Read A New World [7] Takedown for Free Online Page A

her mags and pulls it out. Her gloved fingers grip the hard plastic housing the rounds. The feel also brings a measure of security within her. Turning it over, she eyes the bright rounds set firmly inside. They seem so small to her and the amazed feeling returns; amazed that bullets so small can cause such damage. Returning the mag to her pouch, she thinks, Without this weapon, they would have been run over many times. Or overrun . She is still getting used to the lingo of the soldiers she has become enmeshed with.
    She looks at Gonzalez sitting directly across from her and smiles. It appears that Gonzalez is actually napping. Bri knows though that Gonzalez will be instantly alert should anything happen. Even though they are far from home and on a mission to a place they don’t know much about, she feels secure with those around her. The confidence she has been building since this whole thing began has become stronger in the time she has been with Red Team, especially hanging around with Gonzalez.
    She knows her dad is nervous about her being out with them and has noticed his worried look whenever she has caught him glancing her way. However, and this amazes her even more, he has allowed her to remain on Red Team and go with them. He has witnessed her in action and perhaps this is why he allows it. Thinking back to the fight in Madigan, she relives what she remembers but most is still a blur. She reacted but really isn’t quite sure what that reaction was. The stories told by the others in Red Team, and in particular Robert and Gonzalez, speak well but, as hard as she tries, she really doesn’t remember anything more than a series of snapshot images. At least it did answer a question that worried her endlessly and that was how she would react. She was so worried that she would freeze and therefore let down the team and her dad.
    The increase in Robert’s confidence has also rubbed off on her. He always had that quiet confidence in himself, but she knows that he is constantly second-guessing himself. That’s a trait he inherited from their dad. And she has also noticed that, like their dad, Robert has pushed that second-guessing to the side and reacts with more and more confidence. She wants to become like that but always has these nagging doubts riding around inside of her as to her ability. Deep down, she knows that time and experience will dampen those down some but it’s getting that experience that makes her nervous. Of course, there was that night out on the top of the aircraft. There wasn’t any fear that time, but she also knew that there was little chance the night runners could get to her.
    She has watched and absorbed every bit of knowledge she can, immersing herself in the training. Bri knows that she is like her dad in that you never know what will be helpful down the road, so she continues to soak up everything she can. Her dad has brought her with him when dealing with others in order that she might gain experience by watching. She had been allowed to sit in on the group meetings for the same reason. Sifting through her limited knowledge base continually, she runs scenario after scenario in her mind just as her dad instructed her to. She is eager to learn and can’t seem to get enough training. To her, the runs and team training in the mornings seem to end far too quickly. Her fear remains that she’ll let the others down. She knows in her heart that she can handle herself well but also knows that the feeling is based on a very limited amount of experience.
    Her thoughts drift from image to image as she relives moments from the past. Memories from her cheerleading days and the events she attended flash through her mind. She recalls times with her school friends, chuckling silently at some; but with those, a sadness forms that she won’t see them again. The recollections make her realize just how far she has come in the last few months and how different she is now – the changes in her priorities and