by Mary Alford
Michael saw all the questions, the speculation. His last chance at bringing Rachel home alive was quickly disintegrating around him.
“Look, is there somewhere that we can leave the mounts? I think we’d make better time in the Jeep, don’t you?”
For a moment, he believed Khalid would refuse. After another tense second clicked by, the tribesman motioned toward the restaurant. “I trust the woman at the restaurant. I’ll give her money to care for and feed the animals. I’ll have Alain send someone back for them in a few days.”
Michael took his answer for consent. “Good. Thank you.”
Khalid didn’t respond right away. He continued to watch Michael with those fathomless dark eyes. “Don’t thank me. I’m not doing this for you.” Khalid got out of the Jeep without another word. Michael followed after a minute’s consideration of all the wrong he’d done in the past twenty-four hours.
With the animals secured, they returned to the Jeep.
Michael started for the driver’s side then reconsidered. He didn’t know this territory. His lack of knowledge could get them both killed. Khalid was knowledgeable in every aspect of surviving in the desert.
“You’d better drive.” Michael climbed into the passenger seat and Khalid got behind the wheel but didn’t budge.
“Not so fast. You need my help. I need answers.”
Michael swallowed his frustration with difficulty. He owed Khalid the truth. But time was running out for Rachel. If what he suspected were true. The men she’d left with were not her friends. They’d been instructed to kill her. He and Khalid might be too late already.
“I’ll explain everything on the way.” Michael held up a hand when Khalid appeared skeptical. “I swear. I’ll answer anything you want to know. We don’t have a whole lot of time to debate the matter here. We need to be on our way.”
The two men’s gazes locked in a silent battle of wills. But Khalid at last recognized he was telling the truth and gave in.
Once they’d reached the outskirts of the village and Khalid was assured they hadn’t been followed, he shot Michael a glance that meant it was time for Michael to start talking.
Michael grinned at the man’s persistence. “All right. I told you that the agent Laura came here to find was CIA. I take it she told you she was a former agent as well?” Khalid affirmed. “You know that Agent Tanner was sent here to try and capture Zyad Ali-Arawar. But what you don’t know is Agent Tanner and Laura were sent to take out Bin Laden several years back before Bin Laden was actually killed. There were other agents already embedded within the Bin Laden organization as well as several informants working with them.”
While Khalid watched the road ahead, Michael could tell he had his full attention. “Rahab was one of them?”
It was hard to think about the woman he’d once loved as dead. She’d always been vibrant. Alive. Willing to do anything to please him...and he’d walked away.
Khalid shot him another questioning glance that demanded a response before adding the obvious. “Evidently the mission didn’t go well, otherwise, things would have turned out differently that day in September.”
Michael agreed. “No, it didn’t go well at all. In fact, it was disastrous. All of the agents assigned to the mission were captured. We couldn’t go after them because technically they weren’t supposed to be there in the first place. Their instructions were to contain the enemy, no matter what the cost. Two of the agents were slaughtered immediately. Tanner and Laura were taken prisoner.”
“And the other agents involved?” Khalid spared him a glance.
“We never heard. They were never seen again.”
Shock was identifiable in Khalid’s expression. “I see,” he managed with difficulty, his opinion easy to read.
“If the extent of that mission’s failure and this one were to become public knowledge, then someone would have to be held accountable.”
“And you think by keeping it a secret you’re doing what’s right?”
“No. But I’m hoping the end justifies the means.”
“And do you still have doubts who the bad guy truly is in this situation?”
“No. I think I know the answer.” Michael had long ago stopped believing that because he had the backing of the U.S. government, the murky politics and shady bedfellows his team used to fulfill their missions were right.
“If Laura is a target and your government has abandoned Tanner and her both, what makes you think they won’t come after you next?”
“There’s a good chance they will. Which is all the more reason why I need to find Laura and get us to safety. If they can’t get us, I’m betting they won’t risk exposing past crimes to find us.”
“How are you and Tanner connected? Are you his commanding officer?”
He couldn’t explain it, but for some reason, Michael wanted to set the record straight. “Yes, in a way. I was his handler. I was the one responsible for sending him on this last mission. But Booth and I were more than coworkers. We went to university together. We were best friends for an awful long time. That’s something I’d almost forgotten. I let the next mission, the job, the cause get in the way.”
Michael’s awareness of Khalid slipped away as memories of Booth dominated his thoughts. He’d gone over those last few days before Booth’s disappearance in his head a million times. He’d let Booth down, both as a friend and as a commander. Booth was toast, he needed out. Michael ignored all the symptoms and probably let his friend walk right into the trap that had been set for him.
He turned away from Khalid’s probing gaze. He hoped he was wrong. But if it were too late to get Booth out, then he’d do whatever he could to save Rachel. He owed that much to Booth.
Chapter Ten
“How much longer before the pilot arrives?” I asked Hendrick again. We’d been sitting in this small house for hours without any conversation or any contact from the outside world.
“Soon. Within the hour.” His gaze slid to his partner who sat reading a German newspaper. “Why don’t you try and eat something?”
“I’m not hungry. I want to get out of here. The longer we wait here, the more likely we’ll be discovered. We should proceed on foot.”
The corner of Hendrick’s mouth lifted into a meaningless smile. “That would be foolish. You are safe here, Rachel. Don’t worry.”
Rachel! Rachel? How did this man know my true identity? I struggled to guard my reaction. As I studied his expression, nothing showed. Was he aware of the slip-up?
Mathoud stopped reading the paper and watched us both carefully. He’d caught it. I tried to appear normal. I turned away and started my pacing again. After another minute and a warning glance Hendrick’s way, Mathoud returned to his paper.
The exhaustion that permeated from every pore of my body coupled with the pain of the wounds that had begun to itch like crazy made it next to impossible to think clearly. I’d started second-guessing everything and everyone. Had the two men always referred to me as Rachel? I struggled to recall. I was almost certain they’d called me Laura up until this point. Perhaps David had told them my real name.
Somehow, I couldn’t believe that. David knew never to give away information that might compromise a cover.
“Someone’s coming.” Hendrick, who had been standing guard near the window, turned and headed for me. “Get out of sight,” he barked.
Mathoud got to his feet and drew his weapon. I went to do the same but remembered my only means of defense had been taken away.
Mathoud motioned to Hendrick, who took my arm and pushed me into the tiny kitchen area. Mathoud waited until we were out of sight before stepping outside.
I could hear him talking to someone, followed by another man’s voice. They were speaking in English. They kept their voices low, but I was able to make out Mathoud asking what took so long. The man indicated the entire area was hot. Meaning crawling with the enemy?
Mathoud stepped inside. “It’s okay. It’s him,” he announced, p
resumably for Hendrick’s sake.
Hendrick released his death grip on me and I followed him into the living area.
Mathoud made a grand production of introducing me to the new player, in hopes of keeping me calm. “Laura, this is Bruce Johnson. He is the pilot who will be flying us out of here.”
Johnson, a thin man with a receding hairline, wasn’t quite what I’d pictured when I thought about a pilot working this area and flying such dangerous assignments. After a moment of awkward silence, he smiled at me. It was the type of smile meant to dispel all doubts. For me, it didn’t quite work. “You look as if you’ve fought a war on your own. Are you ready to get out of here?”
I forced myself to answer. “Yes. More than ready.”
“Good, then I think we’d better get moving.” He turned back to Hendrick. “The place wasn’t safe to land. I had to put her down some distance from here in the desert. We should get going.”
Hendrick clearly didn’t like being ordered around by the pilot. “All right. You will ride with us.”
The trip out of the village seemed to take forever. And I was counting every second of them. With the end in sight, it felt as if everything was taking longer than expected.
Hendrick crept through the empty streets until we reached the outskirts of town. Then, open desert spilled out before us for miles. We topped a small sand dune, and there in the middle of the miles and miles of sand sat a helicopter instead of a plane.
The pilot jumped out and ran for the copter. Mathoud got out and opened my door. “We need to hurry. We were followed.”
I climbed out and looked behind us. There was no other vehicle approaching. I’d kept a careful eye in the mirror for any sign of someone following us. There was nothing.
“I don’t see anyone,” I challenged.
Mathoud didn’t like my answer. He took my arm and forced me to the copter. “They are coming. I’ve seen them. Hurry.”
He almost picked me up and shoved me in the cabin, then jumped inside, still glancing nervously behind us.
Hendrick took his place next to the pilot. Within minutes, we were airborne.
As I squinted at the area below us, there was still nothing to indicate we’d been followed. The uneasiness in the pit of my stomach kicked up another notch or two.
Mathoud caught my glance. “Perhaps I was mistaken,” he said with a careless lift of his shoulders.
He’d lied to gain my cooperation. “Where are we going?”
Mathoud hesitated for a long time before answering. Too long. “The pilot will take us to Germany.”
I didn’t believe him. I nodded, then pretended to look out the window as the mountains bordering Iran came into view.
* * * *
“They’re airborne,” Hughes announced without any preliminary greeting.
He wasn’t surprised by the news, but he was frustrated. “Do we know where they are heading?”
“Not yet, beyond the mountains of Iran. Get to Kabul. There’s a helicopter waiting for you there.”
“I’m on my way. What about the others? Any word?”
“No.” After a moment, Hughes added, “If this thing turns bad, I may need you to clean up the situation.”
He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. To the man on the other end he said, “I understand. Once I’m airborne, I’ll check in. In the meantime, call when you have anything. No matter how small.”
He was less than a mile away from the village where she was believed to be held when the call came in. Kabul was north of the area. He turned the Jeep around and headed for Kabul, then called his man.
He didn’t answer. Which could mean anything. Or the worst possible thing. He closed the phone and dropped it to the seat beside him.
The hours slid by every bit as unnerving as fingernails raking across a chalkboard. When the capital came into view, he chose to skirt around Kabul, to the private U.S. military base outside the city where the copter would be waiting for him.
He breezed through the tight, high-level security clearance of the occupied city with a simple flash of his credentials. His man was easy to pick out.
“You Smith?” the pilot asked. Not picking up on the fake name, he couldn’t quite cover his tension. The man knew. This wouldn’t be an easy assignment. It would be dangerous.
“That’s right. Are we ready?”
“Waiting for you, sir.”
“Good. Then let’s get going. We’re behind as it is.”
When the copter was airborne, he asked the pilot, “Any word?”
“They are most likely going to Mashhad.”
“Oh no.” He’d expected this move but hadn’t looked forward to it. “Can you get us in there?”
“Of course,” the pilot assured him. “But you’ll be on your own from there. I can’t stay on the ground long. The place is too volatile.”
He wasn’t surprised. Afghanistan was bad, but the area they’d be flying into today was every man for himself. This was the place known as al-Qaeda’s gateway.
Small factions of terror cells fought against others for dominance, tribes against tribes, leaving the area in turmoil and without safe harbor.
“How long before we land?”
“Another half hour.”
“Good.” He called Hughes.
As usual, Hughes got straight to the point. “They’ve landed somewhere near the border. I’m sorry I cannot get you more help. It was hard enough getting someone to fly into that area as it was.”
“I understand. That’s no problem. I’m used to operating alone.”
“The pilot has the supplies you’ll need to finish the job.”
“Good. Anything else I should know?”
“Only that the chances of your phone working in that area are next to none. You’ll be on your own most of the time. Be careful. You know what’s at stake if you are caught.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“I’m counting on you to handle this. Don’t let me down.”
As usual, Hughes signed off without any further word, satisfied his command would be fulfilled.
He tried his informant one more time and the man picked up.
* * * *
“Ten minutes to arrival. You’ll have maybe five minutes to get out of the copter before I have to take off again. Make it quick,” the pilot announced.
Below them, the mountains disappeared and the rugged region of Iran’s border replaced it. He found the supplies the pilot was instructed to bring along and shoved them into his backpack. By the time the pilot brought the copter down safely, he was armed and ready. The pilot hovered the craft some four feet above the ground. He jumped, tucking arms and legs into a fetal position. Rocks and hard earth greeted him as he rolled away from the helicopter. He found his legs and ran, keeping low to avoid the copter’s blades. He’d spotted a group of buildings a short distance from the landing strip. He signaled to the pilot to take the copter up then sprinted to the first building that looked as if it had, at one time or another, taken heavy fire from the air.
With the copter out of sight, he secured the backpack tighter on his shoulders to take the brunt of its weight then took a minute to listen. The copter had barely cleared his line of vision when he heard it. The sound of vehicles, more than one, making their way to the area. Someone knew of his arrival. Whether enemy or friend, he didn’t plan on sticking around long enough to find out.
* * * *
The insistent ringing of his phone distracted Khalid. He didn’t see the weapon until Michael spoke. “I think you need to answer that, my friend. Apparently someone is worried.”
Khalid glanced sideways and attempted to reach for his weapon. Michael obviously read his intent and said, “I wouldn’t if I were you. I’ve grown fond of you. I’d hate to have to kill you, but make no mistake. If it comes to that and you try anything, I will in a heartbeat. Now, stop the Jeep.”
With the gun inches from his temple, Khalid did as Michael asked. Khalid didn’t doubt for a minute
Michael would follow through with his threat. He brought the Jeep to a halt.
“Put the phone on speaker and answer the call. And I’d advise you not to give anything away,” Michael ordered.
Khalid recognized the number and knew who would be on the other end.
“Yes,” Khalid answered the call in less than a steady voice. He glanced at Michael as the man on the other line began to speak.
“Keep Bernard distracted as long as you can. They’ve left the village and are heading for Mashhad, Iran. I need time.”
Khalid cleared his throat. “Okay.”
The mystery man didn’t suspect a thing. The phone went silent on the other end. With nothing left to do, Khalid closed his and faced Michael.
“I’d say it’s time for you to be honest with me, wouldn’t you? Who was that?”
Khalid kept quiet, but Michael clearly guessed some of the truth. “CIA, correct? You’ve been working with me, having me believe I could trust you when the goal was to keep me out of the way. What’s going on? Who are you working for?”
Khalid considered the question for an eternity, battle raging within him. “Yes, he’s CIA. I know him only as Smith and nothing more. He was sent here when you didn’t report in to your commander.”
Michael digested the information then smirked at Khalid’s clear lie. “Nice try, but he’s not after me. He’s after Laura. Why?”
Khalid breathed out a sigh. “I don’t know.”
Michael edged the barrel of the weapon closer. “Uh-uh.”
“Shoot if you like, my friend, but it’s true. I know little, in fact. Only that I am to keep an eye on you. Because you are considered to be a traitor.”
“Hughes. I should have known he’d turn the tables on me. I’m no traitor.” Michael shifted in his seat to face him. “Khalid, listen to me. The man you are working for is here to take out Laura. And me, no doubt. What’s in it for you? What did they promise you?”
Khalid shook his head in disgust. “Apparently, nothing. I agreed to help your people because I thought I would be helping destroy al-Qaeda and the Taliban’s stronghold. Keep ISIS out of our region. But it seems to me your team have their own agenda, which has little to do with helping my countrymen and I’m not at all sure who the real enemy here is. And to that I say do what you want. I’ve had enough.”