Page 122 of Casualties of War
Adán walked in front.
Parris waved them on. “Move it!” she screamed.
Adán picked up the pace. He called over his shoulder and everyonequickened their speed, although no one had the strength to run.
Parris lifted the radio to her mouth. “Do you have eyes on me, sir?”
“We see you.” Strickland’s voice was static-filled, for he was in California.
Parris looked up at the sky. She could never see the drone although it didn’t stop her looking. “Whenever you’re ready,” she said.
“Job well done, Captain. Come on home.”
She handedthe radio back to Amos.
The first missile told her where the drone was—a mile out to sea and high up. The missile streaked across the sky, leaving an orange after-image dazzling on her retinas. The missile dropped below the edge of the cliff and she heard and felt the dull roar. The ground trembled.
The Vistarians screamed and stumbled forward into a slow run. They were at a safe distance, onlythat wouldn’t stop them from panicking. They tripped and helped each other up and came stumbling forward.
Adán jogged to where she and her men stood. “They’re weak and sick and dying,” he said in an undertone. Anger colored his voice.
“Better to die out here and free,” Ramirez growled.
Adán sighed and nodded.
Another missile shrieked. This one took out the mouth of the cave. Rocks and dirterupted. A fireball swelled and rose into the air.
“If anyone is still in there, they’re staying there now,” Parris said. “That’s both exits gone.”
“The cave system runs everywhere,” Adán said.
“Not for much longer,” Parris told him. “The drone carries eight missiles. Strickland will drop all of them before pulling it back home. The bomb and the cobalt will be buried under so many tons of rocksand earth, no one will ever reach it again.”
Adán considered the burning headland. He nodded. “Yes,” he said. “That will do.”
“Glad we have your approval, Silva,” Ramirez growled.
Adán grinned. Then his eyes widened. “Parris!” He lunged at her, his arms slapping around her. He spun, bringing her with him.
A rifle fired twice. She felt the impactthroughAdán. He grunted and folded forward,as the others shouted, bringing their guns to bear on the threat. Parris gripped the armor over Adán’s chest with one hand, guiding his fall while she pulled out her Glock and spotted the lone Insurrecto lying in the grass twenty-five yards away.
She aimed for the man’s forehead. Everyone else was firing at him. Parris knew it was her shot that found home, though. The Insurrecto threw back hishead, then fell flat on his face and didn’t move.
By then, she was on her back, with Adán on top of her. The impact should have winded her, except she had braced herself and her adrenaline compensated. So did the armor. She pushed Adán onto his back, as Ramirez and the others split up and quartered the ground, looking for other holdouts.
Odesky slithered over the grass and pulled the first aidkit from his thigh pocket. He bent over Adán. “Now you’ve done it,” he told him, then moved back to examine his leg.
Adán groaned. He clutched at his thigh, where blood oozed from two holes on the back of it, turning the dark green trousers to a dirty brown.
Parris got to her knees beside him, fury tearing through her. “You stupid, stupid man! I’m wearingbody armor! Why did you have to be fuckingheroic! Jesus!”
“Told you,” Odesky muttered, slapping sterile pads onto both wounds and holding them in place.
“Years!” she cried. “It took fucking years for these guys to learn I could take care of myself and you just ruined it. You and your Vistarian honor thing! Damn it, Adán!”
His gaze, pain-filled, met hers. “I guess, when it comes right down to it, I can’t help protecting the woman Ilove.”
Parris sucked in her breath. Shock was piling up on top of shock, this morning. “What?” she breathed.
