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Authors: Kaylea Cross
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scent of beef stew filled her nose, making her stomach growl. She accepted it dubiously, squeezing some of the cold, gooey contents into her mouth. Trying not to make a face, she swallowed it and waited to see if it would stay down. When it did, she forced herself to take another mouthful. Even if it made her gag, her body needed the calories.
70
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
Spencer sat down next to her. "Pretty good, right?"
A wan smile was the best she could manage. After the stew and some water, her body seemed to give out on her.
Exhaustion swept over her in an overpowering wave.
"Here," Dec said, pulling out a thin blanket and spreading it over the ground. "Lie down and get some sleep while you can." When she crawled onto it, he placed a pack of water under her head as a pillow and covered her with his jacket.
"Sorry, it's the best I can do."
She didn't care. Lying down felt like heaven. Hidden from the enemy and guarded by two Navy SEALs, she figured she wasn't going to get any safer for the time being. Her eyes closed and she fell into oblivion.
Day 4, Syrian desert
Twilight
She woke at twilight when Dec shook her shoulder.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, head fuzzy.
"About four hours."
That long? It felt like ten minutes. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, staring up at him as he loomed over her.
"I thought you should eat something."
He handed her another silver pouch. "Spaghetti?" she guessed.
"That's what it says, anyhow." He hunkered down beside her with his own pouch.
She suffered it in silence, watching his profile as he ate.
"Where's Spencer?" she asked finally.
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Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
"Outside, guarding the entrance of the cave." His golden eyes scrutinized her. "You ready to get out of here and go home?"
"God, yes."
"Chopper will be here within the hour. We'll need to—" His expression sharpened, then he turned away from her, covering his earpiece with one hand. "Go ahead, Spence." He listened for a few seconds, eyes glued to the slice of half-light coming from the entrance. "Copy that. I'm on my way."
Moving fast, Dec shouldered his pack, grabbed his weapon.
Bryn's heart gave a leap of fear. The spaghetti gurgled in her stomach in a slimy clump. "What's wrong?"
"We've got company. We're gonna draw them away from the landing zone. I need you to stay here and not move until one of us comes back for you. You understand me, Bryn?"
Her wide eyes gazed into his. "What—?"
"Do not move, under any circumstances. We'll come back for you once we've cleared the area. Understand?"
So she was supposed to stay alone in a pitch-black cave with snakes and scorpions and God knows what else until they could come get her? Her heart pounded. "But what if—"
"But nothing," he said sharply. "You stay here. Period. Got it?"
"Y-yes." Something clicked beside her, a sharp metallic sound. She flinched when he grabbed her hand, shoved a pistol into it.
"But I don't know how to shoot!"
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Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
He frowned. Probably wondering why the hell Jamul Daoud's daughter didn't know how to handle a weapon. Well, if she lived through this, she would rectify that real quick.
"Simple. Just point and pull the trigger. I've already taken the safety off and there's a round in the chamber. It's only a precaution, Bryn, to make you feel better. You're not going to need it, but I thought you'd feel safer having it. Just make sure you don't shoot us by accident when we come back in."
She held the thing gingerly, as though it was a coiled rattlesnake.
He held her gaze. "Lie low and stay quiet. Won't be long."
And with that he hustled out of the cave, leaving her kneeling there with the grip of the pistol ice cold in her shaking hand.
In his absence, the minutes crawled by, her shallow breathing echoing in the emptiness while the remaining daylight faded. Her heartbeat reverberated in her chest, a film of sticky sweat trickling down her back. The sky outside
70
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
Spencer sat down next to her. "Pretty good, right?"
A wan smile was the best she could manage. After the stew and some water, her body seemed to give out on her.
Exhaustion swept over her in an overpowering wave.
"Here," Dec said, pulling out a thin blanket and spreading it over the ground. "Lie down and get some sleep while you can." When she crawled onto it, he placed a pack of water under her head as a pillow and covered her with his jacket.
"Sorry, it's the best I can do."
She didn't care. Lying down felt like heaven. Hidden from the enemy and guarded by two Navy SEALs, she figured she wasn't going to get any safer for the time being. Her eyes closed and she fell into oblivion.
Day 4, Syrian desert
Twilight
She woke at twilight when Dec shook her shoulder.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, head fuzzy.
"About four hours."
That long? It felt like ten minutes. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, staring up at him as he loomed over her.
"I thought you should eat something."
He handed her another silver pouch. "Spaghetti?" she guessed.
"That's what it says, anyhow." He hunkered down beside her with his own pouch.
She suffered it in silence, watching his profile as he ate.
"Where's Spencer?" she asked finally.
71
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
"Outside, guarding the entrance of the cave." His golden eyes scrutinized her. "You ready to get out of here and go home?"
"God, yes."
"Chopper will be here within the hour. We'll need to—" His expression sharpened, then he turned away from her, covering his earpiece with one hand. "Go ahead, Spence." He listened for a few seconds, eyes glued to the slice of half-light coming from the entrance. "Copy that. I'm on my way."
Moving fast, Dec shouldered his pack, grabbed his weapon.
Bryn's heart gave a leap of fear. The spaghetti gurgled in her stomach in a slimy clump. "What's wrong?"
"We've got company. We're gonna draw them away from the landing zone. I need you to stay here and not move until one of us comes back for you. You understand me, Bryn?"
Her wide eyes gazed into his. "What—?"
"Do not move, under any circumstances. We'll come back for you once we've cleared the area. Understand?"
So she was supposed to stay alone in a pitch-black cave with snakes and scorpions and God knows what else until they could come get her? Her heart pounded. "But what if—"
"But nothing," he said sharply. "You stay here. Period. Got it?"
"Y-yes." Something clicked beside her, a sharp metallic sound. She flinched when he grabbed her hand, shoved a pistol into it.
"But I don't know how to shoot!"
72
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
He frowned. Probably wondering why the hell Jamul Daoud's daughter didn't know how to handle a weapon. Well, if she lived through this, she would rectify that real quick.
"Simple. Just point and pull the trigger. I've already taken the safety off and there's a round in the chamber. It's only a precaution, Bryn, to make you feel better. You're not going to need it, but I thought you'd feel safer having it. Just make sure you don't shoot us by accident when we come back in."
She held the thing gingerly, as though it was a coiled rattlesnake.
He held her gaze. "Lie low and stay quiet. Won't be long."
And with that he hustled out of the cave, leaving her kneeling there with the grip of the pistol ice cold in her shaking hand.
In his absence, the minutes crawled by, her shallow breathing echoing in the emptiness while the remaining daylight faded. Her heartbeat reverberated in her chest, a film of sticky sweat trickling down her back. The sky outside
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