struggled to untangle himself from the driver, but they appeared to be stuck. Larry managed to turn his head far enough to see his face. It was covered in blood and his nose had an awful twist to it.
“Corporal, can you hear me?” Larry got a moan and some movement for a response, but the soldier was not fully awake. Larry was contemplating his options when the decision was made for him by automatic weapons fire from a few meters behind them. The corporal groaned loudly as Larry twisted his body around and planted both his feet against the shattered windshield. He started kicking.
• • •
The driver of the ambush truck had revved the engine and released the hand brake before popping the clutch and holding on. The truck jumped from the alley and out toward the middle of the road just as the first truck passed. He caught sight of the white man in the front seat looking at him with wide eyes before he flashed by and the street was empty. It distracted him for a split second, but that was all it took.
The truck hesitated and took one hop before stalling. He realized he had slammed it into the wrong gear.
“Idiot!” he screamed at himself. He cranked the starter and the engine caught as it continued to coast forward. He chose the lower gear and turned to check on the target. He was horrified to see it coming even faster and angling for the gap he had left in front of him. He mashed the accelerator and the truck lunged forward, clipping the passing deuce in the ass and flipping it over. His own truck continued on before he could stop it, jumping the curb and impacting the building across the street. Again it stalled, coasting backward over the debris left by the impact. He let it go until he had the road sufficiently blocked. Yanking the hand brake, he wiped the sweat and blood from his face before grabbing an AK-47 off the floor and bailing out the driver’s side. The third truck was fast approaching.
• • •
The major reacted instantly to the radio call. Scanning ahead, he saw the ambush site and quickly deduced they were committed to entering it. Muzzle flashes winked at them as they approached and the windshield shattered as bullets entered the cab, seeking the driver. The major shifted his considerable bulk down below the dash, but was unable to avoid all the incoming rounds. A bullet creased his forehead, opening a gash that bled freely while another found his shoulder just below his neck. He turned his head in time to see the young Marine at the wheel take several rounds in the chest and face, showering the cab in more blood. He slumped over the wheel and his lifeless foot depressed the accelerator. The truck sped up even more and the major chanced a look through the cracked glass. Seeing the muzzle flashes concentrated on the right side of the road, he reached out and grabbed the steering wheel. With a bloody grin, he drove the truck right at his attackers.
• • •
Jack’s lungs were straining as he sprinted down the street. He had twisted an ankle when he dropped out of the cab and automatically performed a PLF, or Parachute Landing/Fall, and had luckily scrambled to his feet without a head injury. The ankle was complaining, but he couldn’t listen to it now. He slowed as he reached the corner and stopped to put on the LBE. As he scanned around the corner, his hands took inventory of what the Marine had included. He felt five full magazines for the M-4. A Ka-bar knife mounted cross draw on the left shoulder. Two combat bandages and the three grenades he had seen earlier. He thumbed off the safety on the M-4 and proceeded around the corner into the dark. He had heard the crash as he was running and now the sound of his approach was covered by the automatic weapon fire from down the street. He looked for the escort Jeep, but it was nowhere to be found.
“Up to you, Jack, don’t get dead,” he whispered to himself.
The roar of a
“Corporal, can you hear me?” Larry got a moan and some movement for a response, but the soldier was not fully awake. Larry was contemplating his options when the decision was made for him by automatic weapons fire from a few meters behind them. The corporal groaned loudly as Larry twisted his body around and planted both his feet against the shattered windshield. He started kicking.
• • •
The driver of the ambush truck had revved the engine and released the hand brake before popping the clutch and holding on. The truck jumped from the alley and out toward the middle of the road just as the first truck passed. He caught sight of the white man in the front seat looking at him with wide eyes before he flashed by and the street was empty. It distracted him for a split second, but that was all it took.
The truck hesitated and took one hop before stalling. He realized he had slammed it into the wrong gear.
“Idiot!” he screamed at himself. He cranked the starter and the engine caught as it continued to coast forward. He chose the lower gear and turned to check on the target. He was horrified to see it coming even faster and angling for the gap he had left in front of him. He mashed the accelerator and the truck lunged forward, clipping the passing deuce in the ass and flipping it over. His own truck continued on before he could stop it, jumping the curb and impacting the building across the street. Again it stalled, coasting backward over the debris left by the impact. He let it go until he had the road sufficiently blocked. Yanking the hand brake, he wiped the sweat and blood from his face before grabbing an AK-47 off the floor and bailing out the driver’s side. The third truck was fast approaching.
• • •
The major reacted instantly to the radio call. Scanning ahead, he saw the ambush site and quickly deduced they were committed to entering it. Muzzle flashes winked at them as they approached and the windshield shattered as bullets entered the cab, seeking the driver. The major shifted his considerable bulk down below the dash, but was unable to avoid all the incoming rounds. A bullet creased his forehead, opening a gash that bled freely while another found his shoulder just below his neck. He turned his head in time to see the young Marine at the wheel take several rounds in the chest and face, showering the cab in more blood. He slumped over the wheel and his lifeless foot depressed the accelerator. The truck sped up even more and the major chanced a look through the cracked glass. Seeing the muzzle flashes concentrated on the right side of the road, he reached out and grabbed the steering wheel. With a bloody grin, he drove the truck right at his attackers.
• • •
Jack’s lungs were straining as he sprinted down the street. He had twisted an ankle when he dropped out of the cab and automatically performed a PLF, or Parachute Landing/Fall, and had luckily scrambled to his feet without a head injury. The ankle was complaining, but he couldn’t listen to it now. He slowed as he reached the corner and stopped to put on the LBE. As he scanned around the corner, his hands took inventory of what the Marine had included. He felt five full magazines for the M-4. A Ka-bar knife mounted cross draw on the left shoulder. Two combat bandages and the three grenades he had seen earlier. He thumbed off the safety on the M-4 and proceeded around the corner into the dark. He had heard the crash as he was running and now the sound of his approach was covered by the automatic weapon fire from down the street. He looked for the escort Jeep, but it was nowhere to be found.
“Up to you, Jack, don’t get dead,” he whispered to himself.
The roar of a
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