by Jade Alters
“Where are we?” She was the first one to speak, of course, and it was in a demanding tone that irritated me all over again. I ignored her and instead looked at the Doctor who sat covered in sweat and waiting patiently to be told what was going on.
“Dr. Steinbeck, you and your team can step out first, please.”
“Excuse me!” I was beginning to envision the reporter with a gag in her mouth. Unfortunately that turned me on a little bit, so I had to put that thought out of my mind as well. Ignoring her again, I reached up to help the doctor step down off the back of the truck. One at a time, five men, stepped down off the truck. Manny, team member number four was already leading the five of them toward our other teammate and the spot where they would soon be loaded onto an airplane and taken out of here.
“You can get out now,” I told the reporter.
“No.” She folded her arms and sat back against the wall of the truck. I rolled my eyes. I wondered if she was married or had a boyfriend. In other words, I wondered who I should feel sorry for.
“No?”
“No. I'm not getting out until you tell me where we are and what we're doing here.”
“We're in Afghanistan. The exact location is classified, but we're at an airstrip where we'll be putting you on a plane and sending you home.”
“Home?”
“Yes. Home.” Suddenly it was like a light had been turned on inside of her. She had been hot before when she was sullen and angry. Now, she was pure beautiful and for a second I forgot that I didn't like her. I stared at her until the look in her eyes changed slightly, almost like she recognized the lust in mine. Then it changed again, like she was remembering something. “Your eyes...they changed color earlier, and your teeth...”
“Come on or you're going to miss your plane.” She had that suspicious, curious look that I had seen on the faces of journalists before...but, it was obvious that she wanted to get home. She sighed and still clutching that laptop to her chest, stepped out of the truck and looked around. We were at a deserted airstrip in the middle of nowhere. There was one old hangar that looked like it had been built 80 years ago and never upgraded, a landing strip and a tower. That was the extent of it. No one had manned the tower in years. The airstrip was badly in need of repairs as well, every few feet there was a crack or a pothole. I could see her taking it all in and then she frowned and said,
“Where's the plane?” As if on cue, we heard the sound of the twin-engine, six-seat Cessna 206 coming in from the west over the mountaintop. The journalist frowned again when she saw it. “We're not flying all the way home in that, are we?”
I chuckled and almost told her they were, just to piss her off again. At the last minute however I said, “No. They'll fly you into Jalalabad and from there...”
Jalala what?”
“It's a city in Nangarhar.” She shrugged and it was his turn to frown. “It's a province of Afghanistan. Didn't do too well in geography class, I'm guessing?”
“Must you be an ass?”
“You bring it out in me,” I said with a smile. She sighed and headed toward where the rest of the civilians were waiting. Manny, Will and Titan were in position to wave the plane in. Mitchell, who had driven the tank that led our little convoy was in place to keep the civilians back away from the small airstrip until the plane landed and they were ready to board them. My eyes moved to the sexy sway of the reporter's hips as she walked toward the others. Damn, she was the finest thing Id seen in a long time. I was thinking now that it was too bad that I hadn't taken security detail on that one before it happened. My eyes were still on those sexy hips and my mind completely in the gutter when the explosion threw me to the ground, the plane circled around and left...and just like that, our plans were shot to hell...again.
Courtney
One minute I was walking toward the little cluster of people and the next, an enormous fist of orange and blue flames seemed to punch its way up through the dirt. The heat from the ball of fire was so intense that even from ten feet away, I felt like my flesh was melting. I couldn't move though, it was like I was frozen, and I couldn't look away either. I was riveted to the nightmare playing out in front of me. The explosion had come from directly underneath where the people had been standing, and the fire raged through what was left of them. Dark gray plumes of smoke reached toward the sky with its long, skeletal fingers. The ash rained down on top of me and the most disturbing part of that was that I was sure what it coated me with was tainted by blood and charred flesh.
There was a loud ringing in my ears competing with the sound of my own heartbeat and I could see the man running toward me. I could see that he was yelling something...but no sound penetrated through the fog that filled my head. The soldier scooped me up, without even slowing his step and I was lifted off the ground as if I weighed no more than a child. The whole episode felt so surreal, like I was flying through a cloud of smoke. I watched as another soldier yelled something to them and pulled open the door of the big, black Hummer. My body was propelled through the door and I slid across the leather seat, only stopping when I hit the door on the other side. I sat there watching out the windows, as if I were witnessing a natural disaster after it happened on the 11 o'clock news. I had no idea how much time passed, if any passed at all...everything was in slow motion. I did feel the vehicle move, like the earth underneath - it was rocking...another explosion maybe? I wasn't sure, since I couldn't hear anything. The loss of one of my senses was almost as frightening as what had just happened, it made me feel vulnerable.
Another slight shift of the vehicle and motion from the back of the Hummer captured my attention and I turned to see someone tossing things inside. It looked like camping equipment...and guns, a lot of guns. There had been a lot of guns in the truck I'd ridden in earlier. I wondered why they needed so many guns...and then my mind went back to the explosion. Those men I'd ridden in the truck with earlier had been on base with me for over two weeks. They were doctors and they'd come to Kabul to help people, and now they were dead. I felt my chest beginning to tighten. Those men were dead...and one of the soldiers had been with them too, I'd seen shades of camouflage floating on the smoke. My stomach lurched and I felt bile in the back of my throat. Please God don't let me get sick. I was distracted again, thankfully, by a huge man climbing into the driver's seat. I vaguely remembered him being on detail, “watching” over me a time or two on base, but I couldn't recall his name. He was really dark and intense looking...but sexy as hell. I did remember having a few indecent thoughts about him while I was alone on my air mattress late at night with the light from the stars penetrating through the top of the tent. I felt ashamed of that now for some reason, like since people were dying all around me, I shouldn't be allowed to have thoughts about living. It seemed obscene somehow and the panic in my chest began to intensify.
The passenger door opened in the front and another soldier got inside. Then the door I had been tossed through opened and two other men got in. One of them was the soldier who had been so rude to me earlier, but had effortlessly saved my life only moments later. He slid in next to me, and the spacious vehicle suddenly seemed too small, and my chest was so tight that I could hardly breathe. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing in and out...slowly. I felt the vehicle begin to move and then the soft touch of a rough hand against my arm. I opened my eyes and I was looking into the green eyes of the soldier who saved my life.
“Are you okay?”
Id didn't hear the words, but it seemed like he was enunciating them and I was able to read his lips. I nodded, slowly...should I tell him that I couldn't hear anything? I opened my mouth to speak and I felt his hand move down and take hold of hers. He closed his big, warm hand around hers and that small act of kindness seemed to suck the anxiety out like a vacuum and a sense of calm and safety began to descend down upon me. I gripped his hand tighter and closed my eyes again. I'd worry about the hearing loss later, when we got where we were going...wherever that might be.
Part II
“Hey...What's her name?”
“I don't know.”
“Seagull, or something like that.”
“Seagull? Like the bird? That's her name?”
“It's not Seagull, like the bird. It's Sea...gal. And that's her last name. Her first name is Courtney.”
“Titan knows the lady's first name...damn, it must be love.”
“Shut the fuck up, Will, this isn't the time or the place for your stupid jokes.”
“Sorry man, just trying to lighten shit up.”
“Courtney, can you hear me?” I could hear him. I could hear them all. It took my brain several seconds to process the sound...and then remember what had happened. That's what kept me from responding. I wanted to keep my eyes closed and block them all out...and forget. I wanted to forget that I'd seen bodies ripped apart and burned. I wanted to go home.
“Courtney?”
“I can hear you,” I said, reluctantly pulling open my eyes.
The handsome green eyed soldier was staring at my face with concern in his eyes. He looked relieved after I blinked a few times and pulled my eyes all the way open. I looked beyond him, up at the dome light of the car and then to the open door behind him. It was dark outside. It had been early afternoon when they left the base. How long had I been asleep?
“Courtney, my name is Clayton, the big guy behind the wheel is Titan. That guy next to him is Will and the one standing right outside the door behind me is Manny. We're going to do whatever it takes to make sure you stay safe and get you home...but right now we have to leave this vehicle here and get out and walk for a while. Do you think you can walk?” He was talking slow and quiet like he was afraid I might freak out at any given moment. Sadly, I wasn't sure that I wouldn't. I didn't trust myself to speak again so I just nodded.
“Okay,” he said, softly. “Good. I'm going to slide out and I'll help you to your feet.”
“I don't need help.” I responded.
He sighed, but didn't say anything. He just slid out of the seat and then held his hand out to me. I brushed it away and let my feet drop to the ground. As soon as my butt came off the seat, the world around me spun and I had to reach out for him. He already had his hand on my arm. I closed my eyes for a second, until the dizziness passed and then opened them again to see all four men looking at me. I noticed then that they were laden down with backpacks and equipment...and guns. It frightened me, and made me feel safe at the same time. It was crazy, but my emotions were all over the place so it didn't surprise me. The other thing it made me feel though, was weak, and ashamed of myself. They'd not only been through the same thing as me...one of their own had been killed in that explosion. Yet here they were, carrying the heavy load and vowing to keep me safe.
“I'm sorry,” I said, letting go of Clayton. “I'm okay now. It was just a little wave of dizziness.”
Clayton was still holding onto my arm. His green eyes still looked worried and he didn't seem convinced. “You sure? You'll be able to walk?”
I nodded and looked at his hand. He took it off of my arm and then the one he introduced as Will handed something to him. I realized it was a camouflage jacket when he opened it up and held it out to me. “You'll need this. The temperature is dropping and it will only get colder before the night is over.” I was finished being obstinate, at least for now. I turned around and let him slide it onto my arms and up around my shoulders. It was huge, but it was warm.
“Thank you,” I said, rolling up the sleeves and buttoning it up the front. “I'm ready.”
The men looked at each other and the one named Manny said, “I'll take the front. Titan take the rear, Will and Clay flank Courtney.”
There was no more discussion. Weighted down with what had to be fifty pounds or more each, the men began to walk, so I did too. I followed Manny and Will and Clay walked on either side of me. For the first time I really looked around. Manny was carrying a flashlight and the light coming from it was very dim. Behind us Titan had one as well, holding it low down near our feet. What I could see was that we were on a dirt path, which wasn't surprising. Everything here was dirt. There didn't seem to be any buildings around, and no trees. There were a lot of rocks underfoot and as we followed the trail I realized that it was inclining slowly and we were ascending a hill or a mountain. The stars overhead were bright but the moon was in its early phase so it didn't offer much help in the way of lighting up the night. Will had a leather canteen and every so often he'd pass it forward. They always let me take the first drink, but since I didn't know if it was all they had, I'd just take small sips, hardly enough to relieve the dryness that coated my mouth and throat. At least it wasn't hot any longer, but the dust stirred up around us with every step and I had no choice but to breathe it in, at first.
We stopped for what only seemed like a minute for a break and it was then that Manny presented me with a bandanna and said, “Tie this around your nose and mouth. It will help keep the dirt out of your air passages.” I thanked him and did as he said, walking was a little easier after that...or at least breathing was. My legs and feet were screaming in protest, but I was trying not to hear them. I just kept trying to think of something, anything besides my current predicament and what happened earlier. I was hoping if I could focus on something else that it would pass the time and I wouldn't concentrate so much on how tired my legs were growing, how cold the air was becoming, or even the fact that I was in the middle of nowhere with four very large, very strong men that could do whatever they wanted to me and I'd be unable to stop them. I thought about my father and I almost laughed. I wondered what the General would think if he knew I was traipsing through the mountains of Afghanistan. He was sure I wouldn't make it through the assignment, and he'd almost been right. If not for Clay sticking his head in my tent and a bomb going off...I would have sent that email, begging to come home. I didn't know if that thought made me want to laugh or cry. What a mess this was. It made me wish I would have chosen law school instead.
“There's a dwelling about 100 yards ahead.” The sound of Titan's deep voice startled me out of my thoughts and back to the present. He was holding something out in front of him and for the first time I saw that it had a little screen on it. There was no picture, just an outline of red wiggly lines against the black screen. We all stopped and he moved the screen up and down and side to side slowly as we waited quietly. “I'm not reading any body heat around it.” I turned my head slightly and it looked like Clay was sniffing the air, almost like a dog on someone's trail. That was odd...but maybe the bandanna kept me from smelling whatever he was.
“We could use a place to bed down for the night,” Manny said, with a look in my direction.
Titan looked at Clay and he gave him a slight nod. Then looking at Will, Clay said,
“Take her behind those rocks over there and wait while we scout ahead.”
I didn't like to be talked about like I wasn't even there...but I was smart enough to realize that in this situation, I was the least knowledgeable and in the event that someone was in that “dwelling” lying in wait, I'd be the least helpful as well. With a sigh that I wasn't sure was tired, scared or frustrated, I went with Will toward a large pile of rocks while the other three men huddled up to make a plan.
Once Will and I were settled I whispered, “Was that explosion one of those IED things I've heard about...in the ground?”
He looked at me for several long seconds like he was trying to decide if that information was classified or not. At last he said, “No. It was launched by a rocket off the back of a truck parked in the hills above the airstrip.”
“Launched by who?”
He shook his head. “It was launched remotely, probably through a cell-phone. Their equipment out here is old, hardly state of the art...but it's still effective sometimes. Anyways, as of right now we don't know who, but it won't be long until we figure it out.”
“So the medical people, they were the targets?”
“Apparen
tly,” he said. His eyes were sad and I suddenly remembered the soldier that had been in the midst of the group. My heart ached for them all, but I was sure the loss of the soldier cut deeply with the rest of his team.
“I'm sorry...about your friend.” I could see his brown eyes glisten under the light of the stars. He cleared his throat and caught himself before a tear could dare spill down his face and said,
“Yeah, me too.”
“Will the pilot of that plane...or someone, send help?”
“No. We're your help. Don't worry though, we'll keep you safe.”
I was worried. How could I not be? I was simply a civilian in no-man's-land at the mercy of four men, who I knew nothing about and my life was in their hands. I didn't know where we were, who, if anyone was looking for us or how long we'd be trapped out there in the desert. I wanted real answers, but I realized that Will probably didn't have those, at least not now.
The sound of a whistle brought Will to his feet. “Come on,” he said, “They're ready for us.” I stood up and a wave of dizziness assaulted me. I was hungry and thirsty. I understood their need to ration what water they had...but I was afraid that if we were out here too long, it just wasn't going to be enough. I felt Will's hand on my arm and for the first time I realized that somehow these men seemed to read what I needed without being told. That was at least encouraging...if I had to look on the bright side.