Page 65 of Cowboy's Last Stand
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He tossed aside the wool blanket and touched the back of his head, like he was checking for an injury that was no longer there.Then he grasped for a water bottle beside the glider and took a long drink.She sat on the step, waiting for his response.
“What did they tell you about Mike’s death?”he asked.“Did they provide details?”
She frowned at the question, trying to remember specifics.“I was told that Mike was trying to secure a scene when an explosive device detonated unexpectedly.He was struck by debris at close range.Death was instantaneous.”
He held the water bottle in a tight grip.“I’m sorry.”
“He died bravely, the CO said.He ‘took heroic action.’”
“Not much comfort in those words.”
“No.”She hadn’t asked for more information; nothing could ease her grief over his grim and untimely passing.“They gave him a bronze star.”
“It’s a dangerous job.”
She nodded.Mike had been part of the explosive ordnance disposal unit.He’d secured areas for the teams of EOD techs.In Kabul, bomb attacks were a frequent occurrence.“He liked keeping people safe.”
His gaze softened.“Of course.”
“Why are you asking about him?”
“Because you’ll think of him anyway when I tell you about my nightmare.We might as well get it out up front.”
She took a deep breath.“OK.”
“This is a disturbing story.Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“Yes.”
“I was an EOD tech on my second tour.”
Natalie was unsettled by this news, though it wasn’t an unusual job in the military.Being on the bomb squad was dangerous; being the bomb tech, even more so.Everyone on the team had to take risks, but the tech was the person who actually dismantled the bomb.Now she understood why Jason worked the way he did, with efficient movements and pure focus.When he said he could fix anything, it wasn’t a boast.After tinkering with explosives for a living, tuning up cars and remodeling houses must seem like a piece of cake.
“I was good at it,” he said shortly.“I enjoyed the stress and challenge of the work.”
She believed him.
“I was overconfident.”
“I imagine that you’d have to be in that profession.”
His mouth made a sardonic twist.“It started out as a typical day on the job.I was sent to evaluate an explosive device.It was a car bomb on the edge of a residential street.I didn’t consider it a high threat.”
“Was it?”
“Yes.There was a second set of fuses leading to an underground cache.Not a car bomb, but a freaking bunker of explosives.We call it a back-to-back.It’s a strategy used by insurgents.They plant one bomb, which explodes and causes significant damage.When the residents return to the scene to search for survivors, along with medical teams and soldiers, the second bomb hits.This one was designed to take out dozens of people, even entire blocks.”
Her heart sank.“Go on.”
“I reassessed the threat and informed my team.They had to evacuate a much larger area than we’d planned, including a nearby mosque.It was chaotic.I should have retreated with them.Instead, I decided to go ahead and attempt dismantling.”
“Oh,” she whispered.
His forehead furrowed with regret.“I assumed the first bomb would trigger the second on a time-release because that’s how it’s usually set up.It looked easy to defuse.I wanted to save the neighborhood from being destroyed and prevent possible deaths.Assembling a second team with more support would take hours.I thought I could handle it.”
“What happened?”
