Questioning Orders

By Lucien Grey

The war is over, but Bruce Carter, now home and struggling to adapt to life as a normal citizen and husband after five years as a soldier, is easily persuaded to step back into the fight when the man he fought alongside asks for his help.

However, when Bruce aids Daniel Best in the rescue of an injured soldier, he uncovers political secrets and lies that force him to question his role in the war, and whether he should believe the man with whom he trusted his life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Apr 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685500917

Book preview

Questioning Orders

By Lucien Grey

Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2022 Lucien Grey

ISBN 9781685500917

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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Questioning Orders

By Lucien Grey

Bruce’s heart beat the slow and steady pace of a predator stalking its prey. He hugged the tree line around the enemy camp. His rifle gone, lost somewhere in his last bout with three lookouts he’d dispatched to get this far, he had only his hunting knife, clenched tight in his fist. He breathed in deep, holding in the scent of desecrated earth and blood in his chest before releasing it slowly through his mouth.

There was a shuffle as the soldiers moved around their makeshift camp. The group of Ajarans were relaxed, settled down for the night, sharing a flask and playing a game of cards, completely ignorant of Bruce’s presence. He heard the soft rumble of their speech, followed by shared laughter. They gave a small cheer, and Bruce made his move. His entrance was met with confusion as Bruce wore no colors, just mud streaked, black combat wear. He slit the throat of the man closest before the others even had chance to get to their feet.

Five men in all. Well, four now. Bruce was moving to the next soldier before his dead comrade’s body hit the muddy ground. He cut the soldier’s wrist as he reached for his pistol. The man screamed, but Bruce silenced him with a slash of his blade across the man’s throat. A gun exploded behind Bruce and a hot burning sensation seared his hip. The bullet had come close, but missed, scorching his skin. He snarled, letting the pain feed the heat in his blood. He turned on the shooter, knocking the discharged weapon from his grip and moving in close. He plunged the steel of his blade into the man’s guts and ripped upward. Pulling the blade free, the man’s innards beat him to the ground. One of the remaining men tackled him. Bruce went down, but used the man’s momentum and rolled them until he was on top. Hands tightened around Bruce’s neck, but he drove his blade into the man’s chest, his heart, and the man’s grip slackened as life left him.

About to get up and finish what he started, he froze as the barrel of a pistol was pressed against the back of his head. The remaining soldier cursed him in Ajarian. Bruce swallowed and closed his eyes. This was it. This was what dying for his country felt like. The man was shouting orders at him, words Bruce barely understood, demanding to know who sent him. Bruce closed him out and felt the mud beneath his knees, breathed in the moist, metallic air, and graciously accepted his defeat, his end.

A shot rang out. Bruce jolted.

The lights didn’t go out, the machinery of his body didn’t stop, his life didn’t cease. The soldier behind him collapsed into the mud with a heavy thud. Bruce looked to him and saw the gaping hole where his brain was once housed, the blood pooling over his wide, sightless eyes.

"Carter!"

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Bruce was bolt upright in bed, brandishing his knife at an invisible enemy. The sights and smells of his dream still lingered, and it took a long time to clear his vision and slow his thundering heart. He looked at his knife, held ready to attack and noticed it was still safely sealed in its leather sheath. He looked down. His cock was hard and tenting the sheets around his waist. The sheets themselves were damp with sweat.

He placed his blade back under the bed, not knowing when he had reached for it and got out of bed, trying