War Games_Valiant Knox

by Jess Anastasi

  McAllister had done her a huge favor in reminding her of the kind of person she’d be dealing with for the next few days.

  She wouldn’t let her guard down. She would examine every decision he made, and if she thought they were in danger, she wouldn’t hesitate to order Seb to follow her and make their own way to recover Shen before the CSS got to her—the single most important priority. McAllister might be the senior officer on this mission, but he was not her CO. She didn’t owe him anything, especially not her safety or her life.

  He thought her hair was a problem? Fine, she’d play ball for the time being. But if he pulled any more stunts, proved his priorities weren’t in her best interest, she didn’t care what the ramifications would be when she got back to base or the Knox. She would take things into her own hands.

  She’d get Seb and Shen home alive no matter what.

  …

  Bren spent the better part of an hour getting jostled in the back of the rover before it pulled to a halt.

  “This is our stop.” McAllister threw over his shoulder as the engine cut out.

  They all climbed from the back and covered the vehicle with the same net and some branches.

  “The territory lines are about two clicks from here,” McAllister said as she shrugged into her pack, along with the others. “We’ll be crossing in a remote spot to make sure we’re not seen.”

  No one answered, but the three soldiers McAllister picked for this mission made a start, as if being given an order she hadn’t heard.

  She shared a glance with Seb, and the face he made seemed to ask what have we gotten ourselves into? before they fell into step behind the others.

  She couldn’t have said for sure how long it took to reach the invisible line that separated UEF-held territory from the CSS. Hiking through the dense forest wasn’t easy going, because they had to push through undergrowth that snagged on clothes and packs or scramble over large fallen trees or small boulders. Her heavy pack shifted her center of gravity, ready to put off her balance and send her stumbling.

  She’d considered herself fit, but she wasn’t this type of fit. This required a whole other level of strength and endurance. Clearly, McAllister and his men were trained for this kind of thing. At least Seb seemed to be having just as much trouble.

  When they unceremoniously crossed the lines into yet another patch of identical woods, the word was quietly passed down to where she and Seb were bringing up the rear.

  McAllister didn’t slow the pace. If anything, he increased it. She’d started hoping they were going to stop for a short break, but it didn’t seem likely, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask. The last thing she wanted was to look weak in front of the colonel when he clearly already thought she was a liability. Her and her hair.

  So, she took a drink from her canteen and pushed through the ache in her legs. Unfortunately, her will was getting her farther than her body. Not that Seb was helping. They were both losing ground on the team.

  “Okay,” Seb puffed, his face twisting into a grimace. “I’m about ready to call it. Seriously, are those guys even breaking a sweat? I’m pretty sure my legs went numb about fifty trees ago.”

  Answering was going to take energy she didn’t have, so all she could do was cast him a sympathetic look.

  “And I thought Jenna knew how to set a punishing pace,” he muttered, this time seemingly more to himself.

  Seb’s CI girlfriend was one tough chick, there was no doubt about that. However, his journey with her into enemy territory obviously hadn’t been this hardcore.

  She was just working up the energy to reply when the group came to a sudden halt. One motion from McAllister and they broke apart, finding cover and getting down.

  Following their lead, even if she was a bit slower and less coordinated, since she wasn’t used to the weight of the pack, she and Seb hunkered behind the thick trunk of a tree.

  She brought up her gun, scanning the forest beyond where McAllister had taken a knee. But she couldn’t see or hear anything apart from the wind rustling the leaves above them and a few birds flitting about.

  Holding her breath, she tried listening harder, but all that achieved was an ache in her chest. No one moved, and as each second went by, the silence seemed to become more weighted.

  A bursting crackle of energy split the quiet a second before a blast spat up the dirt and leaf litter less than a foot from where McAllister was kneeling.

  “Take cover!” He rolled away from his position to hunker down behind a fallen tree that was half rotted and probably wouldn’t provide much protection. Energy bursts from an electromag rifle peppered the forest floor where McAllister had just been.

  She scanned the trees again, but still couldn’t see who was shooting at them or from where.

  “Do not return fire!” McAllister ordered. “Friendlies on the ground.”

  The others immediately lowered their weapons, but she kept hers half raised, not sure if he meant they were being fired on by their own people, or there was another patrol of soldiers in the area already engaged with the CSS shooting at them.

  McAllister motioned at the soldier closest to him, who secured his weapon and then melted into the scrub. In a blink, she could no longer make him out among the foliage.

  The colonel turned to look at them, but yet again, she got the feeling his attention was focused on her. “Harlow and I will take care of this. The rest of you, stay where you are so I don’t accidentally shoot you.”

  Before anyone could agree with him, McAllister had followed the other soldier—presumably Harlow, since no one had bothered with introductions this morning—and repeated the disappearing act into the woods.

  “Damn, these guys know how to operate in this terrain,” Seb muttered, earning a sharp order to be quiet from one of the two remaining men nearby.

  As much as she hated to admit it, Seb was right. Maybe she’d had basic training to survive on the ground if her jet went down, but it didn’t hold a candle to what the colonel and his team were obviously used to dealing with.

  Though she’d been annoyed about not simply being able to go in and rescue Shen with her own team, she was starting to get a clue that she had a better chance of succeeding with these guys at her back.

  Of course, they were still a long way from finding and rescuing Shen. And McAllister had his own agenda. Whatever happened, at least she could say they were going in with the best chance of succeeding.

  Now all they had to do was get past whoever it was that had ambushed them.

  Chapter Four

  Even though Cam couldn’t see Harlow, he knew exactly where the guy was—mirroring his position as he rounded out on the source of the shooters and came at them from the side.

  His left upper arm ached like he’d caught it on something, but now wasn’t the time to stop and check for injuries. The scrub thinned out, confirming what he thought he’d seen earlier—two soldiers in UEF camos sporadically firing on the position where he’d left the rest of his team.

  He pulled his sidearm, making his tread lighter and quieter as he emerged from the forest. On the opposite side of the two men, Harlow appeared, gun trained steady.

  “Drop your weapons.” He stopped less than a step behind one of the men and pressed his gun into the back of the guy’s neck.

  The soldier immediately complied, while his accomplice started to turn, but then saw Harlow and apparently thought better of it. They both tossed their guns and then held out their hands.

  “Good. Turn around slowly.”

  The pair complied, both looking thwarted until their gazes landed on him.

  “Colonel McAllister, sir!” The one he’d held the gun to appeared equal parts shocked and contrite.

  He holstered his sidearm and indicated for Harlow to do the same.

  “Sorry, sir, we thought you were hostiles.”

  “Understandable,” he replied, shooting them a half grin of reassurance; he wasn’t pissed. They couldn’t have known, consi
dering he and his team were dressed to blend in as locals. “You’re on short-range recon?”

  Both the soldiers nodded, relaxing as they lowered their hands. “Yes, sir. Colonel Rashad has several two-man teams out. There’s been a little more unrest along the battlefront than usual.”

  Not surprising. Colonel Rashad was good at his job and thorough in keeping intel on both sides of the line up to date.

  “Are we likely to run across any more friendly teams in this area? We’re heading northeast.”

  If the two men thought anything about the fact that northeast would take them straight into the heart of enemy-held territory, they were trained well enough not to say it aloud.

  “No, sir. We’re it for at least a few miles in both directions along the lines. As far as we know, there aren’t any teams operating deeper into CSS territory.”

  Stepping over, he picked up the discarded weapons and handed them back to the men. “Would appreciate it if you make like you never saw us.”

  “Understood, sir.”

  The two soldiers both took a moment to secure their weapons and then saluted him before moving off through the forest, getting back to whatever intel gathering they’d been up to.

  Harlow and he made their way back to the team along a more direct path, calling out as they approached so they didn’t get shot at by their own people for a second time that day.

  “All clear,” he announced as his other two men came out from the positions they’d taken earlier.

  A moment later, Bren and Seb emerged from a little farther back.

  The pair of fighter pilots had been slowing them down all day, but no more than he’d expected and compensated for. He’d known bringing the less experienced soldiers along was going to alter their timeline, which was why they’d set out two hours earlier than he’d originally planned.

  His men were good, they hadn’t complained or asked why.

  And he had to admit, he was impressed so far with both Bren and Seb. It wasn’t easy going, especially for people who weren’t used to the terrain or accustomed to carrying the large heavy packs. That said, they were only half a day into what was going to be a grueling few days. There was still plenty of time for the two squad members to hit a wall or lose their calm.

  “Are we ready to keep moving? We’ve got another few miles to put under our boots before nightfall.”

  There was a murmur of agreements and shifting as the team got ready to continue the hike. However, Bren came over to him, a frown drawing down her features.

  She had a fine sheen of sweat along her hairline and had done a better job of covering all those golden curls than he’d expected. There was also a smear of dirt along one cheek, leaving his fingers twitching with the urge to reach up and brush it off for her. The woman was damned distracting without even trying.

  “We can’t stop until we reach the spot I planned to make camp. It’s not safe,” he said, trying to stop an argument before it happened. She had to be feeling it, but they couldn’t afford to break here or anywhere close by. Even staying still for this long was risky. And with the added news the two soldiers had given him about things along the lines being more unsettled than usual, he was anxious to keep them moving.

  “No, it’s not that.” She reached up and gripped his elbow in a surprisingly firm hold. There should have been nothing to her touch, but it made his pulse kick up a notch. “You’re bleeding.”

  The burn in his left upper arm returned with a vengeance, reminding him he’d thought before he might have caught it on a branch or something. But a glance down revealed nothing of the sort.

  He hadn’t caught a branch, he’d caught some ammo. Shit. He was probably lucky his arm hadn’t been blown clear off. Another few inches and he would have been in a very different situation right now.

  “It’s fine.” He reached around to the side of his pack and pulled out a field bandage.

  Bren took the bandage from his hand before he could so much as start unraveling it.

  “It probably will be. But you should get it examined. I assume one of your men has medical experience.”

  “Bartlet.”

  She flicked the bandage open and tugged his arm into position, pushing him around like nobody’s business. And when exactly had it been decided she was going to take care of this for him? And why the hell did he like it so much?

  “Well, then Bartlet needs to assess this. But I’m assuming that’s not going to happen until we make camp tonight.”

  “Good instincts, Brenner.”

  She glanced up and met his eyes in surprise. Probably because that was the first time he’d ever addressed her as anything other than lieutenant. For a moment, he got caught in the blue depths of her steady gaze.

  “If it’s not falling off and I’m not bleeding out, we keep moving,” he continued, trying to make like it was no big deal he’d called her by name. Which it wasn’t. She was just another soldier on this mission. Blond curls notwithstanding.

  “Yes, sir,” she muttered, returning her attention to winding the length of the bandage around his upper arm. She tied it off with precision; tight enough to restrict the wound bleeding too much, but not so tight his arm was in danger of losing circulation.

  Finished with her ministrations, she shifted back and set her hands on the rifle, bringing it around to rest in front of her.

  Though she didn’t look too worse for wear, the morning’s hike had taken a toll on her. The weird urge to take care of her, maybe keep an extra eye on her, dropped into his guts like a stone. She wouldn’t appreciate it and he needed to keep focused, not think about her personal welfare. Except he couldn’t quite let it go. Before she could catch up with the others, he dropped a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place.

  “You’re doing well, Lieutenant. This isn’t easy terrain, but you’re holding your own. You and Seb. We’ve got to keep up the pace, but you need to tell me if it’s getting too much. No point in pushing yourself past your limits and then not being able to go on in the morning.”

  Several expressions crossed her face. Maybe at first surprise that he was reassuring her and then maybe indignation. Obviously, she didn’t like being singled out. But she finished it up with determination, adjusting her pack and setting her shoulders.

  “Seb and I will continue keeping the pace, McAllister. You don’t need to worry about us.”

  She didn’t like the thought of him and his team compensating for her? Well, she’d be pissed if she found out they’d adjusted their usual pace from the get-go. And still, the pair of them were falling behind. He wasn’t about to call her on it, though. That would just start a fight he didn’t have the energy or inclination for, especially when they were in a vulnerable situation and several hours from the destination secure enough to bunk down for the night.

  “Let’s move.” He brushed by her and took up point at the front of his men—the same position he’d held all morning.

  The next few hours went by, thankfully, without any more hitches in their plan.

  Tomorrow, their destination would be a village rumored to have a rebel group.

  For tonight, caves near where the river emerged from underground aqueducts would be the safest place for them to make camp.

  The sun was beginning to sink toward the tops of trees. They probably had about an hour of daylight left, which timed perfectly with how far away he estimated the caves were.

  They were walking through a sparse stretch of forest where tufts of grasses grew in the places that got enough sunlight. They’d startled a few deer and wild horses, but so far, hadn’t come across any other people. Ilari’s population had suffered in the last two decades, both because of the young and fit being sent off to fight on the front lines, where a lot of them ended up dead, and through poverty, poor nutrition, and ill health. He couldn’t imagine any of the medical facilities offered anything in the way of the latest treatments, considering Ilari had long since stopped trading with the galaxy outside of this small system. />
  There was a noise behind him—something that was half gasp, half yelp. Not a scream or squeal, but definitely underlaid with surprise and pain.

  He swung around and found Bren, knowing without a doubt she’d been the one to make the startled sound. She was looking down, stopped midstride, her body tight with tension.

  Had she sprained an ankle? Dammit, they’d been on track to make the caves by nightfall. This could put them behind.

  He hurried back to where Seb had joined her, holding her arm, expression pinched as he, too, stared downward.

  “What’s wrong?” As he brushed by Harlow, the answer became evident.

  She’d stepped into some kind of trap. Not a trap laid by an enemy soldier—he and his team were experienced in spotting those, and they wouldn’t be laid this close to the village and farms where innocent people could stumble into them.

  No, this was a trap laid by a hunter; that’s why they’d missed it, because it was rudimentary, obviously homemade, and well concealed near a patch of grass.

  He dropped his pack and carefully knelt down next to the snare, examining every inch. It’d sprung closed on her ankle, but as far as he could tell, hadn’t completely closed. It was devised to snap the neck of small game animals or large birds unfortunate enough to stumble upon it. The design was like the ancient bear traps people had once laid on Earth, but without the claws to pierce skin.

  Still, if something triggered it again, it had the potential to break bones. It was resting against her sock, just above the top of her boot, and probably not hurting a lot, but her taut, strained expression clued him that she’d come to the same assessment about the possibility of ending with a broken ankle if they didn’t get her out of it.

  Seb came down next to him, expression grim.

  “How bad is it?” he asked in a low murmur.

  “Right now, not bad at all.” And it wouldn’t end that way, as long as he could work out how to get her out of it in one piece.

  He spent a few long moments studying how the mechanisms fit together until he was sure he’d worked out where the pressure points were and how it activated.