A New World [7] Takedown by John O'Brien Read Free Book Online Page B

feel nervous or fearful, it’s just that she isn’t afraid to die. That fear left a long time ago, and overcoming it is freeing. It doesn’t make her reckless or that the lack of fear is replaced with stupidity – she’s seen that one a lot in her career – it just means that she isn’t stymied in her actions by that fear. She is more afraid for her teammates than she is for herself.
    Her thoughts wander around to her team. She and McCafferty have bonded well, they are sisters-in-arms. They’ve talked at length about a myriad of things, sharing a few secrets here and there, and have become very close. At first glance, McCafferty seems like one of those sweet girls who are most comfortable as the princess of a fair or giggling with friends over boys. Her cute looks and diminutive stature belie the toughness within. Her hundred and ten pounds soaking-wet-weight houses the heart of a lion. Gonzalez has seen her in combat many times fighting off hordes of night runners; holding her own and fearless, without a hint of fleeing. Yeah, Gonzalez trusts her implicitly and knows that McCafferty has her back at any time.
    Henderson and Denton are both the quiet types. They hang with the rest of the team but don’t really say much. Henderson is the boy next door type, neither handsome nor ugly. He is a little more vocal and jokes around when it’s just the team together but is silent when others are around. The silence has nothing to do with his competency though and Gonzalez is glad to have him on the team. Both he and Denton are sharp shots with the M-110, to the point that she almost feels sorry for anyone that happens to fall in their crosshairs.
    Why is it that the silent ones always seem to be the best shots?
    Denton is more like the surfer type, but without the outgoing aspect. He’s laid back and easy going with a ready smile when someone cracks a joke but doesn’t speak up much. He seems content to just be part of the group. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t take it all in though. He and Henderson seem to have hit it off pretty well and maybe it’s different when it’s just the two of them. Many times when they are hanging out as a team, Denton is usually taking his M-4 or M-110 apart and cleaning them. Not in a spooky or sinister way, but Gonzalez gets the impression that he’s a perfectionist.
    Robert is a chip off of Jack. She sees the gears always turning in his head and knows he is a natural leader if he can only gain the confidence. He has matured a lot in the past few months but he second-guesses himself too much. His fear is that he will make the wrong decision and let the others down. Once he has confidence in his decision-making ability, he will be one of those that others follow. He just needs experience. Of his courage, there is no doubt. He has been in some of the fiercest firefights Gonzalez has ever seen and, with little to no training, he’s stayed right in there. And being able to fly an aircraft at his age? Yeah, he has a lot of abilities.
    And then there’s Bri. She really likes Bri and thinks of her as another sister; although her feeling goes beyond that. Gonzalez feels a strong bond between them. Taking Bri under her wing was a natural thing to do. Perhaps it’s because Bri reminds her of herself at an earlier age. There is an inner toughness and she is always watching and learning. Gonzalez can see that there isn’t much that gets by Bri. Gonzalez relishes in teaching her and wants to pass on what others have taught her – teach her to be a soldier…to be tough yet keep her femininity intact…be strong yet supple enough to react…be flexible to a changing environment…teach her that she can be tough yet retain her humanity. Too often the toughness that soldiers in combat attain brings a coldness that they deem necessary in order to survive mentally. That means a repression of their humanity. Gonzalez knows now, through many trials by fire, that both can be achieved. The most important