The way he screamed at my Gracie sent chills down my spine. I could hear he was lost, gone. The voices of war had him in their clutches and he was now unpredictable.
Quiet descended before I heard scuffles and gasps. As I moved, the IV lines broke free, blood trickled down my arm as I lifted my hand to push the door further open. I needed to get to Gracie.
“Drop it.” I heard him bark out.
The door flies open with force and I pushed myself through. My eyes instantly met Gracie's, horror laced them and she shook her head.
“Kaden, no.” She mouthed to me as the soldier pulled her back against him, the scalpel held to her neck.
Oh, hell no, son.
“It’s okay,” I mouthed back while dragging my body over the fucking floor. Pain seared through my body like wild fire.
He dug the scalpel in harder as he watched me. Gracie’s skin was taut against the blade and the first dots of blood bubbled to the surface of her skin.
Anger surged through me and my eyes roam up her body to the man who had his hands on her, threatening her body and life with his savage touch.
Our eyes locked, soldier to soldier. I recognised the devil dancing in them, I had seen the same look in my own. Forcing all feeling for Gracie from myself, I stiffened with authority. I may have looked broken, but I was still a fucking Lieutenant and I would bring this soldier into line.
I dragged my body up the wall, curled my fingers around a railing and hauled myself onto my feet. My ribs burned, my repaired shoulder screamed in protest. Hot, searing pain ripped through my legs as they attempted to keep me upright.
Sweat ran down my spine like a waterfall, but I would not retreat. I drew in a deep breath; my eyes never once left the soldiers.
“Private Davies,” I barked out, my ribs cussed me as pain spiked through them.
The soldier’s gaze remained glazed.
“Private! What's the go here? Stand to attention!” I bellowed in an effort to snap him from his trance.
He looked around the now filled corridor. Base police were hurrying along the hall behind him, but I lifted my hands in warning to stop them. I had no doubt their interference at this point would send the soldier over the edge and he would slit my Gracie's throat.
“Private, eyes on me.”
Fear licked at his features. Anger entered his eyes when he noticed the police with guns at the ready. I shook my head at them. “Don’t,” I warned again and they relaxed.
I stumbled a little in an attempt to move closer to Private Davies, walking on legs covered in casts was damn near impossible but I was doing it. It amazed me how a body could overcome any obstacle in it’s way to reach something it loved.
Gracie's eyes shone with wet tears and sorrow as she watched me approach, obvious pain etched on my face. I saw my reflection in her eyes as I hobbled forward.
“Private!” I barked out again and his eyes snapped to mine. “Son, what's going on in there?” I pointed to his head where blood had trickled down his temple and dried.
“Voices, Sarg., loud screaming voices. I need them out.”
“I understand, Private, but are these voices telling you to harm an innocent lady?” My tone was sharp, full of authority.
“Davies!” The sound of my loud voice was like a knife slicing through the tension filled air.
“Sarg., just get them out, please.”
My mind chose that moment to play tricks on me and all I could see was Ari laying on the floor, blood pooling from her, matting in her jet-black hair. I shook the vision from my head but Gracie had seen the change in me, worry clouded her eyes. Her hands reach for Davies’ wrist, her fingers snake over his skin.
I shook my head in warning and stumbled forward, Davies pulled back his hand and sharp gasps filled the air. The blade pierced Gracie's skin and her blood spilled over the blade. Terror ripped through me, fear gripped me. I saw red and knew I would kill this man myself if he didn't let her go.
***
It was as if a light went off – as I approached him, his name came to me. The fog lifted and my brain finally caught up. I saw it clearly. He’d come to me at a training base, a scared boy wanting to become a man. He was sent to us from another base along with four rookies from a cadet training camp. It was my first test as a Lieutenant. I trained him, broke the boy and bred a solider.
I knew how dark he'd had it and what he’d seen. He’d been sent home with an honorable discharge after his platoon was seized and all were shot. He was the only one left alive to give the enemy information. The soldier hadn’t cracked, but he had suffered badly for his loyalty. It had taken my team eight weeks to extract him, he was a mere shell of the man he’d once been and had refused to accept his fellow soldiers were gone.
