Chapter 4. Manny

Manny woke up needing to piss, and also to the sound of explosions.

He couldn't quite tell which was more to blame for his sudden, unwelcome consciousness.

His lizard brain woke up and shouted,

Get the fuck out of there, you asshole!

A second later.

Manny got to his feet, grabbed his gear bag, and looked around for the journalist.

Reggie still seemed to sleep, but he stirred just as Manny started towards him,

and another thundering boom shook the world.

Christ, what was that?

Reggie asked in a slurred voice, heavy with sleep.

Mortars, Mani explained, I think I heard rockets, too.

Shit, the Brit exclaimed sharply.

Is this bad?

Mani shrugged.

Those sound like small mortars, very short range, but we're miles behind the line, so...

A deafening explosion shook the world.

It was loud enough that Mani didn't even properly hear it.

He felt it, hard and hot against his skin. The sheer impossible noise of it pulled the air from his

lungs and the thoughts from his head. The next instant he was flat on the ground. His eyes darted

left and right for cover. He spotted something, an artificial cave, built into a corner of the

main room, perhaps a hundred feet away. It looked like some sort of shrine or temple. Many could

...