Page 80 of Fade (Fighting Fate)

An hour down the road we began to slow. My body instantly rose to a new height of alertness. At my curious glance, Nelson tilted his chin ahead. “Checkpoint.”

As we came to a complete stop, I watched the process with a mixture of nervous energy and wariness. Following Nelson’s lead, my hands stayed firmly on my rifle.

The Kurdish soldiers moved slowly and methodically around both vehicles. They took their time to look inside, while Regir spoke to the checkpoint soldier in command. A few minutes later we were on our way again, but with a warning.

The reports of Assad’s forces taking a civilian compound just to the north of Fatisah were confirmed, and the Kurds were in the process of taking it back.

The first signs of the conflict came as we entered Fatisah from the east. With the sun low on the western horizon, this wasn’t a disadvantage we could afford.

Sergeant Cooper’s voice confirmed my concerns through the radio. “We can’t go in blind. We’re going to have to hedge our way around through the south.”

Gunfire came sporadically, and then the rockets, one exploding way too close to the front of Sergeant Cooper’s Humvee for comfort. I clung to the holding strap as we made an immediate detour into the closest civilian compound.

“Go, go, go!” McAdams shouted, jumping from the Humvee, his arm making frantic swipes at the air as he scanned our position. “Find cover.”

The second I was out, he banged on the door and the Humvee shot out again, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. I followed closely behind Nelson, as we took cover behind a half-shattered wall of what used to be someone’s home.

“Nelson, Johns, Stephenson. Eyes. Now!”

Crouched behind the wall, I held my rifle at the ready, trying to get a sight on the enemy. Gunfire rang out, the dust spray giving away its location a second later.

“Eleven o’clock,” I said, taking aim. “On top of the wall.”

“Hold your fire,” Sergeant Cooper barked. “We don’t want to give away our position. We’re sitting fucking ducks here.”

I held, but I watched the fucker like a hawk. He was still shooting, but it was to the west.

“Sir, take a look.” From my peripheral vision, I saw Gardner hand Sergeant Cooper some binos. “If we can get to that civilian compound, we can use it as cover until morning.”

Scuffling movement sounded behind me. “McAdams. We’ve got three hundred yards of open ground. We need to get over there and secure it before darkness sets in.”

McAdams grunted his assent. “Nelson, Stephenson. With me.”

Following close formation, we moved toward the right, while Sergeant Cooper moved left with the others.

More machine-gun fire rang out, this time followed by the unmistakable sound of an RPG. McAdams cursed, ducking around an abandoned car and across the open road to slip into the early night shadows. Following closely, Nelson and I swiftly slipped inside the target area behind him.

Sergeant Cooper appeared a moment later, grabbing Johns to get on the radio.

“McAdams, secure the compound and set up security. Fortify our position. We need to be like fucking ghosts. If we can get to the Kurds without Assad’s forces knowing we’re here, we can get our fucking job done and get the fuck out again.”

I nodded my head in agreement. That sounded like a good plan to me.

Chapter 41

Amy

Deployed time: 8 weeks

A deep, low whooshing sounded through the speakers beside me. My heart continued to beat at a slightly faster pace than usual, while my mouth ran dry and my stomach churned with anxiety.

Dr. Anderson’s brow creased with concentration, pressing the Doppler farther down to my pubic bone. “Well, the heartbeat’s still strong,” she said, lifting the device off me and wiping my stomach with some paper towels to rid me of the cold, sticky gel.

I swallowed, trying to force some calmness into my nerves.

Giving me a kind but intense look, Dr. Anderson placed her hand on the table beside me and sighed. “I think it’s best if I give you a physical exam to check if your cervix is starting to dilate. That way we’ll have a better idea of what’s going on.”

I nodded, too scared to think what it might mean if my cervix was in fact starting to dilate. In fact, I was too scared to think anything in that moment. I was more or less running on adrenaline.

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