Obviously Mary had newer technology; there was no crackle, no pop, which was much safer in these conditions.
The exact kind of stuff that the Tigress and her team needed.
"Zerzan, they are standing down and now you tell your troops do the same. I promise you, I'll help you win this thing."
Walkie-talkies crackled throughout the forest.
"Let's head back to the meadow ladies." I started to walk and Blue touched my hip. I looked at him and he turned around—I was walking in the wrong direction. I laughed because it was just too funny.
Mary and the Tiger cubs eyed me warily; did they think I was crazy?
Mary shook her head. Was she regretting her decision to deal with me?
***
My ankle was throbbing, but I ignored it as I returned to the rock in the center of the meadow. Blue stood by my side. I gestured for Mary to sit next to me.
The three Tiger Cubs stood around us, their rifles lowered but ready. Mary radioed our location to her team, and slowly the clearing filled with bodies.
Both sides had lost people, which was going to make it harder for them to come together. However, since we all shared a goal of defeating Daesh, there was hope.
Zerzan approached slowly, her gun aimed at the sky; her eyes narrowed as she scanned the group of soldiers on Mary's side of the meadow.
Seven men stood behind Mary. They wore black fatigues, body armor, and helmets. Night vision goggles covered their eyes. They looked more like monsters than men; some kind of science fiction machine soldier sent here from outer space.
The animosity radiating off the female fighters was palpable; these creatures had arrived on their turf and tried to take what was theirs, killing in the process.
"Zerzan, I'd like you to meet Mary." The two women eyed each other, but neither extended their hand. "I think you have more in common than you realize, and I believe that together we can create a powerful alliance."
"So they didn't kidnap you?" Mary asked.
"No, I got kidnapped." I looked over at Blue and he turned away; was he ashamed he let me get abducted?
"So?" Mary left the word hanging in the air.
"You both want the same thing: to defeat Daesh. Both of you want to use the powerful fear that women strike into their hearts to do it. And both of you seem to think that I can help. So I suggest you let me." I addressed Zerzan. "You need support, weapons, technology. Look at those men. They are covered in all the things that you need."
"And yet I still managed to kill several of them."
The men bristled. Mary turned to look at them, giving a small shake of her head.
"Yes," I said. "You did kill them and that's because you have superior knowledge of this place. I don't even know where we are." Turning to Mary I asked, "Do you know where we are?"
"Of course."
"How can you? This is disputed territory. You might be able to find it on the map, but that alone would not give you knowledge of this place. There is a history here and there is a war that is being waged which has nothing to do with America. These women, Kurdish fighters, have been trying to hold this land on behalf of their people."
"We have been holding it. There is no trying about it."
I nodded, acknowledging Zerzan's interruption. "Right, and they will continue to control this land with or without American help, but if we want to take land back from Daesh, to go on the offensive and help to rid the planet of Daesh, then you have to work together."
"How can we trust her?" Mary asked.
"I have the same question," Zerzan said. "All of the promises that America makes are broken."
"This is going to be different. This isn't a promise between FKP and the USA. It's a promise made between Zerzan and Mary. This is going to be completely and totally personal."
Mary and Zerzan stopped glaring at each other and stared at me.
"Are you afraid to give your word? Are you afraid that you don't have the power to back it up?"
"I am afraid of nothing." Zerzan straightened her spine and narrowed her eyes at me. "But she is not a leader. She is just another soldier working for the US government."
"That's not entirely true. She has lots of discretion. The US government would never officially work with me. I'm on the most wanted list in several countries and I'm a known leader of a terrorist organization. Yet, she is here, trying to get me back from you."
"I do have discretion," Mary agreed. "I'm just not sure I'd want to use it in order to form an alliance with her."
"Don't be a dumbass, Mary. You want to attract women to this fight, then you're going to need Zerzan." I gestured to the other women in the meadow. "This is what will get women from all over the world to leave their homes and come here to fight: the promise of power and strength and equality. Why do men flock to Daesh?"
"Disenfranchised Muslim men are angry and easily turned into jihadists. Zerzan and her followers are nationalists, fighting for their homeland. Whereas women without such an obvious stake are not as easily convinced that violence is the answer," Mary answered.
"Why can't we go after every young woman who is online right now posting memes about how we don't get paid enough? We’d only need a small fraction of them to actually get on a plane and come here to fight."
"You're the one who said that was near impossible," Mary reminded me.
“That was before I met Zerzan and saw what she has going here.” Before my most recent head injury.
"But how can we trust them?" Mary asked.
"How can I trust you?" Zerzan replied.
"You killed five of my men," Mary spat.
"You attacked us." Zerzan's voice was low, but dangerous.
"You fired first."
The two leaders stood across from each other, their bodies tense, necks extended, hands clenched on their rifles. The troops on both sides followed their leaders’ subtle cues and fingers migrated toward triggers. Blue's hackles were rising.
I forced myself to remain seated despite every instinct in my body telling me to stand and prepare to fight.
"Calm down, both of you."
Zerzan and Mary continued to stare at each other. I spoke again, careful to keep my voice even. "I am asking you both to take a step back and a deep breath. Please."
Mary's gaze flicked to me and then she stepped back, daring Zerzan to do the same with a glare. They each sucked in a big breath and then let it out slowly, maintaining eye contact with each other.
I knew that we were on the verge of something; whether it would be bloodshed or a handshake, I wasn't sure. But there wasn't much time before the decision was made.
"What would you need, Mary, in order to make this work?"
Mary glanced at me and I could see that she was thinking. Trying to change the track of her mind from one of aggression to one of negotiation. "Zerzan, what about you?” I went on. “What would you need?"
"Intelligence, weapons, air support, supplies like food, and technology. I like those helmets," she said pointing at the men behind Mary. "You have to be a very good shot to kill one of those men, and most Daesh fighters are not very good shots."
"Mary?"
"I'd probably be able to provide those things, but what do we do about the men she killed?" Mary kept her voice low. "We can't work with a woman who has killed American soldiers."
Unsure how to proceed, I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, allowing my mind to turn over the problem: Mary was being a pain in the ass and Zerzan was born a pain in the ass. Both were conditioned by their experiences to act this way.
I understood perfectly, because I was the same. There was a key here, something that would let them both be satisfied and work together. I just wasn't entirely sure what it was.
Blue touched his nose to my hand where it rested on the rock. I looked over at him and held his gaze for a moment, pulling strength from his calm demeanor.
"I understand that the men who were shot must be recognized—"
"It is traditi
onal for them to be avenged," Mary interrupted me.
"Well, tradition is not what we are going for here. We want revolution, no? You want women to rise up and defend not only what is theirs, but what could be theirs."
"This land is ours," Zerzan said, her voice strong and clear. "The US government believes that it belongs to the Iraqi government. They do not recognize our sovereignty."
"Maybe you have to make them,” Mary said.
"How?" Zerzan raised her eyebrows.
"If you help to exterminate Daesh—wage a propaganda war as powerful as theirs—then the American government would have no choice but to recognize your power and your rights."
"We can do this. With your help."
"What about the men who died here? We can't forget them."
"We can make them martyrs," Zerzan suggested.
"What do you mean?"
"We shall honor them. They died to bring us together. So we shall honor them. They shall become martyrs and forever be remembered and praised."
The sound of approaching drones was quiet, barely a whisper really. Blue noticed it first, standing and tapping his nose against my leg, then directing my attention to the sky.
It was one of Mary's soldiers who stated what was becoming quickly obvious to everyone in the meadow. "Incoming!"
Drones whizzed above us, almost impossible to see except for when they passed before the moon, throwing a flicker of shadow onto our gathering.
A low whistle pierced the air. I tipped off the rock and flattened my body next to it, my arms around Blue. Mary yelled into her sleeve. Zerzan stood still, her face turned upward.
An explosion hit outside of the meadow, tearing trees from the ground and flinging them through the air, an orange fire raging after them.
Before the smoke could reach us, another shell hit on the far side of my rock. A hot wind rushed across the meadow, leveling the grass, followed by shrapnel and clumps of dirt raining down. Screaming sounded into the night as a man's soul was wrenched from his body.
A third shell landed, launching trees into the sky, their branches becoming projectiles.
Black smoke filled the air along with moaning and crying. I released Blue, who shook himself. I slowly stood, using the rock to return to my feet.
The meadow was transformed. Where there had been gentle moonlight, there was now hungry flames. Where soldiers had stood, now bodies lay.
Zerzan was on her knees next to one of her women. She was holding the soldier's hand and caressing her forehead.
The woman lifted her head and looked down her body. Her legs were gone and blood pooled around her bottom half. There was no sign of the limbs she had lost. The soldier lowered her head to the ground and looked up at Zerzan.
Her body, which had been rigid with fear and pain, relaxed into death.
Zerzan stood, her hair free from its ponytail dancing in the wind as smoke swirled around her. The Tigress's face was a mask, a sculpture of calmness; she appeared neither surprised nor distraught.
Blue tapped my hip again and began to move to our left, where the fire had not yet reached.
The pine needles were perfect fuel and the trees around us were exploding with flames. We had to get out of there if we wanted to live. I scanned the ground, trying to see if there was anyone I could help, anyone who could move enough for me to hobble out with them. Mary was sitting on the other side of the rock, her back leaning against the stone.
Blue whined and then barked, looking at our escape path, encouraging me to leave. I crouched next to Mary and saw a piece of a tree limb had pierced her shoulder.
Blood soaked her shirt. Her face was pale, eyes glazed.
"Mary!" I yelled to be heard over the fire which was consuming the forest around us in loud bangs and pops.
Mary was looking past me and I followed her gaze. Her soldiers were dead, sprawled around the meadow, many of them missing limbs, their bodies on fire. The scent of burning flesh and plastic was thick in the air.
"We have to go." I reached around her, getting my hands behind her back so that I could lift her. She shook her head. "I don't have time to argue with you." I pulled her against me and shifted her body so that her stomach was at my shoulder. I stood, with her draped over me and ran for the tree line without looking back at the carnage.
Blue led the way, running in front of me, his tail high and white, making it easy to see.
The underbrush grabbed at my legs and smoke burned my lungs. My only goal was to escape the flames. Mary groaned.
My injured ankle made my pace slow and halting.
Blue kept barking his encouragement. I coughed, choking on the smoke.
The heat of the fire was intense. Sweat dripped into my eyes, down my spine, and pooled between Mary and me.
She stopped groaning and her body went slack, getting even heavier.
I hoped she’d passed out from the pain, but worried that I was risking my life to carry a corpse through the woods.
I dropped to my knees on the pine needles. Blue barked at me, insistent that we needed to keep moving.
Mary's eyes were open and unseeing. What I had thought was sweat was blood. My shirt was soaked, and Mary was dead. Beyond her shoulder injury, a chunk of rock had hit her thigh, severing her femoral artery.
I found the comm unit in her sleeve and pulled it free, shoving it into my pocket.
I patted her down and found a handgun at her hip ,which I also took. I glanced back toward the meadow; there was a wall of fire behind me.
What had happened to Zerzan?
She was too much of a survivor to die with her soldiers. She was not the type of woman who would allow grief to take her down. I stood again and Blue barked more insistently, warning that time was limited, reminding me that fires could move faster than you thought.
I glanced down at Mary once more before following Blue deeper into the woods.
***
Blue led me away from the flames, and after an hour, we reached a stream. He ran into the water and lapped at it.
I contemplated drinking the water myself but couldn't risk a parasite. I did wade into the rushing stream, washing myself and my blood-soaked clothing.
The water smelled fresh and green but the scent of burning flesh and plastic remained in my nose. The fire glowed on the horizon. I hadn't seen a road or any sign of humans.
What happened to Mujada? She wasn’t in the meadow. I had not seen her since she left us at dinner.
Could Blue lead me back to the road and the transport vehicle? We hadn’t passed this stream on our hike in, so some kind of change of direction was required.
I was shivering in my wet shirt and Blue came and sat next to me, leaning his big, warm, wet body against my side.
I debated whether to continue or rest here for the night. Blue stood and nudged my shoulder, implying that we should go on.
I followed him along the bank of the stream. Mary's comm unit made a sound and I pushed the earpiece into my ear. "Come in, Blue Eagle, come in, Blue Eagle."
I thought I recognized Declan's voice but wasn't entirely sure. Should I respond? Blue forged ahead, his wet paws picking up dirt and pine needles as we progressed.
I moved slower as the pain in my ankle developed into an almost unbearable throb.
The voice in my ear continued to page Blue Eagle until, exhausted and in pain, my throat dry from smoke and thirst, I decided to risk a response.
"This is Sydney Rye."
"Sydney?"
"That's right," I croaked, my voice breaking under the strain of thirst and smoke inhalation.
"What the fuck happened?"
"Somebody bombed us."
"Where is Blue Eagle?"
"Mary?" There was a pause and then an affirmative response. "She’s dead."
"Where are you now?"
I laughed and looked around at the dark forest, the babbling brook and Blue sitting next to me, his tongue lolling out of his head, his tail twitching back and forth.
&nbs
p; "I don't know. I haven't known for quite some time."
"Can you give us any detailed information about your location?"
I sat down, the pain in my ankle too much to continue on, and closed my eyes. At least my shirt had dried a little, but I was still freezing cold.
Blue moved behind me, providing both warmth and physical support.
"Let me sleep on it." I pulled the earpiece out before his response.
Curled up on the bank of the stream, Blue at my back, our spines lined up, Mary's handgun next to me, I fell asleep.
***
Blue woke me with a growl. He was standing, looking over me. The sky above us was still black, but a touch of light grayed the horizon behind Blue.
I followed his gaze, looking in what I now knew to be west, and saw that the fire was still burning, a soft, orange glow at the very edge of what we could see.
Blue growled again and I heard a person moving through the forest. I put my finger on the pistol’s trigger and lay still.
“Blue, down."
He lowered himself slowly, resting his head on my hip so that he could stare past me. The person came into view, her form outlined by the orange light from the fire. Long hair created a halo around her head. Zerzan. She moved with a fearless concentration, following the path that Blue and I had taken along the stream’s edge.
She paused and crouched down to examine the ground, the muzzle of her rifle silhouetted against the light behind her. She stood and continued toward us.
I sat up slowly. She stopped her approach and raised her weapon. Did she plan to kill me? Maybe she thought I betrayed her. But that would be very shallow thinking. She was smarter than that.
"Zerzan, it's me, Sydney." I kept my pistol aimed at her, but held it low, in the shadows, where she could not see it.
Zerzan lowered her rifle. "Are you hurt?"
"Nothing serious."
She closed the space between us.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I just lost twenty of my sisters, I am not okay. But I am alive."
"I'm sorry for your loss." She nodded but didn't make eye contact. "Do you have any water?"
Zerzan pulled a backpack around, opening it and retrieving a plastic bottle of water. She passed it to me and I drank.
The Girl With The Gun (Sydney Rye Book 8) Page 6
