The End

"Major! Come on, we have to go!" Steven laid down suppression fire, trying to give his commander a chance to fall back.

"I said get them out!" David squeezed off a few rounds, making each bullet count. Brian was down but alive.

"But David..."

"I said NOW!"

Steve hesitated a fraction of a second more and then ran to the others, helping Mark to carry Brian out of the engagement zone.

David gritted his teeth in pain as one bullet ripped through his shoulder, and another took him in the thigh. He knew that he would not be getting out. David limped backwards, firing off rounds behind him, setting blocks of C-4 as he went.

David felt fire in his lower back and them nothing, he collapsed in the corridor, holding the detonator in his hand. His vision was getting fuzzy, his breathing labored as his life flowed out of the hole in his back.

He blinked, trying to clear his field of vision, his grip tightening on the mechanism that would complete his mission. David heard pounding feet coming and readied himself.

Arianna, I'm coming. he pushed the switch.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve was at a loss for what to do. David was dead, Brian was in critical condition and Joe was presently AWOL. David would know what to do.

Steve sat down on his commander and friends bunk, and heard a crackle of paper. He reached under the covers and pulled out a sheet of paper, it was covered in Davids careful script.

'Steve, I'm sorry to leave you like that, but I knew it would happen eventually. Don't worry, you will know what you need to do...'