Page 16 of Snowy Secrets

"You look beautiful," he says, his eyes sweeping over me. A blush creeps up my cheeks.

"Thank you," I stammer, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.Silver fox with a tongue like honey. Just perfect, now that I'm trying my best to swear off men.

"Did you invite a boyfriend?" he asks, his tone playful.

I burst out laughing. "No, Marcus, I didn’t invite a boyfriend to come with me."

"Well, then, let me show you around." He gestures toward the cabin, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

The snow is coming down harder now, a thick blanket muffling the world outside. Inside, Marcus shows me the cozy living room with a crackling fireplace and a spacious kitchen with gleaming countertops.

We reach a room lined with bookshelves. "This is the office," Marcus says, his voice echoing slightly in the empty space.

As I step inside, a cough sounds from behind me. It's the tone, it's the sound of that voice. I'd know it from a million miles away. I wheel around, my heart almost leaping out of my chest.

Standing in the doorway, his silhouette stark against the snowy backdrop, is River.

7

RIVER

Four years ago

The rotor wash whips my face as the Black Hawk descends, the deafening roar of the blades drowning out the chaos below. Through the swirling dust, I catch glimpses of the war-torn city—crumbling buildings, plumes of black smoke, the sporadic flashes of gunfire a grim tapestry of destruction. Nothing paints a bleaker picture than the kids running around in tattered clothes, their bellies popping out of their otherwise skeletal forms. My throat itches with pain. I grip my M4 tightly, allowing the cool metal to offer a sliver of comfort to the sweat slicking my palms.

We hit the ground running, not unlike a well-oiled machine of destruction. Gunfire resounds in my ears, the sharp reports of our rifles punctuated by the deep booms of distant explosions. We move with practiced precision, weaving through the labyrinthine alleyways, each of us a cog in a deadly machine.

"Contact left!" someone yells, and we pivot, unleashing a torrent of lead into the enemy position. The acrid smell of gunpowder stings my nostrils as bodies fall. But there's no timeto dwell on the casualties. We're the tip of the spear, and we keep pushing forward.

Moving quickly, we breach a compound, grenades blooming in fiery bursts, clearing the way for our advance. The air is thick with the stench of blood and cordite. I witness a young soldier, no more than a kid, clutching his stomach, his face contorted in agony.

A medic rushes to his side, but it's too late. He's gone. Another name to add to the ever-growing list.

My team and I fight our way through the compound, room by room, the walls echoing with the thunder of gunfire. We clear each room with lethal precision, moving closer to our objective.

The enemy commander is hiding out in the main hall, cowering behind a makeshift barricade. He raises his hands in surrender, but the glint of madness in his eyes is enough to tell me he's rigged the place with explosives. His hand hovers near a detonator strapped to his vest.

"Don't do it!" I shout, aiming my rifle at his head.

He smiles. This is the face of a man who has nothing left except retribution through death of the worst kind. Nothing I say will stop him. "You're too late," he sneers, thumb pressing down on the detonator.

"Get down!" I scream, diving for cover as the room erupts in a blinding flash. The explosion throws me against a wall, pain radiating through my body. When I come to, my ears are ringing, my vision blurry. I stagger to my feet, what remains of my team converging around me.

"Everyone okay?" I croak, my throat raw.

"River, we've got multiple injuries!" shouts Blaze Martinez, her voice strained.

I look around, taking stock of the situation. Corporal Hawkins is down, blood pooling beneath him. I rush to his side, heart pounding.

"Hawk, stay with me, buddy," I urge, pressing my hands to his wound. He coughs, blood trickling from his mouth.

"Can't…feel my legs, River," he gasps, eyes wide with fear.

"Doc! I need you here now!" I scream, my voice breaking.

Lieutenant Samuel Anders slides in beside me, his hands already working, but one look at his face tells me everything I need to know. The chances are slim.

"I'm sorry, River," Doc whispers, continuing to work, but the light in Hawk's eyes is fading

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