Page 14 of Bullets and Dandelions

Two militants fired wildly, turning the waiting room into rubble.

How in the hell had they managed to get inside the base? I raised my rifle and took them out. “Are you hurt, Peggy?”

“No.”

Bullets whizzed over our heads and smacked the walls.

Grabbing a handful of the soldier’s shirt, I helped Peggy pull him out of the line of fire.

An explosion rocked the building. A second later, a fierce gunbattle erupted outside the hospital.

Doctor Morrison pushed a gurney up to the wounded soldier. “Keep those bastards from killing anymore of my people, Reynolds.”

“Yes, sir.” I shot a charging militant and took his rifle. Hey, it was fully loaded.

Peggy grabbed my arm and handed me two chocolate bars. “In case you get the munchies.”

“Thank you.” I shoved them in my pocket.

Doctor Morrison picked up the injured soldier and put him on the gurney. “Munchies in a firefight? Seriously?”

I shrugged.

“Don’t get dead,” Peggy shouted over her shoulder.

“That’s the plan.”

A grenade flew through a broken window. I scooped it up and threw it back.Boom!The blast shook the hospital.

A burning pain slashed across my upper left arm. Damn, a piece of debris had hit me. I examined the wound. It was a three-inch gash and bleeding badly. Taking some gauze off a suture tray, I wrapped it around my arm and tied it off.

Kaboom!

I frowned. That sounded like an IED going off. The militants were attacking in force. The fastest way to stop them was to get to high ground. If memory served me correctly, that door would get me to the roof. Gathering as many weapons as I could find, I hurried up the stairs and took cover behind a low wall. I quickly surveyed the area.

Flames and thick black smoke rose from the brig. The bodies of three women with blonde hair were sprawled on the ground like broken dolls, and my barracks was on fire. Horror rolled over me. Somehow Roberts had found out I had enough evidence to put him away for the next four hundred years and he had sicced the Taliban on me. Was my father helping that slimy sociopath? Maybe. Eric Roberts was his boss.

Boom!

I focused my attention back on the battle. Sergeant Stone, his team, and Lieutenant Moss were trapped behind a bullet-riddled Humvee.

I laid down cover fire until they were able to get to safety. I quickly whittled down the number of insurgents. When one rifle ran out of bullets, I seized another, then another, until I was down to two pistols.

The door to the roof flew open.

I rolled behind an air-conditioning unit and raised my pistol.

Sergeant Stone, his team and Lieutenant Moss rushed through the door.

My shoulders sagged in relief. “Got any ammo?”

“I do.” Sergeant Stone’s gaze took in my bloody arm and the pile of useless weapons. He tossed me a clip for an AK-47.

I quickly inserted the new clip and went back to shooting the attacking militants. The men joined me at the wall, and I had to admit, they were all damned good shots.

Silence suddenly fell.

Was the attack over?

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