Page 30 of Duty Bound

Now that she knew how exposed they were, she couldn’t relax. Feeling slightly better, she struggled to her feet.

Wordlessly, Blade lifted her backpack then slid it onto her shoulders. This time she fastened the buckles herself, but in memory of his touch, her traitorous nipples puckered. She avoided eye contact. The whole situation was ridiculous.

“Shh...” He held up a hand.

Lily froze, listening. Her senses had become fine-tuned to their surroundings, but she couldn't hear anything other than the rustle of leaves and the occasional scamper of a small animal. Then a twig cracked somewhere behind her in the shadows.

She gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth.

It was them!

He put a finger over his lips, crouched down, then gestured for her to follow him, and to bring her backpack with her. Seconds later, he’d melted into the shadows.

Crap! Her heart almost leaped out of her chest.

Where’d he go?

One blink and he’d vanished. She ducked after him, panic setting in, but then saw his shadowy figure behind a tree.

Thank God.

He took her pack, then led her silently through the bush toward a small ditch. She looked at him questioningly, and he gestured for her to climb down into it.

There was no talking now. Heart pounding, she followed his instructions and lay flat on her belly, not caring about the damp mud seeping through her pants or the acrid smell of decaying leaves.

He quickly gathered some foliage, ripping off a branch or two with a sudden display of strength and then climbed in next to her. He pulled a hessian net out of his backpack’s top fold and threw it over them, then he positioned the branches on top of that. They were effectively camouflaged.

“Don't move,” he whispered. He maneuvered into a sitting position behind his rifle, the muzzle poking ominously through the netting.

Lily hardly dared to breathe. She had an awful feeling the shit he’d mentioned was about to hit the fan in a big way. Sure enough, five minutes later she heard heavy, crunching footsteps. Shortly after that, three Taliban fighters, armed with rifles similar to Blade’s, appeared. They were searching the woods. For her.

Lily’s heart thumped so loudly, she was convinced Blade could hear it.

Please don’t find us.

Was this it? Would they be gunned down and left to die in this muddy ditch? Biting her lip, she tried not to think the worst, but the terror rose to choke her. She glanced over at Blade, seeking reassurance, but he was staring straight ahead. She couldn't even hear him breathing. He was frozen, his finger on the trigger, ready to open fire on the three soldiers.

Even though she'd lived with Joe for ten years, she'd never seen him in action. She'd refused to go to any of the military events, not even the pub after a successful mission. Other wives and girlfriends did, but Lily bucked that long-standing tradition. Joe used to go, of course, and on those nights she knew not to wait up. Sometimes he’d stay over at Blade’s and not come home until the next day, which never sat well with her. As a result of her non-participation, she'd never seen him fire his weapon, not even during a training exercise. And he never talked about his work. She was given to understand none of them did. So, of course, this level of intensity boggled her mind. She’d never witnessed anything like it.

How could Blade stay so calm? The soldiers were only yards away, moving in their direction.

Closer… Closer…

Soon they'd reach the ditch.

Still Blade didn’t move. No muscle twitched, no limb flexed. No finger or toe quivered with pent-up anticipation. He was just a relaxed, controlled body beside her, motionless but lethal, waiting for his opportunity.

One of the men murmured something in a low voice, then all three halted. The man closest to them gestured toward the ditch, but the original speaker shook his head and pointed back the way they'd come.

Go away.

No such luck.

The men continued to approach. They got to the edge of the ditch and looked around. The closest one spoke again. It felt like he was standing directly above them. Lily peered through the hessian coverage. He stood less than a yard away. If she stuck out her hand, she could touch his foot.

She waited, desperately hoping they'd retreat.

Then it happened. The man closest to them stepped into the ditch, his boot clipping Lily’s shoulder. She winced, causing him to glance down. With a yell of surprise, he lifted his rifle and pointed it at her.

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