The Passenger (Surviving the Dead) Read Online Free PDF Page A

didn’t do shit.”
    Ethan stepped forward and clapped him on the arm. “Sure you did. I gave you an order and you followed it. You didn’t freeze up, or panic.” He leaned forward with a conspiratorial whisper. “You didn’t shit yourself, did you?”
    Smith let out a nervous laugh. “No.”
    Ethan stood up straight and grinned at the younger man. “Then you did just fine. Maybe next time I’ll even let you do some of the fighting.”
    Smith’s smile grew sickly, then disappeared altogether.
    The door at the far end of the car opened and Lieutenant Jonas stepped through the narrow opening, careful not to step into the short length of empty space separating the command car from Delta’s passenger carriage. “Everyone all right in here? Anybody hurt?”
    “No sir,” Ethan replied. “We’re all good.” He turned to Smith. “Check the other cars for me, private. Find out if there are any casualties.”
    Smith nodded. “I’m on it.”
    As the private hustled to the next adjoining car, Jonas stepped closer to Ethan. “Did my eyes deceive me, or were those raiders on horseback?”
    “Yes sir, they were.”
    The lieutenant ran a hand over the back of his neck, his mouth forming a thin, hard line. “Well, ain’t that just fucking wonderful. How much you want to bet those sons of bitches are from Hamlet?”
    “I’m not a betting man , but I’d say your odds are pretty good, sir.”
    “And now they have bombs.” Jonas shuffled over to a window and planted a hand against the wall as he stared out. “We’re the first U-trac to come out this way, Thompson. And now they’ve seen us. I guaran-damn-tee you that by tomorrow these tracks are going to be lousy with IEDs. Fucking Hamlet. Place is a goddamn den of thieves, and slavers, and insurgent scum. I’ve got half a mind to radio for permission to go root those fuckers out.”
    Ethan watched the older man move to the bench and sit down, back straight. He looked incongruous with just a single bar on his collar. Most of the officers his age had oak leaves or silver eagles with wings spread wide. It was easy to forget that Jonas had spent most of his career in the Army as an enlisted man, working his way up the through the ranks the hard way. He’d seen more than his share of combat, and wasn’t afraid to take up arms and get in the thick of things when the situation required it. Because of this, and his deep understanding of the needs and concerns of his soldiers, Ethan trusted and respected him, as did the other men. Nevertheless, the idea of walking blindly into hostile territory—and going off mission to do it—struck Ethan as not being the best of ideas.
    “What about Pope? Maybe they could send out a drone to recon the place, find out what we’re up against. I’m not afraid of a fight, sir, but I don’t like going in blind. Not if we can help it, at least. There’s no sense in getting ourselves killed needlessly.”
    A less experienced officer may have bristled at Ethan’s suggestion, if not his tone. Jonas, however, nodded calmly. He knew good advice when he heard it, and he wasn’t arrogant enough to think his experience precluded him from making mistakes. The Army had NCOs for a reason, after all.
    “You’re right , Sergeant, as usual. Still, knowing those fuckers are out there…”
    Holland spoke up, “If you want LT, I can take a couple of guys and go scout it out. See what I can find. Maybe make some trouble for ‘em.”
    Jonas thought about it for a moment, but shook his head. “No. I appreciate your courage, Holland, but I can’t spare you. Besides, we’re behind schedule as it is. We can’t afford the delay.”
    The door to the car opened, and Private Smith stepped back through. “No casualties, sir. Everybody’s okay.”
    Jonas stood up. “Good, good. Any fight you survive is a good one, right men?”
    Delta Squad nodded in agreement, their faces grim as they remembered fights that not all of them had walked away from.