Fighting Redemption(30)

As machine gun fire cracked into the rocks around them, Monty pulled out a map and Tex began radioing their coordinates back to base, calling in an immediate air strike.

The orange light of dawn began its approach, slowly revealing their position to the enemy.

“Jesus f*cking Christ. We need to retreat,” Ryan growled.

“Cover me,” Jake yelled from the other side of the rocks.

With his heart pounding fiercely, Ryan stood and opened full fire. Jake broke cover. Hunching over, he ran for a better position to take out the PKM that was spewing heavy fire.

New shots rained down from above, taking their team by surprise, and as Ryan turned to fire, he saw Jake fall.

“Tanner!” Ryan shouted hoarsely. “Man down!” he yelled at Galloway. “Cover me.”

Galloway unhooked his rocket launcher, and as the explosive rounds lit up the sky, Ryan rushed out and skidded to the ground, grabbing Jake in his hard grip and dragging him to cover.

With the PKM no longer heard, Kyle stood guard in front of them, his rifle raised.

With Jake laid out on his back, Ryan crouched over him. His eyes fell on the bullet wounds to his shoulder and neck. Thick, red blood was flowing freely from the neck wound, and as Ryan jammed his fingers on it, it overflowed, spilling over his hands and leaching into the ground.

“Someone get me some goddamn first aid,” he shouted, his voice cracking as he put his entire body weight onto the wound.

Scrambling came from behind him.

“Jake,” he yelled.

Ryan’s jaw clenched when Jake remained unmoving.

Using his other hand, he felt hard for a pulse.

Nothing.

“Damn you, Jake,” he rasped as the heat of bullets cracked wildly around them. “Please.”

Ryan screwed his eyes shut when Jake didn’t move, his heart splintering into a thousand pieces.

“Jake, you *! Goddamn you, don’t do this!” he shouted hoarsely. “Don’t leave me.”

Opening his eyes, hot tears poured down his face. Bandages were thrust at him. Blinking through blurred vision, he grabbed at them. He took his hand off Jake’s neck for a split second, the blood a slight trickle before he slammed the bandage down.

It’s not real. I’m gonna wake up in a minute and Jake will be there, strumming that shitty guitar and grinning at me.

Monty crouched down on the other side of Jake and felt for a pulse. With his jaw clenched, he looked at Ryan. “Kendall.” His eyes were raw with grief. “Jake’s gone.”

Ryan couldn’t breathe, his head spinning from the lack of air.

“No.” Ryan shook his head. “He’s not gone. He can’t be.”

Jake was infallible. He was the strongest, the fastest, the best of all of them. Jake was his brother.

Leaning over, he buried his head in Jake’s stomach, images spinning through him as sobs ripped him wide open.



Jake glancing sideways at him. “What grade are you in?”

“Five. You?”

“Same,” he replied, grinning.



Jake looking at him from across the table. “Ghost Recon rematch?”



Jake standing beside him. “Don’t let this shit beat you, Kendall. Dig deep and show these cunts how it’s done.”



“Ryan’s lazy,” Jake told Fin, his eyes glinting with laughter. “He falls asleep during all our training exercises.”



Jake’s voice cutting through the silence. “How long have you been in love with my sister?”



Jake’s eyes as Ryan looked at him from over his shoulder. “I love the two of you. I just want you both happy. You know what I’m saying, don’t you?”



“Christ. Where’s our goddamn backup?” Kyle screamed, his voice cutting through Ryan’s wild daze.

“Air support two minutes,” Monty yelled back as he stood, raising his rifle. Ryan’s eyes fell on the blood coating Monty’s fingers and his stomach lurched. “Start a retreat.”

Kyle jerked as a bullet caught him in his hip and he fell to his knees. “Fuck,” he growled.

Galloway rushed over, helping Kyle to his feet, and Ryan turned back to Jake. Hardening his heart, he took a deep breath and hefted Jake’s body up and onto his shoulder. Steadying himself, he started behind Monty through heavy cover fire as they headed for a safe pick up zone.

“Sonofabitch,” Ryan rasped when relief came moments later in the form of two FA18 jet fighters screaming overhead. “You f*cking bastards are five minutes too late.”

Ryan turned as they unloaded their bombs, explosions lighting up the dawn and tearing through the thick brush.

“Ryan!” Monty yelled.

Turning back, he picked up his pace as the bombs wiped out the entire nest in a matter of moments.

Soon after a Black Hawk helicopter thundered above them, and when his stomach lurched as they lifted off, there was no laughter or jokes, just the loud beat of the rotors carrying them back to base.

With Jake lying beside him, Ryan held tight to his cold hand. He let silent tears roll down his cheeks as everything inside him systematically shut down, leaving nothing but black.





Three months later…

Fremantle, Western Australia