Sunday Snippet: Veracity of War

I can't quite believe half of October is over. Yeesh, time flies in a big way. LOL

My usual television ramblings will get underway after a brief pause to let everyone know I'm still not feeling this season of Doctor Who. The reason behind the 'repeat' face, so far, is beyond lame. I'll have to watch the conclusion to see if I still feel the same way.

I finally watched the last two episodes *ever!* of Strike Back. I can safely say I'm thrilled with how Stonebridge and Scott's story ended. YAY!!! Now I'll have to start a rewatch of the entire series. LOL

Arrow and The Flash are keeping me glued to the screen. I love both shows so much. And Agents of SHIELD isn't doing too bad either. I like where things are going there.

Gotham and Sleepy Hollow are maintaining solid episodes. Looking forward to seeing where Gotham takes the Bruce in Training story. I'm also really excited to see how Gordon keeps all the plates spinning in his life. On a side note, I am a little sick of Barbara but I have a feeling her story might pay off in a big way. I'll keep watching.

Got caught up on Haven. I'm really going to miss this show when it's gone. I love the every quirky thing about it. The same goes with Lost Girl. I'm dying to see how Bo's story ends, but I'm savoring every moment I get to watch.

And that's the TV wrap up this week.

Tonight's post is from The Veracity of War, a novella where my characters have to keep the relationship fires burning against some pretty big odds.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The veracity of war takes a toll when Emerson Gamble assumes command of a military outpost after his captain loses his life. Sheena Tram wonders if they'll be able to maintain their relationship when the burden of responsibility always gets in the way.

And a sneaky peek…

"It's over." Emerson Gamble slumped against the outcropping and dragged air into his lungs.

Sheena Tram couldn't speak, too exhausted to form words, but she reached out and grabbed his thigh before sliding down into a crouch.

They'd done the unimaginable. Ass-deep in enemy-held territory, they'd driven the marauders back and gained back some of their ground. Fighting side-by-side with Emerson always proved to be an advantage. They worked in tandem, reloading each other's weapons and picking off targets one by one.

If she had to live through a war, having Emerson in the thick of it with her made the strain bearable.

His fingers gave her hand a squeeze before he expelled his empty clip and reloaded. Just in case.

"Gamble! Get over here!" A medic motioned Emerson over.

Captain Marx, their CO, lay on the ground, his color ashen and pale, his breathing labored.

Several wounds seeped blood and red pools formed on his clothes.

Marx blinked his eye open and met Emerson's gaze. "Gamble. Assume command. Get the unit to the extraction point." His voice rasped and rattled and talking took a lot of effort.

Emerson kneeled down. "Sir, let's get you patched up and we'll move out." He rifled through the supplies lying around and found a compression dressing.

Sheena glanced toward the medic. A quick shake of his head indicating the captain didn't have a chance. Remorse over losing a good man didn't stop her from what needed to me done. She would mourn the dead later.

She laid a palm on Emerson's shoulder. "We need to go. And you need to lead us out of here." He might not want to face Marx's imminent death, but he had to.

Emerson nodded, looking a little shell-shocked. His head bent forward and he inhaled, slowly letting the breath out before he squared his shoulders and stood up.

He gave a general order. "Pack up and be ready to move out in five." He waved off a barrage of questions. "Lock it up. Get your gear and any spare ammo loaded up. Now."

The unit obeyed the directive, holding their silence. Emerson glanced in Sheena's direction. She quirked a brow, answering his unasked question—whatever he needed, she'd make it happen. She had his back.

He cocked his head to one side. "McCabe, Reilly, Tram. You're with me." He moved away from the group. "Start digging. I'm not going to leave Captain Marx out in the open for the enemy to abuse." A sad fact they'd encountered on too many occasions. "I'm staying with Marx. He shouldn't die alone." He returned to the CO's side and crouched next to the man.

Sheena gave a nod and she, McCabe, and Reilly got the plot dug and ready for the captain. She walked over, stooping beside Emerson. The medic had cleared the debris and joined the others. Emerson heaved a sigh, picked the captain up, and carried him over to the freshly dug grave. Laying the man to rest, he helped fill in the plot then gathered his gear and strode toward the soldiers. Sheena didn't hear what Emerson said, but the unit started fanning out into the forest, heading toward the egress location.

Hefting her pack over her shoulder, she shook her head. "Why do I have a nasty feeling it's just beginning." The memory of Emerson's claim of the battle being over seemed like a lifetime ago.

Following McCabe and Reilly, she fell into step beside Emerson and fought the sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.

Her comrade in arms and her lover had just become her commanding officer.

Yeah, Sheena's going to have trouble wrapping her head around the chain of command / love of her life balance. LOL

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye