Five

As quickly as the show had started, it had ended. There was no air for the men to use, so no cries were heard. All that remained were charred bones, as flesh pooled under the bodies. Melted.

"You can open your eyes." She muttered in a mousey voice very unlike her former self.

"I kept it away from the guns as best I could, let's go.

Nick hesitated to move. His brain had stopped. He had felt the heat, and it terrified him.

"How? You… you really did it." He stammered out.

She took a deep breath, sighed, looked back at him, and grabbed for his arm, "nut up nick, freak-out later." she instructed.

            They scurried over to the bodies as quickly and quietly as they could. The closer they got, the more unbearable the smell was. He had to hold his breath while prying the singed weapon from charred hands.

"I can't reach command," she whispered, "so I want to get to higher ground and see if I can catch a signal. If that doesn't work, we'll have to get to the extraction point as normal."

The team counted ammunition and set a fresh round in the chamber before moving on. "North-west should give us the best signal with maximum cover." Nick informed as she shot him a curious look. "I 'glanced' at the terrain chart before chow; you have high expectations of yourself. So do I."

He followed Amber closely as she slipped around the corner of a mid-sized steel shed. It was only a matter of time before the bodies were found, especially with the smell. Their pace quickened, straining against the hill, and weeds catching them every inch of the way. Trees were spread thickly through the area making them weave around them. No more than five minutes passed before they heard the shouts and sirens behind them. Amber's eyes went wide as a new sound entered the mix and they ran, as fast as they could- they ran. In minutes the dogs would be on them and she needed to get that signal and get them both to the goddamned extraction zone.

"Squad command, this is training team Foxtrot Delta, copy?" no response. Again, she tried while running, "Squad command, this is training team Foxtrot Delta, copy?" she screamed again and again huffing. "Foxtrot fucking delta! Fucking copy!"

Nick chimed in over his com, "training team Foxtrot Delta requesting immediate assistance, and emergency Evac. Squad command acknowledge."

Both switched through their comm channels twice, three- four times same lack of response.

"I swear, if this is Ramirez's idea of clever fucking 'worst case' training, ill cut his throat." She seethed, "his throat!" she screamed at the sky. "I'm pissed, Nick. So, pissed. Ill cook the island if I have to, but I refuse to die here!"

She was struggling now, the dogs were getting louder, and soon it would be over for their mission. They would lose and die for it.

Twigs snapped only a few feet behind her. Amber's fury welled up inside her chest and her foot planted itself through the speed of their pace. She spun as the beasts entered the clearing and leaped for her. The cold October air screamed, and a short burst of confused agony escaped the animals as she ignited and heaved flames at them. The first fell fast, the second and third dodged and snapped for her carotid artery.

Number four felt a steel blade tear through its lung and died in an excruciating pain and suffocation. The animal bucked through the panic slashing Nick across the face from brow to chin. Nick raised his new rifle and put the last two down with a short burst. Nick braced himself on his hands and knees over the fourth creature jerking his knife from its chest. "MOVE!" he yelled at her. he wiped the blood from his eye, and they sprinted as fast as they could through the forest surrounding the beach.