CRIME THRILLERS-A Box Set by Billie Sue Mosiman Page A

regular, gold-plated hero. The best soldier I'd ever known.
    "So I kept going, slogging through the jungle like a dazed bull, just putting one foot in front of the other. You couldn't let a guy like Boots down."
    "Looks like you made it to the airlift."
    Cruise glanced over at her and smiled as if to say, That's quite evident.
    He continued, "On the third day of the trek I was hanging back again and Boots danced off a little way in front of me trying to get me to change my attitude, cheer me up, trying to keep me entertained so I wouldn't think about being hungry, thirsty, scared to death we'd be hit by sniper fire."
    Cruise thoughtfully chewed a couple of Cheetos. Crunching sounds. Little sticks underfoot. When he didn't pick up the thread of his story right away, Molly asked, "He was ahead of you and...?"
    "Hit a trip mine. Blew him backward through the air."
    "Damn."
    "Well, we knew we were in dangerous territory. It could have happened to me or to both of us. I ran to him and his legs were gone."
    Molly turned her head to the side window, grimacing.
    "I held on to him and the last words he said were, 'The cocksuckers got me, didn't they? But you can make it, Cruise. Don't give up now.' I buried him there in the jungle the best I could. Had to dig a spot with my knife and my hands. I remember crying the whole time like a baby. Without Boots I didn't really believe I had any chance of reaching the landing site. I think I was doing most of my crying for myself. He'd pulled me through three days of absolute hell, the hours pure terror, and without him I lost much of my purpose. I just staggered out of there, heading toward where the sun set, not much hope left."
    '"That was an awful war, wasn't it?" Molly asked.
    "Piece of shit war. A war where men were used for cannon fodder and rifle practice. That's what all wars are. I guarantee you I'd never have volunteered--we had a draft then, you know. Anyway, I slogged on, so tired I thought I'd fall down, then I stopped to drink water from a little pool and when I looked in the water I thought I saw Boots behind me, laughing. He was saying, 'Keep going, Cruise! Don't stop yet.'
    "I jumped and turned around, but he wasn't there, of course. I guess I was getting punch drunk from fatigue and no food. I was seeing things. But later in the day I saw him again. Just ahead of me, clowning, smiling, telling me I could make it if I'd keep trying.
    "By that time I knew I had to be hallucinating, but I was talking to him, cursing him for dying on me, telling him to get the fuck out of my way."
    Cruise folded the top of the Cheetos bag and handed it to Molly. Couldn't stand the sound anymore. She took it as if in a trance and held it in her lap careful not to crinkle the bag or make any noise.
    "Well, I walked all night because every time I'd fall down and try to sleep, there was Boots's ghost urging me to get up, to keep walking. It was terrifying. He just wouldn't stop coming around. By the next morning I was totally out of my head, talking to Boots just like he was at my side. I came to a grassy field and fell down. I must have passed out. Then the next thing I hear are chopper blades chumming the air and making the ground shake, and Boots right next to me coming to his feet, yelling for me to hurry, we're gonna be rescued. 'RESCUE,' he screamed, 'We made it, Cruise, we made it!'
    "I don't know how I got to my feet, but next thing I knew I was running and out of this field comes a dozen other guys, all of us heading for that chopper fluttering down out of the morning sun like a huge green glittering horsefly. I see Boots ahead of me, climbing up with the other men, and I get on board with him. But when I turn around, he's not there, he's nowhere to be seen. I started hauling on the rescue team, asking them what happened to Boots, and they can see, I guess, I'm outta my head. They lift off and I look out the open side door..."
    "Boots is on the ground, you see him?"
    "Yeah. Waving good-bye.