They could hear a machine gun firing, but it wasn't firing at them. They broke into the clearing where the device was and found it littered with the enemy's dead and dying. The machine gun roared to life again, and a dozen or so enemy soldiers charging towards them were mowed down.
"Form a perimeter!" Samuel ordered.
They made for the machine gun. "Good thing you knew it was us!" Samuel remarked, as he settled by the gunner.
"Only two ways you could have come," the gunner answered, adjusting her night vision gear.
"Linda P?" Samuel asked.
"Cadet Star!" his companion answered. "Fancy meeting you here! I've heard good things about you, or, bad things. It's the enemy's reports I've been reading. They don't like you."
"I'm not surprised!" Samuel answered. "How in the hell did you get up here? You were lost in Hong Kong!"
"The enemy was obliging enough to give me a ride now and then," Linda P. answered. "We'd better hurry up. They've got reinforcements close by. They'll be throwing them in fast, now they're sure you're here."
A heavy lift helicopter appeared. "We're not going to be here that long," Samuel answered. "Let's get out of here! You're coming home!"
"Oh, no!" his companion argued. "I'm doing too much good here. The enemy thinks I'm half a division of infiltrators stationed in this area. They have no idea it's just little 'ol me! I've got a back pack for you, though, full of photographs, sketches, and notes that intelligence will just love to get their hands on!"
Samuel shook his head. "That you've survived this long alone, behind the enemy lines, is miraculous!" Samuel argued. "You've done MORE than your share. The reports on how you survived are going to be interesting reading, but you've done enough! You're withdrawing with us, that's an order! And there'll be no arguments!"
"Yes sir!" his companion answered, as they reached her hiding place, and recovered her back pack. "I suppose it's time. All I've dreamed about, thought about for all this time was getting in bed with that husband of mine. When I find the poor guy he's going to be worn out! I hope he can get a few day's leave."
Samuel froze and his companion too, abruptly stopped. Samuel tried to find the words, but Linda P. read his expression. "Oh no!" she moaned, "He went and got himself killed, didn't he?"
Samuel nodded. "Infiltrators in my command post," he explained. "I think he deliberately put himself between them and me trying to protect me."
"He would!" Linda P. moaned. "Let's get out of here!"
They reached the helicopters and in moments lifted away, not only with the device, but several dozen enemy prisoners, some of them technicians.
Samuel ordered Linda P. to the hospital. She insisted she was fine. The doctors, however, found she'd picked up a local parasite, one of the local germs that didn't kill you, but made life unpleasant. They began an immediate course of treatment. It was several days before Samuel could get back to see her. He had sent a written message with her husband's last words.
Montague went over the captured device again and again then gave a startled cry. "Of course! Of course! It's so God damned simple! Why in the hell didn't WE think of it? This is simply a pulse generator like the one in the lasers. But its polarity is reversed. The field that it sends out is opposite to the one the lasers produce. They cancel each other out! And the laser's shielding protects it. So it's still functional. The solution's been right there in front of us all the time! We just couldn't see it. The young lady's warning really saved our rears! These things would have totally nullified our jammers, made them useless. I've got to get to work. I've got to modify this. If I can make a smaller version and mount it in an aircraft, we can have air borne lasers. I'm surprised the enemy hasn't been hitting us with them yet!"
"The Death Boys got their factory," Samuel answered. "They're rebuilding. The general in Linda P's sector was furious. He meant to use them in support of a major drive against us. Speaking of that woman," Samuel continued, looking at his watch, "she sent a note she'd like to see me. I'd better get over there."
A look of rage came on Montague's assistant's face. "Rachel!" Montague snapped, "I won't have that! That young lady has done immeasurable service for her people. You have no right to be angry with her."
Samuel looked back and forth between the two. "Domestic problem," Montague explained. "I'll talk to you about it later. By the way, thank the wife for the cookies. They're the best almond delights I've ever eaten!"
Samuel nodded and withdrew. At the hospital he found Linda P. up helping with the other patients.
"Sir," she pleaded, "I've got to get back on duty! Please, get the medical boards to let me out of here. I feel better than I've felt in years, and there's still a war on!"
"How would you like to be one of my forward division commanders?" Samuel asked. "One of them just managed to get himself blown to bits looking for souvenirs in an enemy command post. Command approves the promotion and assignment. They just insist on an o.k. from medical."
"Anything but a desk job!" Linda P. answered. "I've heard there's a nice little city near here with all the comforts of home. Any chance I could get three day's leave?"
Samuel nodded. "Well deserved!" he agreed.

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