Lucas - Anne L Parks by Special Forces - Operation Alpha

Author:Special Forces - Operation Alpha [Alpha, Special Forces - Operation]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aces Press, LLC
Published: 2019-07-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“Detail, attention,” the deep voice of the Air Force Honor Guard was loud in contrast to the solemn quiet of the cemetery.

“Port arms.”

Ready.

Aim.

Fire.

The blasts from the guns made Lettie jolt in her seat. Lucas had forgotten what it was like to be surprised by gunfire. He figured it was as disconcerting for her as it was for him to have the shots being fired behind them. Albeit, for different reasons. Lettie wouldn’t know when the shots were coming, because she had no visual cues, and hadn’t been trained to trust what she could hear. Lucas didn’t like the idea of weapons behind him without having his own weapon readily available if circumstances warranted action.

Lettie closed her eyes, and he saw the death grip she had on Layla’s hand as they waited for the next round in the twenty-one-gun salute.

“Present arms.”

The command cued the bugle to begin the sorrowful notes of Taps. The flag was lifted from Mick’s casket and expertly folded. Lucas took a deep breath and held it, steadying himself. He could handle the eulogy, seeing the casket, the guns firing and the roar of the jets performing a missing man formation. What he couldn’t stomach was the flag being presented to the family.

It shredded him every single time. He couldn’t afford to lose it now. He had to be strong for Layla. Maybe even for Lettie.

Definitely for Mick.

The flag detail commander held the folded flag against his chest, and slowly walked toward them. As the end notes drifted on the soft breeze, the commander knelt before Layla with exact precision, let the flag drop from his chest. One hand on top, one on the bottom, he extended the flag until it was directly in front of her.

“On behalf of a grateful nation.”

Layla took the flag in her shaky hands, dropped her forehead onto the stars against the blue background, and wept. He dropped his head to his chest. The soft sobs were like a hand thrust into Lucas’s chest that squeezed his heart until he thought it might stop beating.

And in that moment, he wanted it to. If his heart stopped beating, the pain would be gone. Nothing would matter anymore. There would be peace. Quiet. No more heartache from a broken marriage. No more friends dying.

No more babies without fathers.

A hand slid against his, fingers intertwining with his. A gentle, reassuring squeeze from Lettie. He hadn’t realized how much he needed the physical comfort. How much he needed her.

Or how thankful he was that she was here. No one knew him better than her. And there was a certain amount of security that still remained in their relationship that was allowing him to soak up the comfort she was providing. He may not be able to trust her in other areas of their lives and relationship, but he knew he could count on her to take care of him while he grieved for his friend.

He pushed back the thoughts that had fueled his rage…the ones that said that it was her fault Mick was dead.

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