Page 58 of Be With Me
Chapter 29
Debbie closed the door to the twins’ room. They had fought taking a nap today, but she’d held out and as soon as she’d gotten two pages into Mr. Poppers Penguins, they were out. She loved all the time she spent with them but some days? Oh yeah, she counted the minutes to nap and bedtime. Luny would be home on R&R in January so they were going to go visit their uncle Rob in Vermont. Luny’s brother had bought a house outside of Burlington. He’d taken a position as the special collections librarian with the University of Vermont.
Just as she sat down on the couch with the latest JD Robb book, the doorbell rang. She shot off the couch and rushed to the door. If whoever was on the other side rang that again and woke the boys, she would not be held accountable for her actions.
When she got the door open, Master Sergeant Burton from the Rear Detachment was standing on the landing about to push the button again. He quickly moved his hand to his side. “Mrs. Luna, may I come in?”
Debbie frowned. She’d been in so many briefings and meetings with Burton, she knew she’d told him to call her Debbie. Stepping back, she motioned for him to enter.
He pulled his beret from his head and held it between his hands in a death grip. What the hell?
“Can I get you a cup of coffee?” she offered as she led him to the living room.
“No thank you, ma’am. Where are your boys?” He was tilting his head like he was searching for the boys, thinking they were hiding from a stranger.
“It’s their nap time.” She waited for him to sit and when he didn’t, she did, prompting him to drop to the chair. “Um, Master Sergeant Burton, I know you’re busy being with Rear D so I’m not thinking this is a friendly visit? Do I need to find someone to watch the boys so I can go with you on a notification?” Debbie had trained as part of the crisis response team for the battalion. Being in the driveway when a notification was made wasn’t the easiest thing to do but if she could help a spouse getting the worst news in their life, she’d do what she could.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Luna. There will be a briefing once all the details are announced,” he told her.
“Details?” Okay, there wasn’t a chaplain here so Luny wasn’t dead, which had to mean that he’d been injured. Right? She was holding onto that knowledge with all she had. No officer in full uniform, no chaplain. Just a Master Sergeant. Luny was still alive.
“There is no easy way to say this, ma’am… Mrs. Luna… Debbie.” He finally used her name. “Sergeant First Class Luna was on a mission and the aircraft that he was in had an unscheduled landing. Communications with the team and the helicopter were terminated at that time.”
She wasn’t sure what the sergeant was saying. “An unscheduled landing? It crashed?” She needed small words right now. Debbie glanced at the stairway, thinking she heard something. Please let the boys not wake up.
“At this time, it’s not known whether the helicopter suffered a mechanical failure or if there was a surface-to-air missile involved.”
“They were shot down?” She tried hard not to break down. Debbie needed to call her mother. Wait, she couldn’t. Time’s like this she really needed her mother to hold her hand.
“It’s unknown at the moment. Last information given to Rear Detachment said that they were sending in the closest unit to conduct a rescue mission.” He stood and looked from side-to-side. “Is there someone I can call for you?”
Debbie shook her head. “No thank you. I’ll call someone… someones… after you leave. When is the family briefing again?”
“It is scheduled for nine tomorrow, Mrs. Luna. They’re hoping by then, the soldiers will be on their way to safety. The terrain where it’s believed the copter went down in isn’t the most accessible.” He turned toward her door, before he opened it, he stopped. “I’m very sorry to have to deliver this news, Debbie. I’ll be praying for Rafe.”
Once the door shut behind Burton, and before she collapsed, she reached for the landline and dialed the number from memory.
“Master Sergeant Glenn.”
“Danny, I need you and the heptad now.” And with those words, Debbie started crying.
§ § §
Mooney was hanging by his harness when he woke up.What the fuck? Where the hell was he?Moving as little as possible, he tried to figure out where he was. He saw Evans and Bristol below him and when he shifted to his right, Williams was hanging there out cold.
He watched something fall from him and tried to reach his forehead, but his right arm wouldn’t respond. It was hanging limply toward the floor, other side? It was as if he was reaching for Bristol. Something shook the structure, causing pain to flare up his arm into his shoulder. He poked at his right shoulder with his left hand and almost passed out.Okay, dislocated shoulder. Raising his left to his helmet, he felt something sticky and when he moved his hand in front of his face, he saw blood. Concussion, check. Hoping for no internal injuries, Mooney pressed against the harness release. Luckily, when he fell, he didn’t land on Evans or Bristol.
Where were the others? Mooney pushed up with his good arm and searched for something to brace his other against him. He spied some five-fifty cord just as he heard someone moan. Mooney glanced up but Williams appeared to be still out. Bristol moved next to Mooney’s foot, rubbing his hand against his face.
“What the fuck?” Bristol tried to move but couldn’t, so he started fighting the harness.
“Bristol, stop,” Mooney commanded.
“Luna? What the fuck?”
“I’m not sure but the copter’s on its side. I can’t remember anything.” Mooney reached across his hip with his left hand, checking for his sidearm. Relief hit him. He wasn’t helpless. Spook had taken them all to the range and made them train on their non-dominant hand.
“Help me up?” Bristol had managed to undo the harness but needed help standing. “You got anything broken?”
