Achilles Heel

An enigmatic smile played at the corners of Inga’s lips as she smoothly zipped up her leather coat. ‘Elias, I’d love to see just how important his woman is to you,’ she quipped, her voice holding a hint of challenge. For the one truly willing to wage a desperate battle on the brink of life and death, he couldn’t afford to stop and consider the consequences. Those who gambled too much on victory often ended up losing. Survival here demanded ignoring all else, even love and affection. They were mere distractions in the heat of battle. To Inga, Callie was such a distraction for Elias—she was Elias’s Achilles heel. *** The biting cold sent visible puffs of white mist into the air with every exhale. Gunshots rang out, causing Callie’s already fair complexion to turn ghostly pale. She tried to reassure herself, telling herself that Elias was an indomitable force, the true War Machine in everyone’s eyes. This mission to rescue border hostages should be a routine task for him, nothing to worry