by Jade Alters
“Are you okay?”
I didn't hear the words, but it seemed like he was enunciating them and I was able to read his lips. I nodded, slowly...should I tell him that I couldn't hear anything?
I opened my mouth to speak and I felt his hand move down and take hold of hers. He closed his big, warm hand around hers and that small act of kindness seemed to suck the anxiety out like a vacuum and a sense of calm and safety began to descend down upon me.
I gripped his hand tighter and closed my eyes again. I'd worry about the hearing loss later, when we got where we were going...wherever that might be.
“Hey...What's her name?”
“I don't know.”
“Seagull, or something like that.”
“Seagull? Like the bird? That's her name?”
“It's not Seagull, like the bird. It's Sea...gal. And that's her last name. Her first name is Courtney.”
“Titan knows the lady's first name...damn, it must be love.”
“Shut the fuck up, Will, this isn't the time or the place for your stupid jokes.”
“Sorry man, just trying to lighten shit up.”
“Courtney, can you hear me?” I could hear him. I could hear them all. It took my brain several seconds to process the sound...and then remember what had happened. That's what kept me from responding. I wanted to keep my eyes closed and block them all out...and forget. I wanted to forget that I'd seen bodies ripped apart and burned. I wanted to go home.
“Courtney?”
“I can hear you,” I said, reluctantly pulling open my eyes.
The handsome green eyed soldier was staring at my face with concern in his eyes. He looked relieved after I blinked a few times and pulled my eyes all the way open. I looked beyond him, up at the dome light of the car and then to the open door behind him. It was dark outside. It had been early afternoon when they left the base. How long had I been asleep?
“Courtney, my name is Clayton, the big guy behind the wheel is Titan. That guy next to him is Will and the one standing right outside the door behind me is Manny. We're going to do whatever it takes to make sure you stay safe and get you home...but right now we have to leave this vehicle here and get out and walk for a while. Do you think you can walk?” He was talking slow and quiet like he was afraid I might freak out at any given moment. Sadly, I wasn't sure that I wouldn't. I didn't trust myself to speak again so I just nodded.
“Okay,” he said, softly. “Good. I'm going to slide out and I'll help you to your feet.”
“I don't need help.” I responded.
He sighed, but didn't say anything. He just slid out of the seat and then held his hand out to me. I brushed it away and let my feet drop to the ground. As soon as my butt came off the seat, the world around me spun and I had to reach out for him. He already had his hand on my arm. I closed my eyes for a second, until the dizziness passed and then opened them again to see all four men looking at me. I noticed then that they were laden down with backpacks and equipment...and guns. It frightened me, and made me feel safe at the same time. It was crazy, but my emotions were all over the place so it didn't surprise me. The other thing it made me feel though, was weak, and ashamed of myself. They'd not only been through the same thing as me...one of their own had been killed in that explosion. Yet here they were, carrying the heavy load and vowing to keep me safe.
“I'm sorry,” I said, letting go of Clayton. “I'm okay now. It was just a little wave of dizziness.”
Clayton was still holding onto my arm. His green eyes still looked worried and he didn't seem convinced. “You sure? You'll be able to walk?”
I nodded and looked at his hand. He took it off of my arm and then the one he introduced as Will handed something to him. I realized it was a camouflage jacket when he opened it up and held it out to me. “You'll need this. The temperature is dropping and it will only get colder before the night is over.” I was finished being obstinate, at least for now. I turned around and let him slide it onto my arms and up around my shoulders. It was huge, but it was warm.
“Thank you,” I said, rolling up the sleeves and buttoning it up the front. “I'm ready.”
The men looked at each other and the one named Manny said, “I'll take the front. Titan take the rear, Will and Clay flank Courtney.”
There was no more discussion. Weighted down with what had to be fifty pounds or more each, the men began to walk, so I did too.
I followed Manny and Will and Clay walked on either side of me. For the first time I really looked around. Manny was carrying a flashlight and the light coming from it was very dim. Behind us Titan had one as well, holding it low down near our feet.
What I could see was that we were on a dirt path, which wasn't surprising. Everything here was dirt. There didn't seem to be any buildings around, and no trees. There were a lot of rocks underfoot and as we followed the trail I realized that it was inclining slowly and we were ascending a hill or a mountain.
The stars overhead were bright but the moon was in its early phase so it didn't offer much help in the way of lighting up the night. Will had a leather canteen and every so often he'd pass it forward.
They always let me take the first drink, but since I didn't know if it was all they had, I'd just take small sips, hardly enough to relieve the dryness that coated my mouth and throat.
At least it wasn't hot any longer, but the dust stirred up around us with every step and I had no choice but to breathe it in, at first.
We stopped for what only seemed like a minute for a break and it was then that Manny presented me with a bandanna and said, “Tie this around your nose and mouth. It will help keep the dirt out of your air passages.” I thanked him and did as he said, walking was a little easier after that...or at least breathing was. My legs and feet were screaming in protest, but I was trying not to hear them.
I just kept trying to think of something, anything besides my current predicament and what happened earlier.
I was hoping if I could focus on something else that it would pass the time and I wouldn't concentrate so much on how tired my legs were growing, how cold the air was becoming, or even the fact that I was in the middle of nowhere with four very large, very strong men that could do whatever they wanted to me and I'd be unable to stop them. I thought about my father and I almost laughed.
I wondered what the General would think if he knew I was traipsing through the mountains of Afghanistan. He was sure I wouldn't make it through the assignment, and he'd almost been right. If not for Clay sticking his head in my tent and a bomb going off...I would have sent that email, begging to come home. I didn't know if that thought made me want to laugh or cry. What a mess this was. It made me wish I would have chosen law school instead.
“There's a dwelling about 100 yards ahead.” The sound of Titan's deep voice startled me out of my thoughts and back to the present.
He was holding something out in front of him and for the first time I saw that it had a little screen on it. There was no picture, just an outline of red wiggly lines against the black screen.
We all stopped and he moved the screen up and down and side to side slowly as we waited quietly. “I'm not reading any body heat around it.” I turned my head slightly and it looked like Clay was sniffing the air, almost like a dog on someone's trail. That was odd...but maybe the bandanna kept me from smelling whatever he was.
“We could use a place to bed down for the night,” Manny said, with a look in my direction.
Titan looked at Clay and he gave him a slight nod. Then looking at Will, Clay said,
“Take her behind those rocks over there and wait while we scout ahead.”
I didn't like to be talked about like I wasn't even there...but I was smart enough to realize that in this situation, I was the least knowledgeable and in the event that someone was in that “dwelling” lying in wait, I'd be the least helpful as well.
With a sigh that I wasn't sure was tired, scared or frustrated, I went with Will toward a large pile of rocks while
the other three men huddled up to make a plan.
Once Will and I were settled I whispered, “Was that explosion one of those IED things I've heard about...in the ground?”
He looked at me for several long seconds like he was trying to decide if that information was classified or not. At last he said, “No. It was launched by a rocket off the back of a truck parked in the hills above the airstrip.”
“Launched by who?”
He shook his head. “It was launched remotely, probably through a cell-phone. Their equipment out here is old, hardly state of the art...but it's still effective sometimes. Anyways, as of right now we don't know who, but it won't be long until we figure it out.”
“So the medical people, they were the targets?”
“Apparently,” he said. His eyes were sad and I suddenly remembered the soldier that had been in the midst of the group. My heart ached for them all, but I was sure the loss of the soldier cut deeply with the rest of his team.
“I'm sorry...about your friend.” I could see his brown eyes glisten under the light of the stars. He cleared his throat and caught himself before a tear could dare spill down his face and said,
“Yeah, me too.”
“Will the pilot of that plane...or someone, send help?”
“No. We're your help. Don't worry though, we'll keep you safe.”
I was worried. How could I not be? I was simply a civilian in no-man's-land at the mercy of four men, who I knew nothing about and my life was in their hands. I didn't know where we were, who, if anyone was looking for us or how long we'd be trapped out there in the desert. I wanted real answers, but I realized that Will probably didn't have those, at least not now.
The sound of a whistle brought Will to his feet. “Come on,” he said, “They're ready for us.” I stood up and a wave of dizziness assaulted me. I was hungry and thirsty. I understood their need to ration what water they had...but I was afraid that if we were out here too long, it just wasn't going to be enough. I felt Will's hand on my arm and for the first time I realized that somehow these men seemed to read what I needed without being told. That was at least encouraging...if I had to look on the bright side.
4
Clay
The hut had the look of something thrown together on a lark, and then left to rot. The walls were rough, sodden planks that were anything but even and the roof was made of coarse straw and mud with a few gray stones thrown in for good measure.
There were massive holes in both the roof and the walls and as far as shelters go, it was a 2 at best on a scale of 1-10. Had we been alone, we would have continued on up the mountainside and when we got tired, taken refuge in one of the many caves we knew were there.
But at least for tonight we had to do whatever it took to make her feel safe with us, and gain her trust. This hut had two rooms and at least here she could have some semblance of privacy. Not that I wouldn't mind at all if she wanted to share my sleeping bag...and my body heat. But I realized this was all new to her and the idea of any type of sex, even if it was just the g-rated cuddling kind, was far from her mind. She probably thought we'd never get out of here, or that we would take advantage of her while she was up here alone with us.
What she didn't know...yet, was that she was lucky. If she had to be stranded, she was at least stranded with a crew that would fight to the death for her in the event that we had to.
Will and Courtney walked into the opening of the hut that everyone but her had to duck to get inside of. I watched her eyes as she looked around. They were filled with disappointment. I was sure she had been hoping for a dwelling with running water and a pantry filled with food.
That would have made us all happy.
It was human nature to look for miracles when your brain wanted to convince you that you wouldn't survive...and me and my team were at least still part human. I was thankful that Titan had filled one of his bags with MRE's.
The aluminum packets of military “food” were less than tasty, but they were filled with calories and vitamins and shit that Courtney would need to survive. We could and would go out hunting, but who knew if there was anything crawling around this God-forsaken place that we'd be able to convince her to eat. We had learned that as wolves we weren't all that discerning...not that we didn't all enjoy a steak and baked potato when we could get it, but life as a predator had also given us a taste for blood...the fresh kill.
“It's not the Taj Mahal,” I said, “But it will block out some of the weather.”
Courtney nodded.
I had to admit that I was much more impressed with her than I had assumed I would be. She had done her absolute best to keep up with us all even though our legs were much longer and likely much stronger than hers...and I hadn't heard her complain once since she'd waken up in that Hummer we'd had to leave behind. I was sure she had a million questions, but she seemed to understand that survival came first. It was a quality a wolf looked for in his mate...but I wasn't looking for a mate, so that was an odd thought. Maybe it was just a part of my canine nature, the side of myself that I was still adjusting to.
Titan sat down on the mud floor, and for the first time since the bomb went off, he let his guard down, slightly. The M-17 was still draped over his shoulder and I knew the pistol he carried in his uniform would be out and ready to fire in mere seconds if necessary. He opened the extra backpack he'd been carrying and dumped out a pile of MRE's. He had grabbed at least two dozen of them, which would help our travels, considerably.
“You have a preference?” he asked Courtney. She made a face and said,
“The one they pretend is mac and cheese is at least palatable.” Will snorted out a laugh and Manny rolled his eyes. Titan shuffled through the aluminum packs and found a mac and cheese and tossed it in her direction. Without asking the rest of them what they wanted, he tossed one to each of his teammates and then looked at Will and said,
“How much water do we have left?”
“A pouch and a half.”
“Okay, after we eat someone will need to go...” He looked at Courtney and I saw him change his mind about what he was going to say. I agreed with Titan in a look that passed between us that letting her believe we didn't know exactly where we were taking her was probably best.
“Find water,” he said, leaving it at that. “Finding” it would simply be a matter of walking the two miles up the mountainside to the stream we knew was there...just like “finding” this hut. We had no idea how Courtney was involved in all of this, or exactly what she knew, so until we found out, things would need to remain classified.
“Bring back a rabbit,” Manny said, opening his meal pouch and plopping down on the floor with his back to the wall. I sat down too, leaving Courtney and Will the only ones on their feet. Courtney looked around the room again and without looking up Manny said, “Keep searching, a dining room table and the servants you're used to won't appear.”
“Don't be an ass,” I said.
“I don't need you to defend me,” Courtney snapped at me. Then with fire in her blue eyes she looked at Manny and said, “I grew up as a military kid so trust me when I tell you that I've never had servants. Did I have a comfortable life? Yes. Does that make a difference now? Not so much. I didn't ask for this. I didn't blow anything or anybody up. I didn't put us or you in this situation, and whether you've noticed or not, I've done everything I could to make the best of it. I haven't said a fucking word for however many hours it was that we traipsed through the mountains. I'm as covered in dust and sweat and even blood as you are. I'm as hungry as you are, and probably twice as tired because I'm not used to this, but I'm holding my own. If you have a problem with being here, protecting me or whatever, you're free to go any time. I didn't ask for your help...as a matter of fact, so far none of you has given me a choice as to whether or not I even wanted it. So like I said, if you don't want to be here, fuck off. Now, is there an outhouse or something? I'd like to freshen up.” She narrowed her eyes at Manny on that last line. The roo
m was completely silent for a few seconds and then Will laughed, loudly.
“Freshen up, that's funny,” he said. “The next room has a little alcove. There's a hole in the ground. Titan you got any...” Titan was ahead of him. He pulled out a roll of the rough paper towels they used on base and held them out to her. She put down her mac and cheese and took them.
“Thank you.” We all watched her leave the room and as soon as she was gone Will laughed again and told Manny,
“Damn, she put you in your place.”
Manny shot Will a glare and then looked at me. “What is the plan? We're going to keep her hidden in the mountains for how long?” Manny and I were alpha all the way so I understood my teammate's frustration, an alpha always needed a plan to protect his pack, plus we all knew that having a female with us for too long, without any of us touching her, was going to be harder than anything we'd done so far. I was already trying to formulate a plan in my head that the others might buy, and I didn't doubt the rest of them were as well.
“We're not hiding her,” I said. “We're taking her...to the tower.”
Manny's eyes grew wide. He was one of the bravest men that I had ever known, but the mere mention of the tower sends shivers down every one of our spines. I could hear the fear in Manny's voice as he said, “Why would we take her there? Have you lost your mind?”
My mind was already on the chopping block in our little circle. Recently I'd been receiving “signals” from our Lieutenant Colonel, a man named Grover Dayton. He was the one who “saved” us, and in doing so he had sacrificed himself. He'd been like a father to us all and the past year and a half had been all about making sure he stayed alive so that someday we could all really “live” again. Then I had begun to hear a voice in my head. At first, I did think I was losing my mind...but eventually me, and my teammates accepted that it was Grover. Those words had been the catalyst for this entire operation, and the guilt I felt for my part in the deaths of those people today...Mitchell's death especially, cut me to my very soul.
