Overrun Read Free Page B

contain his tone.
    “We expect a six-man military
guard in the security room and two more on the roof with the scientists.
Another two at the main entrance.”
    The surge of the protective
medication coursed through Slavik’s body and blasted at his senses. Along with
the new rush of adrenaline, it was all he could do to keep his hands steady and
the rest of his body under control. His eyes burned wide and bright while he
waited for his commander to speak.
    "Good. That’s good,” Knight
said and turned to face his eager counterpart. “We shouldn't have to call in
another squad."
    Knight’s expression did not
contain the same excitement and eagerness the soldier next to him tried so much
to contain. Only a dim light came from behind his eyes. His only desire was to
bring his men home one more time.
    "Can your squad hit them
all before detection? Every last one?”
    "Yes, sir,” Slavik answered
his tone suddenly sullen and cold. “We sure can.”
    The excitability of the
medication was in one moment soundly subdued by the realization of why they
were there. As long as rivals to the U.S. in terms of dome construction
existed, the threat of war and a dome takeover was a very real and relevant
fear. It was why his division came to be in the first place and the reason he
had joined the military not so many years ago.
    The Vulture division was covert
dome military dispatched about the globe in search of foreign threats to U.S.
dome construction and technology. Once an area was deemed a threat, it became a
Vulture target. Squads like Slavik’s then slipped in and out leaving everyone
behind mysteriously and anonymously dead.
    "Alright Slavik,"
Knight said coming out of his own thoughts. He struggled to keep his voice from
reflecting the increased nervousness he felt each time he worked with fresh
dome troops.
    Half the squad had been with him
through several missions on the outside. The other half, like the unit
commander he was breaking in, were seasoned and trained but new to the
environment out here. These were the ones that brought the gut-wrenching
nervousness verging on fear each time he took a new batch out. The potential
for something to go wrong was just so great.
    They still risked a reaction to
the medication while their systems acclimated to the new physical strains
caused by first exposure to the unfiltered solar rays.
    It affected performance and
judgment. It always did, and it always would. Decisions made in combat were
fraught with risk. The overall secrecy of their existence was always
threatened. But with the number of men dying on these missions each day, half a
squad of fresh troops was the only way to maintain a full combat-ready unit and
stay on top of the growing threat of foreign dome construction.
    The zealous enthusiasm that came
with their youth put them at the greatest risk of all. All of them wanted to
save the world. Knight just wanted them to get through each day saving
themselves.
    Knight grabbed Slavik by the
thick gear hanging from his chest and pulled him so close their noses almost
touched. He could feel the rapid beat of Slavik's heart even through the many
layers of equipment covering it.
    "Son, do you understand
what happens if your team is detected?”
    “I do,” Slavik said swallowing
hard. Knight released his grip. Slavik took a step back and saluted him
silently in the dark.
    “Orders must be carried out. No
one gets left behind here. Not alive. It is your responsibility to make sure of
that.”
    “Yes, sir,” Slavik said again.
“I understand.”
    Knight tried to ascertain the
look in Slavik's eyes. They were wide with a hint of fear, but his composure
seemed to still remain.
    “Son, our presence in this
region is considered an act of war," Knight said again. “No one will come
to get us if we run into trouble. Anonymity must be ensured at all costs.
Nothing can come back to us."
    Slavik drew in his breath and
saluted Knight again. Knight saluted back and returned to the