The guy in front of her looked to the right, and Kimberly followed his gaze before gasping. In the distance, she saw a body lying on the ground. A body with blonde hair. A woman’s figure. Western clothes.
Turning to the side, she hunched over and vomited.
The men behind her started arguing loudly, and a rough hand yanked her up, forcing her to march on. Her stomach roiled, and she heaved again. She’d had no food or water, so it was only bile. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, feeling dizzy as they urged her onward.
Had they murdered the blonde intentionally? Was she sick or injured and finally succumbed?
Kim would never know, because they were marching her hurriedly toward the river. She stumbled, feeling dizzy, but righted herself. They’d hurt that poor woman every night. It was horrific and awful to see her body, but at least she wasn’t suffering anymore.
An hour later, Kim heard the sound of water before the river came into view. She was dehydrated and woozy, but she hurried to the cool water as the men she was with did the same. They’d let her bathe in it before, and without asking, she knelt down, splashing the water onto her face and rinsing her mouth before gulping some down.
Her stomach had hurt all morning, both from lack of food and vomiting. She rinsed the sour taste from her mouth, wondering if they’d feed her at all today. Then men were kicking off their shoes as one stood watch.
Staying on the riverbank, she removed her boots and socks, quickly edging in and scrubbing some of the dirt from her skin. The men were farther away, giving her a modicum of privacy. She was a little surprised they’d always let her “bathe” in peace, but they’d seemed interested in cleaning themselves as well.
She turned slightly, rinsing her hair as best she could, and then shivering as she stood back up. The sun beating down would dry her body and clothing within a couple of hours. It wasn’t ideal having nothing to change into, but what could she do? She needed to get clean and rinse off her clothes, and it’s not like she could walk around naked.
She hustled to finish before them, not wanting any of the men watching her. It was better to draw as little attention to herself as possible. Yes, she was bathing near them, but they were occupied at the moment rinsing themselves off. There was no sense in giving them any ideas or an opportunity to hurt her.
She squeezed out her long hair, trying to wring out the clothing she was wearing as well. She was cold and wet at the moment, but at least slightly cleaner than before. She knelt down and took a few more gulps of water, then put on her dirty yet dry socks and combat boots. She remained sitting on the side of the river, looking off into the distance as they finished up.
One of the men walked over, tossing a scrap of flatbread her way. She snatched it up and took a bite, her stomach rumbling. They might want to feed her enough to keep her alive, but she knew her body was lacking vital nutrients. She’d lost weight. She was weaker than she’d been two months ago. She hadn’t had any protein during her entire time in captivity.
The men were talking and pointing to the distance. Long before she was ready to move, they called out to her. She stood, wearily crossing toward them. Now that they’d worked their way down to the river, they’d have to hike back uphill toward one of the caves. It seemed unlikely they’d camp down this low.
“Come! Much land to cover. We must hurry.”
Kim nodded and began following him once more, the other men bringing up the rear. She shivered slightly as the breeze blew, but the bright sun at least warmed her. Were they meeting up with others? Moving even farther away from Bagram?
She had no idea where they were. No idea which direction to head even if she escaped. Her head began to throb as she squinted, following the man in front. They could have another several hours to walk. She had no clue.
Looking up at the bright blue sky, tears smarted her eyes. It was a beautiful day. Sunny. Clear. And she was trapped, with no hope of anyone finding her.
***
Ethan clenched his jaw as the team stood on the tarmac in Germany. Sometimes they flew straight through from San Diego, but they were refueling and going wheel’s up again in less than thirty minutes.
Troy glanced over at him, taking a swig of a soda he’d grabbed. “You look impatient.”
“I am impatient,” Ethan countered as he crossed his arms. “We’ve been waiting months to move in on this. I want to get there and rescue her.”
“Me too. I’ve got younger sisters. A part of me keeps imagining how I’d feel if they were ever in a similar situation. What if they were kidnapped? Helpless? It eats me up knowing that a woman has been held there so long.”
Ethan’s gaze flicked over to Ghost. “He’s been pacing ever since we landed.”
“Yep,” Troy said. “I don’t think he’d even know what to say to Hailey if the mission failed. It’s bad enough the other woman’s body was found.”
“Jesus. The only way we’d fail is if they kill Kimberly, too.”
The two men exchanged a glance, knowing that was a definite possibility. Somehow the situation had escalated in the past twenty-four hours. They’d gotten intelligence on the location in the mountains, a second video of Kim had been released to the world, and they’d all seen the body of the blonde American woman.
“All right,” Blake said as he jogged over. “I talked to the commander briefly. They moved her again earlier today, but we’ve got the new coordinates. We’ll fly to Bagram Airfield, briefly meet with the general there, and then move in.”
Troy blew out a sigh. “I feel like we’ve done this shitshow before.”
Blake narrowed his gaze. “We did when we were tracking Sayed, but this is different. Personal. That terror cell has been fractured. They have new leadership in place, but we have new intelligence.” He lowered his voice. “Aside from the sat imagery, we’ve got HUMINT.”
“Sources,” Ethan muttered. Human intelligence, or HUMINT, meant they had an informant on the ground. No doubt that was the only way they’d received solid intel on where Kimberly was held. It was difficult to track movement through the mountains. It wasn’t exactly the same as a caravan of cars crossing the desert that satellite imagery or drones could easily pick up.
“I’ll pull up the imagery when we’re in the air again. We would’ve seen the movement, but some of the insurgents moved out early this morning. They came down the mountain to waiting vehicles.”
“Shit. And we’re sure they didn’t take Kimberly with them?” Grayson asked as he walked over.
“Positive. The source says they’re planning to make another video. They won’t move her yet; they’re just moving from one location to the next in the mountains to avoid detection.”
“How far from Bagram?” Ethan asked.
No doubt after they landed, they’d climb into a convoy and head out if it were close enough. Otherwise, they’d helicopter to a drop point. They’d need to sneak in undetected so no further harm came to the hostage.
“An hour to the drop point. We’ll check in with the general, but I expect to move in at nightfall. The Pentagon doesn’t want to hold off on this mission.”
“No shit,” Grayson muttered. “Look what happened to the other woman.”
“And we have no updates on her condition?” Troy asked.
Logan and Jackson walked over to join their teammates, each looking as eager to head out as Ethan felt. All of them had been in Bagram at the time of the explosion two months ago. Had Kimberly been kidnapped right before their eyes? They’d rushed to the gate after the suicide bombing and then headed to the woman’s housing after the second explosion. Grayson had run in and saved Hailey, and the rest of the men had helped the injured women.
Kimberly had been taken at some point that evening.
Had she been wandering around, hurt, while they were literally outside? And who the hell was the person who’d taken her? A traitor? Someone who’d snuck in after the suicide bombing? There were plenty of loose ends, and Ethan didn’t like any of
it.
“Negative,” Blake said. “The source says she’s in good health, but that’s subjective of course. She was talking on the video and not in any obvious pain, but she did appear somewhat pale. She’s likely weak from not enough food and exhausted.”
“Not to mention scared out of her mind,” Ethan muttered. “We have no idea what shape she’ll be in—mentally or physically—when we get there.”
Jackson cursed. “We’ll get her. Those bastards have held her for two months. There’s no way she’s spending another night in captivity.”
“Damn straight we’ll get her,” Blake agreed.
Jackson looked to their team leader. “And what about the body of the other woman? Are we to retrieve it?”
Blake clenched his jaw. “Yes, if we see her,” he said grimly. “Our priority is getting Kimberly Turner out alive though.”
“Understood.”
Blake glanced down at his watch. “We’re leaving in fifteen minutes. Hit the head or do whatever you need to. We’ve got work to do.”
“Let’s get those bastards,” Ethan said.
“Hoorah!” Logan whooped, and then the men got moving. Nothing would stop them from completing this mission. Nothing.
Chapter 4
Kimberly was dead on her feet by the time they’d finished walking. Although she’d grown used to the long treks and was thankful she had socks and combat boots, her body was exhausted. They’d only given her the flatbread earlier. She didn’t have nearly enough calories for the amount of exertion her body had been put through.
She practically cried with relief when they reached another group of men at nightfall. She didn’t enjoy being with a large group of her captors, but this was what she’d grown used to. She still didn’t know why they’d split earlier, but her heart was heavy at knowing a life had been lost.
A campfire roared in the distance, and her regular guard guided her toward an area near the outskirts of camp. He pulled a rope free from his bag, tying her ankles together. They’d done that sometimes when they allowed her to sit outside and eat. Why they weren’t immediately moving her into a cave was a mystery.
She wouldn’t complain though. She’d sit here alone if they gave her food and water.
Her body ached, her stomach rumbled, and she wanted to curl up and sleep.
Shuddering, she realized the man with part of an ear missing was talking to some of the others. He’d left her alone since that fateful night, but now the blonde woman was dead. Would they attack her tonight? Kidnap someone else?
They weren’t near any U.S. forces, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t ambush a convoy or something and drag the victims here.
Uneasily, she shifted in the growing darkness, trying to make her body as small as possible. She didn’t want to draw any undue attention to herself. Although she ate outside with the group sometimes, she definitely felt more comfortable secluded in a cave. It was somewhat contradictory. In a small, enclosed space, one of the men could easily sneak in and attack her. But more often than not, they were busy eating and making preparations and plans. If she was hidden away, she was out of sight and out of mind to some extent.
The young guy from this morning, Crooked Nose, came marching over toward her. He handed her a plate of food, and her stomach rumbled. “Eat,” he ordered, pulling out his cell phone. She had no idea if he’d let her finish the plate of food after he took whatever picture or video he wanted, so she hastily began to eat the rice and meat.
It was hot, nearly burning her tongue, but they hadn’t fed her meat ever. She knew it was for show—for the video, so they could claim again she was being properly treated. Why they cared so much when they’d taunted, hurt, and killed the other woman, she’d never know.
Was it because she was a soldier?
Kimberly took another bite of the meat. It tasted like lamb, which had never been something she enjoyed, but right now, it was practically the best thing she’d ever tasted. It was slightly charred in one spot, but she didn’t care. It was protein her body desperately needed.
“We feed prisoner,” Crooked Nose said as he filmed her. “Rice. Lamb. She is treated well.” He shifted, holding the phone out and recording himself. “If no ransom is received, we no longer feed her! Harm come to woman. Make a choice!” he yelled.
Kim wondered what choice he meant—whether she lived or died? Whether they fed her anymore or hurt her?
It didn’t matter. They’d post the newest video, and someone would come for her. Someday. Somehow. She knew what the military was capable of. She knew they’d find her eventually, now that the terrorists had released a couple of videos of her. She just hoped it wouldn’t be too late.
An hour later, one of the men approached her with a canteen. It had grown dark, and she’d set the dirty plate off to the side. Amazingly, Crooked Nose had left it with her, and she’d eaten every last bite.
“You drink water,” the man said, sinking down beside her. He smelled of stale sweat and smoke from the fire. She resisted the urge to shift away. The men wanted a reaction from her. They wanted her scared and crying.
His dirty hand landed above her knee, and she resisted the urge to shudder. Calmly, she took a swig of the water, trying not to think about how clean or unclean it was. She needed water to survive.
“I will untie you,” he said, squeezing her leg. “You spread your legs for me.”
She nearly choked on her water but took another swig, ignoring him. He hadn’t moved yet, although his hand still rested there. The two men from this morning looked over and noticed, and one of them began yelling at the man at her side.
He chuckled and stood, snatching the canteen from her. “Next time,” he said darkly, before turning and walking away.
The young guy who usually guarded her came over, ducking down to untie her legs. He yanked her to her feet and she stumbled as he directed her toward a small, partially covered area near the mountain. It wasn’t a cave, just a slight overhang. But it would suffice.
He took the rope, telling her to hold out her wrists, and she realized with disdain that he’d tie her up again. Of course. If she was in a cave, he could guard the entrance while she slept. She was practically out in the open here. He wouldn’t leave her untied and free to run the moment he fell asleep.
He bound her wrists tightly, then tied the rope around his own waist. She was quite literally tethered to him. She couldn’t run without him noticing. She couldn’t tug on the rope while he slept without waking him.
Any attempt at escape would be hopeless tonight. Maybe another night the men would put her in a cave again. The guards would be distracted and she’d…what?
Run away only to get lost and starve to death here in the mountains? If she went too far up, she’d freeze. If she went down to the valley, she’d run into other insurgents.
Sighing, she sank to the ground and leaned back against the rocks. They dug uncomfortably into her back, but she was tired. Her entire body was just…exhausted. Her stomach was full, her muscles sore, and she was sleepy.
The young guy walked ten feet away, nearly the entire length of the rope, and sank to the ground as well.
She heard laughter in the distance as the sun sank lower in the sky and watched some of the men around the campfire. A couple were pitching tents but most stretched out on the open ground. She didn’t even know what had happened to the dirty blanket she’d been using. She didn’t ask for it.
At least her clothes had dried during the day.
Shifting slightly to get more comfortable, she shut her eyes. It was too early for bed, but she was mentally and physically exhausted. She’d sit here and rest until the others fell asleep. Then she’d lie on the ground and sleep herself, hoping for a miracle.
Chapter 5
Ethan adjusted his helmet, his gaze sweeping the area. The helicopters already had their rotors turning, and the men were ready to board. An Army Ranger platoon was moving in with them, flying in on the second chopper. They’d parachute to t
he ground, providing cover and taking out any insurgents that would no doubt come running the moment they heard them flying in.
Ethan and his team would disembark the chopper and then move up the foothills of the mountain, hiking several hours to the area where Kimberly was being held. Arriving under the cover of night might buy them some time, but the terrorists would likely know they were coming. It’s not like they could parachute onto the side of the mountain, landing in the spot where Kimberly was believed to be held and surprise them.
The terror cell would no doubt hear gunfire. Whether they suspected the U.S. military was coming was anyone’s guess, but they’d be on alert.
His team had gear with them to camp if necessary. Although the best-case scenario would be to find Kimberly using the coordinates they had, it was possible the insurgents would move her again. The team might have to track them to their new location, spending a couple of nights in the mountains as they closed in on them during the daylight hours.
Kimberly had already been moved earlier that day, according to their informant. Although she’d mostly been held in caves, at the moment, their source indicated the group was in an open area. That was both good and bad. It would be easier to grab her out in the open, but it also provided less cover. If the terrorists began shooting at Ethan and his team, she could be hurt. Killed.
They could’ve flown halfway around the world to miss their chance at the last moment. Which meant they’d have to proceed carefully. It would still be dark by the time they hiked to the camp, but they couldn’t wait around. They needed to move in and rescue her.
“Ready to board?” Blake asked into his mouthpiece, looking around at the men.
SEAL's Revenge (Alpha SEALs Coronado Book 4) Page 3