Caught In The Crosshairs

SPECIAL FORCES, DEADLY FORCES

Recruited for a top secret mission, elite sniper Sergeant Cara Hanson is determined to prove herself—as a female sharpshooter—to her commanding officer. But when the assignment goes horribly wrong, Captain Dean McGovern takes their team into hiding in a remote Wyoming cabin. Both fiercely protective, Cara and Dean work overtime to figure out who’s leaving notes and taking shots at them. Cara tries hard to resist the more-than-professional feelings she’s developing for Dean…and when their lives are on the line, it’ll take the soldier in her to keep them both alive.

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” Dean said. “I can turn around and head for Fort Carson.”

“Can you please stop offering me the chance to change my mind?” Cara said. “My place is here.” She almost added with you. But she didn’t want him getting the wrong idea.

She felt a growing closeness between them, but they were totally at odds with each other. His world was one of knights in shining armor and damsels in distress. It was a world that she didn’t belong in.

He glanced down at her with a solemn expression. “I wish you’d gone back to base,” he whispered, “but it means a lot knowing that you want to stay with your commanding officer.”

“I do,” she whispered back, “I need to stay with you.” She’d never been so sure of anything in her life. Her place was by Dean’s side whatever the storm ahead. She touched his forearm. “We’ll get through this. Don’t worry.”

His arm flexed beneath her touch and his body stiffened. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed reading my debut book. I had a great deal of fun writing it. I knew from the get-go that I wanted to write a story to conclude with the words I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From where shall my help come? The power of Psalm 121 is strong, speaking to all those who need reassurance that God’s protection is always enduring.

Both Dean and Cara are fierce protectors, striving to save each other from danger. They seemed like a good match, both determined to atone for past events and make the world a safer place. But ultimately, it is neither Dean’s physical strength nor Cara’s rifle that wins the best result in the end—it is the power of prayer. As Cara’s life hangs in the balance, Psalm 121 provides the inspiration that both Dean and Cara need to find their way back to each other. And, through prayer, he is able to guide her home.

Thank you for reading my story. I hope it will be the first of many, and I look forward to welcoming you as a reader again.

Elisabeth

ELISABETH REES

was raised in the idyllic Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye, which is famous for its vast array of secondhand book stores. She grew up as one of four sisters, the daughters of the local parish vicar, and she spent much of her childhood reading historical romance novels. A love of romantic fiction stayed with her through her adult life and, after pursuing a very unfulfilling career in information technology, Elisabeth decided to try her hand at writing romance herself. Something clicked into place, and she now writes full-time from her home in Carmarthenshire, West Wales, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Caught in the Crosshairs

Elisabeth Rees

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For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

—Romans 10:10

To David, Lloyd and Alys—my wonderfully perfect family

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Cara Hanson lay in the cool grass and lined up the target in her crosshairs.

The target was moving, searching for her, but she was invisible. Like a cat stalking its prey, she kept her weapon trained on the movement in the undergrowth. This would be an easy shot. She curled her finger around the trigger and smiled as she squeezed.

She heard the man cry out as he felt the impact on his back, and a deep, red stain appeared on his jacket. She’d got him! A cry of triumph left her lips, and she rose from the bracken like a monster looming from a lair. Her ghillie suit was covered with camouflage netting, making it impossible to tell whether she was man, woman or yeti.

“Aw, man, these paintballs really sting.” A U.S. Army private crawled out from the thick bushes and clambered to his feet. He turned to Cara standing on the hillside and shouted, “How did you do that? I didn’t have a clue where you were.”

“And you never will,” she shouted back, laughing.

The private took off his jacket and laid it on the ground, shaking his head in amazement at the perfect shot, right between the shoulders, just below the head.

“Nice job,” he called. “Thanks for not taking the head shot.”

“It didn’t seem fair to fill your ears with paint,” she called back. “It never washes out.”

She knelt to the ground and removed her standard-issue M24 sniper rifle from its tripod, laying it on the grass beside her.

“Well-done, Sergeant Hanson,” said a voice in the distance. She looked up to see one of her commanding officers walking toward her. “Your accuracy never fails to astonish me.”

She rose to her feet, saluting as she did so. “Thank you, sir.”

“At ease, Sergeant.”

Colonel Carter Gantry approached her with an outstretched hand. She gave hers and he shook it warmly.

“Time for me to come clean, Sergeant,” he said, releasing her hand. “There’s a reason for this prolonged target practice today.”

The colonel extended his hand toward a tall, dark figure in the distance. She’d noticed him watching the hills while she carried out her shooting exercises; saw him continuously scanning the mountainside with binoculars, hoping to search her out. This type of training drill usually employed the use of two spotters. Colonel Gantry had taken the elevated position, but she had not recognized the second spotter on the ground. Turned out, she was about to meet him. He began to walk toward her, and she took the opportunity to observe him, noting his wide shoulders and smooth, confident stride. He was wearing black combat pants and a black T-shirt. The fabric of the shirt stretched against the muscles on his arms, and she suddenly felt diminutive in his presence. His face was weathered; he obviously spent a great deal of time outdoors, and the dark stubble added to his rugged exterior. She squinted against the sun. She couldn’t see his eyes, but she could just make out dark curls extending beneath his green cap. She recognized the beret instantly. This was no ordinary soldier. Only a Special Forces soldier was permitted to wear the distinctive green beret.

“Sergeant Cara Hanson,” said Colonel Gantry, as the mysterious man came into plain view, “I would like you to meet Captain Dean McGovern.”

Cara brought her hand up in another salute, as she always did when facing a senior officer. The captain saluted and she stood at ease. She instantly felt uncomfortable when he began to look her up and down with an expression of surprise on his face. Her skin prickled with heat, and tiny beads of sweat ran down her back. She saw his deep, brown eyes assessing her, crinkles appearing at the edges as they caught the sun’s glare.

He turned to Colonel Gantry. “This is the sniper I’ve been watching all day?”

The colonel laughed. “Don’t let appearances deceive you, Captain McGovern. Sergeant Hanson may not look fierce but, as you’ve witnessed today, she could take you down with a clean shot any day of the week.”

The captain rubbed his face with his hands. He led the colonel a few paces away from Cara and lowered his voice. “She isn’t exactly what I was expecting.” He cast a backward glance at her. “Special Ops isn’t for the fainthearted. I need to be totally sure of her mental toughness.”

The colonel put his hand on the captain’s shoulder. “Dean, I’ve been asked to provide you with the absolute best sniper that the U.S. military has at its disposal. Sergeant Cara Hanson is that sniper. Don’t underestimate her. She’s one tough cookie.”

Cara remained standing at ease on the hillside, her knees buried in thick shrubbery. She had experienced this same kind of reaction many times since joining the army seven years ago. She was petite in stature with small, elfinlike features and she knew that she didn’t strike an imposing figure among the other soldiers of her Bobcats regiment. After all, no one was scared of a woman who looked like a Disney princess. But when she stalked her prey through the lens of her rifle, she felt as tough as any of her male colleagues.

The two men approached her. Captain McGovern’s face was unreadable as he came to stand directly in front of her, his vast shoulders casting an enormous shadow on the grass. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at his face. She saw that his nose was crooked, broken at some point, maybe more than once. His gaze rested upon hers for the tiniest of moments, and she gave a small shiver at the intensity behind his eyes.

“Sergeant,” he began, “U.S. Special Forces have been given credible information regarding an illegal weapons drop due to take place in a region not far from here. The weapons are destined for a major terrorist organization, who will use them to launch an imminent attack on U.S. soil. We must take out their main man. And fast. We need a sniper who can deliver.” He brought his face inches from hers. His breath was sweet and warm. “You only get one shot.”

She gave a small nod of the head. “Understood, sir.”

A hint of a smile passed his lips. “You up to the job?”

“Absolutely, sir.”

He took a step backward and gave her one final look up and down.

“Report to B wing, Fort Carson, tomorrow, 0900 hours. Tell them you’re assigned to Operation Triton. Don’t be late.”

“Yes, sir.”

She saluted, but he had already turned to stride back down the hill.

Colonel Gantry smiled at her. “Trust me, Sergeant. His bark is a lot worse than his bite.”

* * *

Dean paced the briefing room where his men would soon assemble. Correction, he said in his head, men and woman. He opened Sergeant Hanson’s personnel file on the desk, despite having read it several times already. His admiration for her had increased considerably on reading that she had successfully taken out a suicide bomber in Baghdad, saving the lives of hundreds of civilians—an act for which she received the Army Commendation Medal.

He had been taken aback the previous day, seeing her skills for himself, the way she was so patient, waiting for the target to appear, her discipline in lying low, never once giving away her position. He had to admit that it was an impressive display of exquisite marksmanship. If only she wasn’t a woman, he couldn’t help thinking. He had no objection to women serving in the military; he just wasn’t sure of his own ability to serve alongside them. His instinct was to protect women and shield them from danger. It was something he’d done during his entire teenage years, having continually guarded his mother and sister from his violent bully of a father. As he grew into a strong, muscled young man, he was able to use his own power to counteract that of his father’s, but the image of his mother and sister cowering from yet another of his dad’s drunken rages had been burned into his mind. By the time he was sixteen, he’d developed such a strong protective instinct that he knew his path lay in the military, serving those who needed defending the most. To wear the green beret was his one true desire, the ultimate symbol of male strength and prowess. Sergeant Hanson may be the best sniper for this job but, in his world, it was men who provided the safe havens. And the one person he wanted to place at the center of his safe haven at that moment was Cara Hanson herself. She had awakened feelings that he would need to guard against.

A knock on the open door broke through his thoughts. He closed the file and pushed it to one side, along with his feelings.

Cara Hanson stood in the doorway, her bright blue eyes staring straight ahead as she saluted.

“Sergeant Hanson, reporting for duty, sir.”

He flicked his eyes over her body, which appeared even smaller in stature than the previous day. She looked very different without the ghillie suit and was wearing standard-issue fatigues. He was now able to see her face in its fullness, sun kissed and healthy. Her shiny blond hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, highlighting her high cheekbones and Cupid’s-bow mouth. As a deep, primal emotion stirred within him, he wondered if he had made a grave mistake in allowing her to enter his perfectly ordered domain.

“At ease, Sergeant. Come in, take a seat.”

Two more soldiers entered the room, and Dean rose purposefully.

“Sergeant Hanson, I would like you to meet Sergeants Gomez and Hicks. We’ll be operating as a four-man team for this mission.” He looked toward the two male sergeants, who were exchanging looks of surprise while shaking Cara’s hand.

“Sergeant Hanson has been granted special dispensation to serve, on a one-off basis, as a combat sniper for this mission,” he explained.

Female operatives were a rare species in Special Forces and he knew she would be regarded with curiosity. Even he was curious about her but he knew that, within forty-eight hours, she would be back in her regiment and out of his life. Keep it professional. Don’t get too involved. That was his mantra.

The soldiers took their seats, and Dean handed them a photograph of a man wearing the same distinctive green beret as each of the men in the room.

“This,” he said, “is your target.”

He heard a collective gasp from the room.

He raised his eyes to his team. “This is Major Christopher Moore from Tenth Special Forces Group. Twelve months ago, he infiltrated a terrorist cell in Ohio with the intention of supplying information back to the U.S. Government regarding intended targets. Six months ago he went rogue and disappeared from our radar. Intelligence has confirmed that he’s turned against us and is now assisting the cell, helping them purchase illegal weapons and bomb-making equipment. In short, he’s gone to the Dark Side.”

Sergeant Hicks raised his hand. “How do we know this for certain, sir?”

“The terrorist cell in Ohio was raided three months ago by the military. Secret documents recovered there confirmed our worst fears. They state that Major Moore revealed himself as a spy and pledged his allegiance to the group.” Dean walked to the desk at the front of the small, windowless room and placed the photograph on it. His shoulders dropped. “Major Moore used to be my commanding officer. We trained together. I would never have believed he could turn his back on the Green Berets, but there is no place for sentiment in this mission. He is a very dangerous and wily enemy. We’ve been trying to track him ever since the raid in Ohio, and we finally have our shot at taking him out.”

Cara raised her hand.

“Yes, sergeant,” he responded.

“Is termination the only option here?” she asked. “Could we not take him into custody?”

Dean sighed heavily. “Sergeant, if that was an option I would take it. Major Moore is a highly trained Special Forces soldier and won’t come in without a fight. We know he’ll be taking part in a weapons-smuggling operation tomorrow in the Four Corners region. These weapons are seriously powerful, capable of killing hundreds in one deadly swoop. We can’t risk his escape. I’m afraid we have no choice.”

He felt his chest tighten, and his heart heaved. He straightened his back. “It’s always difficult when faced with a soldier who’s turned his back on his country, but this man is no longer on our side. He is no longer a patriot. He is a terrorist, so let’s put personal feelings to one side.”

Easier said than done, he thought. Major Chris Moore had been his loyal friend as well as his commanding officer. He’d thought Chris was a man of honor, a man of integrity, a man of faith. But he’d been wrong, wrong to believe that God’s plan would spare him the pain of facing his best friend as an enemy in combat. After months of prayer, he’d eventually reasoned that God had turned His back on him, and he would need to trust in his own judgment rather than wait for a Heavenly answer that would never come. He turned to his soldiers and drew a deep breath.

“We reconvene at 0600 tomorrow morning for Q&A. Read your brief, get some rest and prepare your minds.”

His eyes scanned the three soldiers and came to rest on Cara. He watched her for a few seconds as she studied the photograph intently, her face betraying a sadness that she’d successfully locked tightly away from view. Her face was open, readable and it momentarily mesmerized him. She looked up and caught his eyes upon her, and he felt her gaze penetrating his shell to the tortured core within. He quickly looked away and walked purposefully from the room, creating a draft that caught the loose strands of hair falling around her cheeks.

Glancing back from the doorway, he wondered what thoughts were going through her head. They were revealed to him when he saw her finger trace the smile of the young soldier in the photograph, before she hung her head to her chest. In that moment he felt a kinship with her that he’d never experienced before.

* * *

Cara steadied her hands as she pulled camouflage netting over the small army jeep. She was nervous, more nervous than she had ever been. She reached into the neckline of her suit and took out the silver cross which she wore around her neck. She held it in her fingers for just a second before tucking it securely back inside.

“Sergeant, it was clear on the briefing that no form of jewelry is permitted on this mission. Dog tags only.”

She looked over to Captain McGovern, who was staring at her sternly. The whites of his eyes shone against the black smears on his face. Yet beneath the tension on that face, his handsome features still clearly stood out. She tried not to notice but it was hard. She may be an elite sniper but she was still a woman.

“This necklace travels everywhere with me, sir. It never comes off.”

She saw a fleeting softness in his eyes. “Very well, Sergeant, I’ll turn a blind eye this time.”

He turned to face his unit and all three soldiers lined up, standing at ease before him. He looked at each of them. “Radio contact is limited to target identification and emergency protocol. We use call signs only. Gomez and Hicks, proceed as agreed. Hanson, you’re with me. Let’s roll.”

The chirping sound of woodland birds echoed in Cara’s ears as she followed in the captain’s footsteps. He led her through thickets and streams, continuously looking behind to check her position. She started to relax. She loved the outdoors and moved through it like a quiet wind through the trees. It was where she was raised. Since she was ten years old, she’d been able to hit a tin can from five hundred yards with her dad’s hunting rifle. Her father had taken her on regular hunting trips and she had never disappointed him. He proudly proclaimed to the world that his teenage daughter possessed an aim that far surpassed his own. Her mom playfully complained about being a “hunting widow,” but she loved the fact that Cara and her dad were so close. It was a bond that could never be broken—except by death.

No, she pleaded in her head, not now. She pushed the picture from her mind—the image of her father lying cold and still at the edge of the lake, blood seeping into the water from his outstretched hand. That fate would not befall anyone else in her life. She’d made sure of it. She’d become the best of the best.

Dean stopped ahead of her and signaled for her to come closer.

“You okay?” he whispered into her ear. “This is where we go our separate ways.”

She nodded.

“Let me check your earpiece,” he said, brushing his hand across her face to rest on the speaker in her ear.

Her breathing quickened as he adjusted the small black device, securing it firmly in place. As he pulled his hand away, she felt rough, calloused skin on her smooth cheek.

“Ready?” he whispered.

“Ready,” she replied. And she was. She was born ready.

She navigated easily to her designated position and began her routine of prayer. Her heart was heavy with the thought of taking out one of their own. She valued the sanctity of life and didn’t take her job lightly, but she knew that taking just one life could save hundreds, maybe thousands. When she had been tasked with shooting a suicide bomber in Baghdad three years ago, she hadn’t hesitated. She saw the crowded market, with women and children walking freely, and she’d pulled the trigger to take a clean shot. The choice was hers, but she trusted that God would understand her reasons—protecting the innocent would always be at the top of her agenda. She would do whatever it took to fulfill the promise to her father at his funeral, when she had resolved to dedicate the rest of her life to using her weapon to save as many lives as possible. She would atone for her fatal mistake seven years ago, and her father’s death would not be in vain. Even if it meant a lifetime of shutting herself off emotionally, it was the price she must pay for redemption. A click in her ear took her to high alert. It was Captain McGovern using her call sign.

“Red Four. Truck approaching. Target identification imminent. Prepare.”

Cara watched as a gray truck drove into the woodland clearing about a quarter mile away. It moved slowly, like a lumbering elephant, coming to rest partially covered by the branches of a low-lying tree. She aimed her rifle on the door of the truck as the face of her commanding officer settled on her mind. His safety was paramount on this mission and she would not let him down.

Suddenly, she saw movement: a glint in the hillside to her right. A finely honed instinct told her that this was a telescopic sight, another sniper playing the waiting game just like her. She scanned the hillside with her binoculars, trying to make out a figure, a shape, anything. There! She’d found him—someone lying in the undergrowth, unmoving but not well hidden. She traced the line of his sight with her binoculars. In the distance, lined up perfectly in his vision, was another figure, crouching down close to the clearing. Her heart began to hammer. She took out her radio.

“Red One, please raise your right hand.”

Dean McGovern’s reply was thick with anger. “Red Four, stand down, await target instructions.”