They were coming to save him.
He dropped to his knees beside Abbott.
'Hang on, Roy; they're coming. ''
Abbott opened his mouth and spit up blood. Something flashed past Cole with a sharp whip-crack as the rattling hammer of an AK sounded in the tree line. Cole fell to his belly. Muzzle flashes danced in the green wall like fireflies. Mud splashed into his face.
Cole emptied his magazine at the flashes, jammed in
another, and fired some more.
'Abbott! ''
Abbott slowly rolled onto his belly. He dragged his weapon into the firing position and fired a single round.
The jungle sparkled. More and more flashes joined the first until the jungle was lit by twinkling lights. Mud hopped and jumped, and the tall stringy grass fell around Cole as if it were being mowed by invisible blades. He burned through his magazine in a single burst, packed in another, and burned through that one. His rifle's barrel was hot enough to sear flesh. 'Fire your weapon, Abbott! FIRE!' Abbott fired once more. Cole heard the blurring thump of the helicopter now. He reloaded and fired. He was down to his last four pack of magazines, but the trees were alive with enemy soldiers. 'Shoot, damnit!' Abbott rolled onto his side. His voice was soft. ''I didn't think it would be like this.' The helicopter was suddenly loud and the grass around them swirled. Cole shot at the flashes. Overhead, the 6ogunner opened up. His big .3o-caliber weapon chewed at the jungle. Cole rolled over as the heavy slick wobbled to the earth. It was pocked with bullet holes and trailing smoke. First Cavalry troops jammed the cargo bay like refugees. They added their fire to the 6o-gun. The slick had been shot to hell, but still the pilot was bringing his ship through a thunderstorm and into a wall of gunfire. Slick pilots had steel balls. ''C'mon, Roy, let's go.' Abb6tt did not move. ''Let's go!' Cole slung his rifle, lifted Abbott, and lurched to his feet. Something hot ripped through his pants and then he felt a loud spang! A bullet shattered the radio. Cole stumbled to the helicopter and heaved Abbott into the bay. ITI
Cav troopers piled atop each other to make room.
Cole clambered aboard.
AK fire popped and pinged into the bulkhead. The crew chief screamed at him. 'They told us it was only one guy!'
Cole's ears rang so loudly that he could not hear. 'What?'
'They told us there was just one man. We're too heavy. We can't take off!'
The turbine howled as the pilot tried to climb. The helicopter wallowed like a whale.
The crew chief grabbed Abbott's harness.
'Push him off! We can't fly!'
Cole leveled his MI6 at the center of the crew chief's chest. The crew chief let go.
''He's dead, Ranger, push him off! You're going to get us killed!'
'He's coming with me. ''
'We're too heavy! We can't fly!'
The turbine spooled louder. Oily smoke swirled through the door.
'Push him out!'
Cole wrapped his finger over the trigger. Rod and Fields and Johnson were gone, but Abbott was going home. Families take care of their own.
'He's coming with me.'
The Cav troops knew that Cole would pull the trigger. Rage and fear burned off the young Ranger like steam. He would do anything and kill anyone to complete his mission. The Cav troops understood. They pushed off amino cans and rucksacks, anything they could shed to lighten the load.
The turbine shrieked. The rotor found hold in the thick humid air, and the helicopter lumbered into the sky. Cole
lowered his weapon across Abbott's chest and protected his brother until they were home.
The thunderhead passed from the mountains four hours later. A reaction force comprised of Rangers from Cole company assaulted the area to reclaim the bodies of their comrades. Specialist Fourth Class Elvis Cole was among them.
The bodies of Sgt. Luis Rodriguez and Sp4c Ted Fields were recovered. The body of Sp4c Cromwell Johnson was missing and presumed carried away by the enemy.
For his actions that day, Sp4c Elvis Cole was awarded the nation's third-highest decoration for bravery and valor, the Silver Star.
It was Cole's first decoration.
He would earn more.
Rangers don't leave Rangers behind.
I73
CHAPTER 14
time missing: 4x hours, oo minutes
