, especially one in which many friends had been lost. He reminded himself that Hal Dorne was more than a civilian. He’d seen combat—real live combat—before, and had probably learned to catch a few winks whenever the opportunity presented itself. Stiles was too high-strung to consider sleep. His guts were twisted up at the thought of his sailor friends lying dead in a ditch half a mile away.

He wondered how Harris and the others had fared in the storm drain. Though he hated to think it, Stiles realized that, most likely, they had run themselves out of ammunition and been overwhelmed. He shook the thought from his head. No use focusing on it now.

Stiles spent his guard shift slowly patrolling the tiny glen, using his ears more than his eyes. Nothing disturbed the silence of the night, however. Near the end of his shift, birds in the trees began to wake, and their chirping calls heralded the coming dawn.

When the time came, he shook Hal awake. The older man awoke with a start and murmured, “Whuzzat?” before coming fully to his senses. He rubbed at his eyes. “Oh, right. My turn. Anything happen while I was out?”

Stiles shook his head. “Quiet as a grave.”

Hal frowned at the soldier.

“Okay,” Stiles conceded with a small grin, “poor choice of words. You want the Winchester while you’re up?”

“Sure,” said Hal, accepting the antique rifle. He turned it over in his hands. “God, this is a nice piece. Where’d you say you got it, again?”

“Basement of a sporting goods store in Hyattsburg. Consolation prize for getting my ass bitten on the way out,” Stiles said, gesturing at his leg.

“Hell of a prize,” said Hal, checking the chamber. The weapon was loaded. “All right. Catch some sack time.”

“I’m still not sure I can sleep,” said Stiles.

“Try,” said Hal. “And if you can’t, at least get some rest. You’ll need it. You’ll be no good at all if you’re just wandering around in a daze all day.”

Stiles took the older man’s advice, taking his place on the ground next to the knapsack.

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