Braco by Lesleyanne Ryan Page A

the road. The vehicle lurched forward and Jac lost his balance, falling against the engine wall. He held on as they picked up speed.
    The metallic pings continued.
    A woman screamed.
    Men shouted.
    Next to Jac, the engine was revving higher than it had all day. Then the right side of the vehicle suddenly rose and fell, then the left side. And the right.
    Are we off the road?
    Erik dropped down from his hatch, screaming into his headset. Jac could hear nothing over the engine, but he was sure Erik’s lips were mouthing the word stop , over and over. Jac pulled himself over mounds of gear until he could see the sergeant. The headset hung around Janssen’s neck; his head was jammed against the hull so he could watch the road through the periscope. Erik grabbed Jac and yanked him back.
    â€œWe’re running them over,” he shrieked next to Jac’s ear. “For God’s sake, tell him to stop!”
    Jac turned, pushed aside their kit and reached towards Janssen. Three times he tried to poke the sergeant in the back, but he fell each time the vehicle shifted to the left or the right. Finally, he managed to grab the back of the sergeant’s seat and steady himself. He pulled on Janssen’s uniform.
    No reaction.
    The carrier swung right and Jac fell back. They jolted to a stop and the engine switched off. Jac looked up.
    Janssen was gone.
    Erik’s legs slipped up through the gunner’s hatch. Jac crawled up behind him and then dropped to the ground. Refugees were sprinting in all directions. Some were hiding behind the vehicle, others moved forward. The carrier had come to rest around a bend in the road.
    We’re safe here.
    He turned around; Erik was arguing with the sergeant.
    â€œWe have to go back,” Erik said. “We have to help them.”
    â€œThey’ll only shoot at us again. I’ve got a woman bleeding to death in there and I have to get her to a doctor. Now get back up in your hatch.”
    The sergeant walked away. Erik slammed his hand against the side of the vehicle.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Jac asked.
    â€œGoddamnit, Jac. We ran them over.” He drew an arm across his face. “They were up against the rock wall and there wasn’t enough room. Don’t you see? They pushed people in front of us to make room. Women and children. They just pushed them in front of us. Bloody bastards.”
    Erik climbed the vehicle and dropped into his hatch, wiping his eyes. Jac looked down the road, but he couldn’t see anything except desperate faces running by. The sergeant waved his arms at the refugees.
    They don’t need any urging, Jac wanted to say.
    Arie was at work helping the refugees. Jac helped the wounded climb back on top of the carrier. He recognized some of the injured civilians.
    â€œAre they all shrapnel wounds?” Jac asked, passing a little girl up to the medic.
    â€œAs far as I can tell.”
    â€œNo crush injuries?”
    â€œCrush injuries? No. Why would there be?” he asked then drew in a sharp breath. “Jesus. We didn’t, did we?” A baby shrieked. “Can you take care of this?”
    â€œYeah, sure,” Jac said. “Go on.”
    Arie disappeared inside the carrier.
    â€œKeep them moving,” the sergeant said.
    Jac followed Janssen around the carrier.
    â€œShouldn’t we go check, Sergeant?”
    â€œJac, even if I wanted to risk them firing on us again, I can’t drive back through all those people.”
    The sergeant turned around and climbed onto the carrier. He dropped into his hatch.
    â€œI can go with Maarten. We can bring the injured up here.”
    â€œWe can’t stay. These people need medical attention now.” Janssen pointed to the side of the carrier. “Get him off.”
    Jac turned; a boy was trying to scale the side of the vehicle. By the time he pulled the boy down, Janssen had disappeared inside the carrier.
    Jac looked back at the road.