35
Austin pressed against the tree, listening to the battle sounds echo. Men shouted orders. The c*****e made his blood boil. He wanted to sprint screaming to help Sharkey fight off the Phantoms, but he had orders to wait by the lake for his extraction.
He glanced back at Mom and Kadyn hunched behind a huge log on the banks of the mountain lake. Mom had her arm placed around Kadyn’s neck. The two women, battered and bruised, looked ready to collapse into the soft clay of the shore.
At that moment, Sharkey fought to protect them. Austin should be there, should rush through the forest to aid his comrade. He had known Sharkey since he first arrived at the school. He knew the man would die in the line of duty if it was needed.
And right now, Sharkey’s sense of duty the only thing protectin
