Page 37 of Bullets and Dandelions

I shook my head. “He’s hurt. He’ll go to ground for now.”

“Fuck!” Stone jumped to his feet and ran to where Rodriquez and Johnson lay unmoving on the ground.

I sprinted after him. Please don’t let them die. Please. I really liked them.

Stone pulled his medical kit out. “Check Rodriquez.” He pressed a gauze pad to Johnson’s head wound.

“It’s just a flesh wound,” Johnson mumbled.

I knelt beside Rodriquez and quickly checked his shoulder wound. “Through and through on his left shoulder.”

Rodriquez blinked and tried to sit up.

“Whoa!” I planted a hand on his chest. “Hold still. You’ve been shot.”

“I’ve been shot before.”

“I’m sure you have, but I need to stop the bleeding,” I retorted.

Stone tossed me some gauze pads, and bandages.

Tex ran up, took in the situation and pulled out his medical kit. “I’ve got him. Check the sergeant.”

“What?” That’s when I noticed the blood running down Stone’s right arm. “Sit!” I pointed to the ground.

“Bossy little thing, aren’t you?”

“Sit.”

He sat.

Using my knife, I cut his sleeve and examined his wound. “The bullet’s still in there.”

“Fuck,” Stone gritted.

As I bandaged his wound, two armored Humvees pulled up and General Masters and a dozen Marines got out.

Gee, I wondered where General Grandville went?

General Masters surveyed the scene and turned to the lieutenant standing beside him. “Get the medics up here, Smith.

“Yes, sir.” He grabbed his radio mic.

“Sergeant Harold, I want you and your men to search the area for any more surprises,” General Masters ordered.

The Sergeant saluted sharply. “Yes, sir.”

“And take Private Reynolds with you. She’s a dead shot and knows what these bombs look like.”

Sergeant Harold’s gaze surveyed me from head-to-toe. “She’s Army, sir.”

“Not any longer, General Grandville signed her over to me.”

My jaw dropped. What? Was that even legal?

Two ambulances pulled up.

Sergeant Stone stood up. “Private Reynolds is still recovering from her injuries, sir.”

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