0Wll.
When Johnson finished taping the serum IV to Abbott's forearm, they helped him to his feet. Now the rain was their friend; the heavy curtain of water would hide them and wash away their signs and make it hard for Charlie to follow. They would be safe until the others came to save them.
Johnson stepped out front to take the point when a shot cracked dully under the rain and his head blew apart.
Johnson collapsed at their feet.'
Abbott screamed.
Cole spun around and fired blindly. He dumped his
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magazine, then picked up Johnson's rifle and emptied that magazine, too. 'Shoot, Abbott! Fire your weapon!' Abbott fired blindly, too. Cole shot at everything. He fired because something was trying to kill him and he had to kill it first. He threw his last hand grenade, CRACK!, then stripped a grenade from Johnson's harness. CRACK! He stripped off Johnson's ammo packs, then stripped off the radio. Johnson's head came apart like a rotten melon. 'Run, goddamnit! RUN!' He pushed Abbott down the hill, then fired another magazine into the rain. He reloaded, fired, then hoisted the radio. Bullets slammed into the deadfall in front of him, sending up a spray of splinters and wood chips. Cole ran. He caught up to Abbott, hooked an arm under his shoulders, and pulled him forward. 'RUN I' They tumbled down the side of the mountain, stumbling through glistening green leaves as thick as leather. Vines ripped at their legs and clawed at their rifles. The pop of gunfire stayed close at their heels. Cole led them down a steep incline into a drainage overflowing with a torrent of rain. He stayed in the water so that they wouldn't leave tracks, pulling Abbott along the rushing stream and out into the wider ravine. Charlie shouted behind them. 'Rang chan phia duoi chung!' 'Toi nghe thay chung no o phia duoi!' Somewhere to their left, an AK ripped on full automatic. Abbott plowed headlong into a tree and crashed into the weeds, tearing the IV needle from his arm. Cole pulled Abbott to his knees, hissing for him to get to his feet. i68
Abbott's face was white where the greasepaint had washed away.
'I'm gonna vomit.'
'Get up, Ranger. Keep going. '
''My stomach hurts. '
The entire front of his uniform and the thighs of his
pants were saturated with blood.
'Get up.'
Cole pulled Abbott onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry. He staggered under the weight; between Abbott and his gear, he carried almost three hundred pounds. The jungle thinned. They were getting close to the clearing where the slick had dropped them.
Cole wrestled free the radio as he stumbled along the creek.
'Five-two, five-two, five-two, over.' The captain's broken voice came back. ''Copy, five-two.'
''Johnson's dead. They're all dead. ''
''Settle down, son.'
''Three KIA, one wounded critical. Charlie's on our ass.
You hear me? Charlie's right behind us.'
'Stand by.'
'Don't tell me to stand by! We're dying out here.'
Cole was crying. He sucked breath like a steam engine,
and he was so scared that his heart seemed in flames. The captain's voice came back. 'Cole, is that you?'
'Everyone is gone. Abbott's bleeding to death. ''
'A First Cav slick thinks he can get to you from the south. He's low on fuel, but he wants to try. ''
More shouts came from behind Cole, and then an AK opened up. Cole didn't know if the VC saw him or not, but he didn't have the strength to look around. He staggered on. Abbott began screaming.
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'I'm almost at the clearing.'
'He's flying up the ravine under the clouds. You have to pop a smoke for him, son. We cannot vector to your position, over.'
'Roger smoke.'
'This goddamned storm is rolling right at our gun ships. They cannot reach you for support.' 'I understand.' 'You're on your own. '
Cole broke out of the jungle into the clearing. The dry creek was now filled with rushing water. Cole sloshed in up to his waist and waded across, fighting the current. His arms and legs felt dead, but then he was out of the water and on the other side. He rolled Abbott onto the high grass and looked for the helicopter. He thought he saw it, a black speck blurred by the rain. Cole pulled a smoke marker. Bright purple smoke swirled behind him.
The black speck tilted on its side and grew.
Cole sobbed.
