Love in crossfire

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behind the barracks where the jungle mumbled rather than screamed and no one was watching. She spoke to herself, whispering, "Think, Maria." "Think in his manner." Because William was the only person she knew who could outwit any room, chaos, or army. However, even he had weaknesses. Additionally, she was once one of them. William: The One Who Calculated Everything William Smith was an enigma before the war. Not in the dark, gloomy manner that was romanticized. No, his precision was his mystery. He didn't cover up anything. He simply avoided making unnecessary remarks. Everything William did, from the angle at which he tied his boots to the amount of time he waited before speaking in a crowded room, was deliberate. He made patience his sword and silence his weapon. People were alarmed by it. Maria, as well. However, it also enticed them. Maria first met him in the highlands prior to the escalation of the conflict. She was still unfamiliar with field rotations and still believed that the right bandage or word could alter a soldier's fate. William denied that fate existed. He was a fan of angles. She recalled watching him guide his squad through ambush fire like he were directing dancers on a sta

their own eyes. Corporal Meyers was the first one she saw; he was bleeding from a shoulder graze and his adrenaline-filled eyes were wide open. Before she even asked, Meyers stated, "He's gone." "Got where?" "No clue. towards sector nine, took the elevated route. Said he didn't need me to slow him down because he was looking at the target. "That is not protocol for recon." "No, Madame. However, it's William. He composes his own. Calculated Ghosts: In the Fog The mist was as thick as cotton by the time she reached sector nine. It was impossible to distinguish between a gunshot and fruit falling as jungle noises curled through the air. She discovered his footprints, boot

ied. You think it was a hoax?" "I believe pain conceals the best lies," Again, silence. Then, almost imperceptibly, something in his gaze softened. He acknowledged, "I said your name because I needed you to find me." "To preven

measured, clipped, and unmistakable voice in her bones. And that last sentence? Her title. a coward. He asserted that a traitor existed. He then referred to her by name. Uncertain whether to reach for gauze or a gun, the doctor stared at her. "Maria? What on earth was that? She lied, her pulse quickening and her throat tightening. She just knew. There had been a shift. There was a problem. Her thoughts raced back to William's look at her just hours earlier. Not out of rage but out of calculus. as though weighing a cost. as though she were a part of a larger expense. Tracer fire tore the sky red outside. The base lit up suddenly and urgently. Shouts. Orders. Walking shoes frantic soldiers armed with rifles at the