Breaking Silence (Delta Force Strong Book 1)

by Elle James

  Rucker frowned. “How are you getting there?”

  “We usually have a driver take us, and two additional vehicles with armed soldiers as escorts.”

  He was sure that his commander had something on the slate for his team the next day but considering that last night’s mission had ended in near disaster, he suspected they wouldn’t be going out the following day. A plan formed. He’d make certain he was on the detail taking Nora to the orphanage, even if he had to give up some much-needed rest to do it. He’d gone days without sleep before. He could do it again.

  Something about her made him want to spend more time with her. Maybe it was her long, lithe form, or the savage way she’d spiked a volleyball. He would bet his paycheck that she was as passionate in bed as she was on the volleyball court.

  Too bad he wouldn’t find out.

  Nora was on her way home soon.

  As well, he had no idea how long the team would be in Afghanistan. Probably until they captured Abdul Akund. Since their intelligence had been faulty to the point of almost fatal, it was now a matter of pride and payback to find the bastard and the people who’d set them up to take the fall. Dash could’ve been killed in that explosion.

  They entered the chow hall together. The lights were brightly lit inside for the personnel working the night shift. Though food choices weren’t as varied, they were able to find ham and bread for ham sandwiches.

  Loading up a tray full of food, they headed back to the medical facility, passed Nurse Williams’ empty office and continued down the hallway to Dash’s room.

  The nurse and doctor were leaving as they approached.

  “Is he going to live?” Rucker asked.

  “If he’s feeling this good in the morning, I’ll sign his release. A couple days light duty should be sufficient,” the doctor said.

  Captain Williams nodded. “He’s lucky he got off that lightly.” She eyed the tray. “Good thing you came with the food. He’s starting to get irritable.”

  Rucker chuckled. “That’s how he operates. I keep a granola bar handy when he gets cranky.”

  “Get that boy some granola bars,” the doctor said. “No food restrictions. We didn’t see any bleeding on the brain, and other than some bruised ribs and a few lacerations we sewed up, he should be ready for duty in a couple of days.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Rucker said. “Thanks, Doc.”

  “I’m calling it a night, Lieutenant,” Captain William said. “I’ll need to go over the charts with you before I leave.”

  “Coming,” Nora said.

  “I can feed the beast,” Rucker said.

  Nora left him to follow the captain to her office. The doctor disappeared through another door, and Rucker pushed through the door into Dash’s room.

  “Sweet Jesus,” Dash said. “I swear I must have a tapeworm. I’m hungry enough to eat everything on that tray and the tray itself.”

  “You’ll have to share. One of these sandwiches is mine.”

  “Hey, I’m the injured party here. I should be allowed to eat all the sandwiches.”

  Rucker handed Dash a napkin.

  The point man tucked it beneath his chin and held out his hands for the ham sandwich. Once he had it, he sank his teeth into the bread and meat, moaning noisily. “Oh, yeah. Now, we’re talking.” After he’d consumed the entire sandwich and washed it down with a carton of milk, he sighed, leaned back against the pillow and closed his eyes.

  “How do you feel?” Rucker asked.

  “Like a truck hit me.” He popped his eyes open and looked at Rucker. “Thanks for getting me out.”

  “Had to,” Rucker said. “Says in my contract with the Army, leave no man behind.” He laughed. “Besides, I don’t want your job as point man. Too risky.”

  “You think?” Dash pressed his fingers to his temples. “They gave me a painkiller. I hope it kicks in soon.”

  “It should. What do you want me to tell the CO?”

  “What the doctor said. They’ll let me loose in the morning. After a day in my quarters, I should be good to return to duty.”

  Rucker frowned. “That’s not what I heard. The good doc said a couple of days. Not one day.”

  “A day here, a day there. I’m fine. Just a headache and a few bruises. Nothing I wouldn’t have gotten playing basketball with you dumbasses.” He closed his eyes again, a smile pulling at his lips. “Or volleyball. Speaking of which…I can see why you liked playing so much. She’s hot. I might have to take up the sport while I’m convalescing.”

  Rucker set aside his half-eaten sandwich, suddenly not all that hungry. “She ships out in less than a week.”

  “Plenty of time to get in a game or two,” Dash said.

  Rucker’s fists clenched. “She’s not playing between now and her departure.”

  Dash opened his eyes in narrow slits. “So, you asked.” He grinned. “Is she playing hard to get?”

  “She’s a rule follower.”

  “Pulled the old fraternization card, did she?” Dash nodded. “I’ve had women who vowed to be celibate only to give it up when my charm and wit became too much to resist.”

  Rucker snorted. “Since when have you had a relationship with an officer?”

  Dash’s smile faded. “It happened. It’s over. I’m over it. No one was court-martialed, or I wouldn’t be here today licking my wounds.”

  “I didn’t know that.” Rucker shook his head.

  “Yeah, well, now you do.” Dash frowned. “But that’s between me, you and the IV bag. Wouldn’t want anyone to lose his or her job because of me. Besides, it would never have worked. We had different goals in life.”

  “What goals?”

  “I wanted someone forever.” He shrugged. “She didn’t.”

  “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

  “Like I said. It wasn’t meant to be.”

  “And anything between me and the pretty lieutenant isn’t meant to be. I don’t know why I even think I have a shot at her.”

  “Because she seems to like you.” Dash smirked. “Though what she sees in you beats the hell out of me.”

  Rucker frowned. “You really think she likes me?”

  “I’m lying in a hospital bed with a bazillion holes in me.” He raised his eyebrows. “You think I’d lie to you when I feel like I do?”

  Rucker studied his friend. “Not unless it involves food. How you eat like you do and aren’t nudging the weight limits is beyond me.”

  “High metabolism, my man. High metabolism.” Dash patted his flat belly. “You should try it.”

  “Shut up.” Rucker touched a hand to his own flat abs. “I have to work for mine.”

  “You’re avoiding the subject.” Dash brought him back to his dilemma. “What are you going to do about the hot lieutenant?”

  “Probably nothing.”

  “I’ve never known you to do nothing about a beautiful woman.”

  “Well, this might be a first.”

  “Uh-huh.” Dash narrowed his eyes. “I can see the gears turning in your head. You’re planning something.”

  Rucker gave his friend his most innocent look. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. But seeing that you’re feeling better and will probably live, I think I’ll find a cot and catch some Zs.”

  Dash snorted. “That’s right. Ditch the battle buddy for a pretty nurse. I see where I rank.”

  When Rucker started to turn, Dash grabbed his wrist.

  “You need something before I go?” Rucker asked.

  “Yeah.” Dash’s mouth straightened. “Thanks.”

  Rucker shrugged. “You’d have done the same.” He shrugged free of his friend’s grip. “But warn me next time. I’ll get Tank or Bull to carry you out.”

  “Duly noted,” Dash said. “Hope things work out for you with the nurse. If they don’t, let me know. I wouldn’t mind throwing my hat in that ring.”

  “Bite me.” Rucker left the room, a smile tugging at his lips.

  Dash was goi
ng to be fine. They’d lived to see another day, and he had an idea how he’d get to spend more time with Nora. He’d put that plan in place before he caught a couple hours of shut-eye.

  Nora left her shift an hour late that morning, having spent additional time in the medical facility gathering the supplies they’d need to inoculate up to thirty children for measles, mumps, rubella and polio.

  She had several large boxes staged at the front desk with the medical supplies and the donated items she’d received from the States, including children’s clothing, toys and shoes.

  After returning to her quarters, ducking into the shower tent for a quick rinse and dressing in a fresh uniform, she was ready. She’d had the Army Private First Class at the front desk of the medical unit call for the requisite transport driver and additional armed escort to take her to the orphanage. The base commander encouraged community volunteering. He had children of his own back in the States and liked to see the photographs of the work the doctors and nurses performed on behalf of the local village and its orphans.

  Back at the medical facility, she waited for her ride and escort to arrive, checking her watch every two minutes, impatient to get started so that she could see the kids one last time before she packed her few belongings and shipped out. She’d miss them and the people she’d worked with for the past year.

  In addition, she had been looking forward to her next assignment, wondering what new adventures it would bring and the people she would meet. Until she’d met a soldier on the volleyball court and had coffee with him. Now, she wished she was staying a little bit longer in Afghanistan.

  Nora reminded herself she was an officer. He was enlisted. Beating herself over the head with that information wasn’t working. She still wanted to get to know him and spend more time with him. She found him physically irresistible and those impossibly broad shoulders very attractive.

  The man exuded confidence like no other individual she’d ever met, and he didn’t seem to be afraid to bend or even break a few rules. It gave him a little aura of danger. She found that titillating. It made her hot in places she hadn’t been hot in for a long time.

  It was just as well she was heading off base for the day, otherwise, she’d get herself into trouble looking for the soldier and drooling over his biceps.

  Three vehicles pulled up in front of the medical facility and stopped. The first and last were her escorts. The middle vehicle was a HUMMV. The men in the escort vehicles helped her load the boxes into the back of the HUMMV.

  While she supervised the loading, her driver walked off.

  Nora frowned. Now, where was he going? They were due to leave as soon as the supplies were in the back of the vehicle.

  A moment later, another man, wearing desert camouflage, his helmet pulled down low over his face trotted over to the HUMMV and slipped in behind the steering wheel.

  About time, Nora thought.

  She thanked the men who would be her escorts and climbed into the front seat of the HUMMV. When she turned to the driver, she gasped. “You!”

  Rucker grinned. “Surprise.”

  Nora frowned. “You’re not my driver.”

  “I am today.” He pointed to the vehicle’s logbook. “I signed for the vehicle. I’m the driver.”

  “Do you even know where we’re going?”

  “I figure I can follow the guy in front of me. He should know.”

  Her frown deepened.

  “Yes, of course, I know. I’ve studied the maps and have the GPS coordinates as well. If we lose our escorts, we’ll still get there.”

  “Good Lord. We’d better not lose our escorts. It can be dangerous traveling without one.”

  “Tell me about it,” he said with a grin and started the engine.

  Nora sat in the passenger seat, twisting her fingers together as Rucker pulled in behind the lead vehicle and drove past the armed guards at the base gate.

  “This is a bad idea,” she murmured.

  “What did you say?” Rucker asked over the roar of the engine.

  “Nothing. I hope you’re ready to be bored while I take care of the children.”

  “You can put me to work doing whatever you need me to do.”

  “How are you with needles?” she asked.

  He grinned. “When they’re pointed at someone else, I’m fine.”

  “How are you about children?”

  “I think everyone should have two or three.”

  Her lips twitched. “I mean, do you get along with them? Some people don’t even like children.”

  “I get along fine with children, dogs and even the occasional cat.”

  “Children aren’t animals.”

  “No, they aren’t. Animals are trainable.” He winked. “Don’t worry. Kids like me.”

  “You’re just so big, I don’t want to scare them.”

  “Scare them? I’m more worried they’ll scare me.” His eyes flashed with humor. “I have scars from some of my buddy’s rug rats.”

  “Good grief, what were you doing with them?”

  “Let’s not talk about that. Suffice it to say, an umbrella is not a parachute.” He faced forward, his attention on the road leading through the nearby town.

  As was typical, the streets were filled with people moving to and from work, the market and their homes.

  The three vehicles moved slowly through the busy streets until they were a couple blocks short of the edge of town where they picked up a little speed.

  Rucker gave the lead vehicle a little more distance between them.

  A donkey-pulled cart darted from the side of the road, wedging its way between the lead vehicle and the one Rucker was driving.

  He slammed on the brakes and swerved right.

  Nora pitched forward and to the left, her seatbelt saving her from slamming into the dashboard.

  “Hang on,” Rucker said. “We might have some trouble.” He’d swerved onto a side street to avoid hitting the donkey and his cart.

  Nora glanced over her shoulder at the rear escort vehicle.

  A man on a scooter swerved toward a merchant’s display of tapestry rugs and hand-woven baskets, knocking over a large rack holding a significant number of rugs and baskets. They fell into the street, blocking the rear escort vehicle.

  “I don’t think this is an accident,” Rucker said through gritted teeth as he gunned the accelerator and sent the HUMMV through the narrow side street.

  A moment later, a man in the white robes of a native Afghan jumped onto the front hood and pointed a handgun at Nora.

  She screamed and raised her arms in front of her face.

  Rucker slammed on the brakes in an attempt to lose the attacker.

  The man must have anticipated his move, because he hooked his hand into the space between the hood and the windshield holding on tightly. He shouted. “Stop, or I will shoot the woman.”

  Nora’s heart slammed against her ribs, beating so fast she thought it might leap right out of her chest.

  “I can’t turn left or right with the buildings so close on either side.” He punched the accelerator, shooting forward fast and furious and slammed on his brakes again.

  The man held fast.

  When the vehicle came to a stop again, the man shot a round through the windshield between Nora and Rucker. “The next round goes into the woman.”

  “Just stop,” Nora said, her shoulder hurting from being slung against the seatbelt multiple times. She’d looked over her shoulder. What had been an empty street or alley was now full of people, carts and small children. “I don’t want anyone hurt by flying bullets.”

  “If we stop, we lose any control over the situation,” Rucker said.

  “I’d rather lose control than take out civilians as collateral damage,” she said.

  Rucker shook his head. “It’s not good.”

  The man on the hood aimed his pistol at Nora. “Stop now,” he yelled.

  Two more men appeared beside the HUMMV, aiming rifles at the window. />
  “Where are our escorts?” Rucker bit out, reaching for his handgun.

  “On the other side of those civilians.” Nora laid a hand on his arm. “You bring your weapon out, and they’ll for sure start shooting.”

  His lips pressed into a thin line. “I can’t let them take you.”

  “We don’t have a choice at this point,” she reasoned. “They outnumber us in guns and people.”

  The man riding on the hood yelled, “Get out.”

  Rucker shouted back. “I go with the woman.”

  “No. You get out,” the man shouted.

  “You’ll have to shoot me,” Rucker said.

  “No,” Nora said. “We’ll go with you. But we go together,” she said, her pulse hammering. She wanted to throw herself in front of Rucker to keep their attackers from putting a bullet through him.

  The gunman on Rucker’s side pounded on the window. “Give me your gun.”

  “Do it,” Nora said.

  Rucker rolled down the window and handed the gun out to the man beside him.

  The man tucked it into his belt and reached in to unlock the back door. He climbed in and unlocked the other side. The other gunman got in and scooted over, aiming his rifle at Rucker’s head.

  “Don’t shoot,” Nora pleaded.

  The man on the hood slid off and climbed in the back seat with the other two. “Drive,” he ordered.

  “Where?” Rucker asked.

  “I will tell you when to turn,” he said. “Drive.”

  Rucker eased forward and out into another cross street, careful not to hit anyone passing in front of him. At the next road, the man who’d been on the hood told him to turn left.

  A couple blocks later, he had Rucker turn right and drive through a gate into a walled-in home.

  As soon as Rucker pulled to a halt, the man who’d risked his life on the hood of the vehicle leaped out of the HUMMV, yanked open Nora’s door and pulled her out.

  “Rucker,” she called out, fear locking the air in her lungs. She dug in her heels, turned and held out her hand.

  Rucker was out of his side of the vehicle and around the front before Nora was taken very far. She didn’t make it easy on the man holding her arm.

  The two men with the rifles closed in on either side of him.