Without Law 18 by Eric Vall (most difficult books to read .txt) 📗

howitzer would blow the bridge, and then the real fun would begin.

As the minutes passed by, the voices of the civilians around me died down. Everyone, and everything, grew quiet with the serious anticipation the moment deserved.

Each of the girls stared straight ahead with determined looks on their faces.

Anna’s eyes were narrowed, and she had her elbows resting on her knees as she leaned her head back against the sandbag and took a deep breath.

Paige sat cross legged and stared ahead with the blank look of someone who was incredibly deep in thought, and I had no doubt she was running through every last detail of our plan in her head.

Tara pulled her long platinum-blonde hair up into a ponytail, then she cracked her knuckles and leaned her head back against our cover while she looked up to the sun and pursed her lips.

Bailey sat with her legs straight out and one hand placed against the sandbags she’d stacked to make the table for her Barrett. The blonde chewed on the inside of her cheek as she stared straight ahead and squinted against the bright evening light.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel like time was standing still. Everyone was quiet, and the air practically hummed with the anticipation the group was experiencing.

A squeaking sound drew my attention to the left, and I watched Tara’s hand shoot up to cover her mouth just before she stood up and ran a few steps toward the group of trees nearby. The platinum-blonde bent over and threw up everything she’d eaten that day while the rest of the group grimaced and tried not to listen.

“Oh, fuck,” Paige breathed, and she covered her ears. “I can’t listen to this.”

“Me, either,” Bailey said, and she blanched and covered her ears and pinched her eyes closed.

“Sorry, everyone,” Tara said once she was done, and she spit a couple times, walked back over to our cover, and sat down.

“Um, are you sure you don’t want to sit this one out?” Paige asked.

“Are you kidding me?” Tara countered. “I’m not missing this action.”

“Really,” Bailey said. “There’s no shame in taking a rest. I bet Tav would even let you take one of the jeeps back to camp.”

“Yeah, I think the Captain is still there.” Paige nodded encouragingly.

“Fuck you guys,” Tara scoffed. “You’re trying to send me back to camp so I can hang out with the retired Navy Captain who didn’t even want to be here in the first place? I’ve fought and worked hard to be part of this team, and I’m not going to throw away my position just because I’m pregnant. This little human is going to be a fighter.”

Tara pointed to her stomach then, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re right,” I told her. “Our child will be a fighter. But they can’t be anything if you overexert yourself.”

“I’m fine,” Tara promised. “It was just a little bit of morning sickness, I can deal.”

“It’s almost dark,” Anna pointed out.

“Morning sickness is just what they call it.” Tara rolled her eyes. “It happens all the time.”

“Alright.” The redhead shrugged. “Suit yourself, but if you throw up while we’re in the middle of this battle, I’m going to have to throw up on you.”

“Gross!” Tara exclaimed, and she playfully hit Anna on the shoulder. “You can’t throw up on me you gross-o.”

“I can, and I will,” the redhead said. “Especially if you throw up first. I don’t know if I’ll be able to control it.”

“Me, either.” Paige nodded. “I’m with Anna. If you’re going to insist on fighting, then we’re all going to throw up on you if you start throwing up.”

“Oh, my god, you guys are nasty,” Tara laughed.

“Hey, you chose this,” Anna told her. “Remember that.”

“I in no way chose to get thrown up on,” the platinum-blonde said.

“You’re choosing to fight,” the redhead explained. “And in doing so you acknowledge that it’s possible you’ll throw up mid-battle, and if that happens, we’re all going to throw up, too. And if you make me throw up with your nasty throw up, then I’m going to throw up right on your face.”

“I swear to god, if someone says throw up one more time, I’m going to,” Bailey said, and she blanched and leaned forward and closed her eyes.

“Oh shit,” Anna laughed, and she reached over and touched Bailey’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Bails. Are you alright?”

“You see what you’ve done?” Tara asked Anna. “You’ve upset Bailey.”

“Both of you have upset me,” the blonde corrected. “Or my stomach at least. Now, can we get back to waiting quietly?”

“I second that request,” Paige said.

“You’re right,” Anna agreed. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Tara said, and she let out a breath and leaned back again.

I had fully expected Tara to deny the offer for her to sit out the battle, but part of me had hoped she’d prove me wrong and take it anyways. She was right, though, she’d worked incredibly hard, and I understood why she wouldn’t want to stop fighting just because she was pregnant.

Tara was more than capable still, and while I didn’t necessarily like it, I’d do what I could, and that was keep her safe. No matter what the cost, I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to my woman or my child inside of her.

I glanced over and saw Tara’s hand placed gently on her stomach, and my stomach fluttered with happiness.

I hoped our child would have her feistiness, but no matter if they were a boy or girl, I knew they’d be beautiful like their mother. They’d have my brown hair, and her beautiful pale skin and light brown eyes.

“Tav,” Ben’s voice came through the walkie on my hip and interrupted my thoughts.

“What is it?” I asked.

“We see them,” the pilot said