Wayward Son Read Online Free PDF Page A

prepared to leave the area. “Yes, sir. Once I know for sure, I will certainly be calling you again.”
    Sheridan sighed to himself and rubbed at his eyes as the man on the other end continued to yell. “Yes, sir. At once, sir.” He clicked the end call button and placed the phone back in its charging cradle. “Please, Apollo, tell me that you had much better luck than we did.”
     
    *****
     
    Little John and Spalding carried the body of Vince Carbone to a gurney where he was placed into a body bag. Spalding zipped the bag and placed an orange tag on it. This indicated the body had to be incinerated. He never really understood why their dead had to be cremated. They were infected with the wolf virus. It wasn’t like their bodies would reanimate. Still, procedure was procedure.
    Technicians and soldiers alike worked side by side cleaning up the topside, spraying down blood with antiseptic and preparing it for decontamination. Bodies of wolves that were shifted were placed into special body bags made for larger beings. Those who were killed prior were bagged and tagged, both given incineration tags. Only those who were support personnel and killed in the battle would be allowed a true funeral.
    Little John almost envied them as their families would have an opportunity for some form of closure. He stood and stretched his wide shoulders, the realization of why operators for the squads were chosen from those who didn’t have ties to the ‘normal’ world.
    The sound of approaching helicopter blades caught the attention of everybody topside. Fearing another attack, techs began looking for cover and security personnel and operators grabbed their weapons and formed up at the open doors.
    The Chinook hovered just outside the parking lot and Spalding watched through the ACOG scope as the side door opened and third squad fast roped out the door and into the parking lot. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief and called the men down. He stepped out and held an arm up to Dom.
    “What the hell, man? How come nobody is answering coms?” Dom slowed and looked at the hangar. “Holy hell…what happened here?”
    “We were hit,” Spalding answered as the rest of third squad caught up with their team leader. “Hard.”
    “Oh, my God. Anybody hurt?” Dom walked past Spalding and entered the hangar. Rivers of blood running to the drains in the floor caught his attention. “Please tell me that’s tango blood.”
    “Some. Not enough of it, though,” Little John answered. “They hit the XO. He’s bad.”
    “Tufo?” Dom paled as the words hit home. His mind instantly returned to the bond he formed with the man when he first returned to the squads. Tufo was the only one that treated him like he wasn’t a China doll, ready to break if he wasn’t handled with kid gloves. “Where is he?”
    Spalding pointed down below. “Doc’s working on him.”
    “Why the hell is Doc working on him? Why didn’t they medevac him to a hospital or a trauma center?” Spalding and Little John lowered their heads and refused to meet his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
    “Dom, a wolf shredded his guts. The damned thing sliced him from bellybutton to throat.” Spalding choked up.
    Dom felt his knees weaken as the words hit home. Hammer was at his side and propped him without being asked. “Let me get you to a chair, boss.”
    “No. I’m okay. I just need…” Dom turned slow circles and stared to the ceiling. “Why the hell couldn’t we have been here for this? We could have made a difference.”
    Darren pulled his buddy aside, away from the support personnel still cleaning up the mess. “Believe me when I tell you, had you been here, you would have either ended up pinned down like we were or worse.”
    “What’s worse than not being able to do anything?” Hammer asked.
    Little John pointed to the body bag containing Carbone’s body. “Being carried out in one of those.”
    “Who is that?” Hammer asked, not sure he wanted