Episode 9: The Fugitive

By Leigh Barker

The Hellfire Legacy: Season 1, Episode 9. The Fugitive

A Bitesize 1-hour read.

Ethan’s squad is about to get chewed up by the Taliban in some fly-blown village in Afghanistan, and air support is off the table, thanks to Major Larkin back at Bagram. His air-crew are just for real soldiers, not tourists... and retired marines.

As it had been many times in combat, Master Sergeant Ethan Gill is their only hope, but he’s thousands of miles away in Washington DC.

It’s going to take a miracle.

And that miracle better cover Ethan, because now that he has discovered the identity of the terrorist, he is marked for death.

Ethan has never run from a fight in his life. And he isn’t going to start now.

Before the next day is out, somebody is going to be dead.

That somebody might just be the President of the United States.

And if he goes, Ethan will surely follow.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leigh Barker
• Release date: Jan 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310224638

Leigh Barker

Leigh was born in Dudley in the middle of England. He has been a merchant seaman, a (useless) electronics salesman, a programmer, and a business analyst. And now he is a full-time writer, but that doesn't make him a bad person.He is presently writing 4 series:Clan, following the adventures of Calum Maclean as he tries to avoid the Bonnie Prince but still protect his beloved Highlands.The Hellfire Legacy Series follows US Marine Master Sergeant Ethan Gill and his team as they take on the jobs too hot for other special forces. They go where they're sent; South America, Middle East, Korea, but their most dangerous missions are on US soil.Volume #1: A Whisper of ArmageddonVolume #2: The Hellfire LegacyVolume #3: The Orpheus DirectiveEden, a three-volume series -Trinity is at war with Lucid, the son of Lucifer, and he will do whatever it takes to win. The Archangel Gabriel has an army but he needs more. He needs heroes, but they are few and far between. Which is why he gets Dylan and co. Not too much luck in Heaven then.Volume #1: Eden's Last HeroVolume #2: WinterwoodVolume #3: Requiem for Eden.Soldiers is set in 1914 and follows John Regret and his 12-man squad on their suicidal mission to find and destroy the German howitzer nicknamed Big Bertha. Find it before it drops it's thousand-pound shells on the allied army retreating across France. A seemingly hopeless mission that just cannot fail.Other occasional series include:Anarchy, the 'completely true' stories of men doing what men do when there's nobody to keep them in check. Create mayhem and behave like monkeys on speed.Coffee Break Reads - each issue has 5 stories short enough to read while taking a break from life. A mix of adventure, love, disaster, and fun. All with one thing in common; for a moment they transport the reader to another world.Episode 1 of each Season is free and can be picked up with other free books at:https://leighwbarker.com/my-library/Just copy the link above and paste it into your browser and you're there...

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The Hellfire Legacy

(Episode 9)

The Fugitive

Copyright 2016 Leigh Barker

Published by Leigh Barker at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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ISBN: 9781310224638

The Fugitive

Ethan listened to Gunny talking as if he was in the next room, but only if he was running in the next room.

Slow down, Gunny, he said, and sat up and looked at Kelsey driving the SUV. She mouthed a question and he held up his hand. Say again. He listened, staring straight ahead. I can’t have heard that right. He held the phone away from his ear for a moment then put it back. Jesus. Copy that. He frowned at the cell, as if it could see him. What the hell are you up to, Gunny? You’re panting like a sailor in a hooker’s boudoir.

His jaw clenched tight and he glanced at Kelsey without seeing her. Have you called for air support?

He listened.

Stupid fucks. You stay alive and leave the rest to me. He put his cell back into his pocket.

Problem? Kelsey said.

A whole mess of Taliban are closing in on the squad, he said.

What about air support?

No go. Some fuck is going to get my men all chewed up." He looked around at the passing buildings as if for inspiration.

What are you going to do? They’re in Afghanistan.

He put his hand on his mouth, then gave a little start as an idea hit him. Take me to SecNav’s office. Fast.

She got the idea, floored the pedal and practically bulldozed her way through the traffic to the sound of blaring horns.

Fifteen minutes later he ran up the Pentagon steps and burst into the main entrance hall. And stopped. Two things that’ll get you shot for certain: wearing a US flag in Baghdad, and running into a government building with a weapon on your belt. He’d chosen door number two.

The Pentagon police showed more restraint than most officers he’d encountered and just shouted at him and pointed their Glocks at him. He did as they requested and put his hands on his head and knelt down.

And while all this bullshit was going down, Gunny and the rest of the squad were getting shot to hell by the Taliban.

Outstanding.

Gunny and Winter stopped at the edge of the village and Gunny checked the road through the foothills with his binoculars. He let them drop onto the strap around his neck. Loco wasn’t kidding. There’s enough jihadis down there to get the job done. And some.

They still coming? Winter said.

Slow, but yeah.

Then where the hell is Loco?

Smokey didn’t need to act as spotter on this gig. The six Toyota pickups were crawling up the long, narrow track towards the village no more than three hundred yards away. Loco could hit them with a rock at that range. He moved off to the right along the ridge to cover him with his MP5, if he needed it, and he’d take money that he would.

Loco let them come another hundred yards, then tracked the first