The three soldiers sat around the table in momentary silence as the enormity of Dean’s words sank in. Cara knew all about fighting in far-off places, in hot, dusty lands miles away from her beloved home soil. She never imagined she would have to defend herself against her own countrymen. The news hit her like a brick, and she renewed her conviction to do all she could to prevent any more lives being lost.
Dean sat at the head of the table, his face solemn and still. “We must remain vigilant at all times because all of us are targets. Anything suspicious needs to be reported to me immediately, any time of the day or night. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.
“I reckon we’d all like a hot shower,” he said, breaking into an unconvincing smile. “I’ll check the cabin is secure while you two take advantage of the hot water.”
Cara drained her coffee cup, noticing Gomez watching her from the corner of his eye. She stared at him defiantly, pulling her chin up high. He looked away and headed out the door, leaving her alone with Dean.
“How do you feel?” he asked, sitting in a chair next to her. He put his hand on top of hers. “Your swelling has subsided, but you’re shaking a little.”
“I’m fine,” she said, moving her hand and placing it in her lap. “Thank you for everything you did for me, sir. I appreciate it.”
“We have to trust each other, Hanson. And help each other.”
“Gomez doesn’t trust me.”
Dean laughed. “Don’t take it personally. Gomez trusts no one. He’s a lone wolf.”
She looked at her hands, clasped together on her knees. “I’m sorry that you feel it necessary to look after me. It’s disappointing to find out I’m not accepted as one of the team.”
A confused look fell over his face. He had grown more stubble since the start of the mission, and his face looked broader and darker.
She brought her face up to meet his. “I don’t want to be a problem.”
He narrowed his eyes as realization dawned.
“You were listening to my conversation with Gomez?”
“Yes.”
He sighed. “Special Forces don’t usually fight alongside regular infantry soldiers on these top-secret assignments. This mission has taken a very dangerous turn and, as your commanding officer, it’s my job to keep you safe.”
She lifted her head high. “Are you sure you want to keep me safe because I’m infantry and not because I’m a woman?”
He ran his hands through his hair. She knew it was a sign of frustration.
“Your mission brief was to terminate a target. Period. We didn’t expect it to turn into guerrilla warfare. This is not your war, Hanson. This kind of dirty war is best left to the experts.”
She decided she would read between the lines. “Best left to the men, you mean?”
His eyes locked on hers and he stared at her with such strength that she felt her toes curling.
“Don’t start making assumptions about what I mean,” he said defensively. “Your job is to take orders, not challenge them.”
Her anger started to slowly simmer beneath her skin. She felt as if he were dismissing her, preventing her from playing her part in protecting those around her. She rose from the table and started to walk toward the door.
“I should know my place, huh?” she muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, he was there, in front of her, standing so close that his huge frame dwarfed her own. He was breathing hard. She saw his nostrils flare as his chest rose and fell.
“I am your commanding officer and insolence like that will not be tolerated,” he said in a low, deep growl. “It is my job to guard your safety. Am I making myself understood?”
She said nothing.
“Sergeant,” he said. “You will address me and answer my question.”
She brought her heels together, snapped her hand into a salute and fixed her eyes on the wall.
“Yes, sir.”
He didn’t move while she maintained her salute. He was waiting for her gaze to shift to his, but it was resolutely trained on a spot on the wall—on a picture of a woodland scene. She imagined herself in the picture, taking aim on a tree far in the distance. She saw her father in her mind, encouraging her to trust in her skill and take the shot. For her seventh birthday, he’d bought her a small air rifle. She adored that rifle and, from that moment on, she spent hours practicing hitting tin cans off the wall in the meadow. Her dad nicknamed her “crack-shot Cara” and began to enter her into shooting competitions when she turned ten. She had a cabinet full of trophies at the family hunting cabin on the banks of Bear Lake in Utah. Her chest hurt as she thought of how she’d let him down. She should have prevented it. She replayed the accident over and over in her mind, but the outcome was always the same. A bullet always took him from her. That would not happen to Dean.
Finally, he spoke. “At ease, Sergeant.”
She stood at ease for a few seconds before turning on her heel and marching out the door. She left the kitchen and marched down the hallway, never missing a step until she reached her bedroom door and went inside. She then heard Dean leave the cabin, slamming the back door behind him. She sank to the floor and put her head in her hands. Keeping this man safe from harm was the biggest challenge she had faced yet.
* * *
Dean shone the flashlight into the outhouse, sending insects scuttling from its bright glare. He pulled his hooded sweatshirt up over his head, shielding himself against the rain that had begun to fall. He kicked at the grass as he walked, angry with himself for allowing his temper to flare. Cara didn’t deserve to be treated like that. It wasn’t her fault. The truth was, he just couldn’t answer her question so it was easier to evade it, instead.
He couldn’t stop the emotions that were stirring within him. His overwhelming desire was to protect this petite, beautiful soldier and deliver her back to base unharmed. He knew it was irrational. She was a fully trained, combat-ready member of the Fifth Infantry Regiment—the fierce “Bobcats.” She didn’t need his protection any more than Gomez did. She was strong and feisty, standing straight and confident before him, never flinching under his stare. She challenged everything he thought he knew about women.
He walked to the front of the cabin, to the yellow glow of light that was streaming from her bedroom. He imagined her inside, cleaning her rifle, carefully slotting each piece into place, before raising it to her cheek and lining up a target. She was the most determined and committed soldier he’d ever encountered, clearly driven by a need to prove herself. He should be commending her, not stifling her. Maybe she had a point; maybe he did treat her differently because she was a woman. He resolved to suppress this instinct to safeguard her. At least until she was back to fighting strength.
He turned his back to her window and stopped dead. The gate to the yard was wide-open. He knew he had checked it earlier that afternoon and it was firmly shut. He pulled his M9 pistol from his holster, flattening his back against the rough wood of the exterior wall and inching his way to the front door. It was a dark and rainy night, moonlight was scant and the movement of the trees in the wind could provide ample cover for any would-be assailant. He moved slowly and steadily around the cabin, his senses alert. The gate banged on its post, sending a thud echoing through the dark silence.
As he reached the front door, a noise caught his attention. He squinted into the darkness and saw a dark shape crouching in front of the rusty