Read Online Day One (Book 2): Choices by Michael Mcdonald - Free Book Online Page A

what the place used to look like and move forward. Andrews take on the scene made roughly more sense to me now. There wasn’t a place with a name on it anymore. All places were the same, and that was death.
     
     
     
          
    Chapter Four.
     
    I watched Johnny move silently through the darkness to my right. He was low to the ground and scanned with his eyes as he moved, like a predator on the hunt for prey. When he reached a small bundle of crates he stopped and took up a firing position. It was now my turn to move and I could taste the fear in the back of my throat. It was insipidus and I gagged on it.
    The art of planning held a mystery all its own, although there were no consequences in that part of the plan. You could perpetuate as much as you wanted, come up with several different scenarios that could happen, and figure them out with time. But on the run with the consequences hanging over you like a noose, there was no time to think if something went wrong, only your instincts to guide you.
    I froze.
    Johnny motioned for me to advance and all I could do was look at him. My eyes were glazed over and like an animal crossing a busy highway, I had been spotted by approaching lights, which would not swerve to miss me. The fear of death was holding me by the shoulder and I could smell its foul breath.
    Don’t do this, not now! This is not the time to freeze up! My mind shouted to me. Your son is out there all alone, remember? Now stop cowering in the corner and let’s go! I burst from cover, low to the ground and scanning ahead of me, trying to cover as much distance as I could, yet do it in a manner that would not wake Kember. I had her secured in my backpack behind two layers of body armor, so if they started shooting at me I could simply face the threat and keep her as far out of harm’s way as I could. Of course that wasn’t as far as I would like, it was still better than leaving her behind.
    I made it to my first cover location and quickly went to my knees. My heart was pounding from a combination of the overwhelming fear and extensive cardio I was putting it through. My breathing came in quick gasps and for a few seconds I was positive I would not be able to get enough air into my lungs and I’d pass out at any moment.
    Johnny was on the move again and I propped the rifle on an empty container and watched for any signs of movement, also trying to watch him at the same time. How could anyone do this for a living? I was scared shitless, thinking at any second I would catch a well-placed bullet to my face, or when I moved, I’d run into a soldier that I hadn’t seen previously. There was too much stress for me to swallow. Too many unknown variables that could happen at any moment and I wished I’d never agreed to this stupid plan.
    I moved once again and was halfway to my next position when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. Oh shit! Time suddenly slowed to a crawl as I thrust my head one way, and then the other in hopes of finding something to hunker down behind for cover. There was nothing near me. If I dropped to the ground the jarring crash could easily wake Kember and she’d start to cry. If the soldier hadn’t seen me yet he would hear her cries and come to investigate.
    The soldier moved across the moonless void and disappeared into a small tent. I waited where I was, kneeling on the ground, watching the front of the tent with hawk like eyes, even though I couldn’t see any further into the dark than the next guy. I swung the NVG’s down over my eyes. The green contrasted world jumped to greet me, although even at this distance I was still unable to see just a few inches into the dark tent front. So if he was standing just inside the darkness, when I moved he might spot me. But that would also mean he knew I was nearby anyway, which made no sense to me. If he knew I was there, then why wasn’t he coming to investigate or sounding some alarm?
    He didn’t see you… now go before he