Later that night, after she turned in, Scott was still scanning the local streets with his binoculars keeping a look out for trouble. At around midnight, he saw a car pull onto the parking lot. He was pretty sure it was the same car that pulled up last night and had left without anyone getting out. After a few minutes, it drove away again, just like the night before. Scott couldn’t see into the car, as he was too high up and the angle didn’t allow him to see who was inside or what they were doing. Like the previous night, he sat with his pillow on one side of him to lean against. He had all his guns on the other side. He intended to sleep by the window, to keep watch. About fifteen minutes later, the same car pulled back into the parking lot. Scott watched it closely as it pulled to the front of the hotel. Four masked men, all carrying machine guns, leapt out of the car and ran into the hotel lobby firing wildly as they entered. Scott jumped up, grabbed his guns and ran towards Britney’s room. She was wide awake after hearing the horrible sound of machine gunfire inside the hotel. She met him at the door shaking and asking what was happening. Scott pushed her back into the room and pulled the mattress off the side of her bed nearest to the door so it leaned against the bed frame.
“Get under yer bed now and stay behind the mattress. Dinnae open yer door and stay here until I get back.”
“Okay, be careful,” she said nervously.
Scott took the safety off his M16 and holstered his pistol. He moved out of the suite to where the elevator and stairs came up to their floor. He crouched down, just around the corner. There was the door for another set of stairs at the other end of the hallway, and he could see that too. If anyone was to come up to their floor, he would have a surprise for them. The sound of gunfire got louder and louder. It sounded like the invaders were rampaging through the hotel one floor at a time. He wasn’t sure if they were looking for anybody in particular or just intent on causing panic and destruction in general. As he heard the screams of people below, he wanted to go down to the other floors to help, but if he did, he could miss someone coming up. And if they came up the other set of stairs, that would mean Britney would be in danger, so he had stayed where he was. He quickly called Tom as he waited.
“Tom we’re under attack at the hotel. If yer have any back-up, or if yer can get hold of the police, then do it. I saw four masked men come in tae the hotel, all with automatic weapons and they’re shooting up the place.”
“Okay, I’m on it. Are you under direct fire?”
“Nae, it sounds like they’re on the lower floors and working their way up. I really want tae go doon and start shooting these bastards, but I know I cannae leave her alone.”
“I know it’s frustrating. Just hang in there and we’ll try and get some help sent to you. Do whatever you need to.”
“Aye, I will.”
“Good luck, Scott.”
The gunfire and screaming was getting louder. Then Scott heard a noise behind him. Someone was opening the door of the room closest to the elevator. He turned and pointed his gun as an Iraqi man peered out of the room. He looked petrified as he saw Scott and froze in his doorway. Scott motioned at him to get back inside his room. He was pretty sure this local wasn’t a terrorist. Scott had seen him around the hotel a couple of times before and he hadn’t seemed to cause any problems. The man went back inside and closed the door. A few seconds later the elevator bell rang and the door began to open. Scott squeezed the trigger on his weapon and waited for his target, but the elevator was empty and the gunfire seemed to be getting quieter, as if they were leaving. Scott rushed back to the suite and looked out the window to witness the car speeding away. The whole incident was over in just a few minutes. He rushed to Britney’s room to make sure she was alright.
“Hey, I think it’s over. Are yer okay?”
Britney was crying. She heard the gunfire getting louder and could hear what was happening on the floors below.
“I’m okay,” she replied, looking out around the side of the mattress.
“Guid, I want yer tae stay here fer a while. I’m going tae go doonstairs and try tae find oot what happened. I want to make sure there are nae terrorists left in the hotel. Do yer have yer phone?”
“Okay, I will stay here. Yes, I have my cell phone.”
“Reet, I’m going tae give yer Katie’s number. Can yer please call her and let her know we’re fine. I spoke tae Tom briefly and he may have called her and told her what was happening. I’m nae going tae have time to call fer a while, I’m pretty sure there’s going tae be lots tae do doonstairs.”
“No problem. I really want to call my mom, but I’ll call her as soon as I’m finished,” she said, trying to compose herself.
“Thanks, yer are doing great. Well done.”
Scott quickly scribbled down the number before leaving the suite and heading toward the stairs. He was going to assess the incident and try to help anyone that needed assistance. He knew the scene was not going to be pretty. There were four of them firing continuously for about five minutes. At the very least, there was going to be an awful lot of damage and at the worst, there was going to be many people dead. He was still unsure if there was a motive behind this attack, if anyone was kidnapped or if they were looking for someone in particular. He would find out soon. Scott took a deep breath as he descended the stairs into the devastating scene below.
Chapter 10
It was nearly 6:00 a.m. when Scott returned to the suite. He wanted to ensure there were no terrorists left in the hotel. He helped the staff clean up and was assisting the injured into their ambulances. He discovered there were three fatalities; two were hotel staff and the other a guest. He was not surprised that all were killed by gun shots and there was absolutely no logical reason for the event. None of the people killed could have been legitimate targets for any politically motivated group. It just appeared to be a typical, cowardly terrorist attack and anyone unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time paid the ultimate price.
There were many injured, but according to the hotel’s records and talking with guests, there did not appear to be anyone kidnapped. The police showed up and spent a couple of hours asking questions, but they couldn’t do much when the attack was of a terrorist nature. This was extremely frustrating and difficult for Scott, since he would have liked to have handled it at the time.
Tom showed up at the hotel with one of his guards about twenty minutes after everything was over. He was pleased to see Scott was fine. Tom felt sorry for the terror the dead and injured had gone through. He had seen this many times and it was something he would never get used to. But his main concern was for his guard’s thoughts and feelings. How was Scott doing and feeling? His numbers were getting low and he could not afford to lose anyone else. They talked briefly and when he knew Scott was okay, he left for the night. He trusted Scott had it under control.
Britney was fast asleep when Scott returned to the room. He poked his head in her room to check on her. He really wanted to know if she managed to speak with Katie. She was still lying hidden underneath her bed and the mattress was still standing on its side for protection. Scott thought about lifting her and putting her back into bed properly, but he decided to not wake her and try to get some sleep. He realized he would not fall into a deep sleep after what he had seen. He doubted if he could even sleep at all. The adrenaline was still surging through his body. A couple of hours later, he heard Britney moving around in the other room, so he got up to check on her. As he opened his door, she was just coming out of hers.
“Morning, how are yer doing?” he asked, sounding concerned.
“Scared. I can’t believe I fell asleep before you came back. What happened?”
“I did nae get back until six. It’s guid yer got some sleep. It was late and there was a lot tae do.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“Aye. It was very sad. There were three people killed and many injured.”
“Oh, no. Why?”
“There’s honestly nae point tae any t
errorist attack. They’re all just cowards. Yer just have tae let it go. If yer keep thinking aboot what just happened, it will eat yer up inside.”
“That’s just horrible. I don’t know what to say.”
“There’s nae anything yer can say. That’s what this place is like. We’ve been lucky. Our first couple of months here were quiet ones. Britney, yer have tae expect this if yer stay in a place like this fer an extended period of time.”
“I suppose so,” she said, quietly.
Scott could tell she was very upset. They had witnessed all sorts of attacks before and fairly close, but this was different. It was in their hotel. People were murdered in the same building where they lived! He was hoping she may reconsider what the hell she was doing here. Maybe this attack would knock some sense into her. This was no place for an American woman.
“Did yer manage to get hold of Katie?”
“No, I didn’t. I couldn’t get any service on my phone. I’m, sorry.”
“It’s fine and thank yer fer trying. I’ll try her later. I really need tae attempt getting a wee bit of sleep now. I’m exhausted.”
“Okay. I’m still a little tired, but I think I’m going to take a shower.”
“Reet. Wake me if anything happens or if anything bothers yer.”
“I will, Scott. Get some rest and thanks for looking after me, again.”
“Aye, nae problem. Oh, and by the way, in case yer had nae realized, we will nae be going tae work again today. If things calm doon, we may try tae go tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I figured as much. See you later and sleep well.”
After Scott disappeared into his room, Britney took her shower. Last night’s incident had made her really nervous, but she had no intention of quitting now. She wanted to see it through to the end. In this respect, she and Scott were very much alike. Plus, she was more than confident that Scott would keep her safe. She was betting her life on it. After she finished showering, she did some work on her laptop and browsed the internet, waiting for him to wake up. Over the last few days, she had been thinking that it was time to get away again, for another long weekend. She perused new luxury hotels in Dubai. She enjoyed it there and wanted to go back, but to a different resort this time. It was nearly 4:00 p.m. and Scott was still not up and moving around. If he was this tired and still sleeping, she did not want to wake him up. He had hardly slept over the last couple of nights. She would let him rest.
Britney was bored. She called her mother earlier and told her all about her job and how things were going. She liked to call every week or so and give her an update on her progress here in Baghdad. She didn’t mention details of what happened, the night before at the hotel. She knew her mom would be scared to death. She was hoping that there wouldn’t be any reports on the news regarding the increasing number of hotel attacks. In a flash, her thoughts turned to whether or not she should call Katie. Scott gave her the number! He usually called her every day unless the cell phones were not working. She thought, maybe Katie would be getting worried by now, if she hadn’t heard from him. She truly, did not care how worried Katie was. But she knew she could use that as an excuse if Scott got mad at her for calling. She reached for the piece of paper Scott wrote Katie’s number on, hesitated only for a moment and dialed the number.
“Hello,” said an excited voice, fully, expecting to hear Scott reply.
“Hi. Is this Katie?”
“Yes. Who is this?” Katie replied, a little surprised by the female voice. She was awake, but was still in bed.
“This is Britney Parnell. You don’t know me Katie, but your boyfriend, Scott, is my bodyguard in Iraq. How are you today?”
“Is Scott okay? Why isn’t he calling me?”
“Scott’s fine, Katie. There was some trouble in our hotel last night and he just got back to the room and since there was no cell phone signal, he went to sleep for a while. He was up most of the night making sure I stayed safe. He did ask me to call you and let you know he was fine and for you not to worry.”
“What sort of trouble?” Katie was wary. She didn’t know this woman, but some of the things Scott had told her and just something about her, made it very difficult to trust her.
“There was a terrorist attack on our hotel. Some maniacs came in shooting, but we’re fine. I’m sure Scott will give you all the details and explain things to you later. He just wanted me to let you know he was fine and he also didn’t want you to worry, since he hadn’t called you.”
“Thank you Britney. I appreciate your calling.”
“You’re welcome, Katie. I really like him. He’s done a lot for me and makes me feel very safe over here. I just want you to know I appreciate the sacrifice both of you have made.”
“He is very good at his job, I’m glad he makes you feel safe. It must be very hard for you over there.”
“Yes, it is. He’s a great guy, too. You’re very lucky to have him.”
“I know he’s a great guy. He’s very special to me and I do feel very lucky that he is in my life. My daughter’s feel the same.”
Katie was continuing with the conversation and trying to be nice, but, everything Britney was saying was confirming her suspicions that she had a thing for her man.
“Did you enjoy your weekend when Scott came home a few weeks ago?” Britney continued.
“We did. We had a great time. I heard you went to a nice, fancy desert resort.”
“I did! I went to Dubai. It was great. You should have come over. I did ask him to ask you.”
“Yes, he mentioned it. It was nice of you to offer, but I can’t go half way around the world and leave my kids.”
“Yeah, I understand. He was exhausted when he got back; he looked really tired for over a week. It was a long way to go for two days.”
Katie thought, how could she possibly understand? She hasn’t got any kids. And why is she saying that Scott was tired when he got back. She already knew he was, because he’d told her.
“Yes, I know he was tired. He told me the trip was hard, but he loves me and that’s the kind of guy he is. He wouldn’t mind being tired, to come and see me,” Katie said. She wanted to make Britney understand just how deeply Scott’s feelings were for her.
“Yeah, he would never complain. Like I said, you’re one lucky lady to have a guy like that. He’s a complete gentleman.”
“Yes, he is.” Katie was starting to get annoyed now.
“I’m thinking about going away again for another weekend soon. Are you going to make him fly all the way back again?”
“I don’t make him do anything; no one makes Scott do anything. If he wants to come, then I’d love to see him. Scott makes up his own mind.”
Now Katie understood why she was telling her that he was tired when he came back last time. She wanted to go on another weekend trip and she wanted Scott to go with her.
“That’s good. You two sound like you have a great relationship.”
“We do. Hey, I have to go now. My daughters have just woken up and I need to get some breakfast for them. Thanks for calling and telling me about the attack, and please tell Scott to call me later.”
“Okay, bye Katie.”
“Bye.”
Katie was furious. Who the hell did this bitch think she was? Calling her and saying all these things about her man? She knew Scott had nothing to do with this woman’s motives. She was looking forward to hearing from him later and letting him know a few things about this woman he was protecting. The girls were not up yet; it was just an excuse because she wanted to get off the phone. However, she did get up and go downstairs to make breakfast.
It was an hour later when Scott woke up. He was surprised he had slept that long. Britney told him she called Katie to let her know that he was okay. He’d been asleep for so long and she didn’t want her to worry. Scott believed her and did not give the subject any thought as he disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up. When he finished he sat down on the couch next to Britney.
“I
dinnae usually sleep that long. What have yer been up tae?”
“I did some work and then started to check out some hotels in Dubai again. I’m thinking about taking another break from this place, soon.”
“That’s probably a guid idea, with everything from last night. When are yer thinking aboot going?”
“Either next weekend or the weekend after. It’s been a few weeks since we had a break. Would you like to come with me this time?”
“Nae. That type of place is nae fer me.”
“Really? Why not? Surely you’re not going to go all the way back to the States again for only two days.”
“Aye, I might. I just want tae see Katie. I miss her… I do have another idea though, but it depends on which weekend yer decide tae go.”
“What difference does it make?”
“Well it’s her birthday on the 12th of August. So if yer go nae next weekend, but the weekend after, then I can arrange a special birthday surprise fer her.”
“You should ask her to come across to Dubai. You have to believe me, it would make a great birthday present.”
“Nae. I appreciate it, but I have something else in mind.”
“What is it?”
“I cannae tell yer, it’s a surprise. But, please let me know when yer make yer mind up fer sure which weekend yer going, so I can make plans.”
“So, what’s it worth? What do I get if I choose to go on the weekend that suits your surprise, birthday plans?”
“I’d be very grateful. I’ll owe yer a favor, anything yer want.”
“Sounds interesting. Anything?”
“Aye.”
Britney’s mind was working overtime. She knew he was a man of his word. Maybe she should do this, and make him pay her back the way she wanted.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Great, thanks.” Scott said. He still had no idea that her plans for him were anything other than friendly.
KILTED DESIRE - Sands of Betrayal Page 10