Part 3 (1/2)

”You and I will enter the kill zone and check to see what happened. We might find someone wounded, so go easy with your trigger finger. Tom, I want you and the rest to provide us security. I'm sure the killers are long gone, but they may have left some wounded that are determined to take an American to h.e.l.l with 'em.”

”I hear you.” Tom replied, and then began positioning folks so they could cover them. Of the folks providing protection, John liked Kate the best. He'd actually seen her nail a dime at two hundred yards with her scoped rifle.

Both men immediately saw where the Russians had used a NON-50, their copy of the Claymore and many of the bodies were riddled badly. John looked around and quickly spotted where they'd been placed in trees, pointing downward, to give them a better dispersion of fragments when exploded. The dead had been walking one minute and dead the next, and it was a better death than most.

Dolly, who was walking beside him froze and was looking at something in front of her. John strained his eyes and eventually spotted a thin line stretched across the trail. He suspected, but d.a.m.n sure wasn't going to check, it was a NON-100 anti-personnel mine. I need to warn Jay not to touch anything, and to keep his eyes open for wires, He thought.

John turned and was looking at the man, about to speak, when a loud explosion filled the air and the man flew apart from the blast. John fell to the ground and heard a loud ringing in his ears. Dust, blood and bits of flesh rained down on him as he covered his head with both hands. He knew the danger was over, but survival was his only thought. John was lucky the mine had been positioned toward Jay, so he'd missed the main force of the blast.

”Tom, keep everyone where they are!” John commanded and then stood on shaky legs. I don't need a bunch of folks running in here and triggering more mines, he thought.

”I hear ya.”

He glanced at Jay's body, or what little remained, and from the knees up, he was blown away. He must have been close to the mine, because his jeans were smoking. He looked in the direction he'd been moving and saw two dead bodies. He moved around the trip wire in front of him, and walked forward, slowly. He encountered no more wires or pressure activated mines, and didn't find Lieutenant Holland's body. John didn't think he'd been taken prisoner, but he may have. It's more likely he was unhurt or maybe injured and got away. It all depends on where he was when the blasts went off, he thought as he called Dolly and moved back to his people.

Tom neared and asked, ”And, Jay?”

”He triggered a NON-100 mine and we've lost him. I'm not sure, but it looks like they mined every other body or groups of bodies. The good news, maybe, is I didn't find Holland.”

”I think if you circle the ambush site, Dolly will pick up his scent.”

”I'd thought of that.” John replied and then looking at his dog said, ”Come on Dolly, we're going for a walk.”

Dolly and John took their time and were about half way around the site, when she pulled him toward the right. ”Tom, over here. But look for tripwires as you come, because I saw a couple behind me.”

When the group arrived, Tom asked, ”Any sign of blood?”

”Nope, but I'm going to take the point and have Margie pull drag. It's possible we'll find him alive and if we do, he may be a tad trigger happy. No shooting, and if you see him, call out in English.”

Sandra moved to his side and said, ”You be careful and don't be a hero. It's very possible the Russians know where he is and are using him as bait.”

”I've considered that, too, but find it unlikely, since the ambush happened in the middle of the night. Now, I know they've got night vision goggles, but for one reason or the other, I suspect he made a clean getaway.”

Tom gave him a crooked grin and said, ”a.s.sume nothing when you get near him.”

”If they mine the dead, use extra caution if Joshua is seriously wounded. They may have him mined as well. None of us are explosives experts, so use some common sense, if you find him.”

”Let's move and do the job now.” He said, knowing there were many variables in a given situation and a man needed to consider all of them, and quickly. He'd deal with Holland, if and when they found him.

They'd covered about a quarter of a mile, when he heard Kate say, ”John, look, blood on a leaf.”

He stopped and he walked to her position. A fallen leaf had a slight blood stain, but it was impossible to tell if the injury was serious or not. It was dry and about the size of a dime.

”He's bleeding some.” Tom said.

”Okay, we keep moving.” John said and moved back into position. He suddenly heard a sharp crack of thunder and when he looked up, noticed rain clouds moving overhead. The clouds were dark gray on the outside and almost black in the center. He ignored the weather and followed Dolly.

It was almost another quarter mile before he heard her give him a low warning growl. He looked in the direction she was looking, but saw nothing. He raised a balled fist and everyone stopped moving.

John led Dolly toward the spot she'd been looking and saw the shape of a man wearing camouflage under a large pine tree. He was sitting on his b.u.t.t, chin down, and knees up. He spotted a small patch of blood on his left arm and it'd been crudely bandaged. He held an M-16 in his hands and the barrel was pointing up. On Holland's black face, he noticed his eyes were open, and actually watched him blink a few times.

”Joshua, this is John, are you okay?”

”John?” He asked, and appeared confused.

”I'm a cell leader, like you, remember?”

Joshua gave a low chuckle and said, ”My arm hurts, not my head. I'm in some serious pain and a bit messed up from blood loss.”

”Blood loss? We didn't see but one drop of blood on the way here. By the way, Dolly saved your a.s.s.”

He gave a weak grin and then said, ”I always did like her. I have three or four used bandages in the cargo pockets of my BDU's, because I didn't want to just toss them away. Ain't no need to make it easy for anyone trailing me.”

”Josh, is it safe around you? I need to know before I allow anyone forward to treat you. We found mines back at the ambush site.”

”Yep, it's safe, and no one followed me. I've been here for hours and ain't even heard a fly fart.”

John turned and said, ”Sandra, I need your help.”

She neared and asked, ”Safe?”

”He claims it's safe and he should know.”

Sandra moved forward and squatted at Joshua's side. Opening her medical bag, she then turned her attention to the injured arm. As she worked him over, John checked out his folks and they were all alert and watching the woods. Good bunch I have, and I hated to lose Jay, he thought and turned to see Sandra cutting the s.h.i.+rt sleeve. The bullet, from what John could see, was small caliber and had pa.s.sed through the meaty part of his arm. While it'd bleed like h.e.l.l and hurt, it wasn't normally a killing wound, not if kept clean.

”I need to get him to a safer spot and clean the wound.” She said a few minutes later, ”It's got debris from his s.h.i.+rt and the soiled cloth bandages he used.”

”I used what I had and that was my tee-s.h.i.+rt.” Joshua said.

”I'm not complaining, just telling John what needs to be done.” Sandra said.

”Tom?” John asked.

”Uh-huh?”

”Set up a perimeter as Sandra works on Holland. Keep all alert and awake.”

”Not a problem.” He turned and walked away.

Less than an hour later, Holland was wrapped up nice and pretty, and Sandra said, ”I can't give you anything for pain yet, because we're on the move. Once we're where we'll spend the night, I'll take care of your pain. Right now, swallow these.” She handed him two pills, which John suspected were aspirin or some sort of over the counter pain reliever.

He nodded and then looking at John, smiled and said, ”If you'll help me up, I'll join your group.”

John moved to his side, helped him to his feet and then said, ”Pull 'em in, Tom, we're moving again.”

As soon as Tom neared, he took Holland from John and slipped the man's uninjured arm around his shoulder. John heard Holland say, ”d.a.m.n, Tom, I had no idea ya cared so much for me.”