Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 65041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
I killed enemies.
I lost soldiers.
The long periods of violence took a psychological toll on me mentally. I’d wake up several times throughout the night, freaking the fuck out if I couldn’t find my gun, even if I didn’t need it at that moment.
I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, always on alert, always waiting to kill what I couldn't fucking see, hear, or touch. These missions all required the same thing, which only a handful of Elite Force teams could pull off.
The team I was in charge of was the best of the fucking best—a group of ruthless men who feared nothing. Our rifles were loaded and fucking ready to shoot, stepping one foot in front of each other, listening all around for any sign of the fuckers.
I put my left hand up, signaling to continue. “All clear,” I informed through my radio.
As I looked through my scope, turning right and left, we trucked through the woods, trying to be as invisible as possible. Blending in with nature. Not even my breathing could get out of sync. The more treacherous the situation, the calmer I was.
See, my worst nightmare had already come true. Nothing was left for me to fear but fear itself.
My adrenaline worked overtime, knowing the enemy was close, but I had no visual at all. All my actions and orders needed to be calculated and precise. My hearing only heightened with every step I took toward the direction of danger.
Suddenly, an eerie feeling I recognized all too well crept up my spine. I looked around us, moving out in front of Tony. For a second, I thought I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, but then a gust of wind blinded me with the dirt in the stale, dry air.
“Did you hear that?” I whispered loud enough for him to hear.
He nodded behind me. “Did you see that shit?”
I did see it.
I saw everything but didn’t need to turn my head to know what he was referring to. It happened so fast, yet it seemed so fucking slow.
I drew my gun at the exact moment I caught a sniper out of the corner of my eye, aiming his shot right toward Tony. Springing into action as if on autopilot, I shoved him back as hard as I could with my gun out in front of me. The sharp, familiar sound of a bullet whistling through the desert air just missed the back of my head and flew into the concrete building.
I regained my balance, taking out the sniper before he had a chance to kill either of us. I shot a bullet in the center of his forehead like it was just another day.
Abruptly, screams echoed in the distance, halting my descent.
“Fuck!” I shouted through my radio. “Get down!” The sons of bitches opened rapid fire on us.
There was no time to think.
No time to breathe.
No time to get the fuck out of there.
“Fuck you!” Tony seethed.
“NO!” I screamed bloody murder, fully aware of what was about to go down.
He returned the favor, shoving me out of the way.
“Tony, don’t—”
BAM!
His body instantly jolted back from the impact of the bullet in the side of his neck.
My strength.
My will to keep fucking going.
“Shit,” I sputtered.
Carefully, I turned over to my stomach, fighting a war with my body to do what it was trained to. I slowly sat up, crawling toward a nearby tree until I leaned against it.
After my eyes adjusted back into focus from sunlight and the dirty air, I blinked a few times, gradually looking up. Adjusting to the light, I looked all around me, needing to find Tony. I desperately pushed through the disorientation and confusion of our location and where Tony’s body could have been tossed.
Several explosions continued to go off nearby, and it felt as if the seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours. I was frantically trying to see where he was. I pushed off the tree, stumbling to stand on my own. I placed one foot in front of the other, repeating in my head, I need to find him.
My body was obviously going into shock as I tried to make my way toward Tony. A man who’d become like a brother to me. It was only then I saw that he wasn’t moving. The closer I got to him, I maneuvered on autopilot as I hurried down the alleyway. I didn’t give a fuck about anything else but getting to him.
Guns blazing.
Bullets firing in all directions.
Hell had broken loose around me, yet it didn’t bother me anymore.
I didn’t think anything could faze me until I came upon his body. So much blood came out of what was left of him as he convulsed, shaking uncontrollably. I watched him dying right in front of my tormented stare. I didn’t think twice about it. I grabbed him, dragging his limp form to what appeared to be a vacant shed.