Marina-Lynne has made mistakes - disastrous mistakes - and is now paying the price. Not all is lost, however, when she discovers a network she can trust. More than just allies, they are her cousins, united by blood.
How far will Marina-Lynne's loya...
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"You must be looking forward to going home, Sir," Fletcher said, a hint of wistfulness in his voice.
"Yes, I am," Gaetan replied, fingering the letter he'd received from his wife just yesterday. They'd only been married a month before he'd joined his men overseas, leaving his bride – and childhood sweetheart – behind. "I just found out yesterday that I'm going to be a father."
"Congratulations!" Fletcher's eyes lit up with genuine happiness. "You'll make an amazing dad."
Gaetan smiled, but his mind was already drifting back to the duties at hand. Tardiness was his pet peeve, and if the Afghanistan police were much longer, they were about to learn firsthand not to be late again. But today, Gaetan was in a particularly good mood, likely because of Arlene's letter. With any luck, he'd be back in Canada before the birth of his first child.
Fletcher was silent for a moment, reflecting on the cost of their mission. For an army that had yet to see direct combat, this war had claimed too many lives. They'd been trained to face the enemy, to remain unflinching under fire, yet not a single bullet had been fired. Not yet, anyway.
Kavan seemed to read Fletcher's mind. "We weren't prepared for what we would face here. I can only imagine what their families felt back home when they heard their sons were killed by a roadside bomb. To die in battle is one thing, but to be killed by a hidden bomb is quite another. This war is one I will not soon forget."
A muscle clenched in Fletcher's jaw. "Well, it's better you than me at the ramp ceremony," he whispered. "Between you and me, Sir, I often wonder if this war was even necessary. We're losing lives needlessly. Why don't they just withdraw our troops and send us home before any more of us die for a cause...? Well, I do wonder if even the higher-ups believe in it anymore, or if they ever did."
