Alone

Danger

A/N Thanks to my brother Robin for help with this chapter. He is the military expert in our family.

He drifts, never fully going under. He knows he will have to do something about that, and soon. He needs a good nights sleep but can't risk it until he knows they are safe. Or at least as safe as he can make them.

He hears it. It is soft but his ears are very in tune to anything out of the ordinary. He sits up and lifts the gun.  He moves over and lifts a sleeping Melody up. He carries her over to the couch, laying her beside Rae. He gestures the dog over and Lady joins them. He places himself in front of them. Anyone coming will have to get through them to get to them. Good luck with that. The surprises he set up for them insures that.

He hates this. He had tried to warn his CO. He sees the marks of Mike. If the best Tier One officer is here, they don't want to have anything to do with him. He was overruled. So, with much trepidation, he follows them.

It is bad enough that the former owner was a anti government patriot. Who knows what he had set up? Yet they approach they place like they own it. Insane. Even going through the woods. The first sign that they are in trouble is subtle. A grunt as one of the men trips over a trip wire. The rustle of coke cans followed.

“Dam it!” his CO mutters. He just shakes his head and tightens his grip on the gun. He tried to warn him. It wasn't just the original occupant. He wishes it was. Of course, Mike made it look like it was. He prays he just wants to scare him off. Otherwise, they are dead.

Mike tightens his grip on the AR 15 and the detonator. Rae doesn’t know what he has set up outside. He doesn’t want to have to kill anyone. Enough people have died. But, to protect them, he will.

They continue, now looking for trip wires. Of course, they won’t see them all. They won’t see the mines that could be set up until it is too late. Finally they exit the woods. The house looks normal enough. But..

Mike takes a deep breath. Then another. He turns and wakes Rae. “Sorry. We have company coming. I've got it handled. It is going to get loud. Get a firm grip on Melody. Hold her tight.”

“Mike?” He can do nothing to completely relief her fears. He turns long enough to kiss her.

“I promise to keep you safe. Just stay there and hold her tight. I will let you know if you have to do anything else.”

She nods and wraps her arms and legs around her. She turns to face the back of the couch and he shields them.

He shivers when he sees the house, there is something. His CO keeps moving forward. He slows his steps. Let the stubborn fool go first.

Mike waits as long as he can. He listens as they draw closer. He counts in his head. Now!

One more step. He fills it in his blood. A heavy expectancy. He obeys that deep instinct and drops.

“Now.” He softly says and presses the detonator. The claymores that he had lined the porch steps with( thank God for paranoid patriots) go off. Melody's scream is muffled in Rae's chest. The loud reports echoed throughout replacing the silence. But soon.

His CO was knocked backwards. The men behind him had all dropped, covering their heads. The CO slowly gets up.  “Up men. We have yet to make entry.”

“Are you out of your mind.? The owner has the inside rigged, I am sure.” He argues.

“I thought you said Mike was in there?”

“Then it is even more dangerous. No one has been killed. Do you want to risk that? For one man. We've a mission to complete.”

“Retreat. If there is anyone in there, they can't stay for long. We will get them.” The men agree and hurry back the way they came. He breathes a sigh of relief.

“What was that?” a shaken Rae asks. Melody clings to her, shaken and sobbing.

“Sorry love. Daddy Mike didn't mean to scare you. Just a big noise to keep the bad guys away.” She reaches for him and he takes her.  “The previous occupant left some helpful stuff behind. I set up some warnings outside. They won’t be back.”

“Okay. Okay. But what were they?”

“Claymore mines. Set off by the detonator. Not near the house. It is okay. Safe for us.” Melody slips back to sleep.

“You meant to kill them?”

“No. Just scare them so I wouldn’t have to kill them.” She nods worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “They won’t be back.”

“That isn’t my worry. You would kill for us?”

“Of course I would. Come. Try to get some more sleep.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?”

He chuckles. “Try.” He slips Melody back beside her. She holds her with one hand and Mike's hand with the other.

“Thank you.”

“Any time ma'am.”