Free Storm Tide Rising: Blackout Volume 2 by D W McAliley Page B

out here forever, especially now that most of our supplies are gone."
    Marcus had but one response and found himself repeating words he'd heard from Terry Price only a few days before. "I wish I could help you, Captain," he said, and he meant every word. "You hold as long as you can, and then you do what you have to to survive. Keep as many of your men alive and together as you can. When we can get help to you, we will."
    Marcus reached into a zippered pocket on his vest and pulled out a coin. It was about the size of a fifty cent piece and had the finish of brushed brass around the edge. The center was glossy and enameled with a logo of two green footprints and a yellow lightning bolt. The obverse side was inscribed 24th STS First There That Others May Live.
    "My father served for twenty four years," Marcus said as he pointed to the coin in the Captain's hand. "That was his unit. He gave it to me when I graduated from college and went to work for the government."
    Impressed, Captain Withers looked at the coin and then tried to hand it back, but Marcus shook his head and refused. "You hold onto it for now," he said and shook the Captain's hand firmly. "I'll be back for it. You keep yourself whole, Captain."
    Captain Withers nodded and passed orders among his men to get the work done. In less than an hour, the Blackhawk was flight ready. The two men shook hands again, but neither had any words that seemed to fit the moment. The pilot cranked the engines and throttled up the rotors, and in a matter of moments, they were airborne, headed west.
    Behind them, the eastern horizon showed the first pearly-grey touches of dawn.
     

Ch.13
    First Light
     
    The eastern sky along the edge of the horizon began to change from a deep, dark black to a light blue. The stars overhead faded, and Mike stretched and yawned hard enough to make his jaw creak. He gently nudged Alyssa's foot, and the woman groaned in her sleep. He nudged her again, and she seemed to whimper. Finally, Mike firmly shook her leg, and Alyssa sat bolt upright with a sudden yelp.
    Mike held his hand up in apology. "You're a hard sleeper," he said sheepishly. "Listen, the sun will be up in a few hours, and we can get moving again. I'm going to sleep until then, if that's okay with you, your friggin highness."
    Alyssa stuck her tongue out at him and rolled out of the shelter anyway. Mike handed her the flashlight, and she pulled the pistol from under her cedar pillow and held it in her lap. Mike shook his head, not quite sure what to make of the woman still. At times she seemed as fragile as blown glass, and other times she was tough enough to eat nails.
    He climbed into the lean-to and set the rifle where he'd be able to reach it easily. He took his wrist watch off and put it over his shoe. The watch itself was dead, but it still had a bubble compass on the face that worked just fine. He pointed to the watch and looked at Alyssa. "Listen, when you can read the words on the face and the letters on the compass without the flashlight, wake me up. Won't be sunrise quite yet, but close enough."
    Alyssa nodded somewhat sullenly and rubbed at her eyes a bit before yawning again. "I hear you. I'll stay awake."
    Mike laughed. "I'm more worried about you running off, to tell you the truth. If you do decide to run, just go ahead and shoot me first. That'll save your sister the trouble when I come back empty handed." He turned on his side and nonchalantly stretched out on the warm bed of evergreen boughs.
    "Wait, uh...what?"  Alyssa babbled, her voice still a little groggy from sleep. She couldn't tell if Mike had been joking or not. She waited, but got no response from the Ranger. After a moment, she nudged his foot gently with her toe, and he snorted a short snore before growing quiet again.
    Alyssa took a deep breath and tried to find a way to sit that was just comfortable enough not to be painful, but uncomfortable enough to keep her awake. Finally, she settled on standing