Beyond the Veil (Book 1 of Shadow Company)

Untitled Part 1

Beyond the Veil

Book 1 of Shadow Company

By

Catherine Wolffe

Preface

Nothing in four deployments could prepare Logan Latimar for the assault SEAL team six faced. An armored tank lumbered by as enemy ground-to-air missile launchers shot at the black hawk helicopter headed for team six's coordinates. If the chopper landed in one piece, they would leave the sandbox known as Afghanistan. His team had a less than a fifty-fifty chance of success. The slow, steady swoosh of the missile launcher firing a rocket sent dread all the way to the tips of Logan's toes. Team six was in deep shit. They had taken heavy fire as they entered the target – an old burned out house. Now, their target had become their extraction point under heavy enemy attack.

Their leader, Lieutenant Luke Calder was down. His injuries were serious. He lay in a pool of blood, which had soaked through the makeshift gurney. The hole in the middle of his chest came from a sniper. Even his Kevlar hadn't stopped a direct hit from the sniper's bullet. The SEALS picked the rooftop Rambo off with efficiency. Too late for Luke. Logan realized he was watching his buddy die right in front of him. "We aren't leaving without you," Logan shouted over the rapid fire of an ak47. Dirt and plaster showered them as the medic worked on Luke. Everything was botched. Luke understood.

"Get your asses in gear. Get the hell out of here. That's an order." Grimacing in pain, his head dropped back to the gurney.

Logan knew the score. He could see Luke understood as well. The truth lay in his friend's eyes. Luke wasn't going to make it out alive. His last action as leader of team six was going to be saving his team. Rolling his head to the side, he wheezed out another order. "Get that chopper on the ground, now!"

Bullets whizzed over their heads.

Communications officer, Duke Taylor nodded as he called out the coordinates one more time. "Still trying to keep a signal, sir." Duke had removed his helmet. The blond stubble of a military buzz cut shimmered in the meager light like a beacon surrounded by smoke and ash. Listening for a response, he nodded. "ETA is five minutes, sir."

Luke's eyes closed over the pain as the medic stuffed the wound with more gauze. Some superhuman strength had him reaching out, gripping the medic's arm. Giving him a good glare from glazed eyes, he growled. "That's enough. Get ready to move. Do you hear me?"

The scene was like something out of a movie. Logan's chest constricted. Laying a hand on the medic's shoulder, he said in a murmur, "Get him ready to move." Over the gunfire, he got Luke's attention. Gripping his friend's hand tight, he yelled. "We aren't leaving without you. Understand? Besides, it's gonna be all right. The doctors at HQ, are going to fix you up good as new."

Luke's response took what little strength he had left. "No," he said as he clutched Logan's arm tighter. "This is it for me. You gotta get out of here. Understand?"

Something akin to sympathy flitted across Luke's face. "I order you to leave. You're in command now, Latimar."

His meaning was clear. The raw edge of death filled Luke's eyes.

"Give me a grenade," Luke wheezed as he yanked on his dog tags. "We weren't here. Copy?" A coughing fit ensued. Blood gurgled up in Luke throat.

Logan gathered a kerchief to his friend's mouth as Luke dropped his tags in Logan's free hand. The moment Logan drew the cloth away, he realized Luke was right. The cloth, soaked in blood was useless. Running on automatic, Logan detached the grenade at his belt before placing it in Luke's hand.