Texas Nights - Book 13 of the Damned of the 2/19th

Riddle

Log Base Delta
Sarajevo International Airport
Sarajevo, Bosnia (Contested Zone)
10 June, 1992
0300 Hours Local - Wednesday

Operation Shield Strike - Day 13

CW2 Cromwell, Heather - 15th FSB, Task Force Hatchet

A tap on the wall of my GP small woke me up, my hand wrapped around the grip of my M-3 before I was even all the way awake. I rolled out of my sleeping bag, sitting up in my cot. I was wearing panties and a T-shirt, no bra or socks. I pulled my sunglasses on, yawning.

"Enter," I said, still yawning.

PFC West pushed his way in, looking around with his NVG's on. "You need to come to the gate, ma'am, there's a problem."

"Isn't there always," I yawned, rubbing my eyes with my fingertips. I reached down afterward and pulled my socks out of my boots, where I'd tucked them to keep rats or spider or Democrats from hiding in my boots.

"This one's name is Stillwater," West said.

I looked up, still pulling on my socks. "Told you he was alive," I smiled. I stood up, grabbing my pants from where they were hanging. West nodded silently, his eyes moving to my crotch for a moment.

That was OK, he'd always checked out my crotch whenever I was naked or changing. It wasn't anything new, he never tried anything, it just looked like a natural response he had.

I pulled my pants on, then grabbed my top.

"Yeah, he's alive, but there's a problem," West told me.

"Amplify," I said, buttoning my top.

"He's on the radio, close enough that we're picking up his headset. He sounds like a crazy person. Says he'll only talk to you," West told me. I pulled on and closed my Kevlar right before I buckled my LBE as he continued. "He's pretty pissed off, from the sound of it. Kept asking what we know. He wants to know where the rest of Viper is."

"Any idea why?" I asked.

"He's coughing a lot. Not sure why," He said.

crap

"He's infected," I told West, picking up my helmet and M-3. I hung my Kevlar helmet off my canteen and looked at him. "Let's go see what's up."

I followed him out into the darkness. Well, darkness to him, with the light pollution from the city, it was brightly lit to me. People were hustling around but I could tell that it was all with a purpose. No panic, no wasted movement, just work.

We moved into the TOC, where Colonel Krait, Captain Arthur, Captain Hiddle, and Captain Jane were all sitting.

"Chief Cromwell," Colonel Krait nodded. "It appears that presumption of Staff Sergeant Stillwater's death was premature."

I chuckled. "I've told people, unless you have a body and it's laid in state for three days, he ain't dead."

"Seeker-Seven-Actual, this is Echo-Five-Actual," Came Stillwater's voice. He coughed several times during his transmission. "Did you know, Seeker? Did you know?"

"He sounds bad," Captain Arthur said as I moved up and picked up the mic.

"Echo-Five-Actual, this is Lima-Six-Actual, do you read, over?" I keyed the mic.

"Lima-Six-Actual, this is Echo-Five-Actual, I read you. Did you know, over?" Stillwater asked.

"Know what, Echo? Over." I asked.

"Did you know Viper's mission, Lima? Over," Stillwater coughed.

"What are you talking about, Echo? Over," I asked.