Read Online Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Book 4): Walking In The Shadow Of Death by W.J. Lundy - Free Book Online

This allowed Brad and the
other soldiers to kill off the rushing primals from the flank. For the most
part they seem to have remained completely undiscovered where they were hiding
on the hillside, firing through small lanes in the brush.
    Another group of five came crashing
up the trail. But unlike the last two groups, instead of running past the dead
on the ground and charging at the Marines, one of them, dressed in jeans and a
torn T-shirt, howled and stopped in place, the others quickly stopping beside
him. The apparent leader looked at the dead on the ground and again put his
head back and howled. Brad waited to see what they would do, not wanting to
break his cover.
    Brad watched as one of the primals
went to move forward down the trail towards the Marines. The leader lashed out at
him. They looked at the dead on the ground. This was the first time they had
ever seemed to take notice of their own fallen.  Brad watched intently as
the leader knelt on the trail and touched the muddy soil. He lifted his nose as
if to smell the air, then got back to his feet.
    Brad watched as the Alpha in the
T-shirt turned towards his position. The thing seemed to lock eyes with Brad as
it put its head back and howled.  The others became frenzied and charged
up the hill in Brad’s direction.  He got to his feet and, with the rifle
in his shoulder, took aim as the Alpha primal lunged at him, baring its teeth
and screaming. Brad aimed center mass and screamed “Fuck you!” as he pulled the
trigger, hitting the leader several times and knocking it off its feet.
    Brad saw the mass of them still
charging his position, rushing up the hillside. To his left and right Hahn and
Parker had also gotten to their feet and were firing and yelling back as they
moved in Brad’s direction. One of the primals broke the brush just in front of
Brad. Brad fired two quick shots, hitting the thing high in the neck and chest.
Wounded, the primal continued its charge and was almost on top of him. Brad
swung out with the collapsed buttock of his rifle and caught the thing in the
chin, knocking it to the ground.
    Quickly Brad shuffled his feet and
stomped on the downed primal’s head while he continued to direct his rifle down
the hill at the remains of the mass. Another primal exposed itself on his
right, but was quickly dispatched by Parker’s rifle. Now fueled with adrenalin,
Brad started to move down the hill, closing the distance on the trail. He
caught movement on the left. Once identified as primal, Brad let loose with
three rapid fire shots, hitting it in the sides before Hahn clipped its head,
killing it.
    Brad broke out of the heavy
underbrush and landed on the trail. There were several dead primals positioned
all around him. He looked far to his right, where he saw the Marines and Sean
headed in his direction. Parker came out of the brush just behind him followed
by Hahn. Brad found what he was looking for on the ground on the far side of
the trail.
    With its arms flailing about, the
Alpha lay bleeding on the ground. It was looking up at Brad with hate in its
eyes. Hahn raised his rifle and covered the open end of the trail as Brad
approached the Alpha. There were two dark reds spots on the center of its
ripped T-shirt. The rounds should have destroyed the thing’s heart; one of the
shots must have severed its spine. Brad watched as it struggled on the ground,
trying to drag itself closer to Brad, its legs useless.
    Brad moved closer with the others
slowly gathering behind him. “So what makes you not like the others?” Brad
asked the creature in a low voice.
    The primal responded to Brad’s
query with a low gurgling growl. Blood and foam were forming on the creature’s
lips. Daniel had moved up beside Brad. The primal took notice of the Marine and
looked him in the eyes. “No matter how many times I see these things they still
freak me out. This is some shit you can’t get used to, man,” Daniel said.
    “Did you see how he stopped