“I don’t blame you. That guy has issues.”
“He’s kept us safe though.”
“Hello, beautiful.” Melvin Stevenson had strolled over.
Rose turned her head to the huge, burly man that everyone hated. “Hey yourself,” she said.
“I heard you got in some trouble today,” Melvin continued, ignoring me.
“Yeah, and I took care of it,” I said. “We were on our way to eat.”
“We were?” Rose asked.
“Yeah, we were.” I held my hand out to her. “You ready?”
“I’ll come with you,” Melvin said.
“No, that’s okay.” I stared into his eyes and he stared back unflinchingly.
“Now, boys,” Rose said, “no fighting over me.” She stepped between us and walked toward the chow building.
“Hold on a minute,” Melvin mumbled, grabbing my arm.
I looked down at his hand and then up to his face. “What?”
“About the secret operation.”
“Yeah? What about it? I said I’m getting out.”
He laughed, his bulky body shaking. “There’s no getting out once you’re in, stupid.”
“We’ll talk about it later, okay?”
“You gonna hit that?” He nodded at Rose as she walked off.
I clenched my jaw. “A gentleman never tells.”
“You ain’t no fucking gentleman, Warren. We both know that.”
“Whatever, man. I’ll catch up with you later.”
I jogged toward Rose before Melvin could go on about our illicit activities in Afghanistan. “Hey!” I called out. “Wait up!”
She glanced back at me. “You can’t keep up with a wounded woman? How the hell are we going to win this war?”
“Funny,” I said, as I slowed down beside her. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“Did your CO send you to babysit me?”
“No, of course not. Although if he did, I would never tell.”
She kept up her pace. Outside the mess hall, she stopped and turned to face me.
“What?” I asked.
“Exactly. What do you want?”
“I just thought we could dine together. If you’re wanting to go into the villages without soldiers, I can see about going with you undercover in local garb.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You would do that for me?”
“I might,” I said, not ready to fully commit yet.
“Fine. We can eat and talk if you’ll help me get what I need for my story.”
“What paper do you work for again?”
“I don’t work for a newspaper. They’re all dying. I write online for an audience around the world.”
“Uh huh,” I said, uninterested. I couldn’t think clearly with her sizable breasts pressing against an army-issued green tee-shirt that looked two sizes too small. Her hard nipples were clearly visible through the cloth.
“Come on,” she said. “I’m starving.”
Behind us, Melvin called out, “Warren, come here!”
I sighed. “I have to go.”
“Wow. He’s got that kind of control over you?”
“You don’t understand…”
“You’ll have to tell me sometime then.”
“Maybe I will,” I said, not breaking eye contact.
“Come on, Warren! Now!” Melvin bellowed.
“I’ll take you on a date tomorrow or later this week,” I said.
Rose tilted her head to the left and peered at me. “A date?”
I grinned. “A working date. I’ll get you into a nearby village that’s friendly to our side. They might answer your questions and help with your story.”
She nodded. “That would be wonderful. Thanks. Thanks for everything.”
“No problem. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Tomorrow.”
“Come on, Warren, you shithead!”
I rolled my eyes.
Rose laughed and then turned to go inside the mess hall.
What the fuck does he want now? I wondered as I walked back toward Melvin, regretting getting involved with him.
CHAPTER 4
Warren
The next day, I convinced Jacoby to let me take Rose to a nearby village so small that it wasn’t even on the maps. I told him it would keep her under control and happy. To my surprise, he agreed.
I went to tell Rose the good news.
Part of my attraction to her was the fact she was the only American woman for miles around, but more than that, I found her interesting. For one, she had traveled thousands of miles from her home to one of the most dangerous places in the world. That took guts.
As I walked toward her sleeping quarters, I wondered where she stayed in New York and whether she’d left a boyfriend behind. The closer I got, the more questions floated through my brain. Getting answers would not be a bad way to spend the day with her.
I stopped in front of her CHU and knocked on the door. It opened right away. She stood in the doorway, dressed in camouflage pants with another ill-fitting t-shirt.
“Yeah?” she asked. “I’m busy right now.”
“You don’t want to go to the village?”
“Oh! You were being serious?”
“Yeah. I got permission from the CO. He doesn’t want me in civilian garb, but I know the village elders here. They’ll talk to you.”
She stared into my eyes. I swore I could see the gears turning in her head.
“Okay,” she said after a few tense and silent moments.
“Great. You ready now or you got something else to do?”
“Melvin wanted me to come see him about something. I was on my way there.”
“Screw Melvin,” I said. “You should be careful around him.”
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t want to go into specifics. You know we’re on a tight deadline. If we’re doing this, we need to go now.”
“Sure.” She patted her black messenger bag. “I have everything I need in here.”
“You’re lucky. I wish my equipment was that light.” I smiled. “Let’s get out of here. Ryan is driving us.”
“You two friends?” she asked as we walked toward where the Humvees and trucks were parked.
“You could say army buddies, I guess. We met back at the Savage Soldiers home base in Colorado, and sent out to New York together. Why?”
“Just curious. I want my piece on the Savage Soldiers to be human.”
“You been at this journalism thing long?”
“Ever since high school.”
“And how many years is that?”
“Are you asking my age, Warren?”
I grinned. “Not at all. Just curious.”
When we reached the parking area, Ryan raised a hand into the air. “Let’s go, people!” he said.
“You’re in the back,” I said to Rose, opening the door for her.
“As long as you don’t expect me to shoot the gun or anything.”
“Only in the case of an emergency.”
She smiled and climbed into the back. I got into the passenger’s seat, the butt of my M16A4 on the floorboard between my legs.
“Let’s rock-and-roll,” Ryan said.
“Is he always this full of energy?” Rose asked, leaning forward with one hand on each of the two front seats.
I chuckled. “You don’t know the half of it.”
The Humvee slipped into gear and lurched forward, pushing her back.
“Careful,” Ryan yelled over the roar of the engine.
I glanced back at her, impressed by her determination. “We’ll hand out medical supplies and water while we’re there,” I shouted.
She stayed silent, looking out at the barren landscape. I turned forward and stared out the windshield, looking for anything out of the ordinary. In Afghanistan, anything could happen at any moment; the only ones who survived were the ones who always stayed on their toes.
Ryan stepp
ed on the gas pedal and the giant vehicle rushed forward.
It was going to be one hell of a day.
* * *
Ten minutes later, we rolled up to the entrance of the village. An old man sat on a huge tire on the side of the road. I kept my eyes on him as we passed, not sure if I recognized him or not.
“We’re here,” I said. “Be sure not to wander off.”
“Trust me. I learned my lesson yesterday.”
I turned to Ryan. “Park by Jahmir's house,” I instructed.
“Already on it,” he replied.
“He’s the village elder,” I explained, glancing back at Rose.
“Have you known him long?” she asked.
“Always full of questions, huh?”
She shrugged. “It’s my job.”
The Humvee came to a stop and Ryan killed the engine. I opened the door, hopped out, and waited for Rose to climb down. At least a dozen village children swarmed around the vehicle, excitedly raising their hands and yelling at the same time.
“Enough!” Jahmir said as he emerged from the house, stroking his long, white beard.
At the sound of his voice, the children scattered.
“Welcome, my friend Warren,” he said, ignoring Rose’s presence.
“Thank you, Jahmir. I brought someone to talk with you. This is Rose.”
She offered her hand, but the old man stared at it as if she was offering him a pile of dung.
“How are things?” I asked him, trying to ease the tension and awkwardness.
Rose dropped her arm, but didn’t appear upset.
“They are peaceful now,” Jahmir said. “Have you come for the samples?”
I glanced at Rose and then back to him. “We’ll talk about that later,” I said. “We brought gifts. Maybe Rose can speak to your wife and daughters?”
“Fine,” he said then raised his hand into the air.
A half-dozen men all dressed in similar attire stepped out from behind two of the mud-brick houses and made their way over to us.
“Help with the gifts,” Jahmir told them.
They walked to the back of the Humvee as Ryan opened it and began setting cases of water onto the dry, dusty ground.
I could already tell it was going to be a long day.
“I’ll take you to the other families who want to talk,” I said to Rose.
“I’d like to talk to Jahmir too.” She looked at him. “Is that okay?”
“Maybe later.” I took her hand. “Let’s go.”
She pulled her hand from mine as we walked away.
“I’m trying to keep the friends I have here,” I said. “You have to understand—the culture is different.”
“I don’t care about the way they treat women. There’s something he’s hiding. What did he mean by samples?”
“Don’t worry about it. Look, there’s Yamna. She’s a terrific person to interview,” I said, pointing her out.
“I’ll sort this out,” Rose said as we continued walking toward the Afghan woman.
“I don’t doubt it. You stay here with Yamna. I need to talk to Jahmir alone.”
“Is it safe?”
“You’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I haven’t lost a reporter in my charge yet.”
“How many reporters have you helped before?”
“Well, since you ask, you’re my first.” I winked.
Rose rolled her eyes and quickened her pace. I stared at her a moment, loving the way her body moved.
I knew the women of the village would treat her well and keep her safe, which was a good thing because my conversation with Jahmir couldn’t wait.
* * *
“You can’t let anyone know what we’re doing,” I said to Jahmir as we sat on floor cushions in his living room. “Do you understand? It’s important.”
He waved my concerns away with his hand. “Are you ready to see the samples?”
“Yes,” I said nervously. Melvin had certainly gotten me involved in some crazy shit.
Jahmir pulled out a wooden box and opened the lid. Inside, I saw what appeared to be a metallic rock of some sort. “This is one of the smaller pieces we have mined.”
“How much can you get?” I asked, reaching for it.
He pulled the box away. “We can get as much as you want for the right price. I do not want to sell poppies like the others. You must give us a fair price. Two men have died so far getting this material.”
I nodded. “I’ll need to bring the sample to Melvin.”
He stared at me with his ancient eyes, wrinkles running like rivers from them. “I will trust you, but do not cross me.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” I said. “We need to keep this quiet, though. As I told you before, we’re not supposed to be transporting this stuff.”
“I will sell to the Chinese if you do not want. Rare earth minerals are booming business.”
Ryan stepped into the room, holding his rifle at the ready. “You ready to leave?”
I glanced up at him. “Give me a minute, okay?”
“I’ll be outside,” he said.
I turned back to Jahmir. “Thank you again,” I said, holding out a hand. He gave me the box and I got to my feet. “I’ll return soon with money and an order.”
“Fine. Safe travels,” he said.
As I walked out the room of his simple house, I thought about my apartment back in New York City and how much I missed it. It may have been small, but a year in Afghanistan had made me realize how much I had loved the space.
Outside, I saw Rose standing nearby. She walked over. “How’d your meeting with Jahmir go?”
“Fine,” I said, hating that she was so damn curious. “You get to talk to the villagers?”
“Yeah. Some of them.”
“Great. We should get back.”
“This wasn’t very romantic,” she said.
I tilted my head as I stared at her. “Excuse me?”
“You called this a date yesterday, but it wasn’t very romantic.”
“I guess not,” I said, grinning. “I’ll have to make it up to you.”
“No worries. It was just an observation.”
I motioned toward the Humvee with my hand. “After you.”
She walked ahead of me and I watched her ass sway back and forth.
Why does this damn woman captivate me so much? I thought, somewhat exasperated. I tried to think of a logical answer on the ride back to the base but came up empty-handed.
CHAPTER 5
Rose
Once we arrived back at the base, I went directly to my sleeping quarters. They had given me an entire double-room dwelling because they didn’t want me bunking with the men.
I sat at a plain wooden desk in the room and stared at the blank page on the laptop screen, memories of the villagers running through my head.
What had Jahmir meant about showing Warren samples? Were the rumors about soldiers running a drug smuggling operation true?
They had to be, but I needed proof.
As I waited for inspiration to strike, I heard two men laughing outside. Reminded of the seriousness of my situation, I banged out a few words.
The questions on the page laughed at my ignorance, but I wasn’t ready to give up on solving the mystery. With only two weeks, I needed to make progress.
I sighed and dug my expensive satellite phone out of my messenger bag. The debate over whether to call my dad or my best friend Kim lasted about two seconds.
“Hello?” Kim answered.
I smiled, loving the sound of her voice. “Hey, you. It’s not too late, is it?”
“It’s early,” she said with a yawn.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, it’s like eight-thirty in the morning or some crazy shit.”
“That’s not early,” I said. “You need to get up and talk. Grab a coffee.”
“Nag, nag, nag. Even from halfway around the world, you’re nagging me.”
“You love it.”
She sighed. “I do. Hold on.”
“I don’t have much time on this phone,” I said.
“I’m back. What did you say?”
“Just that I don’t have much time on this phone over here. Afghanistan is crazy.”
“You doing okay?”
“Not really,” I admitted.
“So, traveling to some godforsaken country halfway around the world wasn’t a smart idea after all, huh? I think I remember telling you that.”
“It’s not bad. It’s just strange and different. Oh!” I sat up in my chair. “You’ll never guess what happened. I almost got kidnapped by the Taliban!”
“Get out of here. You’re not funny.”
“I’m serious. When I went into the city on my own without a military escort to do some intel, they saw me and grabbed me.”
“How did you get away?”
A suspicious sound hit my ears. “You are not going to the bathroom while talking to me, are you?”
“I’m sorry. Your phone is dying and I couldn’t wait. I’m done now.”
“You’re something else.” I rolled my eyes just as I would have if she had been in front of me.
“Tell me what happened, crazy woman,” she said.
“Well, this guy rescued me. I don’t remember any of it. They knocked me out.”
“Was the guy cute?”
“Is that all you ever think about?”
“Does anything else matter?”
“I think so. Why else would I have traveled to some godforsaken country halfway around the world?”
“He’s a dog. Okay, I get it.”
“No, he’s not. I think he’s hot. He’s got the buff body of a soldier.”
“My, oh my. Look at Rose’s new interests in Afghanistan.”
“Shut up,” I shot back.
She sighed again. “I miss you so much. When are you coming back?”
“In two weeks. And I miss you too.”
“Are you there…” The phone crackled. “…Rose?”
“Hello?” I said into the static. I lowered the phone and thought about trying to call her back. But instead, I set the phone down and typed up a description of Warren to maybe use later for my story. I reasoned that if he was involved in something bad, he would make it into my final story.
Lawless Hero: A Bad Boy Military Romance (Savage Soldiers Book 4) Page 2