by Elle James
At least that was what they were told. Dash wasn’t sure what to believe. As little as the men of the Middle East thought of their women, he couldn’t be sure of their treatment.
Dash buckled his safety harness and leaned back. The mission hadn’t gone according to plan. The American traitor, who had been coordinating the sale of humans into slavery and the sex trade, was still free to continue his nefarious operation. They’d been so close. Dash knew close was only good if you were throwing hand grenades.
Lance clapped his hands together and grinned, always the optimist. “We should be back in time for the tail end of the USO concert. I’m going to see if I can meet Sunny Daye in person.”
“Won’t she be surrounded by bodyguards?” Dash asked.
Lance shrugged. “Probably, but I’m good at finding my way around obstacles. A couple of bodyguards won’t slow me down.”
“I hear they have strict rules,” Dawg said. “You can be court-martialed for breaking them.”
Dash grinned. Something about rules made him want to break them. Especially if they didn’t make a whole lotta sense. “More than likely, we’ve missed the concert. She’s probably already packed up and left the base for her next stop.”
“The woman has to sleep sometime,” Blade noted.
Dash leaned his head back and let the vibration of the rotors lull him into a state of half-sleep.
It was after midnight when the chopper made it back to the base. Well past curfew for those who weren’t working the night shift or standing guard at the gates or on perimeter.
Dash was ready for a shower and his rack.
The stage that had been erected earlier that day was gone from the exercise field. Trucks stood in a line ready to head out in the morning.
“Damn. They break down fast,” Lance remarked as the helicopter pilot slowly lowered the aircraft to the ground.
“They don’t mess around,” Blade said. “Too bad we missed the show. I would’ve liked seeing Sunny Daye perform. I hear she puts on a good show.”
“Yeah, me, too,” Dawg said. “You think we can convince the CO to schedule a mission close to her next stop?”
“I wish,” Dash said. “Right now, I could use a sandwich and a shower…in that order.”
“I’m hitting the shower,” Lance said.
“Don’t hog all the hot water,” Dash warned. “On second thought, maybe I’ll get that shower first.”
“You’ll have to race me to it,” Lance said, unbuckling his safety harness before the chopper touched the ground.
As soon as the aircraft landed, Lance and Dash were out the door, racing for their quarters.
Dash could care less about getting to the shower unit first, but he needed the adrenaline rush to clear his head after their failed mission. Whoever it was negotiating the sales of those women and children knew how to cover his own ass. He’d come prepared with his own protection and got away because of it.
It burned in Dash’s gut that they hadn’t caught the guy. How many more lives would he destroy before he was finally brought to justice. And it fired Dash’s ass that the man was apparently American.
If Rucker’s girl, Nora Michaels, hadn’t been caught in one of his raids and escaped, they wouldn’t have known that much. She hadn’t seen his face, but she’d heard his voice and accent before she’d escaped with the little girls he’d stolen from an orphanage. The man was slippery and completely heartless. He had to be stopped.
Racing toward their temporary quarters where they’d stashed their go bags, Blade veered right to his tent, while Dash veered left and rounded the corner of a building. Before he could stop himself, he ran into the back of someone carrying a heavy object over his shoulder. The person and his burden crashed to the ground with a grunt.
Dash landed on what appeared to be a body bag like the ones used to ship dead servicemen back to the states. He struggled to untangle his weapon from the squirming contents.
The man he’d knocked to the ground crawled out from under the bag and Dash, leaped to his feet and tore off, running away as fast as he could.
By the time Dash rose to his feet with his weapon in his hands, the man had disappeared around the corner of a row of tents.
Dash started after him.
“Help,” a voice called out behind him.
Someone from inside the squirming body bag the man had been carrying called out, “Please, help.”
Halted in his tracks by the decidedly feminine tone, Dash fought the urge to go after the man. Instead, he remained where he was and searched for an opening.
Holding his rifle in one hand, he pulled at a zipper. A female emerged, with curves in all the right places and a mane of shiny, light-colored hair that had turned a shadowy blue in the moonlight.
She wasn’t wearing a desert camouflage uniform, nor was she wearing Army PT shorts and a shirt. Instead, she wore sparkling high heels, a short skirt and sequined tank top.
What the hell?
He held out his hand.
When she placed hers in his, he hauled her to her feet.
She swayed and fell against his chest, tears smearing the makeup on her face. “Oh my God. Thank you,” she cried, wrapping her arms around him.
Footsteps pounded, racing toward them.
Dash slipped his arm around the woman and turned his body to shield her with his, bringing his rifle up to point at the owners of the footsteps rounding the corner of the building.
Two uniformed soldiers with black military police armbands, four men in black leather jackets and Dash’s Delta teammate, Blade, skidded to a stop at the end of his rifle barrel.
“Dash, someone abducted Sunny Daye,” Blade’s wide eyes narrowed. “Hey, why are you pointing your rifle at us?”
Dash lowered his weapon and moved slightly, exposing the woman he’d found in the body bag.
His arm still around her, he frowned down into her eyes. “I take it you’re Miss Daye.”
She nodded, her arms slipping around his waist. For a moment, she held him close. Then she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, swiping at her wet, makeup-smeared cheeks. “That’s right. I’m Sunny, and this man saved my life.”
Chapter 2
Sunny Daye stood close to the man in the combat uniform, helmet and bulletproof vest, feeling safer than she’d felt since she’d stepped foot on the arid soil of Afghanistan. “You know who I am… I’d like to know the name of the man who saved me from being carried away in that…that…bag.” She shivered as she stared down at the dark bag someone had thrown over her head.
“Jesus, Dash.” A man, dressed like the one who’d saved her shook his head. “That’s a body bag.”
Sunny’s blood chilled, and she shook uncontrollably.
Her rescuer pulled her up against him, his arm securely around her waist.
All four of her bodyguards frowned and took a step closer.
She held up her hand. “I’m okay. But I wouldn’t have been if this man hadn’t tackled the man who’d grabbed me.” She looked up at him. “Is your name really Dash?”
The soldier’s lips twitched. “That’s what my friends call me.” He held out his free hand. “Sergeant Ryan Hayes, at your service. You can call me Dash, if you like.”
She remove her arm from around his waist and took his hand in hers. “Dash, words aren’t enough thanks for what you did. But, thank you.” She leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek.
Before her lips touched his camouflage painted face, he turned. Their mouths met in a brief and electrifying kiss that sent ripples of shock waves throughout her body.
Sunny jerked back, her eyes wide.
Dash’s eyes widened, and then narrowed.
Had he felt it, too?
Shaken by the entire experience, Sunny stepped backward, her heel catching on the black bag at her feet. She tipped and started to fall.
Dash’s arm snaked out and caught her around the waist, bringing her back to his side where his solid form steadied her.<
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Her breathing coming just a little too fast, her pulse racing through her veins, Sunny blinked and pressed her palms against his bulletproof vest. “I’m okay. I just need to get out of this…” She lifted her feet, mentally cursing the high heels she’d worn for the show. If she’d been wearing sensible shoes, she might’ve had a chance of outrunning her captor.
Who was she kidding? The man had snuck up behind her and bagged her before she’d known what was happening. And all she’d done was to step out to find the mess hall for something different to eat.
“Miss Daye,” Joe, her head bodyguard said. “I’m sorry this happened. It shouldn’t have.”
“Damn right it shouldn’t have.” She turned to the two men with the MP armbands. “I thought it was safe to move about freely inside the wire.”
The military police nodded their heads. “Yes, ma’am. Normally, it is. Did you happen to see the man who grabbed you?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“We don’t let anyone past the gate who doesn’t belong on this base,” the MP said.
“Then someone on the base isn’t playing the same game as the rest of you,” Sunny said. “I was grabbed from behind, bagged and carried off…inside the wire when all I wanted to do was get a bite to eat.” She shook her head. “Look. You do what you need to do to find that guy. But you should know…this isn’t the first time someone has tried to take me since I landed in this country.”
An older man, wearing uniform trousers, boots and buttoning a uniform jacket came running with more military police. He held out his hand. “Miss Daye, we met before your show. I’m Colonel Bratton, the base commander.”
She gave his hand a perfunctory shake. “I remember.”
He tipped his head to the side. “Please, come with me to the command center where you and your men will be debriefed.”
Still shaking inside, Sunny refused to move away from Dash’s side. “I’m not going anywhere without this man.”
The commander frowned. “And he is…?”
“The man who saved me. I go where he goes.”
The colonel nodded. “He’ll come, too. We need to get to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible.”
The entourage moved as one, following the commander to a building with actual wooden sides and a wooden floor. Inside was a conference table and folding chairs enough to seat twelve.
Dash held out one of the chairs for Sunny. When she hesitated, he leaned close. “It’s all right. I’m going to be in the seat beside yours.”
She slipped onto the hard chair, the bare backs of her legs chilled by the cool metal.
As soon as everyone was inside and had taken their seats, the commander asked, “Can someone explain to me exactly what happened?”
Sunny drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I took a walk to find the mess hall. Someone grabbed me from behind, slapped a bag over me and proceeded to carry me off.”
Dash picked up from that point and rolled with it. “I ran into the man carrying Miss Daye, knocking them to the ground. I would’ve gone after him, but Miss Daye cried out for help. I couldn’t leave her in case her captor returned.”
The commander turned to the military police. “How were you alerted?”
The shorter man stepped forward. “Miss Daye’s bodyguards sounded the alarm when they discovered she was missing. We were making rounds through the base when we got the radio call, not far from Miss Daye’s motorhome. When we heard someone yell, we followed the sound and found Sergeant Hayes and Miss Daye. We radioed in about the abductor. The guys on perimeter are on the lookout. So far, no word.”
“Sir,” Paul Halverson, the man in charge of her bodyguard detail, raised his hand. “This is the second attempt to abscond with Miss Daye. Each base she’s performed at has had an incident, and we have three more to go.”
Colonel Bratton looked around the room. “Perhaps it’s too dangerous for her to continue.”
Sunny’s chin lifted. “What are you saying?”
The commander’s eyes narrowed. “If someone wants you bad enough, he’s going to keep trying until he succeeds. Maybe it’s time for you to cut your losses and go back to the States.”
Before he finished his speech, Sunny was shaking her head. “Sir, I knew the risks when I signed on with the USO. I know our men and women in uniform are at equal, and more risk, every day they spend out here. It’s the least I can do to provide them with a little, much-needed entertainment for all the sacrifices they make.” She squared her shoulders. “I have a job to do. I’m not leaving until it’s done.”
Colonel Bratton stared hard at her for a long moment. “If you insist on staying, I insist on providing another level of security with someone who’s a little more familiar with the state of affairs here in Afghanistan.”
Sunny frowned. “I have four bodyguards. I don’t need another.”
The commander turned to the four men who were supposed to protect her and who’d failed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know you or your background. But I do know our Delta Forces team and trust them with my life, and I’d trust them with the lives of each member of my family.” He returned his attention to Sunny. “If you insist on staying to finish out your tour, I insist on assigning at least one of my Delta Force guys to stick to you like glue.”
Dash’s teammate raised a hand. “Sir, I’m Delta Force Operative Michael Calhoun. I go by the call sign, Blade. I’d like to volunteer for that assignment.”
Sunny shook her head, her hand reaching out to rest on Dash’s arm. “If you’re serious about assigning one of your men to provide my protection, I want to choose.”
The commander nodded. “As long as he’s Delta Force.”
Her hand tightened on Dash’s arm as she turned toward him. “You’re Delta Force, aren’t you?” she whispered to the man beside her.
He nodded and covered her hand with his. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Sir, I choose Sergeant Ryan Hayes for the task.”
His hand squeezed hers.
A knock sounded on the door. The man who’d identified himself as Blade opened the door a crack, poked his head out, spoke softly and then opened the door wider.
Another man in uniform with the same rank as the base commander entered and addressed Sunny first. “Miss Daye, I’m Colonel Gladson, in charge of Special Operations Forces here. Dash and Blade are part of my command.” He gave a nod to each of the men then turned his attention to the base commander. “Colonel Bratton, you are responsible for the safety of everyone on this installation; however, I’m in charge of my operatives. Any taskings for my men must go through me first.”
Colonel Bratton dipped his head. “Agreed. I need one of your men…” he jerked his head toward Dash, “this one, to provide additional protection to Miss Daye for the duration of her tour here in Afghanistan.”
“And my men have been tasked to find the source of the human trafficking ring in this province. I can’t spare a man to provide protection for one person, when there are many who will suffer in the meantime.”
“I’m sorry,” the base commander said. “But if Miss Daye insists on continuing her tour, she needs additional protection to ensure her safety. And based on what just happened inside my facility, the only people I really trust to handle her security are your men.” He lifted his chin in Dash’s direction. “Miss Daye would like to have Sergeant Hayes as her personal protection.”
“Colonel Gladson,” Dash jumped in, “have you considered the possibility of Miss Daye being just one more target to be acquired in the local human trafficking efforts?”
His commander’s brow furrowed. “I hadn’t thought about that.” The Special Operations commander cupped his chin, frowning heavily. “It could be.” His gaze met Sunny’s, his eyes narrowing. “She’d make big bucks for their operation.”
A shiver rippled down Sunny’s spine. She turned to Dash. “You think they wanted to capture me to sell?”
Dash’s jaw tightened. “We can
’t be for sure, but there’s a huge problem in this province. Women and little girls are being rounded up and sold to the highest bidders.”
“If Miss Daye is a target of the trafficking ring,” the special ops commander said, “then yes, we need one of my men with her at all times.”
“Good,” the base commander said. “In the meantime, I need to perform a complete check of the perimeter to find the breach.” He nodded toward his MPs and marched for the door, stopping in front of Sunny. “By the way, the troops loved the concert. Thank you for coming.” Then he was gone, followed by the MPs.
As the last MP left, six men entered, all dressed like Dash and his teammate, Blade, wearing desert camouflage uniforms, bulletproof vests and a fine layer of dust.
The man in the lead scraped the helmet off his head and plunked it on the table. “What the hell’s going on? This place is lit up like a freakin’ Christmas tree.”
“You guys got back pretty fast,” Dash commented.
The man snorted. “Fast until we hit the gate and got the third degree from a heavy contingent of guards. They almost didn’t let us take the truck full of women and children inside the gate.” His gaze shifted from Dash to Blade, and then finally to their special operations commander. “Anyone want to tell me what’s going on?”
The colonel’s lips twisted. He nodded toward the table where Sunny sat.
She turned to fully face the men who’d entered. Their eyes widened.
“Holy shit. You’re Sunny Daye.” The lead man exclaimed.
Sunny chuckled. “Yes, I am.”
The man’s eyes narrowed, and his gaze shot to Dash. “Please tell me our man Dash didn’t make you give him a full concert for him alone.”
Sunny’s glance shot to Dash. “No, he didn’t.”
The man’s eyes widened. “He didn’t try to sneak into your quarters or hold you hostage, did he?”
Sunny laughed. “No, as a matter of fact, he saved me from being abducted by somebody else.”
The man’s brow twisted. “What the hell? Is that why the guards are all in knot and this place is lit up?”
