Chapter 26

Crouching behind a large boulder the three men watched as a narrow parade of off road trucks and 4 wheelers made their way slowly down to the narrow rainy plain below.

"I'd say there's at least 20 men Gunny." Peters looked straight ahead.

"Yeah. They're movin' slow but they're movin'. C'mon… we gotta get back."

The men started at a trot back the way they had come. They ran at an easy ground eating lope. Reaching the cave where they had camped after about 15 minutes, they took a quick breath and took some water.

"I'd say they're about an hour out Gunny. Won't you say?" Ford questioned.

"Yeah. About that. Depends on how quick they can go in this rain. There's a regular river down there right now on that plain." Gibbs said.

"Gotta hope Gunny."

"Yup. Let's go."

Gibbs headed back out into the rain and quickly reached his long stride. He didn't look behind, knowing his men were behind him. They moved down the track quickly finding the footing to be tricky and washed out in places. Returning to the original trail of the truck before they had dropped behind Gibbs pushed on. Several times they found themselves sliding, one gloved hand behind themselves to keep balance. After another 10 minutes of awkward loping, leaping across washed out crevasses and pacing the edges of newly created streams they caught up with the truck.

Trudeau was creeping along the trail tilted at an almost alarming angle. Gibbs increased his stride and moved past the truck and reached Rouen.

"This heads back down to the plains," Rouen told Gibbs. "There was no way to parallel our original track. We got no choice Master Guns, we gotta go down."

He spit off to his side and tipped his face up into the rain closing his eyes for a moment. Gibbs waited until Rouen was back with him and spoke.

"You OK?" His cool blue eyes studied the young Marine as Trudeau pulled up behind them.

"I can go another hour Gunny. Maybe you should check Trudeau though Sir. It's been real rough."

"Carry on. I'll send your relief soon."

Gibbs moved swiftly to the driver's side door and hopped up onto the running board. Trudeau had the window open to better hear Rouen.

"Good to see you Gunny. Downhill seems to be a lot harder than up was."

'Yeah, I agree Trudeau. I think it's time for you to have some relief. I'm sending Franklin up to you." Gibbs jumped down.

He headed to the back of the truck. His men had strung their ponchos together and sheltered Schlesser and themselves from the worst of the downpour.

"Franklin!" Gibbs called out as he circled to the back of the truck. "I need you to take over for Trudeau."

"Yes Gunny." Franklin quickly jumped up and made his way off the truck bed.

Gibbs climbed back up into the truck bed. Ducking under the makeshift shelter he checked quickly on Schlesser who gave him thumbs up. "Rivera, go relieve Rouen."

"Yes Master Guns." Rivera pulled his Boonie on and clambered out into the rain.

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Abby moved quickly through the front door of the house. She could hear Jackson crying through the door. As she keyed the door she heard Leila speaking calmly to Jackson. Throwing the keys on the table by the door she made her way into the kitchen. She found her son sitting on the floor with Leila kneeling nearby. Seeing Abby Jackson scrambled off the floor and flung himself against Abby's legs. She bent down to caress his back.

"What's goin' on little man? Why're you crying Baby?"

She bent and answered his little grasping hands with kisses then picked him up. She looked at Leila who shook her head. Abby carried Jack into the living room and sat on the couch. Jack sat sniffing with large crystal tears slowly sliding down hs cheeks. Abby held him and gently rubbed his back in small circles, the rubbed his arms and legs. He lay against her with his face pressed close to her chest. Abby let him rest until the sobs stopped. Settling him back onto her lap she wiped his face and kissed him.

"Jackson, Mama needs to know why you are crying."

"Dahdee Mama, Dahdee!" he began to cry again. Abby soothed him gently.

"Jack, Mama needs to know why you're upset about Dahdee. Can you tell me?"

"H…Him's…Him's wet Mama. Him's so tired an' him's worry Mama. They go down now an him's not knowing he shouldn't go in dere."

"What's in 'there' Honey?"

"I don' know!" Jackson began to wail again. Abby tried to comfort him and hide her own nervousness. How could she pass along a warning when it was so non descriptive? She didn't know what she should say when she touched her husband.

Jackson was starting to fall asleep, exhausted by his emotional frustration. She carried him upstairs and put him in her own bed. Leila had already settled Amira in the bed. She was fast asleep. As Abby settled Jackson against the pillows he turned to his side and murmured to her.

"Dahdee gonna need me Mama. Pretty soon now. Me be ready, you too."

Abby bent and stroked his dark hair off his forehead and kissed him.

"I'll be ready Baby. We'll be ready, don't you worry."

She stood quietly and watched him sleep. Her thoughts moved to her husband so far away. She settled into the spindle rocking chair that Gibbs had made her for Christmas a year ago. Watching their son sleep she felt herself relax and followed her mind into the dark tunnel that gradually was becoming pierced by white-blue flashes of light. She felt her husband now, and the pull made her almost dizzy as her focus intensified.

Suddenly she was there, looking through a gray haze of fog and rain at a column of men making their way down a narrow path running down the side of a mountain. As she continued to watch from somewhere above them she saw four men struggling with a sling stretcher. Whoever was on it was covered by a rain slicker. She watched with great anxiety as the men slip/slided their way down the treacherous path. Then… at the very end of the column she saw a dark slicker covered form with his rifle case slung over his shoulder as well as his pack. His left hand was moving along the stone for balance.

Abby counted and there were only 13 Marines walking down that mountainside. 14 counting the man on the stretcher. She felt exhaustion, thirst, hunger but no lack of morale. These men were focused despite their condition and they believed. Believed with all of their hearts. Gibbs circled his hand in the air and gave a shrill whistle. The column halted. Gibbs waved them into the partial shelter of an outcropping. The stretcher was put down farthest back under the ledge.

Gibbs got the men sharing rations and water. Water was funneled off the ponchos of the men who had been walking and the man on the stretcher. He seemed to be awake. Abby was frustrated. She could see her husband clearly now. He stood with one hand on the ledge's edge, eyes searching their surroundings ceaselessly. She couldn't seem to make a sound Jethro could hear. Abby focused all of her energy on her husband seeking to make contact. There was no result. After trying twice more she could feel fatigue setting in. Jethro's mind was too focused right now; all of his shields were up as he dealt with his teams problems.

Abby found herself back in the bedroom in the rocking chair. She felt exhausted and knew it was because of her intense attempts to reach Jethro. At least she knew he was still alive. She firmly believed she would know instantly if he died, but it would be a relief to 'talk' with him. With a sigh Abby moved back downstairs and fell asleep on the couch with an afghan over her body.