12 Seconds (#1 in Military series)

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

 

Julia’s boots slipped over the tumbling rocks as they hurried down the side of the mountain, her breathing growing strained under the weight of her armour and pack.

Catching her balance, Julia looked across the ravine towards the other mountain, searching for those last two insurgents.

They had lost them somewhere in the gunfight and they had not re-emerged. Marcus had taken the opportunity to get his team out of there before they became victims of a rock slide.

If they could just get to the bottom then they ran the chance of making it back to the compound before nightfall.

The sweat on Julia’s skin began to dry almost as quickly as it broke out as the cooling night air breezed softly against her raging flesh.

They just needed to make it to the bottom.

Julia kept that in her mind as she felt Ray’s hand squeeze tightly around the shoulder strap of her pack.

She needed to get Ray out of here. They needed to make it back to the compound.

“Keep your eyes open!” Marc shouted back at them as he led the way.

Julia scanned the cliff tops eagerly. I don’t think I will be shutting my eyes anytime soon.

When her boot slipped again, Julia turned her attention back to the path she was walking on. They were nearly to the bottom, only a few dozen feet away, when the popping sound of gunfire filled their ears once again.

Exposed on the mountain side with no cover to hide behind, they immediately dropped to their knees and returned fire.

After a few seconds, Julia located one of the insurgents. Dressed in khaki, half of his face covered with a scarf, Julia opened fire on his person.

He quickly shielded himself behind a large rock face.

Julia growled in frustration, keeping her scope trained on him, when, after a few moments, he began to run north.

She fired a few rounds but he kept to his course, not deviating from the hidden path.

“Where are you going?” Julia whispered to herself as she pulled away from the scope and looked across the ravine.

The insurgent, a small speck of khaki in the middle of grey rock, was dotting along the mountain side, eagerly heading somewhere.

Julia furiously tried to think where he might be going. There was nothing back there but a . . .

Julia felt the blood drain from her face.

“He’s heading for the RPG.” Julia spoke, her throat dry as she remembered the insurgent she had shot as he tried to reload the missile.

“What?” Ray shouted over the screaming of bullets, his fingers planted firmly in his ears.

“Stay here!” Julia told Ray as she squirmed her way past the others and dropped down beside Marcus.

“Julia?” Marcus’s eyes flickered over to her before re-training on the second insurgent.

“They’re going for the RPG!” Julia shouted but Marcus didn’t hear her over the crack of the gunshot.

“Marcus!” Julia grasped his arm.

Marcus frowned at her.

“They’re heading for the RPG!” Julia shouted, gaining his full attention.