Tess Awakening by Andres Mann Read Free Book Online Page B

hear the desperation in
her voice. The thought of losing Dan was unbearable. He had been
Jake’s best friend for 20 years, and a beloved mentor to Tess ever
since she graduated from the Academy.
    “Tess, I am sure that Gardner is gone. I
talked to the guys through the gates of the jail and they told me.”
The tears again threatened, but she knew she had to maintain
control. “Now, unless you want to stay at Club Hell for the
remainder of your reservation, you will follow me…”
    Jake reached around his back and pulled a
handgun out of his belt. “I borrowed this from a guard. He won’t
need it anymore. It is not your regular Army issue, but I assume
you know how to work it,” he said as he pushed the gun into her
hands. She almost felt insulted but postponed punishment until they
got out of there. “Don’t use it unless there is no choice. Silence
is our best friend for a while. Let’s go.”
    Tess and Kejal followed Jake through the
unguarded door of the prison. The guards were having their meal and
weren’t paying much attention. Jake burst through the door, shot
one of them with his silenced gun, and was about to dispatch the
other three until Tess screamed “Don’t kill them!” Both of them
held their weapons pointed at the guards.
    “Are you nuts?” Jake screamed at Tess. How
are we going to babysit them?” Tess insisted. “Don’t kill them.
Lock them up in a cell; they won’t be a problem there.” Jake made
an exasperated gesture and encouraged the men to drop their weapons
and enter the cell. He closed the gate and locked it with
deliberate clangor. He ran around the corner, found Tess’s men,
battered but otherwise okay, and let them out.
    The small group took advantage of the dark so
that they could quickly exit the building and soon found themselves
several hundred yards away at the outskirts of the compound. The
downed choppers were still there. Tess ran to the cockpit of her
disabled aircraft and checked the radio. It was still working.
Immediately, she issued a rescue request. She then went back to the
men. “We must lay low until we get rescued. They have been waiting
just behind that berm.” The men took her to heart.
    Less than 20 minutes later, a Black Hawk
helicopter and two Cobras appeared. The Blackhawk landed, stirring
a storm of sand while the Cobras hovered overhead. Jake hustled the
soldiers, who loaded the wounded and Dan Gardner’s body on board,
and urged the women to go next.
    As Kejal entered the craft, shots rang out,
followed by several more. Iraqi troops ran toward them. The two
Cobras overhead opened fire with devastating effect, neutralizing
the attackers. Tess, Jake and the other two men on the ground
quickly boarded the chopper, and they rapidly flew away. Both the
ex-prisoners and the crew exulted and exchanged hi-fives until Tess
cried “Oh, no!” She was holding Kejal in her arms.
    The woman had been shot and was bleeding
profusely. The medic that had joined the crew immediately assessed
the situation. He examined the woman’s wound and turned to Tess.
“She won’t make it.”
    Tess refused to accept the diagnosis. “Of
course she will make it. I wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for
her! There must be something you can do!” The medic did not raise
his head. He just stood there.
    Kejal weakly took Tess’s hand. “Major, please
find my child. Don’t let the General have her. Please!” The hand
lost its grip, and Kejal died.
    Tess wailed in desperate frustration. “Damn!
This is not fair! Let’s turn back and blow them to Kingdom come!”
Then she broke down, crying. The rest of the flight was silent. The
choppers landed at the base and were met by several Humvees and an
ambulance.
    The crew that was downed was required to
undergo a debriefing and medical exam. After removing the burqa and
emerging in her sexy gown, Tess was quite a sight. For a few
minutes, the field hospital stopped functioning while the men and
some of the women tried