On Point (Out of Uniform 3)
Before Maddox could open his mouth, Canaan repeated the gesture with Ben, saying something Maddox couldn’t make out. But Ben nodded, eyes still on Maddox. “How drunk are you?” he asked. “Just the one beer? No shots with this troublemaker?”
“I’m sober.” Maddox was buzzing on anger and adrenaline, but he wasn’t going to let alcohol be the scapegoat for his own insanity. “Come on, what’s the matter, Tovey? Changed your mind about wanting to show me something new?”
Ben leveled him the same stare that made new recruits cry. He studied Maddox, looking for what, God only knew. But then he spoke, decisive as ever. “Let’s get out of here.”
Present
“Time to move.” Ben pushed at Maddox’s shoulder, and it took Maddox a moment to realize that the whisper came from beside him, not the memory. “Been long enough. I want to check on your wounds.”
“You don’t have to take care of me.” Wasn’t just memories making Maddox bitter. “Maybe safest thing is to leave me—”
“Fuck that noise.” Ben scooted backward. Maddox’s breath caught as he waited to find out if they were trapped. But the jungle’s hum remained unchanged, the leaves dripping and birds swooping, same as before. “Oh shit.”
Maddox had heard a lot of sounds out of Ben’s mouth—some funny, some thoughtful, some so sexy he wished like heck he could forget—but he’d never heard anything quite so anguished. Icy dread sliced him to the marrow, infiltrated his blood, froze the prayer on his tongue.
Chapter Six
Present
“Oh shit,” Ben repeated. He didn’t recoil from much. He’d seen buddies with gut shot wounds and would carry the sight of missing limbs with him to his grave. But nothing had prepared him for the gray pallor to Maddox’s skin and pale lips, wounds oozing. He could die out here, and there’s nothing I could do to stop it. Checking to make sure that they were in fact alone—all they needed was a hostile who’d stayed behind the other group—he fished out his emergency kit.
“I think you should take the antibiotics. And you sure you don’t want a pain pill?”
“I’m not sure the pills will do much.” Of that they were in agreement, but Ben had to try. Maddox took the pills, which were practically the size of bullets. He coughed a bit as he swallowed, and Ben’s chest clenched. He’d trade places with him in a heartbeat.
“Wizard’s gonna rip me a new one over my shoddy doctoring.” Ben’s throat was tighter than parachute rigging. “They’ll find us soon. We just gotta keep moving. Hydrate. Much as you can.”
“How’s the arm?” Typical Maddox, putting the attention on him, caring about his minor aches and pains while he looked like roadkill.
“Fine,” Ben said even though his shoulder felt like he’d been stabbed with a cattle brand. And his ribs just wouldn’t shut the hell up. “You need some of my water? That’s...important.” Going to keep you alive if it’s the last thing I do.
“I’m good.” Maddox took a long pull on his hydration valve. “Gonna need your help standing though.”
“You’ve got it.” Ben stifled a yelp as Maddox leaned on him. But it was worth it to see the big guy upright again, even if upright was a bit optimistic. Maddox slumped over his tree branch crutches.
“Next rest stop, I’m going to see what I can do with that gun.” Maddox closed his eyes briefly, each word seeming to cost him valuable energy.
“Sounds good. What I want to do is make it to the clearing ahead, then skirt the edge, heading for the rendezvous point.” The closer they could get to that point, the greater their chances of being found by their team. Nightfall would happen soon, and with their night vision goggles less than functional, they could be looking at a long night. But the team wouldn’t give up, and they couldn’t either. At some point the chopper had to return, and they had to be ready.
“Lead the way.” Maddox’s eyes were steel slugs of determination.
Not for the first time, Ben was blown away by his friend’s strength. He wasn’t the fastest, but give him a heavy load and Maddox wouldn’t let it drop until he passed out trying. And it was up to Ben to make sure he didn’t fall.
He tried to take the easiest path that still kept them hidden, each step carefully calculated. An orange and green frog croaked as they passed yet another boggy puddle. The ground underfoot got squishier with each step. The rain was really coming down now, drowning out the usual insect noise, and keeping the birds from swooping as much, the whole jungle hunkering down like they would do if they could, but they needed to make that rendezvous point to have a shot at survival.
“Ben...” Maddox huffed behind him. “I’m...I’m sorry.”
“What?” Ben stopped and turned. “For what?”