structure.
Lucas knew they were making no friends or allies. It sickened him a little to subject women and children to such rough handling. Their fear was obvious in the way they huddled in groups and clung to one another for protection and comfort.
The men were openly hostile. The young ones fought back while the older ones raged and swore. Lucas barked orders as his Marines segregated the men from the women and children. Very few weapons were recovered. It certainly didn’t look as though the village was harboring Taliban.
“All I see is old men and teenage boys, Sergeant Hammond,” Lucas said sharply. “Don’t tell me we rousted this village for no reason.”
“They’re here, sir,” Noah said firmly. “The villagers are less likely to be harmed out here, while we search the structures for hiding places.”
“Any ideas where we should start?” Lucas demanded.
“Grant, Hubbard, Chandler,” Noah called sharply. The three shifters immediately came to stand before him. “I smell them in the first structure on the left and the large one in the center. Any of you getting anything different?”
None of the werewolves disagreed with Noah’s assessment.
“Sergeant Fowler, take a team and clear out the hiding places in that first structure,” Lucas ordered. “Sergeant Hammond, you and I will take a team and clear the center building.”
“Sir...” Lucas sensed Noah’s protest before he even spoke it.
“I’m putting a lot of faith in the skills of you and your shifters, Sergeant,” he snapped. “So far, all I have to show for it is a village full of angry old men and women. I want to see just where these hostiles are hiding.”
“Yes, sir,” Noah replied smoothly. Lucas could feel the agitation rolling off of him, but he made no protest. Instead, he leaned in and spoke softly, so only Lucas could hear. “You stay right on my six, sir. I want you within reach at all times. Please.”
Lucas’ eyes widened, and his lips parted in surprise, but he nodded his reluctant agreement.
§ § §
They entered the structure, weapons at their shoulders, sweeping the room for threats. The building was being used as a home. It looked to Lucas like a large, extended family resided there.
Slowly, Noah led them through the structure and into a rear bedroom. Lucas was edgy, and he struggled to suppress it. He didn’t want Noah to pick up on it, since that seemed to be something that went on between them. Lucas wanted to check furniture, rugs and cabinets for potential hiding places, but Noah had a very specific destination in mind.
“Now I can smell a fifth one in here somewhere,” Noah murmured, as if to himself. “I just can’t tell where the fucker’s hiding.”
Lucas stood back and provided cover as his men moved furniture. Very quickly, they located something anomalous in the floor at one corner of the room. The floor covering didn’t match the surrounding material.
They suspected that beneath the covering, they were about to find a hole in which several subjects were hiding. They paused as a comm transmission notified them that Sergeant Fowler’s team had located two Taliban fighters.
That meant they were most likely about to find two people hiding in the floor beneath them.
Noah and Lucas trained their weapons on the floor as the rest of the team pried up the boards. They revealed two Afghan males, on their backs, in the hideaway. Both were armed.
The Marines all leveled their weapons at the men and shouted orders. Lucas desperately hoped that neither man would be stupid enough to point their guns.
Relief was palpable in the room when the two men surrendered peacefully.
Lucas watched as his Marines secured their prisoners and the AK-47s. A closer look revealed a cache of weapons also in the hiding-hole.
Between the two teams, they had secured four men. There didn’t seem to be any sign of the fifth man Noah was sure he could smell. Lucas relaxed his
Lucas knew they were making no friends or allies. It sickened him a little to subject women and children to such rough handling. Their fear was obvious in the way they huddled in groups and clung to one another for protection and comfort.
The men were openly hostile. The young ones fought back while the older ones raged and swore. Lucas barked orders as his Marines segregated the men from the women and children. Very few weapons were recovered. It certainly didn’t look as though the village was harboring Taliban.
“All I see is old men and teenage boys, Sergeant Hammond,” Lucas said sharply. “Don’t tell me we rousted this village for no reason.”
“They’re here, sir,” Noah said firmly. “The villagers are less likely to be harmed out here, while we search the structures for hiding places.”
“Any ideas where we should start?” Lucas demanded.
“Grant, Hubbard, Chandler,” Noah called sharply. The three shifters immediately came to stand before him. “I smell them in the first structure on the left and the large one in the center. Any of you getting anything different?”
None of the werewolves disagreed with Noah’s assessment.
“Sergeant Fowler, take a team and clear out the hiding places in that first structure,” Lucas ordered. “Sergeant Hammond, you and I will take a team and clear the center building.”
“Sir...” Lucas sensed Noah’s protest before he even spoke it.
“I’m putting a lot of faith in the skills of you and your shifters, Sergeant,” he snapped. “So far, all I have to show for it is a village full of angry old men and women. I want to see just where these hostiles are hiding.”
“Yes, sir,” Noah replied smoothly. Lucas could feel the agitation rolling off of him, but he made no protest. Instead, he leaned in and spoke softly, so only Lucas could hear. “You stay right on my six, sir. I want you within reach at all times. Please.”
Lucas’ eyes widened, and his lips parted in surprise, but he nodded his reluctant agreement.
§ § §
They entered the structure, weapons at their shoulders, sweeping the room for threats. The building was being used as a home. It looked to Lucas like a large, extended family resided there.
Slowly, Noah led them through the structure and into a rear bedroom. Lucas was edgy, and he struggled to suppress it. He didn’t want Noah to pick up on it, since that seemed to be something that went on between them. Lucas wanted to check furniture, rugs and cabinets for potential hiding places, but Noah had a very specific destination in mind.
“Now I can smell a fifth one in here somewhere,” Noah murmured, as if to himself. “I just can’t tell where the fucker’s hiding.”
Lucas stood back and provided cover as his men moved furniture. Very quickly, they located something anomalous in the floor at one corner of the room. The floor covering didn’t match the surrounding material.
They suspected that beneath the covering, they were about to find a hole in which several subjects were hiding. They paused as a comm transmission notified them that Sergeant Fowler’s team had located two Taliban fighters.
That meant they were most likely about to find two people hiding in the floor beneath them.
Noah and Lucas trained their weapons on the floor as the rest of the team pried up the boards. They revealed two Afghan males, on their backs, in the hideaway. Both were armed.
The Marines all leveled their weapons at the men and shouted orders. Lucas desperately hoped that neither man would be stupid enough to point their guns.
Relief was palpable in the room when the two men surrendered peacefully.
Lucas watched as his Marines secured their prisoners and the AK-47s. A closer look revealed a cache of weapons also in the hiding-hole.
Between the two teams, they had secured four men. There didn’t seem to be any sign of the fifth man Noah was sure he could smell. Lucas relaxed his
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