Page 113 - Demo

112 JAGGEDEDGE
into the harsh reality of survival,” he thought. “But we were all smitten. For a few minutes all of the training, instinct and drills we had learned for years was cast away like day old rubbish. In that span of time we were lost and vulnerable in a new dimen- sion. We quickly moved into the vegetation and established a small patrol base. The patrol assumed prone fighting positions forming all around security. Our feet almost touching formed a circle large enough for two men to sit in the center back to back with the radio. The patrol maintained 50 percent security. The rest slept face down. After the shroud of darkness closed tight, we heard a noise. The patrol quietly tapped each other awake.
“Crackle! A stick broke.
Boom! Boom! Two directional mines were detonated. The entire patrol poised for action and stayed on full alert the rest of the night.
“The next morning, we checked the area for what was as- sumed to be animals. We discovered the three women dead from the fragmentation of our mines. Our fantasy among them was just as awesome in death as she had been to them in life. Failure descended upon all of them like a heavy rucksack. At that mo- ment we all wondered why we should be alive. It had never occurred to us that their previous hesitation could have been our last. Suddenly it hit us: By allowing the women to have another shot at us, we had missed the enemy looking straight into their eyes.”
“Okay, Seige, class is starting back up,” said Brock. “I’m ready,” said Seige, shaken from his reverie. “Man were you in a daze,” Brock observed.
“I had something on my mind. Let’s go.”
He sat in class trying to unravel the mystery of why the task force was in class instead of on the case.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, and Matthew must be under some kind of pressure. “I hope I am not looking at what I think is my friend and making the same mistake again.”
After class, Seige took a break outside the building.