Awakening - The Tigris Series Book 2

Chapter Eighteen

It was a happy day in Camp Lehigh. Captain America and his new team had returned from yet another successful mission in taking down one of Hydra's bases. They had earned a day of celebration, laughing together with drinks.

The team had bonded almost instantaneously after the Captain banded them together. Not only were they a group of the Army's best men, but they were the best of friends as well. Rogers couldn't have been happier with what had become of his journey as Captain America. Ever since his victory in storming a Hydra base alone to retrieve the captured US soldiers that had been held captive, he lead a crucial role in the war against the Nazis. Though, he knew it would never have been possible without his bestest friend in the world.

James Buchanan Barnes.

It was only natural that Rogers would make him his left hand man in his team of Howling Commandos, as they called themselves. They were inseparable ever since Rogers had rescued his unit. It was all more than Rogers could have ever dreamed of; fighting in the war alongside his childhood best friend.

The feeling was mutual, as it turned out. Though Barnes was taken aback by Rogers suddenly standing over 6 foot with over 200 pounds of muscle, he couldn't have been happier to have the honor of serving his country alongside him. He would follow Rogers to the end of the earth, with or without the serum.

The group of men chatted endlessly, never running out of stories to tell or jokes to crack. The influence of alcohol only fueled it that much more, allowing them to have more fun than they'd had in a while. It was a bright moment in the shadows of war, one that all of them took full advantage of while it lasted.

As they chatted, Barnes' eyes wandered around the camp, not looking for anything in particular. He stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on a young woman who he'd never seen before. She was certainly young, no older than 18, with raven black hair that fell in styled curls to her shoulder. Her bright blue eyes shined as the afternoon sun kissed her pale, soft skin. She wore her own uniform, one that was different from theirs, but matched closely enough that it was still recognizable as US Army attire.

He watched the way she carried herself as she walked around the unit of men that were in the middle of doing multiple sets of pushups, noticing instantly that she was commanding them. He slightly furrowed his steel blue eyes as he eyed her, curious as to who the young, beautiful damsel was.

"Hey, who is she?" he nudged the man on his right, pointing at the young girl.

The man looked at him, then to where he had been pointing. When he saw the girl that Barnes had been eyeing, he chuckled, shaking his head as he looked back at Barnes with a knowing look.

"Ah, don't even think about it, Barnes. That's the Colonel's daughter." he said with a sly grin, nudging his arm.

Barnes looked at him in surprise, furrowing his brows. "The Colonel has a daughter?"

The man nodded, chuckling with a wide, drunken grin. "Yeah, and she sure is a beaut. But she's off limits, Colonel's orders."

Barnes looked back at the girl with a mischievous glint in his eye and a slight, sly smirk. The temptation to meet her had only grown with the knowledge that she was supposed to be off limits. The ladies man in him practically begged him to get up and go talk to her right then and there, but he stayed seated in his chair. She was more than tempting as she stood strongly and confidently before the training soldiers. It wasn't just her beauty that caught his eye, but her sheer presence and strength in the way she carried herself. He'd only seen a handful of women appear to be as strong and independent as her; it was a trait that he found more attractive than anything else.