by Bella Juarez
“I want to see those motherfuckers we just brought in.”
Alex stalked past Lieutenant Gamez toward the holding areas. There were cargo containers that had been converted into makeshift brigs. The holding areas were small pens outside the containers where detainees were being processed. The men and women that were brought back from the raid had been separated and were waiting to be taken home or held in the brig until the CIA arrived.
“Alex! Wait! What’s going on?” Kashi asked as he and Lieutenant Gamez held Alex back.
“That doctor we just brought in, I’m going to find out what happened to her,” Alex said, jerking himself free.
“Did she say something had happened?” Gamez asked, running to keep up with him.
“She didn’t have to,” Alex snapped.
Alex charged into the holding area where five men were waiting. He ordered the young Marines guarding the prisoners to open the gate. The men being held were sitting on the ground. He stepped into the area and looked them over. Where are you, cocksucker?
“What happened to the American woman you took?” Alex asked the men in Farsi.
A man spat on the ground in front of Alex and looked away in disgust. Found you, motherfucker. Alex walked forward and reached down and roughly picked up the man by his neck. Most of the men in this area of the world were not as large as him and several of the other SEALs. They were also not well trained in self-defense, so it was easy to fight them one-on-one. He threw the man against the outside steel wall of the container they were adjacent to. The man crumpled to the ground after crashing into the wall.
As the man rolled over, Alex delivered a swift, hard kick to the center of his body. He heard the man grunt in pain and watched as he doubled over on the ground in front of him. Before he could catch his breath, Alex reached down and grabbed a handful of his thick beard and picked him up. The man was screaming in protest.
“I asked you a question. Answer me,” Alex snarled in Farsi.
“Jendeh!” the man screamed at Alex.
The man had just confirmed Alex’s suspicions by calling Dr. Vasquez a whore. A deadly calm came over him as he reached around the man’s neck and squeezed, cutting off his air supply. They locked stares. He saw panic rise in the man’s eyes as Alex increased the pressure on his neck. He watched the whites of the man’s eyes turn red from the pressure of not breathing. The man started to struggle by kicking and scratching.
Still attached to the man’s neck, Alex slammed him against the metal wall to stop his struggles. Alex watched the man’s lips turn blue. That’s right, motherfucker. You will die for what you did. His struggles became weaker and Alex knew that in another minute the man would stop breathing for good.
“Her name is Isabel and she’s a doctor helping the people here. She’s not your whore,” Alex snarled in the man’s ear.
“Doc! Stop it!” Lieutenant Gamez ordered. Alex barely heard the command in the background. Dan’s voice was getting closer. “Stand down, Senior Chief!” he ordered once again.
Alex was torn away from the man suddenly. He watched the man drop to the ground and gasp for air as he kicked his feet. Two big, powerful arms wrapped around Alex and pulled him out of the area. There was only one man in the camp capable of breaking the hold Alex had and dragging him out of area.
“Let me fucking go, Shaq!” Alex demanded as he jerked himself free again. This time Gamez, Shaq, and Chief Juan Villalobos hauled Alex out of the holding area.
The other men in the holding area were cowering away as best they could from the SEALs who had now entered the space. Alex fought to get away and get his hands back on the man that had assaulted a hostage in his possession. Alex was enraged and his reasonable thoughts were blacked out in fury at what had happened to Dr. Vasquez and possibly some of the other women they had taken.
“Lock that fucking gate and don’t let anyone else in here unless I’m with them!” Gamez ordered the young wide-eyed Marine as they pulled Alex out of the holding area.
“What the fuck is wrong with you!” Shaq demanded as he slammed Alex against the outer wall of the metal cargo container.
“Get out of my way,” Alex demanded calmly.
“Senior Chief! Come on, man, it’s not worth it,” Juan said, coming to Shaq’s aid, holding him against the outside wall. Alex lunged forward.
“Have you lost your fucking mind!” Gamez yelled as he and Shaq stopped Alex from moving. “I said stand the fuck down!” he ordered.
Alex took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He wrapped his hands around Shaq’s and Gamez’s wrists. He opened his eyes and looked at the men holding him back from certain court martial. Alex had just attacked a restrained detainee in front of several potential witnesses.
“Peace out, man,” Shaq said, looking at him, concerned. The angry adrenaline running through Alex’s body started to subside. In understanding, Alex nodded. “We cool?” Shaq asked.
“I need to get back to the hospital,” Alex said more calmly than he felt. “Juan, check over the other women that were brought back. Make sure they’re all right and nothing happened to them. Get Kashi to help you,” Alex ordered.
“Will do, Senior Chief,” the young medic said, understanding his meaning.
Alex inhaled deeply and forced himself to think clearly. He looked at Gamez. “If any of them have been hurt in any way, you better lock me in the fucking brig until those bastards are gone.”
“Go relax, Doc. Debrief is at thirteen hundred,” Gamez ordered, releasing him.
Alex took Dan’s advice and went to his quarters, relaxing with a medical journal before he went to find a meal and attend his debrief. Kashi arrived at debrief just as he was taking a seat.
“I’m glad you found our missing doctor. By the way, I talked to her. Nothing but a little rough treatment happened. I’m sure they wanted her in pristine condition when they sold her off,” Kashi said with irritating humor.
“Seriously, Kashi? Why the fuck didn’t you get her the hell out of there? You knew about the State Department’s order. Do you understand why the hell they issue those orders? Now we have to deal with this shit!” Alex said, annoyed.
“I told her to go. She refused. In all reality, Alex, she’s a good doctor. We needed her help. She’s a fine surgeon. That’s why I told you about the raid. I knew you would be interested,” Kashi said.
“Bullshit! You wanted us to do your fucking dirty work,” Alex shot back.
Kashi chuckled. “She’s American, not British. I couldn’t go after her. I must say, you’ve scored a win. The people of that village are more inclined to help now that they see you’re on their side. Especially after the women witnessed that chivalrous display of yours. I swear, Alex, you had a couple of them positively swooning,” Kashi said.
“Fuck you, Kashi! We’ve always been on their side. Why the fuck do you think we’re here?” Alex snapped.
This was bullshit in Alex’s opinion. Navy SEALs and American forces didn’t go around kidnapping and raping innocent women and children and selling them into slavery. They also didn’t take all the food the villages produced. They usually provided it.
“Yes, but they didn’t know that until now,” Kashi said quietly.
“She’s going back on the first plane I can find,” Alex said as the debriefing started.
Kashi smiled as he leaned in close to Alex. “You should get to know her, Alex. I’m sure you’ll find what she has to say quite…interesting.”
* * * *
Izzy woke as the hand that was holding her wrist released her. She turned her head and the pain made her nauseated. She understood what was happening to her and knew that if she stayed still and let the IV fluid do its work she would be fine in a few hours. The headache and nausea she was experiencing were still the effects of being dehydrated. The exposure to the elements Izzy had endured for over twenty-four hours only served to worsen her condition further. There was movement next to her bed and she opened her eyes.
“Hel
lo, angel,” a blue-eyed man said in a seductive deep voice.
Angel? Damn! That voice! Izzy stared at him before shutting her eyes against the headache she was experiencing. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen in her life! He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him at the moment. She sensed a blood pressure cup wrap around her arm and felt the squeeze as it was activated.
“What is it?” Izzy asked hoarsely.
“It’s 110 over 70. A little low. Would you like something to drink?” the man asked.
“Yes,” Izzy whispered.
When Izzy opened her eyes again, she saw the man was working at a nearby laptop. She knew he was updating her condition on the electronic medical chart contained in the laptop. Doc, that’s right, that’s who he is. She remembered why this man looked so familiar.
Doc was the man that assessed her condition during the raid…When was that raid? How long have I been here? Izzy recalled another name, Shaq. She even remembered having a conversation with Kashi at some point, or had she imagined that? She heard Doc’s footsteps return and turned her head when one side of her bed sank down with his weight as he sat.
“Do you want to try and sit up? How’s the headache?” Doc asked.
“I can sit up,” Izzy said.
Izzy lifted herself onto her elbows and squeezed her eyes shut against the pounding pain in her head. She was still weak and, by the way she was feeling, still dehydrated. Doc adjusted her bed so that her head was elevated and she could sit more easily. She knew she should drink slowly, but instinct took over her common sense as she started greedily drinking from the cup Doc was holding.
“Easy, angel. I know you’re thirsty, but you know to take it slow,” Doc reminded.
“Where am I?” Izzy asked as she lay back against the pillow.
“Camp Echo, it’s not far from Kush,” Doc said.
“So, you’re the reason I’ve been so busy,” Izzy pondered out loud.
“About that, Dr. Vasquez. Why didn’t you leave when you were ordered to by the State Department?” Doc asked.
“I had work to do. The people in this area need a doctor. If you would kindly take me back to Kush, I would appreciate it,” Izzy said.
Doc chuckled. Izzy watched his face as a smile lit up his rugged features. He was a handsome man, probably downright dangerous to a woman’s heart when he was cleaned up and groomed properly. He had the look of good aristocratic breeding and seemed out of place in this environment.
Doc belonged in Coconut Grove, in the most exclusive clubs and restaurants. He would be the type to walk right past the bouncers and not look back. He could easily be one of the beautiful people. Izzy knew his type and instantly her defenses went up. His voice was his most unnerving feature. He could probably charm a woman’s clothes off just by talking to her in that deep seductive voice of his.
“I don’t think so. We have a one-way ticket waiting for you. Back home to the States. Miami, is it? After we’ve talked for a few, you’re going home, angel,” Doc said as an annoying grin played with those totally kissable lips.
“I’m not ready to leave,” Izzy said.
“Well, the State Department says otherwise and so does my boss,” Doc informed.
“The people in Kush need a doctor. In case you hadn’t noticed, there are some really bad things going on around here. You above all people should know that! You people are the cause of most of it!” Izzy ranted weakly.
“Oh?” Doc asked in amusement.
“You’re a doctor. Why don’t you help these people instead of terrorizing them with bullets and biological weapons!” Izzy snapped.
“What was that?” Doc asked seriously.
“You know damn good and well what I’m talking about!” Izzy said angrily. She cringed in pain at the sudden flare in her head.
“Tell me, Doctor, what have you seen?” Doc asked in a quiet, neutral voice.
As Izzy looked into the cobalt pools of Doc’s eyes, fear crept into her spine. She saw a myriad of things in the look on his face and none of them gave her a good feeling. She recognized it as concern and alarm. He really doesn’t know.
“What have you seen?” Doc demanded more sternly this time.
The warmth and caring were instantly removed from his features and were replaced by a hard, icy look. The demanding edge in his tone left no question in her mind. He wanted an explanation. It was clear that this highborn playboy could back up any threat he made by kicking someone’s ass in more ways than one, and silence or dancing around the question wasn’t an option. When this man asked a question, people answered. She backed away slightly.
“You should know,” Izzy said, turning away.
“I don’t know, Isabel. You need to tell me exactly what you’ve seen,” Doc said.
* * * *
Biological weapons? What the fuck did she know about biological weapons? Even though Kashi has sent them after her, how the hell did she know what they’d been dealing with? What exactly had she seen? Alex stared at the woman and had to fight the urge to reach out and shake the answers he wanted from her. British Intelligence had identified some really weird shit in this sleepy valley and Headquarters Navy Special Warfare Command had dug up information regarding Soviet activities here during their little stay in Afghanistan in the eighties. That information was the very reason SEAL Team 13 had been sent to Afghanistan and in particular the isolated area of Kush, some one hundred and sixty clicks from the Khyber Pass to Pakistan.
This tribal area was known for its dangerous porous border that terrorists used to go back and forth from Afghanistan to Pakistan. These terrorists were foreign nationals. Rarely were they indigenous Afghani people. They would slip over the border and then disappear into Iran or wherever they had come from.
Dr. Vasquez’s big hazel eyes looked back at Alex. He had to almost shake his head from getting lost in her stare. His dick came to attention the minute he’d touched her this morning and the drive back to the camp with her in his lap was difficult at best. Never had a woman affected him so instantaneously, especially when he was rendering aid. Usually he could stay focused and didn’t notice an attraction until the crisis was over. His past experiences had made him extremely cautious with any attraction to a woman. He waited to see where it went before he made a move.
Alex understood instantly why the Jamiat-e-Islami raiders had taken her. Dr. Vasquez’s hazel eyes were a sharp contrast to her mocha skin and long black hair. Her sleek, athletic body was lean and graceful. When they finally auctioned her off, the Jamiat-e-Islami would have had enough money to fund themselves for a very long time. Even as messed up and dirty as she was, Dr. Isabel Vasquez was a very beautiful woman. Until she opens her mouth, Alex reminded himself with some disgust. He could see why the raiders had attempted to weaken and had even beaten her because she’d probably put up one hell of a fight when they took her.
“Isabel, I need to know what you’ve seen,” Alex said.
“I’m not sure what it is,” Dr. Vasquez answered quietly.
“This is really important. What did it look like?” Alex asked a little more gently.
Dr. Vasquez looked at Alex with uncertainty. He must’ve conveyed the importance of what she had to say to him and convinced her that he was telling the truth.
“I don’t know…I’ve never seen anything like it. Raiders started coming through about a month ago. It wasn’t a big deal at the time. They tossed a couple of grenades and took off. Four people in the village had shrapnel fragment injuries. It killed my patients in less than two days with high fever and organ failure. None of the antibiotics I tried worked. Even cutting away the infected tissue didn’t help. I cultured some of the infected tissue and the only thing I could identify was that it was bacterial and not viral. I’ve never seen this strain and I couldn’t find a record of it. The only good thing about it was it only infected the people who were wounded,” Dr. Vasquez explained.
A chill ran through Alex. He’d seen exactly what she was desc
ribing. Dr. Isabel Vasquez had just confirmed what he and his group were looking for. This was the doctor they had needed to find.
Kashi had to know Dr. Vasquez probably wouldn’t come with them willingly and answer all their questions. Or, Kashi may have not been cleared by his British Intelligence bosses yet and was giving them a heads-up. Whatever the reason, it was clear that SEAL Team 13 had just struck intelligence gold. The downside, Dr. Vasquez would not be getting that free ride home yet. She would probably be their guest until they understood exactly what the hell was going on and how much she knew.
“It wasn’t you guys?” Dr. Vasquez questioned.
“No, it wasn’t. We just got here three weeks ago. You should rest, angel,” he said as he stood.
After doing a quick background check on Dr. Vasquez, Alex walked out of the field hospital and found Shaq and Lieutenant Dan Gamez. They gathered in a secure briefing room and Alex informed them of his conversation with Dr. Vasquez.
“Well, let me send Rock a message and see what he wants us to do,” Lieutenant Gamez said.
“We need to order that antibiotic I used before. It’s the only thing I’ve seen that will stop this infection. If it’s here, then a little nick will kill whoever gets it,” Alex said.
“I’ll get on it. I can sign for it. Get me the information as soon as you can,” Shaq said.
“What are we doing about Dr. Vasquez?” Alex asked.
“She’s not moving until I hear from Rock,” Lieutenant Gamez said.
“When’s Cobra scheduled to arrive?” Shaq asked.
“Next week. Till then, I’m it. So what’s the feel for her? Should I send her back with Kashi as soon as Rock clears it?” Lieutenant Gamez asked.
Alex shrugged. He didn’t want Dr. Vasquez going anywhere other than to his quarters. He did, however, have to fill in Lieutenant Gamez on what he’d discovered in his brief background check on her.
“She’s might be a real pain in the ass, or she might be helpful after what happened,” Alex said.
“Why’s that?” Shaq asked.