"Is your arm all right, sir?" Musicant asked.

"Sure," August said.

"Who was that you tried to reach at the ledge?"

"General Rodgers," the medic replied.

August perked.

"Was the general wounded?"

"He appeared to be okay," Musicant replied.

"He was reaching out, trying to get over a few feet more. The goddamn current grabbed his chute. I couldn't get to him."

Then it was possible that Rodgers had survived. August would try and contact him by point-to-point radio.

"After the IV is ready you'd better try and get in touch with those Indian soldiers," Musicant suggested.

"If I can stabilize Ishi we'll need to get him to a hospital."

August finished setting up the small IV tripod beside Honda. Then he uncapped the needle. He would use Honda's radio to contact Op-Center and brief them. He would give Herbert their position and ask him to relay a call for medical assistance. But that was all he would do. He and Musicant could not wait here, however. They still had a mission to complete.

When the IV setup was finished August reached for Honda's TAC-SAT.

Musicant had already removed the pack and set it aside. The reinforced backpack had taken some hits along one side but the telephone itself appeared to be undamaged. August wondered if Honda had taken pains to protect it, even at the cost of his own life.

Just then. Corporal Honda began to convulse.

"Shit!" Musicant said.

August watched as the radio operator coughed. Flecks of blood spattered his cheek.

"Ishi, hang on," Musicant yelled.

"You can do it. Give me another minute, that's all I'm asking."

Honda stopped panting and coughing. His entire body relaxed.

"Take off his vest!" Musicant yelled. Then the medic grabbed for his medical belt and reached into one of the pockets. He withdrew a hypodermic and a vial of epinephrine.

Colonel August began unfastening Honda's vest. As he bent over the stricken soldier he noticed a stream of red seeping out from between the noncom's spread legs. Honda had to have been losing blood at an incredibly fast pace for it to pool that far down.

August watched as the blood crept to below Honda's knees. When the colonel pulled the vest away he found the front underside to be sticky with blood. The pellets from the Indian projectiles had gone up the corporal's torso through his lower back and emerged through his chest.

Honda must have been near ground zero of one of the blasts.

Musicant knelt beside Ishi Honda. The medic spread his knees wide so he was steady beside the patient. Then he pulled aside Honda's bloody shirt and injected the stimulant directly into Honda's heart. August held the radio operator's hand. It was cold and still. Blood continued to pool on the ledge. Musicant leaned back on his heels and waited. Honda did not respond. His face was ashen from more than just the cold. The colonel and the medic watched for a moment longer.