Haunted by the devastating loss of her entire team, former army captain Helena Swan returns to forks with shattered hopes and secrets too dark to share.
But when she crosses paths with Dr.Carlisle Cullen, a man hiding his own extraordinary trut...
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Helena Swan had always been a leader. From her earliest days in the army, she was known not just for her skills but for the way people naturally followed her. It wasn't bravado that made others trust her judgement, it was her unwavering sense of duty and a calm that stood strong in the face of chaos.
Her unit was elite, known as Bravo Echo 6, a tight-knit team specialising in high-risk reconnaissance and covert operations. The were the best, and Helena had earned her position as their captain through years of sweat, grit, and a fierce determination to protect her own.
"Captain Swan, report", came the voice of Lieutenant John Caldwell over the comms. Helena, crouched in the dense brush of the Afghan mountains, swept her eyes over the terrain. John's voice always had a way of grounding her— steady reliable, and warm, despite the chaos they so often found themselves in.
"All clear, Lieutenant" Helena responded, the code-switch between their personal and professional relationship always seamless in the field.
Beside her, Corporal ''Lance" walker adjusted his rifle and gave her a grin, his usual light-hearted demeanor a welcome relief in the tension of their missions. "How long we gotta play hide and seek this time, cap? My legs are cramping up" he complained.
Helena smirked but kept her focus on the landscape. "Long as it takes. You complain every time, and yet you keep signing up for this"
Walker chuckled, but the mirth didn't last long as they both resumed their positions. The rest of Bravo Echo 6 was spread out, maintaining their perimeter in silence.
There was Sergeant Amelia "red" Torres, their explosive expert, meticulous and fearless. She'd earned the nickname "red" not because of her temper but because of the striking crimson streaks she'd added to her hair, a rare defiance in an otherwise strict, disciplined world.
Then there was Private Lee Chang, the team's tech genius, who could hack into any system while cracking jokes that usually no one else understood.
And finally, there was Lieutenant John Caldwell. Helena's second-in-commande, her bestfriend, and the man she loved, though neither of them have said it aloud. They didn't need to. Years in the field had fostered an unspoken understanding, and in the army, emotions like love were often seen as liabilities. But still, the connection was undeniable. John had been her anchor since day one.
As they moved deeper into hostile territory, Helena couldn't shake a feeling of unease. It was rare for her to feel out of sync, but something about this mission gnawed at her gut.
Operation Iron Shield—the mission to extract a high-value target—had seemed too simple on paper, almost as if the intel was too good to be true. And if there was one thing Helena had learned in her years as a captain, it was to never trust easy intel.
~~~~~~~~\\\~~~~~~~~\\\~~~~~~~~ First chapter up, hope you like this... feel free to vote and comment 🙃
It's been a while since I wrote something, so be easy on me lol.
