by M A Comley
“I will. Be safe, guys. I love you both.”
Giles opened the boot of the car, threw his kitbag in, and slammed the door shut. Then he bolted back to the house and kissed Annabelle again. Giles looked emotional as he slid behind the steering wheel of his car. Guilt rested heavily on Kayli’s shoulders during the silent journey to the airport.
Once they’d parked the car in the car park, they booked Giles’s kitbag in for the flight then went in search of a café.
“I’m in dire need of caffeine. Do you want anything to eat?” Kayli asked, her eyes glazing over at the scrummy pastries on display, tempting the customers.
“I’m fine. You have something if you want to.”
Kayli chose an apricot Danish and offered a section of it to her brother once they were sat at the table.
He politely refused, and his gaze drifted out the large window, at the aeroplanes being prepared for take-off.
“What’s the plan when we get to Turkey?” she asked.
“We have to travel to a military base and board a plane that will take us to Kabul Airport. From there, we’ll get a chopper to Kandahar. That’s where we’re going to meet up with the rest of the team.”
“This team, who are they exactly?”
“A mixture of the security team I used to work for and a covert military team that are operating in that area.”
“That’s brilliant news. Now we’re on our way and that you no longer work for the security firm, can you tell me what the job entailed?”
“I guess I can now. We were employed to drive heads of a Chinese gemstone company working in the area. Most people think that oil is big business over there—it isn’t. That’s what the Iraq War was predominantly about, although the US and UK governments will always deny that fact and use the weapons-of-mass-destruction excuse until the cows come home.”
“Very sad. I had no idea Afghanistan is rich in gemstones. Why would they need protecting?”
Giles raised his eyebrows. “Neither did Mark and I, until we set foot in the country. Afghanistan is rich in not only gemstones, but minerals too. Of course they still dabble in growing thousands of acres of poppies to supply the heroin trade.”
“I bet most of that shit ends up on the streets of the UK, right?”
Giles nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. Going back to the gemstone aspect, things are a tad antsy between the Chinese and the Taliban. I have no idea at this point why they abducted Mark. I can only presume that they’ve kidnapped one of the directors of the gemstone company at the same time. We won’t know until we get out there.”
“But things usually end peacefully? It’s all about money at the end of the day, isn’t it? The Taliban wouldn’t kill the Chinese representatives if they knew they could exploit cash from them, right?”
“You’re spot on. They’re probably holding the Chinese director in a hotel somewhere and taking their anguish out on Mark to possibly twist their arms into doing something. What that is, we’ll probably never find out.”
“Why does everything have to be about money all the time? What are we going into? Has the country been rebuilt now?”
He shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. “You have a rude awakening coming your way if you think the country is up and running again after the war. Our team was of the opinion that it’s more of a warzone now than it ever was.”
“I had no idea. I wish either you or Mark had confided in me, instead of keeping me in the dark.”
“What’s done is done, sis. You’ll see what things are like out there for yourself soon enough.”
They boarded the plane at eight fifteen. Kayli was already regretting eating the pastry as her stomach constricted while they awaited take-off. She was surprised how full the plane was, given the time of year.
~ ~ ~
Six hours later, long after Kayli had grown bored with staring out the window, the plane touched down in Ankara. They collected Giles’s kitbag and hopped in a taxi, which drove them to the military airbase a few miles away, where they would embark on the second leg of their long journey. Giles seemed agitated. Therefore, Kayli kept any questions she was dying to ask under wraps.
They arrived at the military base and were swiftly transported by jeep to a terminal to await their second flight. This was a totally different setup to the commercial airport. The café, which was more like a spit-and-sawdust canteen, offered only tea or coffee in plastic cups.
Finally, a young man in army uniform arrived to escort them out to the tarmac.
“Thanks for your help,” Giles said, shaking the young man’s hand before they boarded the small plane.
As soon as they entered the plane, Kayli felt claustrophobic. Her fear of confined spaces took over all her senses. Her palms became sweaty instantly, and her brow broke out in droplets of moisture as she felt her cheeks flare up with heat.
Once seated, Giles turned to look at her. “Jesus, I forgot. Are you all right?”
Kayli held back, refusing to break down in tears, and nodded. “I’m going to have to be. How long is the flight?”
“Five hours, give or take a few minutes. Stick with it, love. Will it help if you have a sleep?”
“I’m too frigging scared to close my eyes. Shit, I didn’t feel this bad on the other plane.”
Giles chuckled. “A stark contrast in size and comfort. Maybe you should imagine yourself on a commercial flight.”
“I can try. God, I feel like shit.”
“I hate to remind you, but we have a helicopter ride to contend with after this one.”
Her body started to tremble at the thought. “What the hell am I doing here?”
Giles reached for her hand and grasped it between both of his. “Look at it this way: this adventure will either kill you or cure your phobia.”
Kayli stared at him. “And you think that is going to make me feel better?”
He shrugged. “Just close your eyes and try to relax. The journey will be over before you know it.”
“Your logic is so off-the-wall sometimes, brother dearest. I have five hours to endure. It would be different if my punishment consisted of being trapped in this tin can for half an hour.”
“It’s hardly a tin can. I think you’re over-exaggerating there, sis.”
Not long after, the plane began to taxi up the runway. It was far noisier than any commercial flight she’d taken, and before long, she had a headache to go along with her other symptoms.
She exhaled a large breath when the plane finally started on its final descent. Kayli glanced out of the window at the terrain and saw very little on the approach except for desert. But as they got closer to their destination, a large town with numerous buildings, large and small, appeared below them.
“Not long now. You’re doing exceptionally well, sis.”
Kayli smiled and gripped her brother’s hand as the plane grew noisier. “I’ll be fine once I can feel the ground beneath my feet.”
“It won’t be for long, love. We’ll be whisked away and thrown into the chopper virtually straight away.”
“Did you have to tell me that?” She winced as the wheels touched down on the tarmac. The plane bounced a few times before it glided to a halt. Kayli exhaled a large breath as the door swung open and fresh air filled the cabin.
Giles brushed a hand over her cheek. “Night will be setting in soon. Are you ready for the final part of our journey?”
“As I’ll ever be. If I waited around to think things over, I doubt I’d volunteer to take the trip tonight. It’s been a long day so far.”
“The sooner we get there, the better, love. Dig deep.”
Kayli nodded and followed her brother off the aircraft, smiling at the attendant who had opened the door.
Giles pointed at the helicopter sitting on the tarmac. “Looks like our next mode of transport is ready for us.”
The helicopter’s blades started up as they approached. Giles opened the back door and helped Kayli get in the back seat. He raised his
thumb to the pilot, a man with a pockmarked face and short hair, and they bashed fists together to say hello. Giles ensured Kayli’s safety belt was in place.
“Hi, guys. I’m Seb,” the pilot said. “Are you ready back there?”
“I’m Giles, and this is my kid sister, Kayli. We’re ready, mate.”
“How long is the flight?” Kayli asked, her voice trembling a little.
The pilot laughed. “Hey, miss, you’re in safe hands with me. We should be there within forty-five minutes, depending on the wind. Sometimes it gets up in the evening over the desert. Not the best time of year for you guys to travel to these parts. The temperature is extremely variable. It’s not unheard of to be twenty-five degrees during the day and dropping down to minus eight at night.”
“Minus eight? Crap, how would Mark cope with the fluctuating temperatures if he’s being kept in a cave?” Kayli asked.
Giles shook his head. “I think that would be the least of his worries.”
“Here we go. Hang on tight,” the pilot said as the helicopter took off.
Kayli was surprised that her claustrophobia wasn’t as bad in the chopper as it had been in the military plane, but she suspected that was to do with the expanse of windows in the helicopter. It didn’t prevent her stomach from lurching a little though as the chopper ascended. It was a weird sensation, one that she’d never experienced in her life before. She smiled at her brother.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Giles shouted in her ear.
Kayli nodded. “You know what? I think I am.”
“Must be my expert flying skills,” the pilot said cheekily.
They flew what seemed to be a couple of hundred feet above the ground, although Kayli suspected it was probably a lot higher than that. The pilot was skilful in his approach, weaving between the mountainous ranges as they appeared on the horizon in the failing light. As the night fully descended, Kayli’s fear took hold again. She reached for Giles’s hand, her sweaty palms finding it difficult to keep hold of him as her claustrophobia struck once more.
“We’ll soon be there, love. Stay strong. Close your eyes. Maybe that will make you feel better.”
She did as he suggested, but the bile rose into her throat instantly, and her temple broke out in sweat. Her eyes flew open again. “Is it much farther?”
“We’re about ten minutes out from Kandahar. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, folks.”
“I’m trying,” Kayli mumbled before she glanced out the window, not that she could see anything. All of a sudden, the helicopter tilted. Panic shot up her spine. Her eyes wide, she turned to look at Giles. “What was that?”
Giles shrugged. “I haven’t got a clue.” He tapped the pilot on the shoulder. “Seb, everything all right?”
The pilot ignored him. The helicopter seemed to be going faster. Kayli peered out the window and into the darkness. Tiny shards of light were coming at them from the ground. She yanked on her brother’s arm and pointed at the lights.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Shit! We’re under attack. The bastards are shooting at us.”
“Don’t worry, folks. I’ve got everything under control. This happens a lot on night-time missions. I’ll keep dodging the bullets as much as I can.”
No sooner had Seb said that than Kayli heard a ping. Giles pulled her head into his chest to get her away from the window. Seconds later, a bullet shattered the window inches from where her head had been. Kayli screamed.
“Ssh... try to keep calm,” Giles said, running a soothing hand over her head.
She tried to sit up again, but he held her down as yet more bullets struck the underside of the helicopter.
“Seb, can we escape these morons?” Giles asked.
“I’m doing my darnedest, I promise you. They’re determined feckers, though. I’ve got this, don’t worry. We’re almost at the airport...”
They rounded a nearby mountain tip and Kayli saw the airport lit up ahead of them. Giles expelled a large breath and pointed ahead. She smiled, relieved to see their destination so close.
Ping, ping!
Suddenly, as if the rebels on the ground realised how close they were to landing, the firing increased.
“Keep your heads down, guys, just for the next few minutes,” the pilot shouted. His head was swivelling rapidly as he glanced below him, first left and then right.
Giles’s hand covered Kayli’s head. She clung to her brother’s waist, her ear pressed against his frantically beating heart. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out what was going on around her and focus on their mission to rescue Mark. That was proving significantly hard to do when their own lives were in jeopardy.
“Fuck! I’m hit,” the pilot groaned.
Kayli tried to sit up, but Giles kept her head pinned in place. “Get off me, Giles.”
Her brother removed his hand, and she sat upright.
A mixture of fear and helplessness pulled at his features. “Keep down, Kayli.”
“I can’t. Not when I know the pilot needs our help.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and shouted, “What can we do to help you?”
“Nothing. We’re going down. The chopper is losing speed and altitude. There is absolutely zilch I can do to combat that, except try to prevent her from spinning.”
Kayli insisted, “Please, let us know if we can do anything. Are you hit bad?”
“No, just my arm. It’s not going to help me control this girl, though.”
Kayli stared at her brother. She could tell the cogs in his brain were churning rapidly as he fought to come up with a solution, but then he shook his head in dismay.
“We have to do something, Giles, or we’re not going to make it.”
“I know, but what? Seb needs to tell us what to do. If I could take over, I would. I’ve never flown a plane, let alone a chopper before.”
Kayli gasped and looked out the window. The airport seemed to be so near and yet so far. “What are you saying? That we’re doomed?”
“Prepare yourselves for impact, guys. I’ve done my best. She’s about a hundred feet above the ground now and dropping fast. I’ll try and keep her upright as she comes down. There’s no telling if we’re going to survive.” Seb shouted before he cried out in pain.
Kayli wrapped her arms around her brother’s neck, clinging on for dear life. It was impossible to see how close they were to the ground as the darkness of the night enveloped them.
Giles held her tightly and muttered something in her ear. It sounded as if he was praying. She hadn’t prayed since she was at school. Was it right for someone to pray for their own survival? Wouldn’t that seem selfish in God’s eyes? She decided to pray for the pilot’s and her brother’s lives instead as the bullets pinged off the metal on the underside of the chopper.
The spinning started not long after.
“I’m sorry, guys. I did my best. She’s hard to handle now.”
“Giles, you have to help him. Grab the controls. Our lives can’t end like this.”
Her brother nodded. He pushed her aside and reached over the pilot’s right shoulder. “Come on, Seb. Stick with it. Tell me what to do.”
“Place your hands over mine. We have to keep her steady, to get out of the spin if possible.”
“What about a Mayday call?” Kayli shouted.
“I was just about to do that. Giles, help me, and I’ll place the call.”
Kayli’s mind drifted as she heard Seb’s voice in the distance put in the call for help and let the authorities know where they were. Mark’s face appeared before her, not the suffering Mark that had filled her dreams lately, but the happy-go-lucky, handsome Mark she’d fallen in love with all those years ago. We’re here, Mark. We’re in danger, but we’re trying to do everything we can.
“Jesus. We’re not going to make it!” Seb shouted, absolute fear resonating in his voice.
Kayli tried to peer through the blackness below her. “Giles, I’m scared.”
Giles was too b
usy battling the controls with the pilot to respond. Seb groaned, and his head flopped to one side. A scream filled the helicopter... She had no idea that it had come from her own mouth until she felt the rawness in her throat. Not long after, the chopper landed with an almighty thud that sent her sprawling across the seat.
Giles began shouting at her to get out. Everything happened so fast. She was in a daze and had no idea in what order things occurred, but suddenly, she and Giles were tumbling out of the chopper. She could smell diesel all around them. With his kitbag over his shoulder, Giles grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the crash site.
She dug her heels into the sand. “No, Giles. We can’t leave Seb. He needs to come with us.”
“He’s gone, Kayli. He’s better off there. They’ll just tear his body to shreds if we pull him out. Let’s get out of here before she blows. The Mayday call went out. Hopefully, someone will send a search party out to find us.”
“What about the rebels? We’ll be sitting ducks.”
“Which is why we have to take cover. Come on, sis, hold it together.”
Her body trembled. She felt as though she had no control over her limbs as the shock set in. As Giles pulled her across the bumpy terrain, she stumbled now and again, but Giles’s grip held firm and forced her upright. “Where are we going? We have to help Seb.”
“Impossible. What we need to do is concentrate on our own survival. It’s too late for Seb.”
“No, I insist. We need to go back. We can’t leave him there. We could bury him. There’s enough sand around here.”
Giles stopped and gripped her shoulders firmly. “You need to snap out of this, Kayli. Seb’s dead. We need to get far away before the chopper blows.”
They both looked back, and the area lit up as the fire raged through the chopper. There were no screams coming from inside.
“Okay, I’m back with you. I’m sorry, Giles. Tell me what to do.” She looked sideways and noticed that he had a pistol in one of his hands.
“It’s Seb’s. At least it will give us some peace of mind. Look, there’s a building over there. We must be on the very edge of the airport. He did his best to get us this far. The rest is up to us. Are you ready?”