PRIMAL Inception Read Free

intel.” Vance was sick of these people. He actually looked forward to the end of his deployment and was expecting the call any day now.
    “Vance, every day we are growing stronger. We need to arm more fighters.”
    “And we want heavy machine guns and rockets,” added Kreshnik.
    The front door swung open and Ice barged in. He gave Vance a nod and fixed the two Albanians with a cold stare. “Well, what are we waiting for? The boys are ready.”
    Zahir shrugged. “We were discussing a suitable payment for our services.”
    Ice’s blue eyes were intense, unblinking. “Is that right? Well, I just unloaded a truck-load of weapons and ammunition that’s now in your barn. So, the way I see it, payment’s been made.”
    “That’s not the way business is done in–”
    The former Marine held up a hand and reached into his pocket with the other. He pulled out a small green device. “You know what this is?” he asked.
    Zahir shook his head.
    “It’s a remote firing device. I’ve placed a small amount of explosives in the barn. Let’s call it five pounds. If you help us recover the pilot I’ll let you keep your new toys. If you don’t…” He raised an eyebrow.
    Zahir laughed. “You’re fucking nuts, Iceman.”
    Kreshnik scowled.
    Vance did his best to keep a straight face.
    Zahir stood. “OK, OK, we’ll go get your man.”
    “Glad we could come to an agreement.” Vance charged out the door and across to their red Toyota 4Runner. It was parked among the Wolves’ motley collection of pickups, flatbed trucks, and military four-wheel drives. Ice was right behind him.
    Vance opened the tailgate and pulled on his chest rig. “You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.”
    Ice zipped up his own vest. “What do you mean?”
    “What if they recognized that as an M57?” Vance said as he climbed into the front passenger seat. The green device was an initiator from a claymore mine. Without a cable running to the charge it was useless.
    “Guess I would have used my other plan.” Ice turned over the engine.
    “And that was?”
    “Beat them into submission.”
    “You better hope my replacement isn’t some crusty old by-the-book bastard.”
    “Why’s that?”
    “Because ‘You’re fucking nuts, Iceman’,” Vance said in his best Albanian accent. He checked his watch. “Sledge should be at the RV by now. How long’s it gonna take us?”
    “Bit over an hour.”
    “Let’s hope he’s there because if he’s not, he’ll be spending a cold night in the woods.”
     
    ***
     
    Sledge ignored the thorns stabbing into his flesh as he searched frantically for his pistol. He’d rolled his ankle when he had fallen down a steep embankment into a bramble bush. In the process the Beretta had been thrown from its holster.
    His fingers brushed the pistol and he grabbed it. Thorns tore his flight suit as he pulled his arm out. A dog barked from the ridgeline above. He struggled to his feet and ran. There was a shout and the crack of a rifle. A round clipped the tree next to his head, splinters hit his face, and he threw himself sideways.
    Landing on his back, Sledge aimed up the hill and fired a volley of bullets into the undergrowth. He rolled sideways as he ejected the spent magazine, pulled a spare from his vest and slammed it home. His rapid breathing was the only thing he heard as he lay prone with the pistol and waited.
    A barrage of rounds snapped over his head. He turned and half slid, half crawled down the hill. The gunfire was relentless. It sounded like an army was chasing him.
    At the bottom he scrambled to his feet and burst out of the woods into a clearing. The gunfire had stopped, replaced by shouting and barking. Two hundred yards ahead he spotted more trees. Ignoring his throbbing ankle, he hobbled as fast as he could, legs and lungs screaming in agony. Behind him the barking of a dog grew louder.
    A hundred yards to go. The barking was even closer.
    Fifty yards. The dog was right behind him. He