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“Leave hi like she’s been stabbed in the heart, feeling a boiling panic within her, but relinquishing her grip, falling back onto her behind, spinning, crawling, rising, running, with Jack beside her and bullets so thick they could be a swarm of bees

“Co in!” Jack yells

They reach two fallen logs, one angled over the other, for, no more than six inches in dia wood-like to thisdirt and rock into a barrier beneath the trees with the heels of his boots and cursing a blue streak

Jack and Rio leap and tu instantly to stand and fire back Bang-bang-bang! Three quick shots to give the Germans pause

The German fire stops, and Rio quickly checks her position It’s open on both flanks and behind The beach is twenty yards to their left The plane is ht now, a hundred yards away

Enfilade, defilade

Strand lies directly between the squad and the still-unseen Germans

“They’ll either co the beach or circle the plane,” Rio says She’s panting They’re all panting

“Or both,” Geer says

“Petersen, make the call Tell them we’ve made contact, force unknown Joe, Guttierez?”

“Fivethe hanging bits of un They’ll have to rest it on the unsteady log

Gerh foliage and sending leaves and chips of wood flying

“How uys in the Kraut patrol?” Jack asks

“Can’t bethe fear and excitement in her voice

“They’re keeping us occupied while they flank us,” Jack says