Malakai Stone: Texas Heat Series

I'm down in the ground where dead people grow...my first thought when I opened my eyes. I closed them again for two reasons - one my head was pounding and my ears ringing from the sounds of the explosion, the rapid gunfire and second I prayed when I opened them again it would have been a dream - at least a nightmare. Slowly I opened my eyes and waited for them to adjust to the darkness before trying to move. Move. That was a joke there were likely ten tons of debris from the cave covering the cave floor - that and body parts from my team mates and the damn tangos that had ambushed us. 'Don't give up.' I heard her sweet voice whisper in my ear and began to shove what I could off of me. My body screamed at me from the pain but I kept shoving and moving up out of this hole in the ground in this godforsaken cave in this godforsaken country. "I refuse to die here." I yelled out knowing no one would hear me, but angry enough not to care. Nothing, absolutely nothing is going to keep me from going home to Liberty. Just the thought of her gave me the energy I needed to pull free. I didn't stop to check for any injuries, it didn't matter, one way or the other I'm getting out of here. Stumbling along until I was crawling I saw more rocks blocking my way out. Static came through the earpiece in my ear, "Stone do you copy?" That voice - couldn't possibly be real. "Stone do you copy?" Couldn't be him - no way in hell could he be here. Then the rocks fell away and I saw him, "You plan to homestead down here?" "No." I barely manged to get the word out. "Well then move your ass. I promised Liberty I'd bring you home. And you know how she gets when she doesn't get what she wants." Home, going home. Home to Liberty.