12 Seconds (#1 in Military series)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

  

Five years earlier . . .

 

Sweat beaded down her spine, causing her top to stick to her skin, as the burning Middle East sun scorched her back.

Wiping the back of her arm across her eyes to dislodge the sweat that had gathered there, Jules went back to cleaning her rifle on a wooden table that looked like it belonged in a park more than a desert.

Marc was stretched out on the bench opposite her, his small cap covering his face from the sun.

Jules leaned forward and peered over the table edge, a smile coming to her lips as she watched him sleep and she realised that they would soon be lying next to each other rather than being barracks apart.

“I told you to stop that,” Marc growled at her, his eyes still shut.

Jules sat back immediately and pretended that she had been her gun the entire time, “Did you say something?”

Marc let out a small groan as he straightened himself up and swung his legs over the bench until he was sat facing her.

Jules looked at him from under her lashes as he wiped the fatigue from his eyes, his cap screwed up in his fist.

He looked tired, but more than that he looked fed-up.

Marcus gave a growl of restlessness as his eyes travelled around the base at the soldiers going about their business, “I can’t wait to get back to boring old England.”

Jules wanted to scream in agreement but she stopped herself.

Stopping work on her gun, Jules closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping, as she thought about home, “Greasy food, drinkable tea and . . . rain,” Julia laughed as she opened her eyes, “I miss the rain.”

Turning back to Marc, Jules swallowed as she saw the way he was watching her. It made her shuffle on her seat.

“Is that the only thing you miss?” A wide smile etched its way across his full lips as she felt his boot tap against hers under the table.

Jules kicked him back playfully, but inside she was just as impatient, her thumb trailing the space on her ring finger where her engagement ring should be and not around her neck, “Three more weeks, and then we can do what we please.”

Marc dropped his head against the table, “You’re killing me woman.”

Jules shook her head, “No, that would be the Taliban.”

Marc gave her a look that said he did not appreciate her comment.

But she was saved from answering for it when Carlos came jogging over to them.

Jules looked past him and saw everybody heading for the command tent, her eyes rolling in her head as she knew what it meant.

She had been looking forward to the easy routine patrols before they headed home, but it looked like they were going out on a mission.

“Hey lovebirds, everybody’s wanted in Command.” Carlos relayed the message.

Jules sighed, “You have got to be kidding me.”

Marc rose to his feet like the dutiful soldier.

Jules snapped her gun back together in frustration, “We’re going home soon, why couldn’t they have found another company to do their dirty work this week?”