“Copy that.” I unhook the harness belt and slide it off my shoulders, then grab my rucksack and rifle, flip down my night-vision goggles, and jump out into boot-sucking mud.
Ignoring it, I turn the NVGs on and head east toward the stand of ghostly green-lit trees, my ruck on my back and my rifle gripped in my hands. I know from studying a map of the terrain that beyond the trees is a hill, and beyond the hill is my destination. But it’s still more than a one-kilometer hump in pissing rain loaded with heavy gear, and it’s gonna take a while.
My injuries don’t help. At this point, I’m running on nothing but fumes and desperation. If Eva isn’t here—
Focus on the mission, soldier!
“I hear ya, Master Sergeant McCall,” I mutter, and break into a trot, pushing my worries aside.
It’s times li
