Cole: The Wounded Sons, Leah Sharelle [the reading list .TXT] 📗

breaking. I couldn’t get it to go away. The image of my brother dying in front of me added to the graphic horror I carried with me every day.

With a heaving sob, I gripped the phone and said the words I had been dreading to say to my friends. My team, my family.

“He is gone boys, he didn’t make it. We lost him.”

A light turned on in the belly of the C-17 indicating the plane was close to landing. Hours and hours of watching over Deke’s body about to come to an end. I knew that Gabe, Bastian, Grill, Kodah and Rafe were waiting on the tarmac for us, no doubt Deke’s mum and sister too. As well as five of the most important men in my life other than the ones I fought alongside in battle. I knew without confirmation that the original Team Five would be waiting when the ramp of the aircraft lowered, waiting to honour Deke with their presence.

“Nearly home, mate,” I whispered, running a hand over the flag Deke died serving. “Soon, the boys will be with you again,” I soothed Deke reassuringly. He would not like being in that box in the dark all alone. For all his bravery on the battlefield, Signal was not one for spending time with just himself. He wasn’t like me, he didn’t need quiet after a deployment or mission. He preferred to round up a pose and go out and get pissed, find a ring fight and talk Bastian into fighting for money. Always ending the night with a pretty lady on his arm.

Deke loved women, all kinds. He didn’t see only outside beauty, he thought all women were worthy of loving, and he proved it. Grill used to joke his mission name should have been Casanova, not something as boring as Signal. His easy way, talking to ladies was almost legendary in some circles. His boy next door pretty boy looks rivalled that of Kodah, both blonde, both polite and oozing charm for the fairer sex.

What a fucking waste that he was never going to get the chance to sweep that one special lady off her feet. That she would never get the honour of calling him her man.

“You ready, Cole?” Dane asked me, standing at the end of the coffin, his face guarded and stoic. Dane put in for leave the minute he landed the Black Hawk, I don’t know how he received permission so soon after arriving for his deployment, and frankly, I didn’t give a shit. I was glad to have my brother with me, sitting quietly behind me, not saying anything, just there for me.

Raising my head, I looked up at Dane and nodded.

“Yeah mate, I’m ready,” I sighed, slowly getting to my feet. I was not ready, not by a long shot. I did not want to see what Deke’s death was doing to the rest of my team. I didn’t want to see the stress and strain of the wait they’d had to endure after my call to them. Team FIVE had a bond stronger than blood, deeper than any DNA could ever offer. This loss was going to change all of us, and my only hope was we all survived it.

I stood facing the tail of the plane, the noises of landing replaced with the sound of the huge back door opening, slowly until it fell with a metallic thud to the ground to reveal five soldiers, dressed in camo gear, standing at attention.

The sight of my mates hit me like a tone of bricks. The hell of doing this alone all of a sudden overwhelming me, my knees nearly buckling under me.

“They are here, mate,” I murmured to Deke, still talking to him as if he could hear me. “Team FIVE is together again.”

I watched in silence as Gabe led the way into the belly of the plane, his posture stiff, his face tight and full of emotion. One by one, the men I trusted with my life filed onto the plane, each one taking their place around the coffin of our fallen brother. Each one laying a hand on the top.

Lifting my chin, I looked at each of my mates, seeing tears in all of their eyes.

Gabe reached over the coffin and laid his hand over mine. His jaw ticking, his eyes red and wet with unshed tears.

“You okay, Cole?”

“Not even a little bit,” I rasped, hating my weakness as the tears fell down my cheeks.

Fisting my hand, Gabe squeezed hard.

“Thank you for bringing him home, brother,” Gabe said, his voice thick and sounding just as clogged as mine.

Nodding once, I cleared my throat, unable to say anything but a rasped yeah.

“Welcome home, Private Deke Williams,” Gabe pronounced reverently, letting go of my hand to grab hold of the coffin handle.

With a nod from my captain, I got into position on the other side of him, and without any words needed, no commands necessary, Team FIVE lifted the coffin of our mate to our shoulders and proceeded down the ramp for Deke’s final journey as a member of Team Five.

CHAPTER THREE

COLE

I resented being here. Resented the crowd of people gathered at the compound, all here to toast and celebrate the life and incredible service of Private Deke Williams.

I didn’t want to raise a beer to him this way. No, I wanted to see him raise a stubby of his favourite amber beer and watch him drink it himself.

Alive.

I’d parked myself in a quiet corner of the main room and had stayed stoic and closed off since we got back to Ballarat from the base in NSW, where Deke’s memorial had been held. His mother and twin sister had already accepted his remains from the base, and took home for his final burial.

Another trip to take tomorrow and another round of emotional crap to endure.

I couldn’t stop the silent negative thought since getting back in town with my team. All I wished