Course of Action: Crossfire. Lindsay McKenna

6

       Chapter 7

       Chapter 8

       Chapter 9

       Chapter 10

       Extract

       Copyright

Dear Reader,

      Welcome to the beginning of summer, with vacations, beachy weekends, great books to read and, in just a few short weeks, the Fourth of July. On this holiday, we pause from our normal schedules to give thanks to the ongoing sacrifices that people around the world make to bring freedom, honor and a joyful life to as many as possible.

      It is a pleasure to share with you this action-packed and emotional military-themed 2-in-1 Course of Action: Crossfire (#1853), written by New York Times bestselling author Lindsay McKenna and USA TODAY bestselling author Merline Lovelace. In this latest duet, two men must face overwhelming obstacles if they are to find—and hold on to—true love.

      Do look for our other adrenaline-pumping romances from Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense out this month! In New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy’s Cowboy of Interest (#1852), a grieving sister realizes that the man accused of her sister’s murder is innocent, and is the one person who can help her find justice. Beth Cornelison’s Colton Cowboy Protector (#1851), the first book in The Coltons of Oklahoma, is a suspenseful tale of a woman fulfilling her deceased cousin’s last wish regarding her young son and who then becomes the target of an assassin. Don’t miss Amelia Autin’s King’s Ransom (#1854), a lush tale of a foreign king who must seduce—and protect—the One Who Got Away.

      As always, we’ll deliver on our promise of breathless romance. Have a wonderful June and happy reading!

      Sincerely,

      Patience Bloom

       Senior Editor

Hidden Heart

      Lindsay McKenna

      Dedicated to just some of my wonderfully loyal readers, whom I love sharing my books with.

      Thank you for being who you are! These are readers who all contribute to my Facebook Fan Page

      or to my free quarterly newsletter, which you can

      sign up for on my website, lindsaymckenna.com.

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      Emma Metz, Dianne M. Quattlebaum, Lisa Bickley, Mary DeLeon, Jean Saucier, Betty Tanner, Pam Stack of Authors on the Air, Lucie Fleury Dunn, Sina Buckner, Shawn Leinhart, Kerrie Liddicoat (Australia),

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      Daphne S. Sampson, Reno Sweeney.

Chapter 1

      “I’m hit! I’m hit!”

      Ben Moore’s scream of surprise slammed into Sergeant Dan Taylor’s earpiece.

      It had been an ambush in an icy area where it had snowed.

      The blackness of the early December Afghan night lit up as another Taliban RPG screamed into their previous ditch position against their enemy. His Special Forces A team, comprising twelve seasoned Army personnel, had fled to an empty Shinwari village, taking refuge in a few mud and stone huts. They were outnumbered and outgunned.

      Dan cursed, digging the toes of his boots into the fine, silty dirt as he hurled himself around the corner of the mud house. Ben, who was like a brother to him, lay at the opposite corner, rolling on his back, his hands jerking around. He’d been struck down by a bullet!

       No! God, no! Not Ben! God, please...

      As Dan skidded onto his knees, the night lit up with yellow and orange fire while another RPG landed in the house in front of them. He winced. Rocks, dirt and dust showered him, and he crawled rapidly on his hands and knees toward Ben. His ears throbbed, lost sound and then his hearing partially returned. In the light, he saw a black, shining flow spurting outward from Ben’s neck. Oh, Jesus! He’d been hit by shrapnel or a bullet in the neck. With his gloved hand, Dan lunged forward, trying to cover the torn carotid artery that was spurting blood several feet into the air. His heart was pounding, sweat stinging his eyes, his breath coming in ragged, tearing gulps.

      “Lie still! Lie still, Ben!” he pleaded hoarsely, knees near Ben’s head and shoulder. Ben’s eyes were wide with confusion and shock, no doubt aware of what had happened. Ben was one of their 18-Delta combat medics. Tears mingled with Dan’s sweat, the tracks streaking down through the dust on his bearded face. Pressing his gloved hand against Ben’s neck, his fingers continually slipped in the warm blood.

      A bullet snapped past so near Taylor that he could feel the heat of it against his own neck. Ben was moaning.

      “Ah, God,” Ben rasped. “I’m hit...bad...Dan...bad...”

      “Get your hands away from it!” Dan pleaded hoarsely, leaning close, trying to stop the artery from bleeding out. “Don’t move! Dammit, don’t move! Ben! Let me try to stop it!”

      The burping ring of AK-47s filled the night air around them amid the deeper, more resonant sounds of the M-4 rifles used by the A team. Dan saw Ben beginning to lose energy, his eyes growing hooded, his hands dropping listlessly into the dirt. The human body contained approximately eight pints of blood. A wound like this could bleed a person out in two or three minutes if it couldn’t be stopped.

      “Hang on, hang on!” Dan cried hoarsely. He called Captain Jamie Curtis, but he didn’t answer. Was he hit, too? Dan tried Warrant Officer Carter Jackson. No answer. Half their team was down and wounded. Help was on the way—two Apaches were thundering toward their compromised position. Would they get here in time?

      Dan screamed to the comms sergeant, Franklin, to get two medevacs in here. Frantically, Dan tried to pull a battle dressing from his cargo pants pocket while holding his other hand tight against Ben’s neck. Son of a bitch! He yanked it free. Terror worked through him. The flashes from other RPGs fired in their direction made Dan feel helpless. It wasn’t something he felt often, and he hated the sensation. Ben’s blue eyes, now cloudy and less focused, met his, almost imploring. “D-dan...”

      “Shut up, Ben! Save your strength! Fight! Stay with me!” he rasped, quickly fitting the thick battle dressing against his neck. If Dan put too much pressure on the wound, he’d choke Ben to death. Pressure on a wound was always what stopped the bleeding, but the neck was the most vulnerable part of a human’s body. There was no way Dan could