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Gant watched Riley closely as he spoke。 He was staring off into space as he recounted the story。
〃One day； late in 1995； he got shot down by a mobile Serbian missile battery that Intelligence said didn't exist。 I think they found out later that it was a two…man strike team in a jeep with six American…made Stingers in the backseat。
〃Anyway；〃 Book said； 〃Schofield managed to eject a second before the Stingers took out his fuel tanks。 He came down bang in the middle of Serb…held territory。〃
Riley turned to face Gant。
〃Our lieutenant survived for nineteen days in the Serbian woodlands…alone…while over a hundred Serbian troops swept the forest looking for him。 When they found him； he hadn't eaten in ten days。
〃They took him to a deserted farmhouse and tied him to a chair。 Then they beat him with a wooden plank with nails stuck into it and asked him questions。 Why was he flying over this area？ Was he a spy plane？ They wanted to know how much he knew about their positions because they thought he was up there providing air support for U。S。 ground forces inside Serb territory。〃
〃U。S。 ground forces were inside Serbian territory？〃 Gant asked。
Riley nodded silently。 〃There were two SEAL teams in there。 Carrying out covert surgical hits on Serbian leadership positions。 Night hits。 Good hits。 They'd been causing chaos among the Serbs； absolute chaos。 They'd be in and out before anyone knew they even existed。 They'd go in； slash their victims' throats； and then vanish into the night。 They were so good that some of the locals started saying they were ghosts e to haunt them for what they were doing to their own people。〃
Gant said； 〃Did Scarecrow know about them？ The SEAL teams inside Serb territory？〃
Book was silent for a moment。 Then he said； 〃Yes。 Officially； Schofield was patrolling the no…fly zone。 Unofficially； he was sending grid coordinates of Serb leadership farmhouses to the SEALs on the ground。 It didn't make any difference anyway。 He never said a word。〃
Gant watched intently as Riley took a deep breath。 He was building up to something。
〃In any case；〃 Book said； 〃the Serbs decided that Schofield had been carrying out reconnaissance for the SEAL teams； that he had been spotting strategic targets from the air and transmitting their coordinates to men on the ground。 They decided that since he'd been seeing things that he wasn't supposed to be seeing； they would cut his eyes out。〃
〃What？〃 Gant said。
Riley said； 〃They pulled a razor blade out of a drawer and they held him down。 Then one of them stepped forward and slowly cut two vertical lines down across Schofield's eyes。 Apparently； as he did it； the man with the razor blade quoted something from the Bible。 Something about if your hand sins； cut it off； and if your eyes sin； cut them out。〃
Gant felt sick。 They had blinded Schofield。 〃What did they do then？〃 she asked。
〃They locked him in a cupboard and they let him bleed。〃
Gant was still shocked。 〃So how did he get out？〃
〃Jack Walsh sent a Recon team to go in and get him；〃 Riley said。
Gant's ears pricked up at the name。 Every Marine knew of Captain John T。 Walsh。 He was the captain of the Wasp； the most revered Marine in the Corps。
Some thought he should have been mandant； the highest…ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps； but Walsh's history of disdain for any kind of politician had prevented that。 The mandant is required to liaise regularly with members of Congress； and everyone knew…Walsh more than anyone…that Jack Walsh wouldn't be able to stomach that。 Besides； Walsh had said he would rather mand the Wasp and liaise with soldiers。 The Marines loved him for it。
Riley went on。 〃When Scott O'Grady got lifted out of Bosnia on 8 June 1995； they put him on the cover of Time magazine。 He met the President。 He did the whole PR thing。
〃When Shane Schofield got lifted out of Bosnia five months later； nobody heard a thing。 There were no TV cameras waiting on the deck of the Wasp to photograph him as he stepped off that helicopter。 There were no newspaper reporters there to take down his story。 Do you know why？〃
〃Why？〃
〃Because when Shane Schofield landed on the Wasp after being extracted from that farmhouse in Bosnia by a team of United States Marines； he was the worst…looking thing you have ever seen。
〃The extraction had been bloody。 Fierce as hell。 The Serbs hadn't wanted to give up their prized American pilot and they'd fought hard。 When that chopper returned and hit the tarmac on the Wasp； it had four seriously wounded Marines on board。 It also had Shane Schofield。
〃The medics and the doctors and the support crews charged out and got everybody off the chopper as fast as they could。 There was blood everywhere； wounded men screaming。 Schofield was taken away on a gurney。 He had blood pouring out of both of his eyes。 The extraction had been so fast…so intense…that no one had even had a chance to put gauze patches over his eyes。〃
Riley paused。 Gant just stared。
〃What happened after that？〃 she asked。
〃Jack Walsh copped shit from the White House and the Pentagon。 They hadn't wanted him to send anyone in for Schofield because Schofield wasn't supposed to be there in the first place。 The White House didn't want the 'political damage' that would follow from an American search…and…rescue mission for a downed spy plane。 Walsh told them where to shove it； said they could fire him if they wanted to。〃
〃What about Scarecrow？ What happened to him？〃
〃He was blinded。 His eyes had been ripped to shreds。 They took him to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland。 It's got the best eye surgery unit in the country； or so they tell me。〃
〃And？〃
〃And they fixed his eyes。 Don't ask me how； 'cause I don't know how。 Apparently； the razor blade cuts were fairly shallow； so there was no damage to his retinas。 The real damage； they said； was to the outer extremities of his eyes…the irises and the pupils。 Purely physical defects； they said。 Defects which could be fixed。〃 Riley shook his head。 〃I don't know what they did…some fancy new laser…fusing procedure； someone told me…but they did it； they fixed his eyes。 Hell； all I know is that if you can afford it…and in Scarecrow's case； the Corps could…you don't need glasses these days。
〃Of course； there was still the scarring on his skin； but otherwise； they did it。 Schofield could see again。 Twenty…twenty。〃 Riley paused。 〃There was only one hitch。〃
〃What was that？〃
〃The Corps wouldn't let him fly again；〃 Riley said。 〃It's standard procedure across all the armed forces： once you've had eye trauma of any kind； you can't fly a military airplane。 Hell； if you wear reading glasses； you're not allowed to fly a military kite。〃
〃So what did Scarecrow do？〃
Riley smiled。 〃He decided to bee a line animal； a ground Marine。 He was already an officer from his flying days； so he kept his mission。 But that was all he kept。 He had to start all over again。 He went from flight status； Lieutenant mander； to ground force； Lieutenant Second Class； in an instant。
〃And he went back to school。 Back to the Basic School at Quantico。 And he did every course they had。 He did tactical weapo