“Romance, huh. What’s your favorite book?”
“Too many to name.” Ali rested the tablet on her chest. “It’s sad that reading LesFic is a normal part of my life back home, but it’s illegal in this part of the world. I probably should have told you about the eBooks. I’m sorry.”
“No, but you are taking a chance. Can I see your tablet?”
“With the eBook app, you can organize novels in several ways.” Ali clicked on the main menu and handed it over. “I have my most recent up front. Feel free to browse.”
Lynn perused the menu and made her selection. As her eyes settled on the page, she read to herself: Taking a firm grip on her hips, she made soft swirls around her clit with her tongue before sucking forcefully. Lynn handed the tablet back to Ali. “It’s one way to entertain yourself.” The passage had instantly jump-started her libido. She rolled over to the wall, hiding her flushed face.
Through giggles, Ali said, “Falling for Love: A West Virginia Romance by Addison M. Conley. A good story with just the right amount of sex. I’ll loan you the tablet if you want.”
“Keep it down, or someone’s going to hear you.”
Ali continued to laugh, and Lynn rolled back halfway on top of her and covered her mouth. The softness of Ali’s lips on her hand started a tingle rippling through her body. Ali’s deep chocolate-brown eyes turned from mirth to desire. Lynn settled on her back. Staring at the ceiling. I want to kiss her so bad.
Ali propped her face on a cocked elbow and stared down at Lynn with a wicked grin. “You’re a lesbian.” Ali held up the tablet. “Why do you have trouble reading a few sensual scenes?”
“You mean erotica.”
“A few sex scenes within a novel is not erotica. I don’t usually buy erotica.” She wiggled her eyebrows and said in a low growl, “Well, I do have a few books. But your problem is you’re too vanilla. You barely touched me in Kabul and certainly nothing that I’d consider sex.”
“I can’t believe this is happening. First, you barely talk to me, then apologize and decide we can be friends. Now, you tease me in bed. What’s next?”
Ali leaned in, and Lynn could feel her breath and smell the scent of her skin. The tingling amplified in her core.
“Lynn, I understand how hard you’ve worked for your career. But we’re in the middle of fucking Taliban country on a dinky fifty-man platoon combat base. We’re in a locked room sleeping on a pad on the floor.” Ali moved her lips to Lynn’s ear. “I dare you to speak truthfully. What do I mean to you?”
Lynn swallowed. Control. “You’ve always been more than a friend.”
“You have a funny way of showing it. Today was close. We could have died any minute.”
Over the past two years, no one had come close to Lynn’s heart like Ali. She was the only one Lynn truly wanted. Rules be damned. Lynn tenderly kissed Ali.
“I care for you deeply, but we shouldn’t go further. We need to get some sleep.”
The scream, No way! She’s not doing this to me again, roared in Ali’s head. Ali rolled on Lynn, pinned her arms above her head, and kissed her. Lynn barely struggled, then fell into a rhythm.
Ali broke contact but kept her face close, brushing her lips against Lynn. She loosened her grip and caressed the palms of Lynn’s hands with her fingertips while her mouth moved to Lynn’s neck, kissing and sucking. Her leg glided steadily, rubbing between Lynn’s thighs through the thin shorts.
“Ali.” Lynn’s voice was barely audible.
“Shush.”
Ali drew Lynn in for another hot kiss. Their tongues danced gently as Ali’s hand slid down to the hem of Lynn’s shorts, slowly tracing figure eights over the area below her belly button. Lynn moaned as Ali’s hand moved underneath her underwear. Ali teased with gentle swirls, then entered Lynn delicately. As she picked up the pace, Lynn moaned.
At climax, Ali enjoyed the way Lynn’s muscles spasmed around her fingers while her heart pounded and body quivered. When Lynn’s glazed-over eyes became more focused out of their lustful daze, Ali said, “Please, make love to me.”
Lynn caressed Ali’s cheek. Letting her hand trail down her neck, shoulder, and arm. She rolled Ali over onto her back, scrunched up the T-shirt, and took a minute to admire her full breasts. “So beautiful,” she whispered.
Slowly and delicately, Lynn circled one of Ali’s nipples, first with her fingertip then her tongue. She teased and flicked the bud before finally taking it into her mouth and sucking hard while her other hand cradled Ali’s other breast. With Ali’s breathing deepening, she dipped between Ali’s legs, lightly exploring. Her fingers moved faster and sunk into Ali’s core as she ravished her breasts.
Ali’s sighs were soft, and her hand massaged Lynn’s head, urging her to suck harder. “Don’t stop.” Lynn did so anyway, smiling into Ali’s face.
“Stop teasing. More, please,” Ali said. She pushed Lynn’s head to the other breast and gasped. Lynn increased the stimulation, pleased at Ali’s response. When Ali became too loud, Lynn’s other hand covered her mouth. Soon, Ali arched in waves of pleasure until she lay limp.
Rolling over, Lynn stared at the ceiling, listening to their ragged breathing. She never wanted this to be their first time, but Ali was right. They could die at any minute. After a moment of peace, guilt seeped in and gnawed at Lynn. Why can’t I tell her about the op? She’s going to be upset when she finds out.
Ali slid her finger down Lynn’s temple to her lips. “Why did we wait so long?”
Lynn pulled her near and lightly kissed her forehead. “We need to get some sleep.” She grasped Ali’s hand and kissed her palm. “Always know that I’ve only wanted the best for you. I would never intentionally do you any harm.”
“Then don’t leave me heartbroken. Let’s explore a relationship after this deployment.”
Lynn hesitated. “That might be possible. Get some rest now. I need you sharp and hitting the ground tomorrow.”
Ali curled up on her side and closed her eyes, but not before slipping her hand into Lynn’s.
Chapter 23
The wind outside loosened the tent ventilation flap, and it whipped back and forth. More of the fine dust seeped through. Lynn fastened it quickly. Damn storm. Glad, we got off the combat outpost before this hit.
Her watch chimed a two-minute warning. With her scarf wrapped around her face, she slipped on her desert goggles and stepped outside.
Beep. Beep.
She leaned into the gusts and trudged towards the sound of the truck horn. Grains of sand pelted her as she walked, stinging the small amount of exposed skin. Judging the surrounding area, visibility appeared to be about a hundred feet. She yanked open the truck door and jumped in next to Evans.
“There is no logical reason to be out in this storm. Did anyone question you?”
Evans calmly said, “Of course they did. I told them that you insisted on picking up supplies that came in a couple of days ago at the airport and wanted to visit church afterward, and that while you’re okay on your own, I felt better driving you.” He smirked as he cautiously began to drive well below the speed limit. “I also may have painted you a little batshit crazy. As for the sandstorm, this is nothing! A real haboob has less than a foot of visibility and shuts everything down. Luckily, they occur in the summer, and we’ll miss that excitement.”
“Are you making progress?”
“I should ask you the same question. Did you get anywhere with Ali?”
“Why did you tell her it was a one-day job?”
“You know that enduring hardship in close quarters often brings people closer together. Is she at least talking to you?”
“Yes, but she had no sleeping bag. We were lucky the unit had blankets.”
“And what happened?”
“I think we re-established our friendship.”
“A few kisses or make-out session wouldn’t hurt to sweeten her up.”
“I told you to drop the subject! Let me worry about her. You take care of
the technical part! What happened while I was gone? Did you get the software installed? What about the imaging?”
“I finished the day you left. Task Force and Colonel Peterson are monitoring. The Brigade has five laptops approved for outside use. Two are authorized for secret read-only info, and the other three are for unclassified data. All require prior approval of the Army Corps—”
“I’m aware of basic security protocol.” Lynn rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Last month, a national guardsman working for DIA returned home, claiming someone had used his computer without authorization. After a thorough out-processing interview, DIA had a repairman come in, but he actually swapped out key components to send back to investigators. The Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center and our guys have been working together. They found some encrypted files and sections of the hard drive that were wiped clean. The interesting part is that no one has been able to crack the encryption, and they haven’t been able to recover the wiped files.”
Lynn’s eyes grew wide. “The best in cyber forensics can’t figure it out? It would take one sharp, tech-savvy criminal to achieve that level of expertise. Have headquarters scour the backgrounds of all Brigade soldiers with specialty training.”
“Already done. They’ll have an answer for us in a couple of days.” Evans shifted gears as the sand swirled around them.
“Good call.” She smacked Evans’s shoulder. “Now, please slow down a bit.”
Three days passed and still nothing tangible. Lynn stepped out of the Operations Center and returned with a coffee in her hand.
“I’m hurt, Major. You didn’t think of your second in command when you grabbed your cup of joe?”
“Sorry, Master Sergeant. You have two legs. Get your own.”
Evans closed his station down and leaned against the post next to Lynn’s computer. “I think I’ll do that on the way to the counter-IED unit. They requested we stop by. We should get started, or I won’t be able to get a drink.”
“Well, we certainly wouldn’t want that tragedy to happen. I think I’ll drive today.” Lynn held out her hand for the keys.
A half-cocked smile showed on Evans’s face. Gee, no sourpuss face today. Maybe he is human.
Farther down the road, he said, “It’s a beautiful day, Major.”
“Cut the sugar, Evans. What have you got?”
“Task Force identified two people with specialized computer training. One is in security in charge of computer re-imagining, no surprise there, but the other is Captain Dalton. He works closely with Major Ratcliffe, who has access to the top-secret computers in the Brigade headquarters that interface with the laptops. Ratcliffe’s job gives him a perfect reason to have an office there and in this building.”
“What about outside meetings?”
“The log was encrypted, and I couldn’t crack it. Headquarters is handling it. And guess who controls it?”
“My bet would be Ratcliffe.”
Evans gleamed at her from the passenger seat. “Yes indeed. Turns out that Dalton’s training is far above normal. He has a master’s in cybersecurity and coding.”
“Why isn’t he an NSA officer?”
“Dalton was slated to go work for NSA, but that didn’t happen after he punched out his commanding officer six years ago.”
“Why wasn’t he court-martialed?”
“The commanding officer dropped the charges. There was some speculation that Dalton had smut on the guy.” Evans made a drumroll sound on the dashboard with his hands. “Also, it seems that pretty boy Dalton was passed over for promotion in his last review. If he doesn’t make it this next cycle, he’s out.”
“There’s a motive, but it sounds too smooth. Why is Dalton still around if he’s a bad apple?”
“Well, his father was retired General James Dalton. Died last year.”
Lynn flinched. “And I bet the Brigade’s colonel came up the ranks with the general.”
“Bingo. Now, dear major. What is our next plan? Without an electronic fingerprint, we’ve got nothing substantial on these guys.”
“I’ve arranged for us to borrow a Brigade secret laptop. We need to upload a new lab program that propagates tracking bugs to the other laptops. Apparently, our buddies at Langley are now willing to share.”
“Excellent. I love new toys.” He grinned and twiddled his long slender fingers.
“Easy, boy genius and stop with the Mr. Burns imitation. It freaks me out.”
“Who’s Mr. Burns?” His face was blank.
Lynn shook her head, “Never mind. Anyway, the hard part’s beginning.”
“And what’s that?”
“It’s your turn to cozy up for information to the woman in computer re-imaging.”
“I’ve already been flirting with her.”
“You’ve been flirting?”
“Relax. It’s innocent, and I’m just doing it for the mission. Now, what about Ms. Clairmont?”
“Don’t worry about her. Mind your tech issues.”
“Have you had a little rendezvous?”
“Stop!”
Lynn pulled over to the side of the road and stomped on the breaks. The truck jerked to a stop, and she spun towards Evans. “I care about Ali deeply. Your needling me is annoying the piss out of me, and,” she pointed her finger, “it’s none of your business.” She wet her chapped lips. The chalky taste of dust and something unknown didn’t help the roiling in her stomach.
He studied her intently. “My apology for implying otherwise. I didn’t mean any disrespect. I can see that you love her.”
I’m about ready to wring your neck. Frak. I bet he’s reporting on me as much as I’m reporting on Ali. She plastered on a smile.
“Ah, Evans. You know soldiers, especially enlisted, don’t talk like you.” She let the words sink in. His facial expression didn’t change, but his body stiffened.
“I’m a little different, but that’s my techie side.”
Lynn waggled her finger. Stay calm. “Nope. It’s your ultra-spook side. So, I’ll stay out of your business, and you stay out of my business. I’ll handle Ali. Got it?”
“Loud and clear, Major.”
“You know, if you threw in some humor and varied your voice inflection a bit more, you wouldn’t come across as some hybrid between Borg and Cylon.” He blinked a few times, and a genuine look of confusion clouded his face. She sighed. “You know for a techie, it’s hard to believe you’ve never watched Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica.”
She put the truck in gear and headed out.
Chapter 24
“You’re quiet.” Ali touched Lynn’s arm.
“Just thinking about crazy feedback from Fort Meade on the daily report I have to file.” Lynn shifted gears. “And I think the truck needs some maintenance.”
“Thanks for inviting me. The gym and shoppette are nicer on this side of the base.”
“Yes.”
They had grown closer, but guilt filled Lynn. The tech side was not yielding enough evidence. She twice requested that Ali be read into the op, and both times, the request was denied. Instead, Admiral Kent ordered her to increase interactions and butter up Ali to the max.
“Lynn, I want to apologize for the night at the combat outpost. I shouldn’t have taken it further. I’m sorry I jeopardized your career.”
“It was mutual. I think we’re working well together. From now on though, we need to think of the mission first. After this deployment, maybe we can be more, but for now, let’s leave sex out of the equation.”
Ali dropped her hand and faced the side window.
Frak. I was cold. Lynn pulled the truck over. “Ali, look at me.” The knife twisted deeper into Lynn’s stomach when Ali turned. Her face looked devastated. “Come here.” Lynn wrapped an arm around her. “DADT’s going to fall sooner or later.” She kissed Ali’s forehead. “I care for you deeply, but the military is a slow beast to change.” Lynn cupped her face. “That�
��s all I can give now. Please be patient. Let’s get through this deployment alive and not court-martialed.”
“Agree, but I don’t want a future where I’m the lover in the shadows.” Ali had a bittersweet smile. “Think about us seriously.” She raised her finger. “And don’t ever rip my heart out again.”
“I promise. Right now, let’s get to the gym and do a little shopping.” Lynn combated her inner demons. One screaming what a jerk she was and the other crying. She swallowed and pushed it all away for the mission.
After an hour at the gym, they showered and walked around the shoppette. Lynn bought a book of crossword puzzles while Ali got a new shirt, and they each purchased a slushy drink and walked to the garden. It wasn’t much, a fifty-foot by one-hundred-foot lot with grass, but it was the only greenery on base.
The flags of the U.S., Afghanistan, and each of the services on base fluttered in the wind on tall flagpoles. Red rosebushes next to a small memorial contrasted against the dust and rock elsewhere on base.
“This pales in comparison to the garden at ISAF headquarters. I miss our times meandering through the roses.”
“Yeah, that place was gorgeous.” Lynn bit her lip. She missed those moments, too. Life rushed by, but those moments with Ali among the roses always remained fresh in Lynn’s mind. She motioned to a bench. “You said something the other day that started me thinking. Something about Captain Dalton.”
Ali let out a sigh. “You mean the arrogant, pompous ass.”
Lynn crossed her ankles and leaned back. “He’s a bit odd.”
“Odd doesn’t even begin to describe him unless you mean he has a Darth Vader personality.”
A couple of people walked by but didn’t stay. “He’s gone a lot from the Operations Center. Do you know where he goes?”
“Why are you this interested? He’s not under your command.”
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