Chapter 10
Riley shook her head.
“That story better include the soldiers who stayed alive long enough for me to get there.”
“It does,” Cole said. “But it also includes one more line.”
Riley waited.
Cole’s smile faded into something more respectful.
“Not every aircraft can save you. Sometimes it has to be the person you were too proud to listen to.”
The desert wind moved over the rebuilt wall.
For once, it felt quiet.
Riley looked up at the sky.
Somewhere beyond the clouds, she could still hear the echo of the cannon.
Not as destruction.
As a warning.
To every arrogant commander who thought rank made him right.
To every soldier who had ever been dismissed for being different.
And to every voice that had been ignored until the battlefield proved it true.
Captain Riley Shaw climbed back into her A-10 before sunset.
The crew chief gave her a thumbs-up.
She smiled, lowered her visor, and took one final look at the outpost below.
This time, every soldier on the wall looked up.
Not in fear.
In respect.
And when Tusker Zero-Four lifted into the golden desert sky, no one called her an air show.
No one called her unnecessary.
They called her what she had been all along.
The reason they were still alive.
May you like
ENDING QUESTION:
What would you have done if the person who insulted you suddenly needed you to save his life in front of everyone?
