The Battle: Alone: Book 4 by Darrell Maloney

But you have to admit, she is quite gorgeous.”
         “Indeed she is, Speer. And I just happen to know her. Would you like an introduction?”
         “Sure. I mean, I would never cheat on my wife. But with a girl like that, I could sure dream.”
         “Come here, Marine.”
         The two walked over to the tree where the girl was sitting. She stood up and said, “Hello, Daddy.”
         Holliman kissed her on the cheek.
         Dave pondered his future, and he suddenly didn’t like his odds of surviving to see the sun set.
         “Corporal Speer, this is my daughter Roxanna. We call her Rocki, because she’s tough as nails and can easily kick your butt in a fair fight.”
         Dave swallowed hard and shook Rocki’s hand.
         “I’m very pleased to meet you, ma’am. I wish I could stay and chat, but I think I heard someone calling my name. I think it’s my turn in the horseshoe tournament.”
         “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Corporal.”
         “Same here, ma’am. Excuse me, Sergeant.”
         Holliman called behind him, “Smooth move, Marine. And smart too…”
         Dave recalled that day and wondered whatever became of Rocki.
         He was probably better off not knowing. Still, as he recalled the vision of her, sitting under that tree, he couldn’t help but smile.
         Then the smile faded as he got back to business and realized exactly why he dreamed of Sergeant Holliman in the first place.
         It was his mind’s way of telling him to study up on his hand-to-hand combat skills for the battle he knew was coming.
         He struggled to remember the basics of the lessons he’d learned. The various vulnerable parts of a man’s body and the best ways to target them. The best places to apply pressure to cause the greatest pain. How to apply a sleeper hold to cut the oxygen supply to a man’s brain. Various ways to disarm an attacker and then to use his own weapon against him.
         He hadn’t used any of the techniques in years. And, with the exception of the attempted suicide bomber in Iraq, he’d never had to use it for real. In every other case, he’d either applied the techniques in formal training classes, or in passing on the training to his own Marines in the field.
         Still, he knew that most of the techniques were no different than riding a bicycle. Once you learned how to do it, you never forgot. You might get rusty, but you remembered how to do it.
         The real risk was applying the wrong technique at the wrong time. He no longer thought like a Marine. His mind was no longer on a war footing, expecting to be attacked at any time. He was now in a more relaxed state of mind, where he’d have to take the time to think about what to do if attacked.
         And that worried him.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 18
     
         Dave climbed up the steps at the end of the tunnel and took out his pocket knife.
         As he saw it, he was at most risk when he opened the fiberglass box in the middle of the woods. Four double sided thumb screws held the door in place. It could therefore be locked or unlocked from either side. On the inside of the door was a latch, which would keep the door from opening even if the thumb screws were loosened from the outside.
         So he wasn’t at risk of anyone sneaking in while he was inside the tunnel.
         However, when he went to leave, there was a possibility of him exiting the fiberglass box right into the hands of aggressors who were either watching it or just happening by.
         Fiberglass is very strong, but also very soft when drilling through it.
         Even when the only drill one has is a pocketknife.
         Luckily, Dave kept every knife he owned razor sharp, and the little four inch Weatherby he kept folded inside his pocket was no