Page 2 of S.O.S. Mizzay

“Fuck,” Grogan rasped, standing opposite to Missy, having entered across the room from where she’d come in. “Are they all…?”

Missy didn’t know. She wanted to scream at the senseless slaughter, but instead gave a succinct nod. It sure looked like everyone in the office was dead.

Cobble…

Wanting nothing more than to weep at the injustice of it all, Missy knew she had to hide her feelings. She was in charge, and there was work to do. She swallowed back bile and assessed.

The bodies of five UN Peacekeepers, riddled with bullets, lay strewn across the floor. Next to and amongst them were Missy’s Squad C, all unmoving and covered with massive amounts of blood.

Winch was laying on his back with his eyes wide open. He still had his radio gripped in his hand. Missy rushed to his side, pulled off her tactical gloves, and leaning down, laid her fingers along the side of his neck. It was a completely useless gesture. He was already gone, and she knew it.

Missy sucked in a breath, nearly gagging at the stench of gun-powder, blood, and other bodily effluents that flooded her nostrils.

One of her team was vomiting behind her, and she didn’t blame them. It was pure anger and adrenaline that kept her from losing her stomach’s contents, as well. Although if she foundCobble lifeless amongst the bodies, her stoicism would be sorely tested.

“Check for signs of life,” Missy managed, reaching up to close Winch’s eyes. She leaned down to whisper in his ear. “You were a good man,” she choked out, fighting back tears for a life lost too soon. “I’ll make sure your wife knows that you died a hero.” Winch, she knew, not only had a wife, but three kids at home. Kids who would never see him again.

Her resolve hardened. This heinous crime would not go unanswered.

She inched over toward the next man.

A stranger. He too, was gone.

A large boot caught her eye, and following its length, her gaze traversed up a muscled, familiar, camo-clad leg, leading to…

Cobble.

Missy nearly choked out a groan. Her heart thumped hard in her chest.No. Please. He couldn’t be dead. Losing so many good men was hard enough, but there was something so very special about this man who had, in the past, made her…take notice.

When working with him, she’d become almost girly at times; something no one had ever accused her of before. Cobble was just so…compelling. A stunning man who embraced life; grabbing onto everything the world had to offer with both hands.

And she wasn’t blind. Missy couldn’t help but be attracted to not only his constant, upbeat attitude, but his chiseled face with its scruffy five o-clock shadow, the blond hair she’d love to test with her fingers for softness, and his gorgeous physique; all tight hips and massive shoulders. The man was gorgeous, sunshine personified, and…

Dead?

Her body went cold.

Would she ever see Cobble’s smile again? Would he ever again brighten her day with an arcane piece of knowledge?

Right now, his face was barely recognizable beneath the blood streaming from—

Streaming!

Holy shit!

Missy scrambled forward.

A dead man’s heart didn’t pump blood.

Hands shaking, Missy reached for his pulse and found a weak one. Almost undetectable, but there.

Cobble was alive.

She yelled into her radio. “Command. We need immediate medical assistance, an emergency evac, and an extraction team.” Missy did a quick count. “Eighteen men down: eleven soldiers and UN personnel, as well as seven insurgents.” She hated to add, “Most presumed dead.” She gave the building’s location and received an affirmative just as squad B entered the building, coming to a stop at the devastation that met their eyes.

Missy instantly addressed Turner, squad B’s leader and their platoon’s medic. “Cobble’s still alive.” She was amazed that her voice worked.

Turner strode forward and dropped to his knees beside his teammate, immediately beginning triage.

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