Hallowed Ground

by Mary Alford

  Jax had never felt so frustrated before. There was something more in the works here than either he or Erin understood, yet, from Al Hasan’s stony expression, he knew it was pointless to press him for answers.

  Al Hasan handed Erin a small jar. “Basar wanted you to have this. Keep applying it to the wrist. The swelling should go down by morning.”

  Erin nodded, then with a final wave, Jax and Erin headed out of the cave.

  Al Hasan gave one final warning. “Be careful, agents. You have to suspect that if your own people took your comrades’ lives, they won’t hesitate to do the same thing to you. You could be walking into a trap.” Before Jax could formulate a response, the man turned on his heel and disappeared into the bowels of the cave.

  Outside, the storm had dumped several inches of fresh snow on the ground. At any other time, the setting would appear peaceful, but, with Al Hasan’s warning still ringing in his head, peace wasn’t on Jax’s mind.

  After they’d put a little distance between themselves and the camp, Jax voiced his concerns. “He seems pretty convinced this whole thing was a setup created by our own people.” He studied her profile. All his doubts were reflected in the taut set of her face.

  “And he knows more than he was willing to say. I think he saw who set those explosives. He knows who killed our people.”

  Frustrated, she shook her head and faced him. “His conclusions aren’t anything that we haven’t already thought of ourselves.”

  Jax nodded, then searched the path ahead of them, looking for trouble. “I hate feeling as if I’m working in the dark.” He blew out a breath. “If someone from the CIA is involved in this, Al Hasan could be right. We may be walking into a trap tomorrow. I trust you and Coleman. I don’t trust anyone else. While Coleman can be a bear to work for, he’s the only one we can count on to get us out of here.” He glanced at her uneasily. “If someone has been feeding both Peter and Coleman incorrect information about you, then what else has been fabricated?”

  Erin nodded. “The truth about Al Hasan for one. He’s not a terrorist. He’s being set up as well.” She scanned their surroundings. “What do we do? We can’t wander around here until we figure out what’s really going on. Yet if we don’t make the meet, we might not get out of here alive. Who knows how many people are hunting us down? We’ll be lucky to make it to the meet location.”

  He’d thought the same thing, but sought to reassure her. “We’ll be careful. We won’t go near the site until we’re sure it’s safe. If anything seems off, we leave and call Coleman to figure out our best plan of getting out of here. Do you have a map of the area?”

  She nodded. Pulling it from her backpack, she handed it to him.

  Jax spread it out on a rock, his mind reeling. Trying to grasp where they were and the direction they’d need to travel once they reached Pakistan was next to impossible.

  They’d been walking for several hours, all the while Al Hasan’s warning kept niggling at his brain. If they were heading into a setup and the men hunting them tracked them to the airstrip, then there would be no escape. He was more than a little worried. The people responsible for killing their entire unit had proven they were good at covering their tracks. Spreading lies.

  Jax struggled to keep his concerns to himself. “Let’s see if we can find the place Al Hasan told us to hole up for the night. It’s getting colder by the minute. We can rest for a while and then figure out our best route.”

  He couldn’t let go of the helplessness building up inside him. His mind kept going over what happened at the camp earlier that day. They’d walked into a carefully laid trap. The killers expected them. They knew exactly when they’d arrive. The explosives were set ahead to go off soon after they’d breached those tents. No one was expected to walk out alive. How had the killers known the CIA was coming? The details of the mission were kept confidential for the agents’ safety. Unless someone from inside had tipped them off.

  “Over there,” Erin said.

  His eyes followed where she pointed. In the gathering darkness, he could make out a black hole against the side of the mountain.

  Relief lightened some of the load he carried. “Let’s get going. I can’t feel my feet anymore.”

  They hurried as quickly as their weary bodies allowed.

  Jax stopped Erin before she went inside. “Hang on a second. We don’t know what we’ll find in there. Let me take a look around first.” He dug out his flashlight and clicked it on. “I’ll be right back.”

  She grasped his hand, keeping him there. “Be careful,” she murmured, the look in her eyes tugging at his heart.

  “I will,” he promised. She let him go, and he headed inside the cave. This one appeared much smaller than the one where Al Hasan and his people had encamped.

  A passage greeted him. He headed down it, the flashlight’s beam bouncing off the stone walls. He’d only gone a short distance when the passage ended, opening up into a space barely four foot in diameter. If the people following them came across the cave, he and Erin would be in imminent danger, but at least they’d be out of the weather for the time being.

  He returned to where Erin waited. “There’s not much room, but it’s dry and out of the cold.”

  “Sounds like heaven right now,” she murmured and followed him inside. Once they reached the room, she glanced around. “Do you think we can risk a fire?” She shivered from the cold, her teeth chattering.

  “I think we’ll be okay as long as we conceal the entrance. I’ll go get some firewood and then cover the opening. You should take a load off. That wrist must be giving you grief.”

  She took off her backpack and dropped to the floor, barely managing a nod.

  Jax was worried about her. He went outside and gathered as much firewood as he could carry, then took it back inside and dumped it on the ground before returning to hide the entrance with brush.

  When he returned, he dug in his backpack and found the lighter. Stacking the wood close to where Erin sat, he gathered some dried brush to use as kindling. Once the fire was going, he knelt next to her. “How’s the wrist?” he asked.

  She smiled at him. “Believe it or not, it’s doing better. Whatever was in that ointment that Basar made seems to work. I put some more on it just now. The swelling appears to have gone down quite a bit.”

  He returned her smile and scraped a strand of her hair from her face. “I’m glad. You should try and get some rest. I’ll stay awake for the first watch. I have a feeling we’re going to need all the sleep we can get to face what’s coming our way tomorrow.”

  Chapter Ten

  Something woke her. With her heart hammering in her ears, Erin shot up, her eyes darting around the small space. As her vision grew accustomed to the darkness, she realized Jax was nowhere around. She stumbled to her feet. Where was he? The fire had almost gone out, though the cave was still warm.

  Erin headed for the entrance when someone slammed into her. She froze and tried to pull away. Her eyes filled with terror.

  “Hang on, Erin, it’s just me.” Jax clutched her arms, concern on his face.

  “You scared me. I woke up and you weren’t there,” she said trying to calm her pulse.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I went outside to take a look around.”

  She drew in a couple of breaths, her heart rate slowing. She focused on his expression. Something was troubling him. “Is someone out there?” she asked.

  Jax shook his head. “No, and that’s just it. Where are the people who set the explosions? We’ve seen no sign of them.”

  She searched his face, her thoughts spinning. “You’re right. The only person we’ve encountered is the one person we’re supposed to be hunting.”

  “I don’t like it,” he said.

  It didn’t make sense in her mind, and she could tell he felt the same way.

  “If they were sent there to kill us all, they wouldn’t have pulled out without making sure that was accomplished unless . . .” She
stopped. “The call to Coleman. Jax, what if they intercepted it somehow?” She shivered at the implication.

  “If that’s the case, they’ll be there waiting for us at the meet site. It won’t be good.”

  His gaze latched onto hers. “We have to warn Coleman. The extraction team could be in danger as well.”

  Jax went to his backpack and took out the sat phone. “There’s no signal here. I’ll go outside and try again.”

  Erin followed him. She glanced around the desolate area while Jax made the call.

  He turned to her. “He’s not answering.”

  Worry sped up her spine. “What if the real person behind this figured out what Coleman was trying to do and . . .” She couldn’t finish. The thought of their call putting the director in danger was terrifying.

  Jax drew in a breath. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. He may not be able to take the call. Let’s go inside where it’s warm. I don’t think it’s wise to be out here in plain sight for too long.”

  She hurried to the cave and waited while Jax shoved brush in front of the opening. Once inside, he piled more wood on the dying fire.

  “I’ll keep watch for a while,” she told him.

  He came over to where she stood, his gaze piercing. Her heart strummed an unsteady rhythm against her chest when his arms encircled her. Her hands rested on his chest as he gathered her close, his lips claiming hers.

  She couldn’t help it, she melted against him and returned his kiss with all the growing love in her heart. She cared for him. Wasn’t sure how it happened, but her feelings had changed, and she didn’t want to hide them any longer.

  Erin closed her eyes, losing herself in his kiss. Jax felt like the future she longed for, and that scared her.

  He pulled away, peering into her eyes. He wanted to talk. But what was there to say? She had no idea if they would even survive this mission, and if they did, she was done because she couldn’t keep doing this anymore. She wanted out. Wanted more than living in the shadows. So where did that leave them?

  Reality swept between them and she turned away, touching a trembling finger to her lips. She’d given in to emotions that had no place in this dangerous country. “You should try to get some sleep. It’ll be daylight in a few hours,” she murmured.

  He said nothing and moved away. When she turned, he’d lain down on the ground, facing away from her.

  Erin struggled to let go of the regret. She couldn’t handle this with so much at stake, but she knew sooner or later they’d have to have a talk about what was happening between them.

  Soon, his breathing grew even in sleep. Erin sighed deeply, then sat close to the fire and tried to bring her troubled thoughts together.

  It felt as if she were suspended in a perpetual state of disbelief. Today, they’d lost so many good men, and they still had no idea what was going on. Whoever was behind the ambush had gone to great lengths to annihilate their entire unit. The same people were trying to frame her for their crimes. How did the money get into an offshore account under her name?

  How many more lives would be lost before the truth came out? She glanced over at Jax sleeping close by. She cared about him and couldn’t bear to think of losing him.

  Now, more than ever, Erin craved God’s presence, His comfort. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer under her breath. “We need Your guidance, Father. We don’t know where to turn or who to trust. Nothing is as it seems. Please, help us.” The only answer was the crackle of the fire and the faint breathing of the man sleeping nearby who’d occupied a lot of her thoughts lately.

  ◆◆◆

  Someone shook him. His eyes flew open. Erin knelt next to him, worry on her face.

  He sat up quickly. “What is it?” he asked.

  “I heard footsteps outside,” she whispered. “More than one person’s.”

  He jumped to his feet. Grabbing the rifle, he followed her to the entrance and listened.

  She was right. Someone was out there who spoke Dari. Thankful for the language training he’d received, Jax tried to decipher what the man said.

  “They’ve been here,” an accented voice said. “Search the area. This time they cannot get away. Too much is at stake.”

  Erin’s gaze locked with his. “What do we do?” she whispered. They were sitting ducks tucked inside the cave.

  Their only hope was the element of surprise. “You go over there, and I’ll stand on the opposite side of the entrance. Once they enter, we take them.” Her eyes grew large. He could tell she understood the longshot facing them. They had no idea how many men were searching for them or how heavily armed they were. But if the two of them wanted to stay alive, it was their only chance.

  Erin nodded and moved into position while Jax edged close to the entrance and flattened himself against the stone wall.

  Lord, we need You, he prayed. It felt as if it were he and Erin against the world, fighting for their lives.

  Footsteps, more than one set, moved outside the cave. A rustling noise followed. They were removing the brush Jax had placed in front of the entrance. Would they guess it was placed there deliberately?

  Jax’s gaze sliced to Erin. She nodded, her expression taut. Uncertainty reigned in her eyes.

  A man entered, followed closely by another. The two men barely had time to take a few steps before Jax and Erin sprang into action.

  Jax grabbed the man closest to him wrapping his arm securely around the intruder’s neck before the guy could call for help. The man struggled and flailed, trying to free himself. Within seconds, he grew limp in Jax’s arms. Jax lowered him to the ground, then rushed to Erin who had her gun trained on another man. With the butt of his rife, Jax clocked the man hard in the temple. He dropped to the ground at Erin’s feet.

  Jax grabbed rope from his backpack and secured both men’s hands and feet, then he gagged them.

  “We need to leave. Now,” he whispered. “We don’t know how many more are out there, and it won’t be long before the others come looking for these two.”

  Shouldering their backpacks, they eased out of the cave and recovered the entrance. The storm had deposited additional snow during the night, but it wasn’t enough to cover the tracks Jax had made, which had led the men to their location.

  He glanced at the ground, as did Erin. Footprints covered the place. There had to be more men searching for them. Escaping with their lives would be difficult.

  Jax pointed toward the direction they needed to go. “We have to be as quiet as possible,” he mouthed.

  She nodded, and they picked their way through the forest, both on full alert and expecting another attack at any moment. Once they’d put some much-needed space between themselves and the men searching for them, Jax took out his binoculars and panned the area.

  “I don’t see anyone,” he told her and handed her the binoculars.

  She peered through the lenses. “I don’t either, but we know those two weren’t alone. Maybe the rest of their unit is further down the mountain.”

  “Possibly,” he said with doubt. Before he got the words out, the countryside exploded with the noise of gunfire. Multiple shots exchanged. Barrel flashes lit up the area below.

  “I count at least a dozen shooters.” Erin’s brows shot up. “They’re shooting at each other.” She handed him the binoculars, and he surveyed the gunfight below.

  “That’s Al Hasan’s people on the left. They’re firing on at least five armed men who appear to be retreating.” Jax lowered the glasses. “Al Hasan saved our lives.”

  Erin stared at him. “And someone has been trying to set him up too.”

  “The only question is who and why?” He watched the action below. Al Hasan’s people continued their attack. It wasn’t long before the attackers were dead. But there were two men who might shed some light on what was really going on.

  “We need to go back,” Jax told her. “Get those two men in the cave to talk.”

  She nodded, and they hurried down to where Al Hasa
n’s men were searching the pockets of the dead men.

  When Jax and Erin entered the area, the men whirled on them, weapons drawn.

  “Whoa,” Jax held up his hands as he approached. “We’re not with them.”

  “Lower your weapons,” Al Hasan ordered, and his men quickly obeyed.

  Jax and Erin approached where Al Hasan stood.

  “Do you know these men?” Jax asked.

  Al Hasan nodded, his dark eyes revealing little. “I do. They are mercenaries. They sell their services to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, they are all dead.”

  Jax shot Erin a look before answering. “Not all of them. There are two in the cave. They attacked us. We need to see what they know.”

  He started for the cave, but Al Hasan raised a hand to stop him. “They won’t talk to you. They fear the people who hired them far more than anything you could do to them. You need to leave the area while you still can. These are not the only ones coming after you. Let me handle these men. If I find out something useful, I’ll let you know.”

  Jax eyed the man suspiciously. “And why should I trust you?” Right now, he trusted Erin and her alone.

  “Because I saved your lives and I know these men. They will not talk to you,” Al Hasan assured him without emotion.

  As much as Jax wanted to interrogate the men in the cave, it was imperative for him and Erin to put distance between themselves and the nightmare trailing them. Jax pulled out his burner phone. “If you find out anything, use this phone to let me know.” He programmed in the number for a second burner that Erin carried.

  Al Hasan took the phone. “I will let you know, you can be assured. For now, you should get going as quickly as possible because whoever hired these men will come looking for them soon enough to make sure they fulfilled their end of the bargain. When they see this,” his hand indicated the men lying dead, “they will know you two are still out there, and they will keep coming. And I won’t be able to protect you for long.”