“How much pain are you in?”
“I’m okay. I just want to go home.” It was as if their presence finally sank in and she struggled to stand.
“Don’t move, Miranda, we need to see what’s under this blanket. You might be wired to something.” Fear flooded into her face and make the bruises and dried blood stand out even more. Before Rafe could do anything to reassure her, Halo appeared at her side and wagged his tail. The dog was a godsend. “Okay, I’m going to slowly remove the wrap and then we’ll know.”
“Fuck,” Cam said with a low whistle. It didn’t help the situation but it sure as hell fit. It wasn’t a full vest, but they’d rigged some kind of a wide belt around her waist what had C-4 and God knows what else. Rafe walked around to the back of the chair to see if they could move her at all, but it was attached to the chair rungs.
“Don’t move, honey. We’re going to get you out of this.” She nodded. Without the blanket, Rafe checked her carefully for any other injuries. Her wrists were raw and bleeding from being tied too tightly to the chair. He wanted to cut her lose but he was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from trying to stand.
“Do you remember them putting this on you?”
She shook her head no. “When we got here, a man asked me all kinds of questions. I didn’t know the answers and he beat me. I don’t remember passing out, but when I woke up, I was blindfolded and couldn’t move.”
“Do you see him here? Is he one of these men?”
She squinted and looked over at the three men leaning against the table. They were dead but their faces hadn’t been destroyed. The leader was still yelling at Jake.
“I don’t think so. He was different than them.”
“Different, how?” Cam asked as his dog rubbed his head against her leg. It was about the only place not dripping blood.
Rafe tapped his com. “Murph, we need you.” Time wasn’t on their side and having to disarm the bomb before they could get her out of there made things more complicated. The odds of making their EXFIL were dwindling with every heartbeat.
Moments later, Murph knelt next to Miranda and examined the explosives. If there was a way to get it off her without it detonating, he’d find it. If they were lucky, the big guy shouting Pashto would tell them how to disarm it or at least the triggers. He was about to ask Jake when a gunshot echoed around the chamber. He turned in time to see the man tip back in his chair and hit the floor with a bullet through his forehead. It didn’t look they’d get any assistance after all.
“What do you think, Murph?”
“It’s not the worst I’ve seen but it’s not going to be easy. And it’s going to take a bit.”
It wasn’t what they wanted to hear, but you’d never know from the looks on their faces. They needed to keep Miranda calm until they could get her loose. Jake joined them as Murph announced the good news.
“Miranda. I’m Jake, this is Rafe, Ryan is over there, Murph is working on getting you free so we can get out of here, and the guy with the dog is Cam.”
“Thank you so much. I am so glad you’re here. I thought they were going to kill me.”
“That’s not going to happen. We’ll get you back home as soon as we can.”
“What about the rest of my group? There were ten of us…”
“We know and we’re working on a plan to rescue them too.” They were? Last he knew their mission was to rescue Miranda and get her back to Bagram Air Force Base. Maybe Jake had spoken to TOC or he was just trying to keep her calm.
“Thank goodness. I was so worried something had happened to them.”
“The information we have is that they are all together and okay. You were the only one separated. Do you know how they found out who you were?”
“I can’t say for sure, but if I had to guess it was Richard. He was terrified when we were taken. He would have done just about anything to stay safe, and I can’t blame him for that if he was the one.”
“That’s very understanding of you,” Jake replied. Rafe and he exchanged looks and he nodded and stepped away from them to call command. They needed as much information on Richard as possible. He might have been a plant, or it could have been as Miranda said, that he’d just been scared to death.
“TOC, this is Eagle 2.”
“Go ahead, Eagle 2.”
“We have HVT. Murph is diffusing the explosive belt before we can move her.”
“Copy that. We also need more info on one of the missionary group. First name Richard.”
“What are we looking for?”
“Not sure. Miranda thinks he might have been the one to share her identity with their captors.”
“Copy that. We’ll go through the list again.”
“It doesn’t look like we’ll make it to the EXFIL point on time. We need a new plan.”
“You’re going to have to stay hidden until nightfall.”
“Copy that. I’ll advise Eagle 1.” It’s what they’d expected. It was too risky to try to fly the chopper in during daylight hours. If Jake had found out where the other hostages were being held, then maybe they could recover them all by sundown.
Chapter 14
Meghan was losing her mind listening to the endless ramblings of James Waltham. Until this trip, she’d been under the misconception that men didn’t like small talk. Oh, how wrong she was. For the last hour and a half, she’d been cooped up in the jeep gazing at mile after mile of sand and listening to the world gold medal winner of chat. She didn’t need to say a word, he managed to keep the conversation going with only an occasional comment from her.
So far, he’d discussed the sand, seasons, wildlife, and more than anyone in the world should know about tea. She hated tea. Despised it. It was practically sacrilegious being from the south and refusing to drink sweet tea. It was considered a birthright. But even if it had been a beverage she’d enjoyed, she’d never have drunk it again after this trip. The more he yammered the more her head pounded. She’d already popped an Advil, but it hadn’t done much to relieve the pain.
Just when she thought she’d lose it, she realized he’d stopped talking. It was quiet. She turned from the window to make sure he was still alive. It was the first quiet in ages. Imagine that. He’d stopped to take a drink from his water bottle. But it would only be a matter of time before he started up again.
“How much longer until we get to Bamyan?”
“If things stay as they are, probably another hour or so.” If she looked on the bright side, she was more than halfway there. But she couldn’t hold in a groan when she thought about another hour of listening to his yakking.
“I thought Afghanistan was more populated than this.”
“It depends on where you are. This area has seen a lot of fighting and so the villagers who were here have mostly moved on to other areas. With the blowing sand, it doesn’t take long to erase a lot of what was once there.”
That made sense and was useful information. Maybe she was being too hard on Waltham. If she asked more questions, she’d probably have learned more that would be helpful. It couldn’t have been easy dropping everything and driving a stranger across a warzone. She’d never even asked what he did. When he’d said embassy, she just assumed he was some kind of spy since he knew Tex. She wasn’t sure if he and Tex had worked together or were friends. Not that it mattered. The only thing that mattered was rescuing her brother. Or at the very least seeing for herself that he was alive.
“Bloody hell.”
“What’s wrong?” Meghan asked. She didn’t see anything, but Waltham glanced between the rearview and side mirrors, and sweat beaded on his forehead before he pulled a ringing satellite phone out of the armrest. The reporters that traveled overseas for the paper had them, so they wouldn’t have to worry about SIM cards or access. What was going on? His actions raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Nothing looked different but his whole demeanor had changed.
“Yes. I’ve got the girl. No. About an hour, but there’s smo
ke ahead.”
Smoke? She didn’t see any smoke all she saw was blowing sand. Then she squinted and looked through the dusty windshield and saw what could have been a plume in the distance.
“Okay. Let me know.” He disconnected the call and laid the phone in his lap. He’d slowed his speed, which hadn’t been very fast to begin with, and sighed. “Looks like our luck may be changing. There’s a skirmish up ahead.”
“What does that mean for us?”
“It means we may not get to Bamyan tonight. Depending on what is happening and how close to the road it is, we may have to spend the night out here. Tex is trying to find out who and what is going on. If it’s the Americans, they’ll most likely let us pass. If it is the Taliban or the Afghani forces, we’ll need to stay as far away from it as possible.”
“But I came here to meet with the Taliban.”
“Not in the middle of a firefight you didn’t.” No, she didn’t, but if it was the only way to find out about Charlie then so be it.
“I don’t…”
“Just hold on to your britches. When Tex calls back we’ll know more. For now, grab something for us to eat out of the cooler.”
Waltham was treating her like a child, and it irked her. Meghan didn’t want to eat but didn’t see any point in objecting. She was in an unfamiliar country and in his car. He could make whatever rules he wanted. Reaching into the backseat, she grabbed a couple of sandwiches and two more bottles of water out of the cooler. As she closed the lid, she glanced through the back window.
“Oh shit. I think we have company,” Meghan said as she settled into her seat.
“I saw them. Just follow my lead and it should fine.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Exactly, so you should listen to me.”
Exhaustion and fear were making her cranky. None of this was Waltham’s fault, he’d been nothing but kind, polite, and helpful. She’d probably still be waiting at the airport for a bus if it weren’t for him.
“I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this.”
“It’s okay, just try to remain calm. Hopefully, they’ll just keep going and leave us alone. But if they make us pull over don’t make any sudden moves.”
“Okay.” Rafe was going to kill her if she made it back alive. The more this trip progressed the more she wondered if she’d been out of her mind. It didn’t seem nearly as dangerous when she’d come up with the plan. News reporters traveled in and out of Afghanistan all the time and nothing happened. But they also weren’t chasing down kidnappers. She started to wonder if the only reason Tex helped her was to make sure she didn’t try it alone.
Maybe Rafe was in Afghanistan working to save the hostages. She hadn’t heard from him since he’d left. She’d give anything to hear his voice, even if he was yelling at her for taking chances with her life. It was hard to believe that they’d just met, and that he believed she was his soulmate. But she wasn’t there yet, although she couldn’t deny that there was a connection between them that she’d never experienced before. She prayed that she’d make it through this alive to see him again.
The car was slowing down, and Waltham slid the phone off his lap and returned it the hidden spot in the armrest. The vehicle she’d seen through the window was barreling toward them and kicking up enough dust to make it hard to see. From the look of resignation on Waltham’s face, she was almost certain they weren’t going to be friendly.
“Remember what I said. Let me do the talking.” Meghan nodded and took a deep breath to calm her heartbeat which threatened to jump out of her chest with every beat.
The armored truck caught up and herded them off the road. Waltham pulled to the side and stopped but he left the engine running. She’d love to know what he was thinking, but for the first time during the trip he was quiet. That would teach her to watch what she wished for.
Two men jumped out of the truck and approached the jeep. A third must have gotten out of the back since when she looked up there was a gun pointed at her head through her window. The other two approached Waltham, guns pointed directly at him. The one she assumed was in charge, motioned to him to open his window.
As he rolled it down, everything seemed to slow down. Her heart no longer beat in double or triple time. It was like the calm before the storm when everything is peaceful just before all hell breaks loose.
Unable to understand a word they were saying, she kept silent and still as Waltham instructed. The last thing she wanted was to look into the barrel of whatever type of gun was pointed at her face.
The man in black, Johnny Cash was probably spinning in his grave, but she didn’t know what else to call him, spoke in a language she couldn’t understand. At first, Waltham answered in English, but then he switched to what had to be Pashto. No wonder Tex had sent him to help her. She was like a newborn babe out in the middle of nowhere and completely defenseless.
The only word she understood was ‘no,’ and Waltham was using it a lot. Probably not the best thing to yell at people who looked ready to kill. She didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know they weren’t ‘friendlies’ and that these were the people she’d traveled to see.
The man in black yelled and the other two moved closer to the car. Waltham continued to argue and as his voice got angrier and Meghan hoped he wouldn’t get them both shot. No sooner had the words formed in her mind when everything when to hell in a handbasket.
The leader yanked open the driver’s door and dragged Waltham out of the jeep. Then he punched him in the stomach with his machine gun and knocked him to the ground.
As he struggled to get up, he glanced at her, motioning to stay put, and then pulled himself up. She wished she knew what they were saying, but even if she understood the language, they spoke so quickly she’d never have been able to keep up with them.
The one in charge was growing impatient. His voice rose and he lifted his rifle. Meghan thought he was going to beat Waltham again, but instead, he pulled the trigger. She watched in disbelief as Waltham fell to the ground. It had to be a mistake, this couldn’t be happening. Why They’d been driving to Bamyan and talking about tea and now his blood was spreading in the desert sand somewhere in the middle of Afghanistan.
She told herself to stay strong even though her stomach churned with fear and desperation. It wasn’t looking good for, she was all alone in the middle of nowhere, with no way to defend herself. Her sole reason for being there was to talk to the Taliban, to hopefully get close to Charlie. Instead, she was miles and miles away from him and might never see him again. As she met the man in black’s eyes, they opened her door and dragged her out of the jeep. Unsure what their next move would be, she braced for a bullet. It seemed the logical next step for them, so she was surprised and temporarily relieved when they pulled her toward their truck.
“Come.”
“I have to get to Bamyan.”
“You will come with us,” his English was broken and stilted, but maybe he could understand her and let her go.
“No. I have to get to Bamyan. I am with the Press.” He didn’t look impressed. Or maybe he didn’t understand. “Newspaper? I am writing a story.”
“You come with us now.” The man holding her arm raised his rifle.
“Can I get my pack?” At least then she might have a chance of contacting Tex as long as they didn’t take her phone. Where her bravery came from, she had no clue, but she was going to go with it as long as possible.
After a moment, he nodded, and she went to the jeep and grabbed it from the floorboard. She didn’t even have time to swing it onto her back before he dragged her away from the car and toward their armored truck.
She tried to see if Waltham was still alive but could only see his legs lying still in the sand. It was her fault this happened, she didn’t even know if he had a family. If no one found his body, they would never know what happened and he’d be sucked into the desert and disappear forever.
“Come.” She wondered if they knew any other E
nglish words. When she’d made the decision to try to save Charlie, she’d never considered they might not be able to communicate. Hopefully, she’d find someone that would be able to understand her.
After being shoved into the back of the truck, they used a zip tie on her hands and feet, then put a black bag type thing over her head. It smelled of blood and sweat and made her gag from the stench. Fear rose in her throat along with the bile as she thought about what had happened to the last person who’d worn it.
As the truck’s engine roared to life, she prayed for Waltham, for Charlie, and for herself. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Rafe’s words about leaving things to the professionals echoed in her brain and her heart ached knowing she’d probably never see him again. “I’m sorry, big guy. I do love you.”
Chapter 15
It took almost an hour for Murph to free Miranda from the explosive laden belt. Not only were there several trip wires, but the seat itself was wired to explode if she stood up. They’d been worried about keeping Miranda calm, so she wouldn’t accidentally trigger the explosives. Halo’s presence helped at first, but once Cam flashed his big ole’ blue eyes and bright white smile, she even smiled back. It was unexpected but whatever it took to keep her from freaking out was fine with them. The more still she remained the easier it was for Murph to work his magic. Leaving him and Cam inside, Rafe and Jake joined Ryan near the front of the cave to keep watch.
“Did you get new orders?” Rafe asked as they approached the cave opening.
“No. I haven’t heard anything new.”
“I wondered if that had just been for Miranda’s benefit.”
Jake tipped his head in agreement. “But I do know where the other hostages are. Mr. dirtbag finally spilled his guts. If he’d yelled much more, I’d have had to sic Halo on him.”
“I’m surprised. I didn’t think he’d give you anything. Hell, the way this operation was run, I didn’t think he’d know anything,” Ryan added as he joined their conversation.
SEAL's Spitfire (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Black Eagle Book 1) Page 11