VII
Ryan leaned against the bulky artillery gun on the wall of Fort Lighthouse. He closed his eyes and sighed. Fort guard duty was one of the most boring assignments in the whole camp. And yet, everyone had to take their turn. Even the highest ranked officers. Nothing ever happened, and if it did, the power of the cannon would scare it away for sure. Absent-mindedly, he picked up a pair of binoculars and scanned the landscape quickly. Suddenly, he stopped, and his jaw dropped. Quickly throwing down the binoculars, he rushed down the stairs and ran into the courtyard yelling:
"Alert, alert! The enemy is attacking. They're only about a half a mile away. Everyone, man your posts! They'll be here in about ten minutes!" Kyle ran out of his tent.
"Ryan! What is going on?"
"They're coming!" At this, Kyle jumped up on the platform in the middle of the fort and began giving orders.
"Mitch, take your squad and attack immediately on the left flank. Don't give them any warning. Jake, keep your squad ready in reserve. Ryan, take your squad up on the walls to provide heavy gunfire support. Move, move, move!
The whole base buzzed with action. Everyone ran to their posts, and Mitch attacked immediately. Soon, Mitch's division was routed, and the hospital was flooded with wounded soldiers. Kyle couldn't believe it, but he gave orders to close up the fort and prepare for a siege. As the great doors slammed shut, an ominous cloud of despair settled over the trapped army.
