Page 3 of Battle of Hearts

Mirren hesitated, glancing down at her tablet before answering. “It’s…hard to say for certain, but I’d estimate we have a few hours, maybe three at most, before it reaches full strength.”

Sawyer nodded, her expression grim. “Shit. That doesn’t give us much time.” Her eyes briefly scanned her surroundings. This trip was only meant to be a quick check.

Mirren nodded, as well. “I think it may be best if we stay here for the night.”

Stay the night?Sawyer’s heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of that. Her and Mirren, practically two strangers, trapped in this small, cramped space through the entire night while a storm rabidly raged outside. Those strange feelings from before swiftly returned, this time in the form of a far hungrier fire instead of the earlier tiny flames.

Sawyer swallowed her thoughts and kept her gaze steady. “I expected as much,” was all she could say.

Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad or as uncomfortable as she thought it would be. She was already intrigued by Mirren from the moment they first met, and it seemed as if a large part of her wanted to like her. As well, Mirren had quickly proven herself to be reliable. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so tough after all. Sawyer began to think that staying the night here with the woman might give both of them the chance to better get to know each other.She wasn’t really the kind to warm up to others, but what else was there to do, really?

“I’ve already started gathering data on the storm’s trajectory,” Mirren continued, looking down to tap at her screen. “We should have enough information to make an informed decision by the time it arrives.”

Sawyer appreciated the pragmatism in Mirren’s approach. It mirrored her own, a focus on facts and logic rather than panic or speculation. She could work with that. “Good. Let’s get the stove going and make sure we’re stocked up on firewood. We’ll need to conserve our energy and stay warm.”

2

MIRREN

Lieutenant Mirren Reed had never believed that she would one day join the Air Force.

She grew up and lived a quiet life in Seattle, excelling in her studies all throughout her youth and developing a fascination with weather and the natural world from a young age. Her parents and her teachers believed it had to have been her calling, some divine purpose instilled into her from a higher power at birth. It eventually led her to pursue a degree in meteorology, where she studied hard, acquired internship after internship, dedicated hours to part-time and volunteer work, and later graduated with honours. She hadn’t yet decided where she wanted to end up when a special letter from the Air Force changed everything.

Her skills in weather prediction quickly made her an asset, and she was one of the strong reasons for the success of many of the missions upon which she’d worked. She’d moved up the ranks exceptionally fast for her young age, earning great respect from all of those who commanded her and worked alongside her. Mirren had quickly grown to love her military career. Over the years, the Air Force quickly became a second home to her.

She glanced up from her weather reports, her mind an aching whirlwind of calculations and predictions. Outside, the sun hung low in the darkening sky, casting long bronze shadows across the tapestry of mountains surrounding Fort Resolute. The relentless cold seemed to seep through the walls, a constant annoying reminder of where they were—on the edge of the world, it felt like.

Two days ago, Mirren had been on a temporary break following the success of a major mission, back home in Seattle having a delicious homemade dinner with her parents. Unexpectedly, she had gotten a call from her superiors, who shared with her that she had received a formal request from a Captain Sawyer Berkeley to use her weather knowledge to help aid training mission. It was last minute, but Mirren couldn’t help but accept. Someone had put in a formal request for her? How could she decline? And so, Mirren had found herself here, on the edge of the world.

In the day full of traveled that followed, Mirren had done a bit of research into this woman who’d specifically asked for her aid for the mission. She’d heard stories about the name before, some whispered with awe, others with the kind of respect reserved for those who’d seen too much and had survived to speak about it. The more she investigated it, the more she’d learned that the seasoned Army Ranger had a reputation that preceded her, one of discipline, unbreaking focus, and an intimidating competence. It was surreal that same Captain Berkeley had put in a special request forher, and only her.

The practical part of her brain reminded her that this was simply a mission, a task for which she was trained, but a deeper, more primal part of her couldn’t ignore the flicker of excitement. This was a chance to prove her value to someone she instinctively respected—and, if she was being honest with herself, someone she was deeply intrigued by.

She’d been here for almost two days now, working hard to provide the information for which she was sought out. She took a break from her work temporarily to have a brief dinner in the dining hall, and then washed away the exhaustion of the day with a quick shower before shortly returning to the control room to put in evening hours.

A sigh escaped her lips as her laptop lagged, introducing her to a temporary black screen into which she was forced to look at her reflection: dark hair pulled back into a tight braid, blue eyes sharp with focus, her expression as calm as always. But beneath that practiced composure, there was something else—an anticipation that tugged at the edges of her resolve. She frowned slightly, pushing those thoughts aside. This was a mission, nothing more. She couldn’t get ahead of herself here.

A couple of her peers walked to her side and began to inquire about the information she had already gathered, but barely minutes into their conversation, the thudding of boots sounded from behind the women, and the two men at her side paused their speech to look behind her.

Mirren’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to address the figure behind her, knowing it was none other than Sawyer herself even before she met the captain’s emerald eyes. Her breath caught slightly as the woman approached, the captain’s presence as strong as the icy winds whipping around them.

Sawyer looked up, their eyes locking for a brief moment. Mirren felt a jolt of something she couldn’t quite name—a strange blend of admiration and something deeper, something she knew she had no right to feel.

“Captain Berkeley,” Mirren straightened and greeted her with a smart salute.. She wanted to say more, wanted to express just how excited she was to be here, and how honoured she was to have been chosen, but instead kept her lips sealed, allowing Sawyer to have full navigation of the conversation.

“We’re scheduled to leave in fifteen minutes. I trust you’re ready?” the captain asked. When Mirren had confirmed, daring to add a little touch of humor, she added, “Good. Meet me outside when you’re ready.” Mirren hadn’t gotten the chance to utter another word before Sawyer had already turned on her heel and disappeared out of the control room, leaving Mirren feeling so winded with awe it was as if she’d been kicked hard in the gut.

Focus, Mirren,she told herself as she struggled to push away the feelings of admiration before she nearly sprang out of the room and prepared to get ready.

Five minutes later, Mirren climbed into the passenger seat of the Humvee, the heavy tires crunching over the frozen ground as they set off toward Icebreaker Station. The vehicle’s interior was cramped, the scent of leather and metal filling the air.

Mirren could feel the warmth of Sawyer’s body next to her despite the layers of clothing between them. The proximity was distracting, and she had to force herself to focus on the mission ahead, on the snow-covered landscape stretching out before them. She so badly wanted to break the silence, to pick Sawyer’s mind and find out everything about her. To learn more about who the woman was, where she came from, what some of her missions were like, if the rumors about her brutal efficiency were all true. Ultimately, however, she kept her mouth shut, only speaking when she was asked about any of the data she had already collected.

The terrain was unforgiving, a desolate expanse of white that seemed to go on forever. Snow drifts and jagged ice formations dotted the landscape, the harsh beauty of the Arctic both captivating and deadly. The vehicle jolted as it hit a patch of rough ground, and Mirren instinctively reached out to steady herself, her hand brushing against Sawyer’s arm. The contactwas brief, but it sent a surge of warmth through her, a stark contrast to the cold seeping through the vehicle’s windows.

Almost hopeful, Mirren snuck a glance over at Sawyer, but it seemed the moment had gone unnoticed to the captain. That, or Sawyer had pretended it didn’t happen.

After a long ride mostly in silent, the vehicle came to a halt in front of the outpost, the two women grabbing their gear and heading inside. Mirren stayed close behind Sawyer, watching as the older woman made her way hastily inside and immediately began to check her surroundings, while she headed for the kitchen table in the center of the room and set her instruments up there. She cracked open her laptop and launched her programs, but she couldn’t focus on the screen, her icy blue eyes instead spectating Sawyer as she moved around the room, disguising herself by keeping her head low and close to her laptop.

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