Hallowed Ground

by Mary Alford

  Lord, please help me. I need Your guidance. We need Your protection, she prayed, then grabbed her backpack and glanced around the room one final time. Would she come home again? Her thoughts drifted to Blake once more. She believed he’d had an inkling when he left his apartment before that final trip that it was his last mission. Life was short. Fragile. With the type of work they did, there were no guarantees.

  Erin returned to the living room where Jax waited. He took her backpack from her and glanced at her injured wrist. She’d removed the brace.

  “How’s that feeling,” he asked.

  “Much better. Almost back to normal.”

  Jax nodded without saying a word.

  “We should probably be going,” she murmured and clicked off the coffee pot before washing it out.

  Jax waited by the door as she took one final sweep of the place before stepping out into the early morning, praying that they’d all return home safely this time.

  ◆◆◆

  The plane touched down inside Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan. From there, a Black Hawk would fly them to the staging location.

  Once the plane taxied to a stop, each agent disembarked. They were met immediately by the Black Hawk’s pilot. There would be no downtime. The drone footage that Peter had shown the team to make the story convincing was vague, and Jax believed most of them knew there was something off about this endeavor. Still, no one voiced their concerns.

  Jax had received the coordinates for the location of the first fake mission. An abandoned school. He’d gotten Sam alone and let slip their destination. He felt like a heel for doing it, but he had his orders and was determined to prove his unit’s innocence.

  “Agent Murphy?” The pilot asked, glancing around at the team members.

  “I’m Murphy.” Jax stepped forward and extended his hand to the Air Force officer.

  The man shook his hand. “Squadron Commander David Arnold, sir. I’m to chopper you and your team to the staging point.” Arnold’s gaze met his. The commander only knew the details of his part in the mission, for security purposes.

  “Thank you, Commander. We’re ready to go when you are.”

  “Roger that. Follow me.” Arnold headed toward the waiting Black Hawk. Jax didn’t miss the questioning looks among his team members. He hated this.

  Jax shielded his eyes against the debris the powerful blades kicked up as he climbed onboard after Erin.

  The flight would take less than an hour. Everyone on board believed they were heading out on a mission designed to bring down the illusive terrorist known as Al Hasan, the man the CIA believed responsible for Blake’s death. Only Jax knew the truth, and it tore at his gut.

  As the hatch closed, each team member found a seat and donned headsets. Seconds later, the commander lifted off and banked hard, heading toward the tall mountains.

  Beside him, Erin watched him closely. She knew him well, especially since over the past few weeks they’d gotten closer. She could tell something was up although he’d tried to cover his unease during the entire flight to Afghanistan.

  “Are you okay?” she whispered, touching his hand briefly.

  Jax nodded, avoiding eye contact. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just trying to wrap my head around what must be done.”

  He didn’t have to look at her to know she didn’t buy it, but she let the matter go. “You think he’s really the one behind all of this?”

  She was talking about Al Hasan. They knew next to nothing about the elusive tribesman. While a nomad, Al Hasan mostly stayed close to the mountains they were nearing. Rumors circulated that he was training the next wave of terrorists and moving weapons into Afghanistan for who knew what possible scenario. Nothing about that could be good.

  Jax wished he could talk to Blake’s asset himself and find out what he knew, but the man was a ghost. As far as Jax understood, no one knew the name of the man or how to get in touch with him. Peter’s claims of speaking to the asset was all part of the ruse.

  “I don’t know. I sure wish we had more to go on.” He glanced at her, and, right away, worry replaced his doubts. “You doing okay? I know this is hard.” Her flinch was not lost on him.

  “I’m fine. You don’t have to keep worrying about me,” she told him. “I want to catch this guy. Alive. We need answers about what he’s planning. What he’s done.”

  Jax couldn’t tell her that none of those answers would be coming from this mission. Frustration seared his mind. They should be hunting down Al Hasan for real. Instead, he was leading his people on a wild goose chase.

  “Hopefully, this time we’ll get him and figure out what he’s planning,” he murmured without much emotion.

  Erin appeared satisfied with the answer and turned away while he stared out the window as the chopper ate up the territory. In the distance, the mountain range rose against the sky. Every mile that disappeared behind them felt like a clock ticking on their lives. If they failed to uncover the mole before it was too late, everyone’s life could be in danger.

  Emotionally, he was running on empty and needed a distraction. He reviewed the things he was supposed to do the following day. The fake mission was to take place in a small village in the shadow of the mountains. An abandoned school the target. They’d head out before dawn. Once they were close to the location, he’d tell the rest of the team about their destination.

  Jax closed his eyes, trying to rest, but he hadn’t been able to sleep in days. Too many dangers rattled around in his head. He couldn’t get the reaction of the ambassador’s driver out of his head. The man had been hiding something, he could feel it. Was the vehicle really stolen or was that the cover story? Someone was worried about what their team might find out. A prickle of uncertainty seeped into his body. How did the driver of the SUV fit into what had happened to Blake?

  “We’re five minutes out,” the commander announced. Jax roused himself and gathered his backpack. Glancing around at his fellow agents, he noted their serious expressions.

  The chopper kicked up dust and debris in its wake as it touched ground with a jarring thud.

  With the blades still whirling, Jax opened the hatch. The first to disembark, he ran for the tree coverage close by where Kabir waited for them with a Humvee for transportation. They’d find a secure location to make camp and then head out the following morning.

  Erin hopped out next, followed by the rest of the team. Dylan, the last man out of the chopper, closed the hatch.

  The pilot didn’t wait for Dylan to reach the trees before lifting off. Banking hard left, he was in and out in a matter of minutes.

  This part of the country was known as no man’s land for a reason. The military had little control over what happened here. The unit had been here many times in the past, so it didn’t throw up any red flags that they were back in the war zone. The ruse certainly appeared legitimate enough from the solemn expressions on his teammates’ faces. They’d follow him into whatever dangerous situation he led them. Jax hoped he wasn’t leading them into a firefight that would cost them their lives to prove what he already knew in his heart.

  Chapter Six

  “What was that about?” Erin demanded, her eyes spitting fire. She could feel color staining her cheeks. They’d risk their lives coming here and for nothing. The village was almost deserted. Only a handful of old-timers remained. The cobwebs hanging around the school indicated it had been empty for a while, probably years. There was no sign that Al Hasan or any other threat had been in the area. Their intel was bogus.

  Jax’s lips clamped together as she stormed into his line of vision, forcing him to make eye contact. Instead of answering, he turned on his heel and left the schoolhouse. Her anger spiraled out of control. Erin couldn’t let it go. She charged after him.

  The rest of the team, including Kabir, whom they’d met at the staging site, slowly followed them out into the blinding sun.

  “Jax? What’s going on?” she demanded, his reaction more frightening than anything.


  He grabbed Erin’s arm and pulled her out of earshot of the rest of the group before answering. Frustration simmered below the surface. “Don’t ever question my orders in front of my team again.” The words seethed from his lips.

  Erin refused to back down. “Then explain why you sent us out on a farce. That’s an empty school building. Has been for a while. This village is pretty much deserted. Al Hasan certainly hasn’t been here recently, if ever.” Her voice rose over that last part, emphasizing the words.

  Something was wrong. Erin could see it in the way Jax refused to meet her eyes.

  She’d become an expert at reading people, even someone as hard to read as Jax Murphy, who’d become notorious for keeping his emotions locked away from everyone. But as they’d grown closer, she’d become familiar with every little look. When his brows slanted together, he was analyzing a suspect or a problem. The lift of one corner of his mouth meant he was thinking about something funny. When his jaw set in a vise-like grip like it was now, only a muscle clenching to give it away, something was clearly wrong.

  “We were acting on our intel that said Al Hasan would be here. You saw the drone surveillance photos.”

  Erin didn’t believe what he was telling her. “Those photos showed an unusual amount of activity around the village and nothing more. It could have been herdsmen moving their sheep to greener areas.” She turned back to the village and waved a hand. “Look at it. There’s nothing going on in there but a bunch of blowing sand.” She stared him right in the eye. “But I’m guessing you knew that already, didn’t you? So, what’s this really about?”

  He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I don’t know what you mean. Come on, we need to pull out before we’re discovered. Obviously, they knew we were coming and moved out.” He started past her. “This is getting us nowhere, and we’re wasting valuable time.”

  Erin grabbed his arm, holding him there. “Jax, talk to me. Please, tell me the truth.”

  He shook his head, his eyes wintery. “I can’t.” His voice lowered. “Not here. Not now.” He glanced at the team, and she let her hand drop.

  Fear swirled through her body. She’d been right; something was wrong. Struggling to keep her misgivings inside, she wanted to make him tell her what he knew, but she dropped the matter for the moment.

  Jax joined the rest of the unit, who’d watched their exchange with interest. “Tyler, call it in. Let’s get moving. This one’s a bust.”

  They headed to the Humvee stationed behind an outcropping of rocks several miles from the village. Erin’s thoughts churned. If Jax had known Al Hasan wouldn’t be here, why had they raided the village and searched the school? What was he expecting to find?

  The dawning of truth sent her gaze jerking toward him. His profile tense, Jax stared out the window without saying a word. The raid was a fake. A test of some sorts? Someone higher up was calling the shots. Did they suspect one of their own of being a traitor? The thought settled around her uncomfortably. Why? There had to be evidence to back up such a horrific claim. Were they all suspects? Something ugly was in the works, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to any of those questions.

  They headed back to the location where they’d made camp, the occupants of the Humvee unusually silent. Jax looked as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders and she reached out and grasped his hand, entwining her pinky finger with his. He turned to face her, brows raised, surprised by the intimate gesture. A hint of a smile touched his lips. If only she could reach over and brush that lock of hair from his forehead. Assure him everything was going to be okay, but she couldn’t do any of those things because she had a feeling the real test had just begun.

  Promise me, if anything happens to me, you’ll get out of this. You’ll leave the CIA. I don’t want you to do this without me. Blake’s words came back to haunt her. Had she waited too late? Did Blake have some type of premonition that someone close to them was dirty? She shivered at the implication and the fear wouldn’t go away.

  Father, please hold us. I don’t know what we’re facing, but I think it’s bad.

  They drove the rest of the way to camp in silence, yet she still held onto Jax’s hand. She wasn’t so sure if it was because of his need or her own.

  Once they reached camp, the team members exited the Humvee and waited for answers. Had they come to the same conclusion as Erin?

  “You think the intel was wrong?” Sam raised the question everyone was thinking. The rest of the unit’s focus zeroed in on their leader.

  Jax did his best to keep a lid on the unrest. He shook his head. “It was a solid lead. Somehow or other, Al Hasan must have gotten word that we were coming and evacuated.”

  “With all due respect, Jax, the intel was wrong,” Dylan interjected. “I spoke to a few of the remaining villagers. They confirmed no one but a few herdsmen grazing their sheep had been around until we showed up. Al Hasan certainly wasn’t there.”

  Jax whirled on him. “I doubt they would tell you if he had been. Everyone’s too frightened of retribution to give him up. Our intel was good,” he stressed to the entire team. “Al Hasan was there. We missed him. We can’t give into doubts. It’s important to stay united.” He forced a smile. “Why don’t you all get something to eat and then catch some shuteye? As soon as I know what our next assignment is, I’ll brief everyone.”

  After exchanging puzzled looks, the men moved away, leaving her and Jax alone. Erin’s heart went out to each of them. They were frustrated. On edge. Running into a situation like the one at the village was a major letdown.

  Jax spared her a brief look, then headed into the main tent, no doubt to call Peter and explain what happened.

  The thought of food sickened her. Too much turmoil swirled around inside her. The adrenaline rush of the mission had kept her nerves on edge. Right now, she needed exercise more than nourishment, yet she didn’t dare venture too far away from camp.

  This part of the world was a dangerous tightrope. The Afghan government had little control here. Being from the US instantly put a target on their heads. Few people trusted them. Half the area was ruled by tribal law, while the other was under some type of terrorist oppression.

  Boys in particular were forced to participate in “the cause”. If they didn’t, the entire family's safety became at risk.

  Erin headed for an outcropping of rocks a short distance from camp. There was shelter from the sun there, and she needed to clear away her doubts. But mostly she wanted to go to Jax and demand he tell her what was really going on, because the nervous ball in her stomach told her this went much deeper than Al Hasan’s assumed crimes. She was beginning to doubt everything she knew about this war.

  Being back in the same country where Blake had lost his life had her spooked. She saw ghosts of him everywhere. They’d worked so many missions together side by side, some near this same area.

  That final mission was always close at hand whenever she thought about him. Blake’s edginess before they’d left. His begging her to get out if anything happened to him. It was almost as if he’d had some premonition he wouldn’t be leaving Afghanistan alive.

  Frustrated, she shook her head, shielding her eyes against the glaring sun. For the first time, she actually considered Blake’s request. She’d been with the CIA going on five hard years now. She’d seen things that haunted her at night, sometimes even into the day. The war seemed to be going on forever with no end in sight. How many more soldiers would lose their lives? How many more of the people she loved?

  Still, the thought of walking away from the job made her sad. With no close family of her own, her teammates were her family. If she left, she’d be walking away from the people she considered family . . . and away from Jax. He lived for the Agency, for the missions abroad, for the hunt to bring down a killer before it was too late. It was in his blood. If she left, their contact would end as well.

  As much as she wanted to deny it, her feelings for Jax had shifted. After spending so much time tog
ether, it was inevitable. Was it real? Or because he was there for her when she’d been at her lowest?

  Try as she might, she couldn’t get their kiss out of her head. When his lips touched hers, it took everything inside her not to respond. Not to go into his arms and hold him close. It would be so easy to give her heart to him. But while he cared about her, she wondered if he had simply given into a whim when he kissed her, fueled by their shared grief. She was so screwed up inside she could no longer tell if she was reading too much into the relationship. Her heart told her that Jax had been there for her because they had one thing in common. Blake.

  ◆◆◆

  “The game is over. Repeat, the game is over.” Peter’s message came through the line loud and clear, conjuring up a wealth of questions in their wake.

  What on earth was up? An eerie feeling of déjà vu slithered up his spine. Darkness had descended on the camp. Jax’s nerves were on edge. They were a matter of hours away from heading out on the second fake mission when he’d gotten Peter’s call.

  “Copy that.” Jax tossed the mic on the makeshift desk and rubbed his hands over his eyes. They were being called to stand down. Something was off.

  Since he’d received his orders from the secretary of defense, he’d been intent on following through with them despite the cost, even if the thought of betraying his team ate at his gut. Now, he’d learned that the fake mission tonight was being scrubbed. He didn’t like the feel of it. Neither would the team, he could almost guarantee. Especially Erin. She seemed to be on a single-woman mission to locate Blake’s killers, and she knew something was wrong with the earlier mission.

  Lord, I hate the lies. Please help us bring this thing to an end soon. His disjointed prayer filled the silent space, with no answer in sight.

  Jax stepped from the tent into the blinding desert heat. The team was scattered around the camp. Some read magazines. Others cleaned their weapons. He sought Erin out from among the team members. She was talking quietly to Dylan. As always, looking at her sent shockwaves through his body. He’d never felt so torn before. His growing feelings for her made him vulnerable.