Chapter 13
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
JESSICA
I wake with a jolt. Not sure what it is that woke me, but I can see the faint light of day breaking beyond the cave entrance. Taking in my surroundings, I see all the soldiers sleeping, except Noah. He’s not with his gear, which means he must be on watch.
I move quietly, careful not to disturb the others. My boots barely scrape the cave floor as I make my way to the cave entrance. The air is crisp, damp with morning dew, and the forest beyond is cloaked in a soft mist.
Noah stands just inside the mouth of the cave, his silhouette sharp against the pale light. He’s scanning the tree line, rifle slung but ready.
He hears me approach and doesn’t turn. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine,” I say, stepping beside him.
We stand in silence for a moment, listening to the forest wake up. Birds chirp cautiously, and somewhere in the distance, a branch snaps, not close enough to worry, but enough to remind us we’re not alone out here.
“I keep thinking about the hostages,” I admit. “What they’re going through. What they’ve already survived.”
Noah nods slowly. “We’ll get them back.”
I glance at him. “You sound sure.”
“I have to be. Otherwise what’s the point of this?”
His words settle over me like a blanket, warm, but heavy. I want to believe him. I need to.
“We should wake the others soon and start moving before someone stumbles upon us,” he whispers.
I nod my head in agreement,
Noah places a hand on my arm. “You okay?”
I pause. “I will be. Once they’re safe.”
He nods, then turns back toward the cave. “Let’s get moving.”
We move back into the cave, and I kneel beside my gear, checking my weapon, tightening straps, running through the motions like muscle memory. Noah wakes the soldiers and they begin to pack their gear as well.
Noah crouches beside me, his voice low. “We’ll move in ten.”
I nod, but my hands pause. I look at him, really look at him. His eyes are tired, but steady. There’s something in them, something I’ve seen before, but never let myself acknowledge.
“You’ve been solid through all of this,” I say. “Even when things went sideways.”
He shrugs. “It’s what I’ve been trained to do.”
I study his face. There’s a quiet strength in it, but I also know he has a softer side. I still remember how he held me in his arms, soothing me through my nightmare.
“I know,” I say. “But it’s more than that. You’ve helped me through the last couple of days.”
His brow furrows slightly, like he’s not sure how to respond.
“I never said thank you, but thank you,” I whisper.
“You don’t have to,” he replies, but his voice is different now, lower, more careful.
The others are still busy behind us, packing gear, checking weapons, but at this moment, it feels like the cave has narrowed to just the two of us.
The air seems to electrify and I start to lean in, but then a voice behind us breaks the moment. “Captain, we’re ready.”
I quickly lean back and grab my pack. What the hell? Was I about to kiss him? Was he going to kiss me too?
I quickly shake my head, stand up, take a deep breath to steady my heart, and with my gear on my back and rifle slung over my shoulder, we leave the cave.
We move through the desert hills in silence, our boots muffled from sound as we walk lightly. Noah leads, eyes sharp, scanning the terrain ahead. I follow close behind, rifle ready, heart pounding, not from fear, but anticipation.
We’ve been walking for nearly an hour when Mitchell raises a hand, signaling a halt. He crouches low, motioning us forward. Noah joins him, and I follow.
“There,” Mitchell whispers, pointing through some sparse bushes.
I squint and see it, a clearing, partially obscured by brush. In the center, a small structure, half-buried in the earth. It looks like an old storage bunker, reinforced, camouflaged. A perfect place to hide hostages.
Noah pulls out his binoculars, scanning the perimeter. “Two guards. Light patrol. No visible cameras.”
“Could be more inside,” I say.
“Maybe, but it could also be another decoy,” he replies. “We need to get closer.”
We retreat a few meters and regroup. The soldiers crouch in a loose circle, weapons ready, eyes alert. Noah lays out the plan.
“We need to find a place to bunker down for the day. When night falls, I want two teams, one flanking left, the other right. Major Stevens will go with myself and Sergeant Mitchell. We will approach from the rear.”
“Yes, Sir,” we all whisper as we look around for somewhere to keep us safe until night falls, when we are able to execute our plan.
We find a rock formation and begin to climb up. We embed ourselves into the rock crevices in order to hide from any potential patrols or enemies.
Noah is sitting with me, acting as a shield just in case. I watch as he closes his eyes, getting some rest before tonight. I know I should do the same, but I am too wired to close my eyes, knowing we might be close to rescuing the hostages.
At some point, I must have dozed off because I feel someone shake my shoulder and when I open my eyes, it’s already nightfall.
“Is it time?” I ask quietly, looking at Noah.
He nods and helps me stand up.
Before we move, I check my gear again. My hands are steady, but my mind is racing. This is it. The hostages could be inside. We might finally bring them home.
Noah touches my shoulder. “You good?”
I nod. “Let’s do this.”
We move like shadows, slipping through the quiet desert. The bunker grows larger as we approach, its concrete walls mottled with moss and age. The guards are lazy, distracted. They don’t see us coming.
Mitchell takes the first shot, silent, clean. One guard drops. The second turns, confused, but Noah is faster. He’s down before he can raise his weapon.
We reach the rear entrance. It’s locked, but Mitchell’s already working on it, fingers flying over the keypad. I cover him, watching the desert landscape, listening for movement.
The door clicks open.
Inside, it’s dark and musty. The air smells of sweat and fear. We move quickly, clearing rooms, checking corners. Then we find them, six hostages, huddled in a small chamber, eyes wide, faces pale.
I rush forward, kneeling beside a woman with a bloodied arm. “You’re safe now,” I whisper, pulling out my med kit.
She nods, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I didn’t think anyone was coming.”
“We’re here,” I say. “You’re going home.”
Noah and Mitchell secure the room while I treat the wounded. One man has a broken leg. Another is barely conscious. I work fast, adrenaline sharpening my focus.
Outside, the rest of the team joins us. The extraction begins.
As we move the hostages out, I catch Noah’s eye. He gives me a small nod, steady, reassuring. I feel it again, that pull between us, but there’s no time to dwell. Not yet.
Soldiers are carrying hostages that can’t walk and those that can, stick to us like glue. We disappear into the desert, leaving the bunker behind.
This time we don’t stop to rest, we continue walking until we make it back to where we left the Humvees. Once everyone is loaded, we head back to base.