Edge of Valor: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller(60)

She rocked back and forth, weeping, screaming until her voice cracked, her throat raw. Grief and loss rolled over her in immense waves. She was drowning in it.

And then two hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her back. She fought against it, writhing, desperate to stay with Gran, to hold her, to bring her back from wherever she had gone.

Strong arms enveloped her, pulled her close.

Hannah’s voice in her ear, the only thing she could hear over her own stricken screams. “I have you, Quinn. I’ve got you. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

Jonas was there, too. He’d never left.

Quinn collapsed into them both, allowed those arms to pull her up, to hold her, carrying her to safety.





42





Liam





Day One Hundred and Thirteen





Liam struggled up the hill, pulling at roots and tree branches.

His heavy go-bag slapped against his back. Cold sweat broke out on his brow. No matter how fast he ran, it wasn’t fast enough.

Fear constricted his chest, his heart tightening like a fist.

The Black Hawk had opened fire, releasing several salvos upon the defenseless townspeople. He had no idea how many casualties. Who they’d lost. Whether Hannah was okay.

The helo concentrated its fury upon downtown Fall Creek, sweeping Main Street, occasionally firing upon empty buildings as it circled out of range of the M60s.

The M2 fired its big gun, keeping the Black Hawk from making another run at the school.

His head on a swivel, Liam sprinted up the hill along a ridgeline south of Winter Haven to the west of town, between the river and the street. The hill was behind the buildings across from the high school—Brite Smiles Dental, the hair salon.

Abruptly, the Ma Deuce fell silent.

“What the hell happened, Delta Two?” Liam said into the radio. “How’d they get so close to the school?”

“The M2 jammed!” Reynoso cried through static. “Checked the ammo belt and got it working for a hot minute. Then the extractor pin broke!”

Liam cursed. That could happen if the ammo belt wasn’t seated properly, or if the gunner hadn’t run the charging handle twice.

Terror lanced through him. The M2 had malfunctioned. It wasn’t coming back online.

Now they only had one chance to take this thing out.

No intelligence. No support personnel. No drones or satellites. No air support. And no one to rescue them if this went pear-shaped.

Hell, it already had.

“Take cover, Delta Two,” he said. “Team Three, on our count, drive that bird toward us.”

“Copy that,” Perez said.

The hostiles would come back. They’d return to hit the school and take out the Ma Deuce, especially now that it was down.

Liam panted, his legs burning, spine like molten lava. The scent of pine needles and cordite filled his nostrils. His boots sank into damp earth.

He reached the predetermined spot where Bishop waited. The location held the high ground with some cover and concealment provided by a cluster of huge walnut trees. It also provided decent fields of fire.

On short notice with limited resources, it’d have to do.

“You brought the fireworks,” Bishop said.

“Let’s hope it works.”

“It’ll work.” Bishop spoke with a confidence Liam didn’t feel. His faith made him an optimist. Liam was far too realistic.

Unzipping the pack, Liam withdrew a two-foot-long, drab olive-colored tube. He pulled the retaining pin, then removed the rear and front caps. As he extended the collapsed tube to its full three-foot length, the front and rear sights popped up.

Along with the M60s and the Browning M2, Perez had managed to steal a single M72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon, or LAW, from the General.

A LAW was simple to use—aim and shoot, no guidance systems required. The shoulder-fired missile weapon launched a rocket equipped with an explosive warhead.

It was a single-use weapon. They had one shot.

Several yards away, parallel to his position, Bishop dropped to one knee, shouldered the rifle, and peered through the scope. He’d lay down cover fire while Liam worked the LAW.

Bishop was utterly still but for his mouth, moving silently as he prayed.

Liam pulled the safety forward, arming the LAW. “Going hot.”

The weapon itself had no recoil, but the back blast could severely injure or kill a man. You didn’t want to be caught behind it.

“Area clear,” Bishop said, verifying that he was clear of the dangerous exhaust area.

“Team Three, this is Alpha One,” Liam said into the radio. “Drive that bird this way.”

From their fortified positions within town hall, Perez’s team opened up with their two M60s. Belt-fed machine gunfire splintered the air.

Every muscle taut, Liam waited.

Fear wrenched through him. Not for himself, but for Hannah and Quinn and everyone else. Hot anger underscored his panic. He would kill the General for this.

He pushed it all down, put it in a box. He had to maintain absolute focus to end this threat.

Moments later, the thump thump thump of the rotors grew louder.

“It’s swinging back around,” Bishop said. “Headed right toward us.”

Liam settled the LAW against his shoulder, adjusted his footing, and stepped out from the trees to better sight the helo.