Page 80 of Stand Fast

“Yeah. Maybe I will.” Zaid looked at him. “We ready for the next meeting?”

He nodded. “In about five minutes.”

Zaid turned and started for the building, then stopped. “Crap. Left my gear in the helo.”

“I’ll grab it. You go take five.” He strode around the far side of the building where the Blackhawk crew was still inspecting their damaged aircraft. The tail section looked like Swiss cheese, and the right side of the fuselage didn’t look much better. It still amazed him that his team had made it back here in one piece.

He climbed inside the open door to grab Zaid’s gear. When he emerged, the crew chief was by the tail section, talking to one of the pilots, whose body told him was a woman. Reid nodded at them and started to turn for the building, but stopped when the pilot pulled her helmet off to reveal honey-blond hair twisted into a knot at the base of her neck.

He stared in astonishment at the pretty female pilot he recognized, trying to remember her name. Something Russian or Polish that ended in “ski”. He’d seen her around Bagram a few times, and at a couple of the briefings. Was she army? DEA?

She gave him a tired smile and nodded back. “How’s your team?” she asked.

He unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth and found his voice. “We’re all fine, thanks to you. Your bird sure took one hell of a beating out there.”

She gazed at the Blackhawk with a fond expression. “She did. But she still got us home.”

“No,yougot us home.” It freaking amazed him that anyone could have flown back with a bird that badly damaged. “That was some damn fine flying.”

The smile she flashed him hit him square in the chest, taking him off guard along with the flare of interest he felt. The first time he’d experienced it in…well, forever. “Just doing my job. And I’ve got a great crew. Have a good night.”

“You too.” He walked back into the building and joined his teammates for the next meeting. But even as his commander got down to business, Reid couldn’t get that gorgeous smile out of his head.

Chapter Twenty

I’m back at base now, Zaid’s text read.Got time to talk?

Jaliya wouldmakethe time. It had been eight days since she’d last seen him. She needed to hear his voice, have the conversation she’d been dreading. Ironically he and the rest of FAST Bravo were all back at Bagram now, and she was here in Kabul. But with their crazy schedules over the past week, they’d only been able to talk over the phone a handful of times.

You have to let him go,her conscience told her.

She ruthlessly dismissed the thought. There had to be a workable solution to resolve the geographical obstacle between them.

She’d wracked her brain for the past eight days, and the only thing she had to show for it was the continued determination to fight for her man. With her career up in the air now and Zaid based out of D.C., how were they supposed to make anything work long-term? She could apply for a position there, or maybe even with another agency where she could utilize her skill set and experience, but that didn’t mean she’d get the posting.

It might be far kinder to both of them to say goodbye…except that wasn’t an option for her. The man held her heart in the palm of his hand.

She strode to her hotel room window and sank into a chair as she dialed Zaid, gazing out at the snow-capped mountains in the distance as the dial tone droned in her ear. She was still reeling from everything that had happened over the past twelve hours.

When the agency decided on something, they moved fast. With Nasar rotting in a max security cell at an undisclosed black CIA facility in Eastern Europe and the DEA making good progress in uncovering his vast network, the most critical job was done.

“Hey,” Zaid answered, a smile in his low, sexy voice.

She couldn’t help but smile back, even though her heart was heavy. She missed him so much it hurt. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, this is perfect, actually.”

Sounds of a scuffle and shouting erupted in the background. She frowned. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Maka’s getting the beating he deserves for shooting Hamilton in the head with a Nerf dart, and the other guys are jumping in to get their revenge for the same.”

Um… “Okay…”

“It’s damn entertaining, I gotta say, but as much as I love watching this, I’d rather hear your voice. Gimme a sec.” The background noise receded and a moment later all was quiet. “There we go. So, how’re things?”

“Good.” She took a deep breath and just said it. “Well, not really. I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?” He sounded shocked.

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