by Julia Bright
Whisper heard the click from Ghost and moved. The door opened and he headed to the right, taking out the first man he met.
No alarm sounded as they worked their way around to the back door where Ghost delivered the blow that took out another guy. Whisper reached out, his fingers wrapping around Ghost’s arm. His buddy paused and turned to look at him. He lifted his hand and held up one finger then pointed to a doorway that led to the interior of the house.
Ghost nodded once then moved to the door, reaching in and grabbing the guy out so fast Whisper wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it himself. After Ghost finished with that hostile, he met Whisper’s gaze and gave a quick nod.
They moved to the final entrance. Whisper took out the last guy and Beatle and Fletch joined them. The other men in the Ilimin Boko camp would be sleeping, at least that’s what their intel—which hadn’t been wrong so far—had said.
Beatle moved past Ghost and picked the lock on the door leading to the main room. This was where things got tricky. Their Rangers were being held in a small room at the back and down a hall. The main room was the sleeping quarters for a few of the men and some of the children, mostly girls. If one of those kids woke up, they would most likely yell. He couldn’t blame the kids, they didn’t know any difference. Their food, their water, their everything was being provided for by these killers who would dispose of these kids once they no longer needed them. It was the sad reality of this type of conflict. Before coming into this situation, the men of Ghost’s team had agreed none of the kids would die if they could help it.
Beatle opened the door to the main room. They slipped in one by one, with him second to last. Ghost followed up behind him. Silently, they moved through the room, passing by kids sleeping in chairs, on couches, some on cots, and a few were stretched out next to full-grown men. Anger rolled through Whisper like a freight train racing heavy down the tracks.
Ghost touched his arm and he guessed he’d paused. This wasn’t the reason they’d come here. First, they had to get the Rangers to safety. Their men were their prime objective, not these kids. If they could rescue some of the kids, they would, but the men in this room and the other rooms were too many to fight. If they had more resources, maybe, but the US military wasn’t supposed to be here.
Whisper moved, his steps light, his breathing near silent. They were almost to the edge of the room when a little girl, maybe six, possibly seven, opened her eyes. She looked right at Whisper and he moved in a flash, picking her up, covering her mouth. He’d pushed his night vision goggles up and stared her in the eyes. She met his gaze with a seriousness he didn’t know kids could have.
She gave him a nod, and he made her a silent promise as he moved with his men, heading deeper into the compound. If this girl shrieked, or said anything, they were screwed. His heart pounded because he was in a nearly impossible situation.
Whisper removed his hand from her mouth and put his night vision goggles back on as they stepped into a dark hall. The girl didn’t flinch. None of the guys said anything about the extra cargo he was carrying, he just hoped he didn’t have to leave her behind.
Slow and silent, they passed the first door, then the second, and paused at the third. For entry into the room, he had to set the girl down. She didn’t move or make a sound. Beatle reached out and opened the door, slipping in slowly. He was staying in the hall, making sure no one entered and interrupted them. The girl was problematic. He didn’t want to kill someone in front of her, but he would dispatch anyone if they entered the hall.
He heard Beatle and Fletch say something, then a bit of rustling.
Coach came on coms. “Three packages are good, one is damaged. Ready to move out.”
Whisper breathed a sigh of relief. They had the four. Now, they only had to get out of here. The compound was huge, with twisting halls, rooms added on, hallways that wound through the place like a labyrinth. If they headed out any way other than the one they’d used to enter, they could get lost, or end up deeper in the compound where more men slept. Going out would be even more dangerous than coming in had been.
Once the Rangers were in the hall, the girl put her hand on his arm. She’d been so good, and he couldn’t leave her here. She wasn’t too heavy, so he carried her past the still sleeping men in the main room. It was tricky getting past the sleeping men and kids, but once outside, they all sighed as relief flowed over their team.
“Wait up,” one of the Rangers said.
Ghost paused and grunted. “What?”
“We need to kill those men.”
Ghost shook his head. “It’s too messy. Those kids would die.”
The Ranger grunted, his lips turning down in a deep frown. “They’re probably going to die anyways.”
“Later. Right now, our mission is to get you all out.”
The guy’s lips thinned. Whisper understood his need to kill those men, but they didn’t have the supplies to go in and rescue all the kids.
“What’s your name?” Ghost asked.
“Whitney,” the Ranger said.
“Maybe later, now, let’s get you all to the bird waiting for us. This isn’t our war right now.”
“It sucks,” Whitney said.
Whisper agreed. They all wanted to kill the men in the compound, but there were too many kids and too many variables. They’d been lucky getting in and retrieving their cargo. If they tried to save all the kids, it would be a blood bath.
Whisper slung the girl over his shoulder and took off at a dead run across the street. She didn’t make a noise. He wondered how upset Ghost would be. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken her, but she’d been awake. If he’d left her, she could have alerted the others they were close.
Thirty minutes later, they were clear of the Ilimin Boko and at the exfil point. He set the girl down, her wide, dark eyes stared up at him. He wished he could have helped more girls, but they didn’t have the time or the resources.
The rumble of the bird overhead was right on time. He squatted next to her and pulled out a length of rope, making her a harness. She said nothing as he helped her put her legs through then cinched her in. They were taking this girl out of the country, and someone somewhere would have to deal with the repercussions.
The Rangers were lifted first, then the girl, and finally their team. Relief filled him as they left the area. They hadn’t found the remains of the dead men, which is what their intel had warned might happen. If they had days, equipment, and maybe cadaver dogs, they might be able to locate something, but the resources weren’t there for their mission.
The girl settled beside him, leaning against his body. He put his arm around her, holding her tight as the helicopter bounced over the choppy air where the ocean met the land. The girl flinched but didn’t freak out. He worried about this girl’s future, but he could only do so much. The future of everyone in this area was on tenuous ground. He was glad he lived in a safe town in the states. Thoughts of Lorie filled his mind as they flew to a Navy ship off the coast of Africa. She was everything he wasn’t. Maybe he was making her out to be too much, but she was so different from his everyday life.
Once they landed, the girl headed off with two Navy doctors. The Rangers were taken to medical. Whitney waved as he followed the medical team. Whisper watched as they ambled off, wondering if he’d ever see any of them again. He turned and followed Ghost’s team to a debriefing room set up with water and a few snacks.
After a long drink, he met Ghost’s gaze and shrugged. “I couldn’t leave her behind, not after I picked her up and found her awake.”
“I get it. She’ll be checked out and returned to her family if they’re still around. Lots of kids have been abducted. Hopefully she’ll be able to give their guys some reliable information. As for our mission, I consider it a success.”
They went over the details of the mission, each of them adding in their thoughts on what could have gone more smoothly. The door cracked open, and they all hopped up as a Navy captain stepped in
.
“At ease, men. I’m Jameson. You’ve done a great service to the men you rescued. We’ll get you fed and then I believe you’re on a bird out of here to a base in Europe.”
“Yes, sir,” Ghost said.
“Good. So that young girl you brought back.”
“Yes, sir,” Ghost answered for them.
“She’s a fount of information. She’s been talking nonstop. We had to get a guy out of engineering who speaks the language. Smart cookie that one. She’s been talking a mile a minute about who is in the compound, how they have been moving through the country, how many people are training with them, everything. Said her brother was killed by them and her sister died a week after they showed up there. She doesn’t like them and wants to help. She said she’d tell us everything. Whoever thought picking her up would be a good thing, he was right.”
“Thank you, sir. That would be Whisper who picked her up.” Ghost pointed at him and he took the captain’s outstretched hand.
“Good call. It’s a pleasure working with you men. We get more SEALs through here than your type. It’s good to shake things up. Makes our men and women appreciate the job they have.”
Ghost laughed, and Jameson shook his head and chuckled. “You have about two hours before you’re set to leave. Find some food and maybe we’ll see you all on another mission.”
“Yes, sir,” they all said before Captain Jameson stepped out.
Beatle stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. “Don’t know how you do it, Whisper. It’s like you’ve got this sixth sense.”
He rolled his eyes. “But I don’t see dead people.”
“No, but it’s weird how you know things.” Beatle snorted out a laugh and he chuckled too. It was odd, but he didn’t ask too many questions.
“Time for food,” Ghost said. “We’ll finish breaking everything down and write up the reports on our way home. Once again, you guys didn’t disappoint.”
Whisper felt good about what they’d accomplished. They’d brought home four Rangers. There were injuries, but the men would be able to hug their significant others again. He wished they could have saved the men who’d died, but they couldn’t turn back time.
3
Back home, Whisper fell into his normal routine. He helped his neighbor clean out her attic on Saturday, then on Sunday he helped another neighbor cut tree limbs before he mowed a lawn for another neighbor. Overall, he had about seventy dollars burning a hole in his pocket. He could spend the money, or head to the bank and see Lorie.
After an early run in the hot Texas morning to a shade-covered park, through the trees, and down by a creek, he returned home and lifted weights for an hour. Once he finished, he cooked breakfast, wondering if he should stop going into the bank to see the woman of his dreams. He couldn’t even talk to her. Maybe giving up and finding a new branch would be the best option, but he wanted to see her again.
He showered, and shaved carefully, making sure he looked good, then dressed in a casual shirt and jeans. As a Delta team member, he didn’t advertise his military status. His hair was a little longer than most men in the Army, and sometimes he sported a beard, but not always. He mixed it up, but he tried to keep his look as plain as possible. No flashy clothes, no flashy truck, no flashy looks. He was just a plain-as-could-be person who didn’t draw any attention to himself.
He pulled into the lot of the coffee shop next to the bank, thinking he would stop in for a coffee later. Maybe he should find a smaller branch of this bank where he could do his banking and not have to face Lorie. She was just so beautiful, and he made a huge fool of himself every time he saw her.
He had his military bank, but he’d decided to open another account to help save money. Though he’d like to do business with a local bank, he could be moved anywhere, so he’d chosen a large bank with branches overseas. The ten-story office building where this branch was located looked old with its stark planes and greenish cast windows.
Usually the building attracted many people, which was a good and bad thing. Sometimes parking was terrible, and he’d started parking at the coffee shop next door. Today the lot for the bank seemed empty. Before today, the bank had been a vibrant location, lots of people in and out. He liked the activity of the area. It made the place feel alive. Just as he was walking over, four cars pulled into the parking lot of the bank. By no means was the place crowded, but it felt a little more like it used to.
His heart raced at the prospect of seeing Lorie one more time. Maybe this would be the time he actually talked to her. Liam was about to enter the bank when a little girl, about the same age and size as the one he’d rescued in Nigeria, ran up and grabbed the handle of the door.
“Amber, get back here. You can’t race ahead of this gentleman.”
The girl looked up at him, her eyes wide, her lips trembling.
“It’s okay,” he said to the woman who’d corrected the kid. “I’m guessing she’s just excited.”
The woman was lugging a toddler, her hair piled on top of her head. He saw a few stains on her shirt, and maybe a bit of ketchup on her neck. “Yes, she’s excited. They give her stickers and a lollypop if she sits still and behaves.”
He smiled and held the door for the mom and kids. The little girl waved, and he waved back. When he glanced up, Lorie’s gaze hit him and didn’t waver. Struck by her beauty, he stopped breathing. It took a few seconds for him to realize he was still holding the door open and the woman was long gone with her toddler and child.
He stepped into the bank as excitement buzzed through him. Just seeing her made him hot all over. Today, Lorie had dressed in a white top and peach-colored blazer along with pants that matched the blazer. He took her in, memorizing every inch. She looked like a breath of fresh air on a beautiful spring day.
Someone had approached Lorie and asked her a question. Her focus was drawn to a piece of paper and he wished she was still looking at him, but this gave him a chance to study her. With his attention half on her, he stopped at the tall table in the middle of the bank lobby and filled out his deposit slip. Someone moved closer on his right side and he glanced up, seeing Lorie heading his way.
“You have impeccable timing.” Her voice lilted a little at the last word, drawing him in. He imagined her voice wrapping around him, luring him closer to her. He caught a whiff of her perfume or soap, or maybe it was just her hair product and he grew even warmer.
“Really?” he asked, worried that maybe he’d missed something.
“I was just heading over to the coffee shop next door. Would you like to join me?”
He folded the deposit slip and shoved it into his pocket as he smiled at her. “Sure.” Liam’s hands were shaking, and he realized heading over to coffee with this woman made him more nervous than when he’d been heading into Nigeria to rescue those four Rangers.
He held the door for her, his gaze traveling over her shoulders to her neck then up to her hair. When he looked at her face, he saw she’d been staring at him. He swallowed as her lips stretched wide.
“So, Mr. Davidson, you don’t talk much, do you?”
No one called him Mr. Davidson and hearing her say his name was a shock to his system. Her gaze held his as they stood in the hot Texas sun. Her question had thrown him, and they hadn’t moved once they’d stepped outside.
“Um, no, ma’am. I guess I don’t.”
Her eyes narrowed as her lips curved up in a smile. “That’s okay.” She put her hand on his arm and he sucked in a breath at her touch. His head swam from the heat her touch caused. The warmth spread from his arm to his torso then all the way to his toes. She was stunning, her touch electrifying, short-circuiting every brain cell, cutting off rational thought.
He tried to breathe evenly as he walked beside her, but he was having trouble holding himself together. Facing the enemy was easy, taking down a hostile in hand-to-hand combat wasn't too hard, but being next to this amazing woman was almost too much for him.
He held the doo
r open for her at the coffee shop and she smiled up at him, making him feel like he’d won a contest or something. Though she probably hadn’t even tried, she’d won him over. Her beauty was like none other.
She moved to the counter and he followed. Even the words she spoke to the man taking their order were beautiful. Then they both looked at him and he was taken by surprise. He ordered iced tea because he couldn’t really think in her presence and iced tea was his go-to drink. She was going to pay, but he slipped a ten to the man working the register, paying for both drinks.
“I’ll get the coffee next time,” Lorie said.
Liam drew in a sharp breath. She wanted a next time. He smiled and nodded like he agreed with her, but knew he’d never be able to let her pay.
The place smelled of cinnamon and baked goods, kind of like his momma’s house. She’d been an excellent cook. He missed her. Cancer had taken her way too early. He had an idea she’d be proud of him being in the military and all.
“So, Mr. Davidson, would you like to sit?”
He nodded as he warmed. Her smile stretched wide, making him want to lean in and taste her lips. The words he wanted to say seemed caught in his throat. She led him to a table at the front of the shop and he held her chair out before he lowered gently into the small seat.
Lorie’s eyes flicked to his lips before meeting his gaze again. She cleared her throat and leaned in just an inch, making it hard to breathe without thinking he would combust.
“You don’t look like you belong in a small coffee shop like this.”
He searched her face, studying her, trying to memorize every little thing. “You do. You look like you belong somewhere as perfect as this.”
Her breath hitched, and he almost squirmed. It had been ages since he’d squirmed. He’d said the wrong thing to her. He glanced away but was drawn back to her gaze when she put her hand on his forearm. They stared at each other for a long moment.
He knew people were uncomfortable with his silence. The Army was a good fit for him because he rarely talked, and he never talked back. All the other guys had gotten in trouble in basic, but he hadn’t. It was easy to keep his mouth shut when the drill sergeant had been yelling at him. But opening his mouth to talk to such a beautiful woman seemed impossible.
