Page 16 of Bullets and Dandelions

“Where is the microdot?”

“Next to my social security number.”

Sergeant Stone removed my dog tags and examined them. “I’ll be damned. Tex!”

“Sir?” Tex reminded me of a muscle-bound surfer dude.

“Take care of her arm and don’t let her out of your sight.” Sergeant Stone dropped me like I had a contagious disease.

“Yes, sir.”

Lieutenant Moss walked over to us. “Reynolds is still my prisoner.”

“Not for long.” Sergeant Stone pulled out a satellite phone.

“I notified General Grandville of the situation, and he is sending a team to retrieve her.”

“Reynolds isn’t going anywhere until she’s been debriefed,” Sergeant Stone shot back.

Lieutenant Moss got in his face. “You have no jurisdiction over her.”

Stone typed a code into his phone. “Let’s see what my commander has to say about that.”

I smiled. No one was paying attention to me. I took a step back, then another and another.

No one noticed.

I ducked behind the air-conditioning unit and looked over the side of the building. There were enough handholds I could easily free climb down. I swung my legs over the wall and lowered myself to a small window ledge.

A large hand clamped around my right wrist and Sergeant Stone dead lifted me back onto the roof. “Going somewhere?”

Damn, he was strong. “I have a man to kill.”

“Unarmed?”

“I’m never unarmed. Put me down,” I snapped.

His cold gaze searched my face.

“Put.”

“Me.”

“Down.”

Stone growled. “You need to learn to obey orders and respect your superiors.”

“I’m not a Marine.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I was suddenly upside down and the bastard was removing my boot knife and derringer. I tried to kick him, but I couldn’t get any leverage. “Put me down!”

“Yes, ma’am.” He dropped me on my head.

Swinging my right leg out, I knocked Stone off his feet and smiled as he smacked the rooftop hard.

“You little hellion!” He pinned me down.

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