Easy Day for the Dead by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin Read Free Book Online Page A

couldn’t tell if it was a bush or a human. As his eyes strained to see better, he almost ran into Pancho, who had stopped and crouched down. Alex stopped and crouched down, too. John did the same. Pancho pointed ahead to his left. Alex saw movement and aimed his AKMS in the direction of the movement. Pancho and John were aiming in the same direction. Whoever it was, they crouched low as they walked. The figure came closer until Alex recognized it—a goat.
    Alex had to keep from laughing out loud. He was sure Pancho and John wanted to laugh, too. Keeping their silence, they resumed their patrol to the village. As they passed around a berm, the indistinct outline of the village came into view.
    Continuing forward, they reached another berm—this one was just one hundred yards east of the village. Alex signaled for Pancho and John to stay behind while he went in to rendezvous with Leila. He left his cumbersome backpack with them so he could move more freely.
    Alex kept low until he neared the edge of the village and dropped to a low crawl, which he continued until he reached Leila’s house. A neighborhood dog barked. It was times like this that Alex hated dogs. Alex peered through Leila’s back window—the curtain was closed and he couldn’t see inside. He gave the coded knock: two knocks. No answer. Is she asleep? Is she even here? Is this a trap? He gave the coded knock again. Two knocks came back. He knocked four times. Now the window opened, and he recognized her. Leila looked even better than her picture.
    He crawled through the window. Inside, he began searching the house.
    â€œThere is no one else here,” Leila said quietly.
    Alex continued with the search. He didn’t know her well enoughto take her word for it. It was a small, modestly furnished two-bedroom house. After clearing the house, rather than make noise by speaking, he broke squelch on his radio once, notifying Pancho and John that it was clear for them to come in. Alex stood guard, watching both the inside and outside of the house.
    â€œWhere is Danny?” she asked.
    Alex hesitated. “He couldn’t make it.”
    â€œBut he said he was coming.”
    â€œHe wanted to,” Alex said.
    â€œSomething terrible happened?”
    Alex wasn’t sure what to say. He hadn’t seen Danny die, but he knew he was dead. Alex didn’t know how close Leila was to Danny. The only words that came out were “I’m sorry.”
    She turned her head away.
    Pancho and John arrived. Alex let them in through the front door. With the three large men in the small house, the place became even smaller. Alex looked at his watch—it was already morning. Leila took them into a vacant room. “You can keep your things here and sleep today,” she said quietly. “There is not enough dark left for me to take you to the chemical weapons lab now, but when evening comes again, I will take you.”
    The three SEALs stashed their gear in the room, then played rock, paper, scissors to see who’d stay awake for the first watch. John lost. Alex was tempted to volunteer to take the watch anyway because he was still too keyed up, but he knew John wouldn’t go for it, so he stayed silent. Pancho collapsed and was snoring inside of a minute.
    John went into the kitchen with Leila while Alex made himself comfortable on the floor. He could see the kitchen clearly through the open door. He half closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.
    â€œWould you like a drink?” Leila asked.
    â€œWater, please,” John said. Alex thought he wouldn’t mind amartini, but he didn’t need it dulling his senses now. And alcohol would just make him piss, which would dehydrate him before the mission.
    Leila removed a pitcher of water from the refrigerator and filled two cups. She sat down to drink with him. “I am sorry my English is not good.”
    â€œYour English is great,” John said. “How