[Ethan's POV]
I aimed for the squad leader's center of mass and squeezed the trigger.
The Glock barked, the muzzle flash cutting a bright, violent arc through the fog. The 9mm round slammed into the PMC's heavy ceramic chest plate. It didn't penetrate, but the sheer kinetic force of the impact lifted the massive man off his feet and threw him backward into the gravel.
The frag grenade slipped from his fingers, bouncing under the rusted wheels of a nearby freight car.
"Down!" I roared, tackling Claire to the muddy ground behind the wooden boxcar.
The explosion shook the earth. A shockwave of heat and concussive force ripped through the rail yard, sending a shower of jagged shrapnel and splintered wood raining down over our heads. My ears rang with a high-pitched whine, and the taste of sulfur flooded my mouth.
I didn't wait for the dust to settle. I grabbed Claire by the harness of her vest and hauled her up, dragging her behind a stack of steel shipping containers.
