_______________

A few hours later, Gunny drifted out of the forest and stopped beside Ethan. "A clearing's ahead. Maybe a village. You come with me. The rest of the team will provide cover from the tree line."

When Gunny slid smoothly away, Ethan followed close enough to hear the older man's breathing. Passing too close to a large-leafed plant, he felt a slight sting and brushed a pink and purple caterpillar off the back of his hand. Pain spread slowly up his arm to his chest. His breathing became ragged. He feared that the insect bite might kill or disable him, but by the time they reached the edge of the clearing, the pain was fading and his breathing was normal again. 

In the clearing were a dozen abandoned longhouses on stilts. The roofs were caved in, and there were holes in the woven bamboo siding. In the distance, a jungle cat screeched and much closer, Ethan saw a python slide down the skinny trunk of a tree and disappear into a thick mass of flowering vines. 

"There's our man," Gunny said. 

The pilot sat near the top of the notched log that was the stairway to the third longhouse. He sagged against the doorframe staring at the ground—his face was hidden. A forty-five protruded from the one visible hand, and he was not moving. 

"I don't think he's breathing," Ethan said. 

"I'm going closer. Something ain't right, Card. If any fucking thing goes wrong, you get the team home." Without waiting for a response, Gunny left the protective cover of the forest and crawled into the clearing's waist-high grass. 

A few minutes passed while sweat-eating flies buzzed around Ethan. He looked at the pastel blue sky and at the swollen sun sinking toward the mountains. It was going to be dark soon. 

Then he stiffened when the Gunny appeared on the pilot's log. 

Too much risk, Gunny, Ethan thought. You should have sent me. My reflexes and eyes are better than yours are.

Halfway up the log, Gunny stopped. An instant passed; then Gunny dove off the log into the high grass. Something exploded under the log, the ground trembled and smoke plumed into the air. After the smoke cleared, Ethan couldn't see Gunny.

§ “Running with the Enemy” was awarded an Honorable Mention in General Fiction at the 2103 San Francisco Book Festival

§ Discover a new world of Publishing–-the 2013 San Francisco Book Festival Event held on May 18.