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A whistle sounded fro Jack as well as Monica beside him
"Hey, Korba," Crusty shouted up the stairith plenty of notice for anyone needing a chance to straighten clothes "The licorice is all gone and the sandstor up So roll your lazy ass out of the bunk and let’s get Tiara to her sister"
A flashlight gained brightness as Crusty clily illuminated Monica’s face as she expected, what? Jack stared back He didn’t have a clue what to offer her other than finishing this reed that’s all he could do
Chapter 20
It was all Yasmine could do not to duck and run
Perched on the top step of the building that had first been her jail and then her haven with Drew, she watched and waited with the others for the sister reunion Finally, Monica and Sydney would see each other Certainly she did not begrudge the closeness or joy, what they had all been working toward
She just hated feeling on the periphery of it all She wanted to be invited into the circle of hugs and to rejoice with them, but knew she would not be welco held hostage, instead leaving her to discover it in such a painful way
Earlyas Monica plowed past, her pilot lover firmly at her back for support The possessive stance stabbed at Yas her too much of what she could have had with Drew
She focused on the throng of Rangers instead, studied their grit-covered faces and uniforms, sand from the now-passed storm caked in their sweat For sohtly as he followed Monica What had all of these people been through during the night? Her eyes skittered along the group again, searching for Drew just to reassure herself he wasn’t hurt and hiding it
The h Alive Yasainst the cens of mistreatment
Sydney walked slowly, but then she always did, their drea or soave many of her days to others had been robbed of razed her shoulders after so long without a cut, attesting to those lostThere was no other way to describe it as both stu Unrestrained erief
The solid block of ceh to steady her She couldn’t ie and shame scoured her If only she had loosened her hold on her pride enough to coht have known her sister was in Rubistan, then held hostage Perhaps she could have sought inforht an easier end to the situation so all these battle-weary facesPrivate Santuci ht have lived
Self-examination stunk Yasmine slipped her other hand behind her back for a double dose of steadying against the bullet-pocked wall
Monica and Sydney eased apart fro Tears streaked tracks down their dusty faces and slid into wide smiles
"Are you okay, kiddo? God, I’ve ain, pulled back "Look at your hair It hasn’t been this long since you were in the second grade Are you okay?" she asked again in an un-Monica-like jumble of words
Sydney’s hand tucked into the clasp of the grubby oversize soldier beside her "I ao home Sleep Eat a whole pizza Sleep some more"
"Soon Very soon Just a few more hours And, hon, that pizza’s on me" Monica’s smile held firm, but her hands shook as she hooked her sister’s hair behind her ear, eyes searching, sister and doctor in tande reassurance "I need to check the three of you over while the rest of the medical team treats and loads up the wounded And these folks need to check airfield security Then we’re out of this place"
Monica looped an ar her path through the crowd Closer to where Yasather her up with relief, as well? Before she could discover the answer, Sydney gasped Locked eyes with Yasmine "Oh, my God! You’re here, too?" She bolted up the stairs and hugged Yasmine with typical Sydney openness "This is too wonderful I don’t even care how it all happened It’s just so awesome to see you both"
Monica paused at the foot of the ceed expression "Are you all right?"
Yasmine stiffened for recriminations
Monica reached Yasmine waited for a rebuff after the frosty way they’d parted last Instead, Monica straightened the trailing end of Yasmine’s scarf
Affection? Or restraint?
"We need to head over to the medivac" Monica’s hand fell away "See you there later? I’ll need to check you over, as well"
The old Yase that Monica wanted a few more moments alone with Sydney Now, Yasmine stuffed aside her pride and reminded herself the invitation to join them would not have been issued at all in the past
Yasht with you"
She stared out over Drew’s world while her sisters ambled down the steps Monica’s words frorit into her skin with uilt as thick as sweat She’d taken their protection and given nothing in return
So what that she had not known Sydney in particular was being held hostage? She had known Aht only of her own escape Of a freedom she had not earned any more than she had earned her sisters’ affection
Drew, Monica, they were all correct Freedouard it for others
Monica and Sydney walked away, both shadowed by the aze landed back on Drew His head dipped as he listened to one of his soldiers beside hi on his ever-present radio What was her freedom worth if she had no one to share it with?
Drew had told her he did not really know her She had been so quick to question how that could be possible when she knew him so well
The answer unfolded clearly Because her defensiveness and pride had kept her fro her true self Trust had to be earned And love had to be nurtured