Page 62 of Honor Code

"How much time do we have?" Her question quavered only slightly.

"Not much."

"I should never have taken this job," she said bitterly. "I was an easy mark, simple to manipulate and dispose of. Stupid, naïve—" She pressed shaking hands over her face.

Phoenix squeezed her shoulder. "Shh. I think they're close."

Ellie swallowed her words.

Sure enough, the faint rustle of disturbed vegetation drifted to her ears, punctuated by the heavier crunch of combat boots.

"Stay down and don't move, no matter what. I'll come back for you." Phoenix guided her under the sheltering fronds of a massive fern.

"Don't go!" Her fingers locked around his wrist. She was suddenly terrified to be left alone. Please..."

"I have to. But I will come back, I promise." He covered her hand with his. "Ellie, look at me. You need to trust me now, okay?"

She did. God help her, she did. Throat tight, she managed a nod.

"That's my girl." His lips brushed hers in a fleeting kiss. Then he was gone, melting into the shadows without a sound, leaving her huddled and hardly daring to breathe.

Phoenix disappeared into the jungle, checking his weapon as he went. He had about twenty rounds in the rifle and another fully loaded magazine in his pocket, courtesy of the second merc at the cabin.

Should be enough to do what needed to be done.

Grimly, he set the AK-47 to semi-automatic mode. He wanted to conserve ammo and not expend the magazine unnecessarily.

He gave their pursuers a wide berth, circling around them out of sight. He wanted to see what he was up against before making any moves. He kept low and crept stealthily through the bush like he'd been trained, his movements absorbed by the spongy undergrowth of the jungle floor—unlike his attackers, who were making more noise than a troop of monkeys. They obviously figured with more boots on the ground and superior firepower, they had the upper hand. Well, Phoenix didn't know how many times he'd disproved that theory over the course of his career.

Gotcha.

He crouched low, invisible amongst the darkly leaved bushes, and watched. Three men, all dressed in jungle fatigues and armed with bullet-proof vests stuffed with ammo. They'd come prepared. There'd be a fourth man, the chopper pilot, who'd be waiting on the beach, ready for the exfil.

The man in front—tall, rugged, and graying at the temples—looked to be in charge. He issued a sharp command, then the three men split up.

Phoenix exhaled under his breath. Perfect. They'd be much easier to neutralize one by one if they weren't hunting as a pack.

He stalked the third man as he walked through the overgrown jungle, his bald head moving from left to right like a radar, listening for any sign of movement. He was about to make a move, when he felt a hand on his arm.

Shit.

He swung around, ready to strike, but found himself looking into Boomer’s grazed face.

“Holy shit,” he cursed, under his breath. “I nearly took you out.”

Boomer gave a soft snort. “You didn’t even hear me coming.”

It was true. He hadn’t. He’d been so intent on his target, he’d neglected to cover his six. He squeezed Boomer’s arm, silently acknowledging how goddamned happy he was that his friend was still alive. “Great to see you, buddy. I could use some backup.” There was a large scab on the left side of his face, and several deep cuts on the right, but he was alive. That’s all that mattered. Explanations as to how the hell he’d survived the bomb blast could wait. Right now, they had a mission to complete.

Phoenix signaled the direction of the remaining hostiles. Boomer nodded, slinking away into the shadows.

Time to focus on the hostile up ahead. The mercenary was built like a bull terrier, short and stocky with a barrel chest, but Phoenix had the height advantage.

With a burst of speed, he closed the distance, utilizing his height advantage to grab the merc from behind. In a fluid motion, he pulled the man's head back and sliced his throat. The merc gurgled, clutching at his neck before collapsing.

He never even saw his attacker.

Phoenix removed the man’s blood-soaked Kevlar vest and slipped it on. It was filled with extra ammo, including a hand-held grenade that might be useful later. Then he turned and went to find Boomer.

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