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13
Landon
They kept to the side roads, weaving through the small business district to avoid the mess on the freeway. Armed men and women were posted up outside of the chain-food restaurants along the strip and they eyed the military convoy as it passed. Landon watched them back warily as Sgt. Sierra rotated the machine gun to do the same, but apparently the cargo in Applebee’s and Red Lobster was worth more than an AAV.
They’re running out of food. Landon touched his ring. All the hurricane warnings at their last duty station in North Carolina had made Tessa nervous and he thanked God that she’d picked up the habit of keeping plenty of food stocked in the house. She was smart, there’d be enough to last them for a while. And he had a little surprise for her too. But you put it too high. Landon cursed under his breath. He’d stacked a few boxes of MREs up on the garage shelves and she’d never be able to see them.
It’s okay. He bit his lip to hide his smile, imagining when he walked in the door tonight and could show her that she wasn’t the only one to think ahead. She always said he had too much stuff in the garage. This time he knew she’d be happy he did.
The lead AAV climbed the hill and Landon turned, watching the houses go by. It was a new build subdivision of duplexes with shared walls and fences where garages backed into small alleys. HM3 Cooper signaled the stop at the cul-de-sac up ahead. A little girl caught her basketball mid-bounce and clutched it to her chest as she backed away from the military vehicles. Her mother scooped her into her arms and ran them into the house, slamming the door closed behind them. HM3 Cooper jumped from the open crew chief hatch and hit the ground running before the doors of the main compartment opened.
Sgt. Sierra relaxed his grip on the machine gun and stared up at the sky. “This place is pretty quiet. Looks like they faired a hell of a lot better than Oceanside.”
Cpl. Bailey and Cpl. Hemming followed HM3 Cooper out onto the street, scanning the area, but their movements were slow and practiced training without the anxious fear from a perceived threat. HM3 Cooper paused, running a hand through his borderline regulation blond hair as the sun beat down on his shoulders.
“It’s the location, set far enough back from the roads and stores that it doesn’t warrant looting yet. I’m glad we picked the place we did.” Landon scratched the stubble on his chin. He should have shaved this morning. Tessa hated when his beard scratched her face. He ran his hand over his lips, continuing to hide his smile, as he thought about burying his chin against her neck and making her squirm as he held her close. The hollow ache that pulled at his gut was easier to deal with in the daylight now that the end was in sight.
“Tiffany! Open up, babe.” HM3 Cooper’s fist beat against the door. Landon snapped out of his daydream with a sense of dread creeping down his spine.
“I don’t have my keys.” HM3 Cooper fumbled through his cammie pockets, pulling out uneaten extras from the MREs and dropping them on the front steps. Landon ducked down from the hatch and ran out of the back of the vehicle.
“I can’t find my keys.” HM3 Cooper grew frantic as he turned his pockets inside out.
Cpl. Hemming reached over to knock on the door. “It’s alright, Doc. Maybe she just went out to get something or she’s taking a nap.”
“Are they in your med bag?” Landon called out as he jogged over to the second AAV and searched for Cooper’s pack marked with the tan Corpsman Caduceus patch.
“I don’t know.” HM3 Cooper’s voice cracked as he pulled at the door handle again. “Tiffany. I’m home.” Landon carried over the bag and set it at the Corpsman’s feet.
“Check your pack and if they aren’t in there, we’ll try the windows.” Landon motioned for Cpl. Hemming to test the window above the garden box. HM3 Cooper fell to his knees, ripping through the contents of the bag as rolls of gauze and tourniquets spilled onto the steps.
Cooper looked up to Landon with pleading eyes, more childlike than man. “They’re not in here, HM2. Where is she?”
“Are you guys looking for Tiffany?” A man leaned his head out of the doorway where the woman and child had disappeared behind.
“Yeah. Do you know where she is?” HM3 Cooper scrambled to his feet.
The man looked back into the house as his wife whispered to him. “She left about a week ago on a motorcycle. Said she was going to stay with some friends back home.”
“She took one of my bikes?” HM3 Cooper shook his head as he backed toward the door. “She barely knows how to ride.” The other Marines shifted anxiously, not wanting to meet his gaze as the guilt ran through them. Only Landon and Cpl. Hemming stared at him openly.
“I’m sure she’s okay,” Landon said.
“I have to find her.” His face twisted with anger as he turned and kicked in the door.
“Whoa. Calm down.” Landon tried to hold him back.
“Let go of me, HM2.” Cooper shoved him away as he took off running into the house, screaming his wife’s name.
“What’s going on, Marines?” GySgt. Fuimaono’s deep voice boomed through the neighborhood as Landon chased Cooper inside.
He turned to look over his shoulder at Cpl. Hemming. “Go tell Gunny we have a problem.”
HM3 Cooper’s boots smacked against the tile floor, pure panic and blinding rage guiding him forward to the garage door at the back of the house. Landon tackled him to the ground.
“I need you to breathe, HM3,” Landon commanded as he held the man’s arms pinned to his side. “You’re not thinking straight right now. Let’s sit down and talk.”
The tendons bulged in Cooper’s neck and his skin flushed purple as he struggled against the hold. “Get. Off. Of. Me. My. Wife. Might. Be. Hurt!”
