Hers to Forget: A Sideswiped Series Novella (The Sideswiped) by Avery Samson

Author:Avery Samson [Samson, Avery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-27T18:30:00+00:00

6

Sophia

“Is it always this hot?” I ask the young soldier as we bump down another dusty road to nowhere.

“Like living on the sun, ma’am.”

I hear a hint of a southern accent in his voice. He can’t possibly be older than eighteen.

“So like Texas in the summer,” I mumble, fanning myself with my hand. My boss pats me on the back, laughing.

“You’ll get used to it,” she says.

“I’m sorry. Please don’t think I’m complaining.” I’m quick to issue an apology. I love my new job, I’m not in any hurry to lose it.

“Well, if you’re not going to, I am,” our cameraman says, grinning at me. “Here, use this.” He hands me one of his neck wraps he’s kept in a cooler.

“Thanks,” I murmur.

If it wasn’t so hot, I would turn him down flat. He has been after me since I started this assignment. Ignoring his sexual innuendos has started to become a full-time job. Laying the cold wrap against my neck, I sigh at the immediate relief.

“Sophia, what are your thoughts on still shots?”

Ms. Shieffer has been my boss for a little over four weeks now. She has been a senior foreign correspondent since I can remember watching the news and has already taught me so much about this business.

I pull out my notebook from my messenger bag to start reviewing the notes I made last night for the report. So far, we’ve worked our way from Syria to Afghanistan to the border of Iran. I’ve tried to keep my family informed of where I am at least once a week, but sometimes it’s hard to use a secure satellite phone.

Teddy stopped responding to my texts a week ago. It’s just as well, but it still hurts. I miss him more than the rest of my family combined.

We finally reach our destination on a hill overlooking Iran. It takes part of the afternoon to record everything we need for the segment so it’s dark by the time we make it back to camp.

We are staying in a tent with an infantry unit assigned to this area on cots that are so small I wonder how the men sleep on them. I can’t remember the last time I had a hot shower. I share a tent with my boss while our cameraman bunks with several of the soldiers.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of the soldiers in the evening, especially when a unit includes women. I’ve started writing down profiles with the idea of putting together a human interest story at some point.

“We need to pack up after dinner tonight.” Mrs. Shieffer and I are walking to the mess tent that evening when she breaks into my thoughts. “We need to meet up with another infantry unit back in Afghanistan. I’m being told, with the tension building in Iran, it’s safer for us to report from farther back.” She rolls her eyes at me.

She’s as tough as any person I’ve known, the danger doesn’t even slow her down.

“I’ll let Jay know. What time do you want to leave?” I ask as we get in line in the mess hut.

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