PART 6
Inside the command tent at Outpost Haven, Major Ellis Monroe stood over the operations table.
The radio traffic had changed.
Desperation was turning into disbelief.
“Raven, enemy north line is breaking.”
“West ridge weapon down.”
“Who has eyes on that shooter?”
“Not ours.”
“Then who the hell is shooting?”
A communications sergeant turned slowly toward Monroe.
“Sir… those shots are coming from Echo Ridge.”
Monroe frowned.
“That’s almost two miles from the ravine.”
No one answered.
Everyone understood what that meant.
Too far.
Too fogged in.
Too impossible.
Then an older warrant officer at the back of the tent stood so fast his chair scraped the floor.
Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Keene stared at the map.
“Who’s on Echo Ridge?”
A lieutenant checked the assignment board.
“Staff Sergeant Stroud and Corporal Holt.”
Keene went still.
“What did you say?”
“Stroud, sir. Ava Stroud.”
The warrant officer’s face lost color.
Major Monroe noticed.
“You know her?”
Keene did not answer immediately.
On the radio, Rudd shouted, “Enemy south side attempting flank!”
A second later, another rifle crack echoed faintly through the open tent flap.
Then the radio barked again.
“South flank stopped. I repeat, south flank stopped.”
Keene looked at the map like a ghost had reached out of it.
“Raven Actual,” he said quietly, “pull her personnel file. Full access.”
Monroe narrowed his eyes.
“Why?”
Keene’s voice dropped.
“Because if that’s the Ava Stroud I think it is, we didn’t assign a sniper to that ridge.”
May you like
He looked toward the radio.
“We assigned a legend.”
