Tactical Strike by Kaylea Cross Page B

brow. “Yeah, you’ve been really quiet lately.”
    “She means you haven’t been your bossy and opinionated self,”
Maya put in. “We kind of miss it.”
    Candace grinned. “Yeah, I’ll bet you do.” As much as she loved
her roomies, she couldn’t tell them about the growing, illogical anxiety. It was
like her subconscious was trying to warn her about an impending disaster. The
last thing she wanted was for anyone to see her as fearful and weak. She’d
rather die than be those things. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m okay.” The
reading probably wasn’t the best idea. What she should do was focus on the
upcoming mission. “Think I just need some sleep, is all.”
    “Go on then,” Maya said. “Stick your earplugs in and catch some
zees while you can. I want my bossy roommate back again.”
    “With any luck you’ll see her again tomorrow,” Candace
answered, fishing her earplugs out.
    Honor stood suddenly. “Well, the muffin was great but I’m still
starving, so I’ll just head out for some chow now before I start my next shift.
Erin’s on day shift at the hospital, so you’ll have the place to yourself all
day. It’ll be nice and quiet for you.”
    Candace glanced at Maya. “You don’t have to leave too.”
    “It’s okay. Time for my workout anyhow.” She tugged a knit cap
over her dark hair, her dark bun sticking out beneath it.
    She shook her head at her friend’s discipline. “You’re
relentless. Do a mile for me while you’re at it.”
    “Will do.” Following Honor, Maya paused near the door to plug
in her requisite earbuds to stream a constant barrage of hip-hop before looking
back at her. “Sure you don’t want to join me?”
    Candace snorted. “Yeah, no. I’m not into masochism.”
    Maya snickered and muttered something in Spanish Ace didn’t
quite catch, then left her alone in the B-hut.
    With a sigh, Candace lay back and tucked a hand behind her
head, once again thinking about Ryan. That touch had completely thrown her. He’d
caught her off guard and while she probably should have slapped his hand away,
the overt concern in his eyes had stopped her. Maybe he did like her on some
level other than sexual after all. A part of her had wanted to step closer until
she could take a deep breath of his scent into her lungs and lay her head
against his solid shoulder.
    Her thoughts kept circling back to the night in the hospital
with Devon, while they were waiting for word about Cam. He’d cradled Dev in his
arms and comforted her while Candace had stroked her back helplessly. That
tender, protective side of him had completely melted her. Did he really care
about her that much too?
    “For God’s sake, enough already.”
She refused to dwell on him anymore. Rolling to her side, she put in her
earplugs. It felt like she had sand under her eyelids when she closed them, but
that wasn’t the most irritating part.
    It was that she couldn’t get the image of Ryan’s face out of
her head.

Chapter Three
    “So the rumors are true?” Khalid moved away from the
others gathered around the small pre-dawn warming fire so he could hear
Nasrallah better through the hand-held radio.
    Static crackled in the background for a moment before the
general replied. “Yes, it’s true. The attack is set for early tomorrow
morning.”
    Despite the freezing temperature and his numb lips, Khalid
smiled. “That is good news.” Finally, they were hitting the Americans where they
felt safest. It might be a small attack, but the statement behind it was clear.
He and the other survivors had not been defeated in the last battle. There would
always be martyrs willing to die in the holy cause of ridding their homeland of
the infidel occupiers.
    The Americans were oblivious, of course. It gave Khalid a
fierce sense of satisfaction to know that one of their own had orchestrated this
latest attack. The greedy, bullying capitalists had enemies everywhere, even
within their own ranks.
    The radio chirped again.