Read Online Sabotage by C. G. Cooper - Free Book Online

because he said, "Come on, let's go find the kid."
     
    The steady fire helped them zero in as they bounded from crater to crater, rock to rock, trying to keep their path as erratic as possible while still running toward the sound of the gun.
     
    "Come on kid," Vince said under his breath, hoping that Christian would take the drone down before the drone operator figured out where the gunfire was coming from and shifted the camera from them to the boy and his grandfather.
     
    The silent request was answered, and Vince saw the drone tilt, first in a plume of smoke, and then it veered hard. The operator was obviously trying to get it back to whatever base they had, but it was no use. Another crack of gunfire and the drone was coming down, useless to whoever was behind it. The mortar fire fell off behind them now that the enemy's eye in the sky was gone, and for the first time in minutes Vince could breathe a little bit easier.
     
    He thought he had Christian's location to the mark. He was right; a couple more minutes of stealthily heading that way, they'd found him. He and his grandfather looked unharmed. A little dirty, but no worse for the wear. Christian wore a broad smile, his pearly white teeth a stark contrast to his dark skin.
     
    "Did you see that shot?" he asked, but then his smile faded. He was staring at Karl. "Are you okay? Did you get hit?" Christian asked.
     
    Karl shook his head and coughed once into his hand. Vince saw him wipe it on the back of his trousers. "I'm fine kid. Good shooting there. You really saved our asses."
     
    Christian smiled again and Vince couldn't help but think how strange it was to see a teenager beaming while mortar rounds were still firing in the distance. He could make an excellent shooter one day. Calm under pressure. Vince filed that thought away for another day. If they ever got out of this mess, he'd make sure that Christian and his grandfather were well taken care of for their valiance.
     
    "We need to find those mortar tubes," Vince said. "How well do you guys know the area?"
     
    Christian turned to his grandfather and asked a question in their native tongue. They had a brief conversation and then Christian turned back to Vince.
     
    "My grandfather says there's a dry creek bed not far from here. It runs up to some high ground where he thinks perhaps they've set up the mortar tubes."
     
    "Can they see us if we head in that direction?”
     
    The grandfather shook his head and motioned at the sand low to the ground with his hand. Vince understood that if they stayed low, they could probably stay concealed.
     
    "Alright, we'll lead the way. Do you mind if I borrow that?" Vince asked, pointing to the weapon in Christian's hands.
     
    Christian gave it to him without a word and he then pulled three more full magazines out of his backpack, handing them over to Vince.
     
    "I'd like that back when we're done, if that's okay," Christian said.
     
    Karl chuckled. "Kid, when we get out of this thing I'll buy you a whole armory of these."
     
    It took them at least thirty minutes to get as close to the enemy position as they dared. The whole time Vince kept glancing at the sky, half expecting a fleet of drones to come out searching for their lost companion. But no more little birds showed themselves, even though there was a possibility that some predator-like unmanned aircraft could be high in the air, of course that took special flight clearances. Vince didn't think even the Chinese could get away with that.
     
    There was one five-minute stretch when all sound stopped, the mortar tubes taking a break from their pounding, but then they resumed. The four travelers debated stopping as the first rounds went downrange, but they didn't rain down on Vince and the others. The mortar fire was focused at where they'd been hiding earlier that morning, so while the enemy was focused on their old location, Vince was on point, creeping closer to the enemy.
     
    Then he saw them.
     
    The four