The starlit sky kept us company as we neared our lookout. We kept hydrated while the sweat continued to flow. While we were all extremely fit and trained for these conditions, my legs ached. An ache I had long ago learned to ignore. Push past the pain. It was all mental from here on out.
Our leader motioned us up the hill to the peak where we would all rest and assess the situation below.
Some of our fifteen may not walk out alive, myself included. I could only trust my judgment and instincts and skill as a soldier to save my life. But we all had the attitude that if we died saving our country and others, then our sacrifice would be worth it.
Unloading our gear for a short reprieve and to regroup, we crouched low, assessing our target town. It was hard to gauge the view of the town in the darkened bosom of the rocky hillside. I could see, however, how far the buildings spread. It was bigger than I imagined, the crumbling shapes filling in an otherwise dusty, flat expanse.
“Okay. Listen up. Our guy has spotted eight armed men surrounding the town. Two at north, east, south, and west. We’ll split up into five groups of three. Once we’ve disabled the immediate threat, we’ll regroup.”
“Viper, Lazerus, and McVeigh you’re on the east side. Dodge, Maverick, and Thompson, take care of the south…”
I didn’t hear the rest. It only mattered who I was teamed up with. I hadn’t worked with Lazerus or McVeigh, before so I hoped they had their game on. We didn’t need any cock-ups whatsoever or death would come quick. Apparently, they had good reputations, but it would remain to be seen as far as I was concerned.
We rested for a few minutes, then it was go time. We fanned out into our groups, and with a signal from Sarge, we crested the rise.
Weapons raised and ready to fire, we slid down the other side and stealthily crept into town. I held front position while Lazerus and McVeigh flanked me.
The others had moved to their coordinates, leaving the three of us open targets.
The beauty of entering such a rundown, uncivilized settlement proved to be a blessing. It sat mainly in darkness, save for a few scattered lights, dimly shining.
Moving across the perimeter to the east side, we stopped at the furthest building. I motioned to my guys to stay put while I checked around the corner for the enemy. It couldn’t be so easy, surely.
My soldier mind had me conjuring up all kinds of scenarios. One being that we were entering a trap. Had our insider given us the correct information? Trust wasn’t something that came easily to me. Especially after the no-show of backup during Dec’s rescue.
Taking a step around the corner, scanning everywhere for heat in my thermal goggles, I took pause. Finding nothing, I urged Lazerus and McVeigh on with me. My heart thundered a glorious tune in my chest. Adrenalin, at an all-time high, gave me the power to do what I needed to.
We moved like sleek panthers, slow and steady. The ground broke away in parts, a messy cluster of upended earth, posing as a road. A noise sounded akin to metal scraping. We flattened ourselves against a stone wall, my breath ceasing in order to hear better.
A flare of unease crept up my body. I didn’t like the feeling, but in order to do my job properly, I pushed it aside. After waiting and hearing nothing more, we continued on. Dated vehicles sat haphazardly outside mud-brick dwellings, zigzagged together in no particular order, with taller ones dwarfing the smaller ones.
A shape appeared in my goggles up ahead. It exited a house. The guy was armed and staring up the road with his back to us. I nodded to Lazerus, who crouched and moved from behind the vehicle, taking aim and firing. The guy dropped instantly. We waited for repercussions, expecting retaliation, but all was silent again. With the collapsed enemy ahead, we assumed there was only one other threat left on our side, so we stood and moved forward, fingers on our triggers.
Inching toward the fallen, I noticed the clean shot right through his head. He’d had no chance. Lazerus had skill but then again he wouldn’t be operating with the elite if he didn’t.
Impressed, I gave him my best nod with my headgear in place.
Movement up ahead made my head pivot forward, placing my finger up to warn my guys.
Out of an alley to the left, movement again, and a shot rang out. It missed us, but hit the mud brick wall next to us, sending bits of the dried earth flying apart.
I motioned for Lazerus and McVeigh to fan out as we crossed the road. Silly move on the shooters behalf if the alley had a dead end. My finger was itching to press the trigger. I could almost feel a twitch, but I held it steady. Heat came into my view as we approached. Without a second thought, the three of us fired, sending the target to the dirt. Two down. Easy enough. But like before, unease slithered back into my chest. Spinning in all directions, I cleared the short passageway before moving out.
If anyone in the town worried about the gunfire, they didn’t stir to find out. They were probably used to it after having rebels take over, killing and maiming at random.
I wondered how the others were doing.
We needed to meet up now that our targets had been taken down. Sending a quick text on my military radio, I asked for our point of contact.
In a flash, I had a reply. Western side. Abandoned building. Freestanding, just out of town. Coordinates given. So far everything had gone smoothly. Why then did the niggling feeling of doom continue to plague me?
Rounding the bend, we apprehensively walked toward our coordinates, aiming at anything that moved. Residents remained indoors. Smart on their behalf, because the way I felt, they’d most likely suffer a bullet to the head. Firing off some rounds had fed the sick monster inside. The feel of the powerful rifle under my fingers. Hearing the sound of the bullet leaving the barrel. Watching the enemy drop. It all fueled the desire for mortal combat.
Beginning the climb away from the hub of buildings, my group spanned out into a pyramid shape, remaining on high alert. Never let the guard down. Just because we were away from trouble didn’t mean we were out of danger.
Our boots hit the rocky terrain again as the rise we’d taken peaked and then descended, leaving the town behind us, hidden once again. A sigh left me at that point. Glad to be away from it, but knowing our mission had only begun, I’d be glad to finish the day and get a shower and some shut-eye later. I wasn’t sure what awaited us once we regrouped, but we would soon find out. We were on point with our coordinates, the sun beginning to drag itself up over the horizon.
The meeting point hadn’t emerged into view, but I knew we still had a way to go.
Before I could place one foot in front of the other to take my next step, a loud blast sounded the split second before I became airborne, thrown backward in an explosion of rock and dust. I didn’t know what hit me before losing consciousness.
***
Coming around, faces faded in and out. Voices and pieces of words a jumble. My vision wavered, spots dangling and dancing in front of my eyes.
“Viper…hold on…don’t move…we’re getting you out of here.” Screaming. Lots of screaming. Numbness. I was on my back unable to move. What the hell happened?
Curses flew. Not from me, but from those shrouding me. I needed to sleep. My body melded into the ground as if it wanted to become a part of it.
Closing my eyes against the shapes and colors, the last thing I heard and felt was someone’s large hand slapping my face, yelling, “Don’t go to sleep, man. Stay awake.”
Too late.
At odd intervals, I woke and then slept. Movement had me attempt to open my eyes, but the action proved too hard.
My body, a heavy weight, sank into whatever I lay on until I was out to it again.
In the darkness, I swam. Looking for something. Anything to anchor me. I felt nothing. Saw nothing. If death had stolen me, was this it? Was this what happened to us all? And yet my conscious mind remained. Aware of the black. Aware of the awareness. Or perhaps I’d landed in hell. Destined to spend eternity cognizant of nothing but my own thoughts.
I wanted
to laugh at the irony of that notion, but couldn’t manage it without a voice. I was nothing—and yet I remained something.
Time ceased to exist and so I remained suspended in an alternate universe. Flashes of memory bled into the dark space. Faces. War. Guns. Battle. A woman. Oh yes. A woman. Fiery red hair and eyes like the forest. She stood out from all the other muck, blocking out the encompassing void for a moment as I grasped onto the hallucination. Like a ray of warm light piercing through gloomy gray clouds, I needed it. Needed…her.
Hell turned into Heaven as I immersed myself in her image. The laughter in her eyes giving me a sense of peace. A sense of belonging. An epiphany cleared some of the fog. Yes. That’s it. She was home. My home.
Chapter Nineteen
Char
Once home, I stood under the burning shower spray to help alleviate the tension wracking my body. Right down to my bones I could feel it. Sorrow. Pain. Worry. As a nurse I’d seen some pretty horrific injuries, but not to someone I knew and cared about. Yes, cared about. I could admit it now. I did care. More than I should, but Viper was different. He challenged me in every way. Maybe that’s why I’d always kept men at a distance and opted for casual. It had been the excuse for my long working hours. I needed someone strong who upended my world and made me work for what I wanted. Someone to keep me on my toes. Most men I’d dated, doctors included, bored me to tears. It was always the same mundane conversations about the weather, my job. Small talk. I needed more. Deep within me, I’d always known, but it had taken a stubborn, arrogant soldier to find and unlock the dormant key to my needs.
Damn. I think I’d just had the revelation of all revelations.
Whatever the extent of Viper’s injuries, I needed to be there for him no matter what. He only had Dec and Mac. He’d helped me in my time of weakness. I’d do the same. I was no psychologist, but I’d had to counsel plenty of patients through trauma while under my care.
Who knew what mindset Viper would be in? How would he react to the likelihood of not being able to return to combat? Ever. That alone may destroy him.
Scrubbing myself and drying off, I settled into my pajamas and walked into the living room to find Mac and Dec huddled together talking quietly. Glancing up at the sound of my approach, they both gave me pitiful smiles.
“Any word?” I asked, eying the food we’d taken from the restaurant on the coffee table.
Nabbing mine, not hungry but knowing I needed sustenance of some kind, I sat and unwrapped the parcel, feeling two sets of eyes on me.
“How are you feeling now?” Mac queried softly.
Numb, but I wasn’t about to say that. “Okay. Shocked. Saddened.” Swinging my gaze to Dec, I asked, “Have you heard anything more?”
Shaking his head, he answered, “No, but I’ll keep pushing for answers.”
My selfishness and own emotions had stopped me from thinking about Dec. His best friend had been struck by a landmine. He knew only what we knew. I could only imagine how he felt.
Reaching out across Mac, I touched his arm. “I’m sorry. You must be gutted too. You’ve known him a lot longer than we have.” My eyes flew between Mac and I.
Clearing his throat and then rubbing his face, he said, “Of all the things that could go wrong in battle, I never imagined a mine getting him.” He stood, kissing Mac on the head. I could tell he was barely keeping it together. “I’m gonna head out for a bit. Sitting here waiting on the phone to ring is doing my head in.”
Mac stood and put her arms around him. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this worry. He’s such a strong guy. He’ll pull through.”
“I know. It’s not his survival I’m stressed about. It’s the after-effects and recovery.”
He had the same mindset as me, knowing full well his friend would mentally be a mess after this. He already wore the internal and external scars of a soldier. If he was left maimed in any way that hindered his ability to continue to fight for his country, it could prove detrimental.
After Dec drove off in his truck, Mac and I sat quietly, neither of us knowing what to say. She remained in her head and I remained in mine, going over and over Viper’s accident.
Overcome with fatigue, I stood. “I’m going to take a nap. Are you okay?”
Smiling up at me, she nodded. “Yeah. You go. I’ll be fine. I’m going to bake some cookies to help take my mind off it.”
I thought that was odd. I’d never seen my friend bake cookies. Perhaps it was her way of dealing.
Once in my room, I stretched out on the bed, letting sleep pull me under.
It was dark when I awoke. Sounds of raised voices seeped through the walls. For a second, disorientation had me sit up and rub at my eyes, but remembering the news from earlier, I groaned and rose, wanting to know what the commotion was.
Opening the bedroom door, I stopped, wondering if I should let them hash it out. I caught some of the conversation and decided I needed to support my friend, who appeared distressed.
“Calm down, honey. It’s okay. You’ve been drinking…”
“Calm the fuck down? How am I supposed to calm the fuck down? My brother is in God knows what state, and I’m sitting over here on my ass waiting for someone to tell me more.” I heard something break and upped my pace down the hallway, only to discover Mac pressed up against the counter while Dec stood in a rage on the opposite side, glass splattered everywhere as if he’d thrown it at the wall.
Both of them spun and stared at me as I neared.
“Ah, what’s going on?”
I looked at Mac. Her face was pinched, eyes dripping with tears. Instantly I was at her side, my arm across her shoulder.
I could smell alcohol fumes across the kitchen. Dec wavered on his feet, eyes bloodshot, fists clenched.
The situation needed to be diffused quickly.
“Dec, let’s go sit in the living room and talk. Do you want a coffee?” I offered, attempting to keep my voice calm.
Eyeing me, he barked, “You think that’s going to help?” Clutching at his hair, desperate, he yelled, “I should have been there! I should have protected him!”
So that’s what bothered him? He felt torn because he hadn’t been with Viper on the mission. He thought his presence may have averted the disaster.
“You couldn’t possibly have done that.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I shouldn’t have said them. I heard Mac’s sharp inhale.
Dec’s eyes blazed. He strode over to us. I knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt us, but he was no less intimidating. “How can you say that? You have no idea. I’ve always had his back and he’s always had mine.”
I wanted to yell back that invisible mines under the ground could go off at any time and no amount of protection could avoid them detonating when they were ready. But I held back.
Instead, I appeased him. “You’re right. I can understand how you feel. I’d feel the same if it were Mac.” Squeezing her shoulder, I kept my focus on the towering wall of anger in front of us. “So let’s think. How can we get the information you need without you physically having to travel to Germany?”
I didn’t have the answers. I was merely trying to calm him down. His eyes twinkled and I could tell the cogs of his brain were turning. As if flicking a switch, his entire demeanor changed. Gripping me by the shoulders he planted a solid kiss on my head. “I fucking knew we had you around for a reason. Char, you’re a genius!”
Mac piped up, “What do you mean?”
“I’m going to Germany!”
Chapter Twenty
Viper
My eyes opened and fought against the bright light. Squeezing them shut and then re-opening them, my vision focused on a room. The last I remembered I’d been walking with my team to safety after taking out our targets.
Attempting to sit up, I found it impossible. My body was numb from the waist down. A brown-haired twenty-something nurse hovered close by. It was obvious I had landed in the hospital.
Upon my awakening, she
smiled. “Welcome back.” She spoke in broken English. Her pale skin and blue eyes were the exact opposite of most Afghan women I’d met. Was she working in an Arabian hospital? Maybe she’d been posted here.
Wires and tubes came out of my body beneath the blankets which covered me. A heart monitor beeped monotonously. Outside the window, grey skies lingered above more of the concrete structure I lay in.
“Surgery went well,” she said, moving to my bed to check the IV line hooked up to a bag of fluid.
“Surgery?”
How badly had I been injured? Did I suffer a bullet wound? I’d survived others, but this felt different.
“Yes. The surgeons managed to save three-quarters of your leg.”
What. The. Actual. Fuck? My leg?
Panic seized me as I grappled with the sheets to peer below. I could only move from the waist up. Her words slaughtered me as my eyes zeroed in on my bandaged leg. Crap. Crap. My heart stopped for a moment as I gaped at the shorter limb. A bandaged stump finishing where my knee should have been.
A sound leached from my throat. A whimper mixed with a fierce growl.
The worried nurse still stood beside me, placing her hand on my shoulder in a show of comfort, but it did little to stop the insane reality from squeezing all the air from my lungs.
“I lost my leg? How?”
“You were lucky you didn’t lose it all. You stepped on a landmine.”
My brain tried to remember. Nothing gelled. Shock embraced me. I couldn’t piece together anything.
I realized I could have been killed, but to lose a limb? To be deformed? It would change my world. My job. In the space of a second, I’d become disabled. Flashes of being pensioned off like a leper, lost and forgotten, stole my focus. I didn’t hear what the nurse said, only her voice, faint and muffled as if under water.
True Beginnings (The Lost and Found Series Book 3) Page 13
