Page 129 of The 9th Man

“Clear.”

The men moved off.

Luke gave them a ten-second head start then crept toward the entrance, stopping five feet short. He went prone. The two men had reached the midpoint between the mine and the ore house.

He refocused on the men in the walkway.

Time to act.

He took aim and shot one of them in the leg.

The other man shouted for help and began dragging his partner to safety. Luke put a round in his hip. Writhing in agony, this man got on the radio and started shouting.

“We’re down and taking fire at the mine.”

65

TALLEY HEARD THE REPORT THROUGH HIS HEADSET AND REPLIED,“This is Bravo One, describe your wounds.”

“Leg and hip. Single shots.”

“Are you still taking fire?”

“No, sir.”

Luke had obviously found a route between the shaft he’d fallen into and the mine proper, which begged the question, where else might he pop up unexpectedly?

“Get yourselves to Building Three,” he ordered. “All Bravo units, this is Bravo One. Hold on the extraction.”

“Come again, Bravo One. I’ve got wounded.”

He knew Daniels was trying to siphon off men. If he’d wanted those two dead, they’d be dead. Which told him something about the strategy. Daniels was staying on the move, acting as the hammer, which meant the Stein woman was the anvil. She’d be lying in wait behind a fixed position.

“You heard me,” Talley said. “All units, stay on task. Sweep and clear.”

***

LUKE HEARD ONLY ONE SIDE OF TALLEY’S EXCHANGE WITH HISwounded men.

But it was enough.

Talley wasn’t falling for it.

So he made his way back to where Jillian was ensconced.

“You here?”

“I am.” Her voice was a whisper.

He crept over closer. “Talk to me.”

“They’re taking their time, moving in tight pairs, clearing the attached outbuildings as they go.”

“If any retreat this way, take them out.”

“Understood.”

He left her and made his way back to where the two wounded waited.

---