259

I'll be right back," you say and run across your lawn. If water keeps him alive or merely brings him comfort, it's a simple thing to provide. Back inside, you knock into a coffee table, nearly busting a lamp as you race to your pile of gear and supplies stacked in the corner of the living room. You don't know how long the soldier will last and want to get back outside to him. You break off a plastic bottle of spring water from a pack and head out of your home.

As you walk towards the soldier, he rolls onto his side and places the bloody cloth on his neck. The pistol falls to the lawn, disappearing in the high grass. He struggles to rise but only manages to sit on the curb, legs in the street. As he tries to stand, an engine roars in the distance. From around the corner, an armored Humvee straddles the sidewalk and straightens at the end of its turn. As the hum of the engine rumbles through the street, Lopez springs to his feet, wobbles, then crashes down onto his hands and knees. He half crawls, half drags himself a few feet before tumbling curbside onto the street. You try to catch him before he falls, but he moves with determination. Again he mutters, "White wall," then he shouts it with a boom from his chest.

The Humvee rolls to a screeching stop, and the front passenger door swings open. Out steps a tall, lean man with a youthful face. Curly blond hair pokes out from under his cowboy hat. He carries an M16 and leaps up to sit on the front hood of the vehicle. His bottom lip bulges, and he spits a wad of brown liquid into the grass. Though his nametag says "Lefleur," you can't help but think of him as a cowboy.

The driver steps out next, a massively built man with dark features and a bald head. He folds his arms over his chest, which further bulges the muscles of his arms. His nametag reads "Croston."

The back door on the driver's side swings out, and a dark-haired woman slides out. She's shorter than the top of the Humvee's door but stands tall and strong in her battle fatigues. As she moves onto the lawn, she sidesteps the cowboy's spittle and adjusts a holstered pistol on her belt. You spot her name tag, which reads "White." She wears the rank of a Sergeant.

"Good day. Are you on duty?"