The Reunion Mission. Beth Cornelison
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“I need to know … you remember. Tell me … you remember.”
The Cajun’s dark eyes were wild with agony, and his face contorted in misery. She hated seeing him suffer.
“Nicole,” he repeated, and held a hand out, summoning her to come closer.
At that moment, the morning sun broke over the tops of the trees and shone through the open side door of the helicopter, casting his rugged face in sharp relief. For the first time, she could truly see the man who’d risked his life for her. Her heart clenched, and the prickle of déjà vu returned. He seemed so familiar …
“I … need—” He stopped, clenching his teeth and growling in torment. “Please … I need to know … you remember.”
“I remember,” she lied, leaning closer to be sure he heard her.
“Then say my name, Nicole.”
And in a heartbeat, an echo from her past yanked her back five years to a hotel room in New Orleans. Her heart wrenched, and tears spilled from her eyes.
“Oh, my God!” She curled her fingers into the hair at his nape and buried her face in his neck. “Daniel …”
Dear Reader,
As I was writing Soldier’s Pregnancy Protocol, I found myself more and more fascinated by Alec’s missing partner, Daniel LeCroix. What had happened to him? I asked myself. Just who was this mysterious Cajun? Even though he was not “on screen” most of the book, I felt his presence throughout writing the book. Secondary characters sometimes take over, demanding their own story be told. By the time I finished Alec’s book, Daniel’s history with Senator White’s daughter was already playing out in my head.
I was thrilled to have the chance to write Daniel and Nicole’s story … so much so that the opening chapters of The Reunion Mission almost wrote themselves. This is a true story of my heart, even though I shook my head at times wondering what I’d done to myself by having characters who needed to speak not just Spanish, but Colombian Spanish, and not just French, but Cajun French. (Yes, there is a big difference!) I hope you enjoy Daniel and Nicole’s story as much as I enjoyed telling it …
Oh, and keep an eye out for book three in the BLACK OPS RESCUES series. I hope to have Jake’s story ready soon! As always, more information about all my books is available on my website, www.bethcornelison.com.
Happy reading,
Beth Cornelison
About the Author
BETH CORNELISON started writing stories as a child when she penned a tale about the adventures of her cat, Ajax. A Georgia native, she received her bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Georgia. After working in public relations for a little more than a year, she moved with her husband to Louisiana, where she decided to pursue her love of writing fiction.
Since that first time, Beth has written many more stories of adventure and romantic suspense and has won numerous honors for her work, including a coveted Golden Heart Award in romantic suspense from Romance Writers of America. She is active on the board of directors for the North Louisiana Storytellers and Authors of Romance (NOLA STARS) and loves reading, traveling, Peanuts’ Snoopy and spending downtime with her family.
She writes from her home in Louisiana, where she lives with her husband, one son and two cats who think they are people. Beth loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at PO Box 5418, Bossier City, LA 71171, USA or visit her website, www.bethcornelison.com.
The Reunion
Mission
Beth Cornelison
To Keyren Gerlach Burgess, who believed in me and
helped bring Alec, Daniel and Jake to life.
Thank you to fellow Mills & Boon® Intrigue author Gail Barrett and her friend, Margarita Unger, for their help with Colombian Spanish translations.
Thank you also to Jennifer Malone and her father,
Monte Bonin, for their help with Cajun French, as well
as answering questions about Cajun culture.
Thank you to Sara Beth Salyer for sharing her name
(as the winning bidder in the Brenda Novak Diabetes
Auction for a Cure) and allowing me the honor
of paying homage to her beloved kitty, Oreo, as
characters in The Reunion Mission.
Chapter 1
“Left perimeter clear.” Shifting his night vision goggles, Daniel LeCroix peered through the inky blankness of the Colombian jungle, his body humming and ready for action. He focused on the large tent at the far end of the rebel encampment. No sign of the soldiers who slept in the canvas shelter. Lowering the night vision goggles, he cast a glance to his partner, who monitored the camp through an infrared imaging camera. “What do you have?”
Months of preparation had led to this moment. With their objective moments from fruition, he’d be damned if he’d let anything screw up their mission now.
“No movement,” Alec Kincaid confirmed. “Looks like the guards watching the ammo are the only ones awake.” Alec stowed the infrared imager in his pack and slid his NVGs into place. “Ready to move?”
Adrenaline spiked in Daniel’s blood, readying him for battle. “Hell, yeah. Let’s go.”
Silently, he and Alec dropped from the tree where they’d been perched for hours, watching the faction of rebel soldiers who held several captives in the remote camp. Only one of the prisoners interested Daniel.
Nicole White. A U.S. senator’s daughter kidnapped from the medical mission where she was working and held as a political pawn.
Freeing her and returning her safely to the United States was their sole objective tonight.
Leading with his sidearm, Daniel crept down the steep, vegetation-dense hillside to the clearing in the narrow Colombian valley where Nicole had been held for close to thirteen months.
Would she recognize him, remember him?
Daniel shoved down the jangle of anticipation that skittered through him when he thought of seeing Nicole again. Touching her. He had to stay focused on his job if they were to get out of that jungle alive.
When they reached the crude wire fence at the edge of the camp, Alec pulled a pair of wire cutters from his pack and quickly created a hole large enough for them to crawl through on their bellies. Daniel wiggled through first, then Alec. Using hand signals, Daniel directed Alec to the right. Daniel walked backward, following Alec and guarding their six. Keeping to the shadows, they made their way toward the back of the camp where Nicole was being held.
As they rounded the tent where they’d determined supplies were kept, Alec stopped abruptly. He pointed to the guard stationed at the entrance of the supply tent.
I’ve got this one, Alec signaled, then soundlessly dispatched the man before