The Final Test

Adley scanned the horizon. It was shortly after sunrise, and the reddish-orange glow from the sun cast shadows across the barren land. Hawks circled overhead, looking for the perfect place to land, but they weren't going to find it here; the nearest tree was miles away. Instead, the only thing ahead of Adley was a run-down shack. As he narrowed his eyes to get a good analysis of the shack, a flare shot from the broken side window. Adley nodded at the team of men behind him and returned his eyes to his target.

"Cover us while we move, Whitlock," Adley whispered, not looking back. Without hesitation, Whitlock darted off, loaded links of ammunition into his machine gun, and he laid fire in that direction. "Now follow my signals, and don't you dare disobey me," Adley hissed to the rest of the men.

In an organized file, the men moved quickly, but smoothly. Covered by Whitlock's suppressive fire from the opposite side, they were able to move with purpose and without hesitation. Adley kept motioning them forward with his hands as if any sound he would make would give away their location and cover. With the machine gun in the back, the men wouldn't have heard him anyway. Once they reached the shack, Adley held up a fist, signaling the men to stop. Whitlock had been darting behind them, maintaining cover, but also staying close enough to catch his commander's signals. As they stood near the shack, you could hear a pin drop. All of the men looked at their Lieutenant expectantly, eager for the next order.

Adley rapped loudly on the door, and as expected, he received no response. He immediately signaled the men to file, and he kicked the door down. The men raced in, weapons drawn, covering each other's fronts and backs. No man was going to get left behind or lose his life. Inside the shack, Adley saw another man holding a flare with his hands up.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant Adley," the man grinned, "you and your team are now ready. Meet back at the camp, and we'll discuss the next steps."

Adley frowned, but he raised a salute to the man and led his men back to the camp.