Man at War – Excerpt No. 271

8 June 2026

“What about the fire support team?” Murphy asked.

An excellent question, since their standard operating procedures was to fire a salvo of mortars to clear the area. It was a form of area denial. If no man was left to fight, then that team would make sure nothing made it out alive.

“Dead,” Ryan said after wiping a tear from the corner of his left eye.

Murphy moved in closer to console the Sergeant, who had been promoted from out of this group. I hear they were a particularly tight-knit group.

Black and white close-up portrait from the “Man at War – Carried by Six” series. A young officer in a military cap and uniform looks down and to the side with a weary, pained expression. He raises one hand to rub the bridge of his nose or wipe his eye, as if fighting back tears or exhaustion. Another soldier is softly blurred in the background. The image conveys deep fatigue, sorrow, or emotional strain amid the hardships of war.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.