The rotting smell of infected flesh was hard to take, but Bay had seen it before. It was infection along with tetanus, more than likely. She quickly got up, excused herself and retrieved her medical pack. Bringing it in, she quickly donned latex gloves after opening the ruck and laying out the items she’d need to try and save the girl’s life.
With quick efficiency, Bay examined the oozing slice across the bottom of the child’s foot. She turned and asked Husna to boil hot water and bring it in, that she had to clean off the wound area. Husna quickly agreed and practically ran out of the house to do as she was asked.
“Can you help my daughter?” Saima asked, wiping the tears from her face.
Bay went to work with dressings, disinfectant and cleaned the area off. Already, pus was oozing out of the wound. “I’m going to try,” she told her gently. First things first. She retrieved a syringe and gave the girl a tetanus shot in her small, thin left arm. It might be too late, but she had to try. And then a shot of lidocaine to numb the area around the wound. Quickly taking the girl’s temperature and blood pressure and listening to her heart, Bay kept her face blank.
“Gabe, is it possible to call in a CASEVAC here to the village? I don’t know what LT’s rules are about helping out very sick Afghans that need E.R. help.”
“Yeah, I’ll ask. Part of nation building. If you feel the girl is critical, Hampton will make the call.”
“Then do it,” she whispered tightly. “What this kid needs, I can’t provide.” She quickly put an IV in the child’s arm and asked the mother to hold the bag higher than Rahela’s head so the drip would flow directly into the child’s bloodstream. She also placed a syringe in the IV and filled it with as much antibiotic as the child’s body could handle.
Bay was vaguely aware of the talk between Hampton and Gabe. The bottom line was a Black Hawk medevac helo from Camp Bravo was already taking off to come and pick up the little girl and take her directly to Bagram’s hospital, where they had state-of-the-art help for the very sick child.
Rapidly, Bay told the mother she had to come along on the helo ride, that they were transporting her child to the American base. It was the only way to save her daughter’s life. The mother’s eyes went huge with fear. Saima had never left the village of her birth or flown in an aircraft. Gently, Bay persuaded her that it would be all right.
“Gabe?”
“I’m here.”
“Can you come in and help me? I can carry the child, but the mother is freaking out. You escort her and I’ll carry the child outside the gate and we’ll wait for that helo?”
“Roger. Coming in.”
Within minutes, they were outside the walled village. In the distance, Bay could see the Black Hawk with the big red cross painted on its nose coming in. No valley was safe for a helicopter to land in. They always had to watch out on landing and taking off, that some Taliban soldier wasn’t hidden with an RPG, waiting to fire it into the helo. Bay asked Saima if the Taliban were around. She quickly shook her head, running to almost keep up with Bay as she carried her daughter out beyond the walls.
Gabe moved ahead, eyes down and searching for telltale signs of wires hidden by dirt to hint of an IED. When they were clear of the village and the helo could land, he set about looking for a safe landing area. Gabe tossed out a green smoke flare to show the Black Hawk, coming down the valley, where to land. Within minutes, the helo was down on the grassy area, the blades turning at nearly takeoff speed in case of attack.
Bay transferred the unconscious child through the opened door and into the arms of one of the two medics on board. She helped Husna on board, who was frightened. The air crew chief, a man in his late thirties, knew enough Pashto to convince the mother to come and sit down near her daughter. He threw Bay a thumbs-up after she told him the situation with the child.
“We’ll do what we can, Doc,” he called.
Nodding, she and Gabe turned and quickly moved away. The place where they landed was green with grass. For once, there were no clouds of dust being stirred up by the powerful blades.
“What do you think?” Gabe asked as they watched the Black Hawk rise and go quickly to higher altitude in the blue sky above them.
Pulling off her gloves and stuffing them into her cammie pocket, Bay said, “I don’t know. It’s not good. Four days, tetanus can take hold. It’s going to be dicey.” She glanced up at him, glad he was near. Pushing strands of hair off her face, she smiled a little. “Thanks for being there.”
Gabe felt a special warmth move through his chest. He managed a lopsided grin. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Bay looked around. Several groups of SEALs were out walking areas near the slopes of the hills. “How’s it going?”
“They’re finding paths. We won’t know much until later whether they’re rat lines or not.” He met her alert blue gaze. “Come on, I’m sure Husna will have other folks who need your medical help.”
* * *
“THIS WAS A GOOD OP,” Doug Hampton praised his team once they assembled off the CH-47 back at Camp Bravo. His men sat on the benches, their rucks nearby. “Go get cleaned up, get some chow and I’ll see you at 0800 tomorrow. Doc? Gabe? Stick around.”
When the SEALs had trooped out, Hampton walked over to the bench where they remained sitting. “Good work out there today, Doc,” he told her.
“Thanks, Chief.” She frowned. “Husna dumped a bunch of information on me. They are aware of three rat line routes the Taliban have started creating around their village. Faisal hates the Taliban. Because he’s a Shinwari tribesman, his word is his honor. When the Shinwari asked for U.S. help in building infrastructure along the villages on the border, he would back the leaders of his people.”
“Did Husna tell you the location of those paths?” Hampton asked.
Rubbing her face, exhausted, Bay said, “Yes.” She pulled out her notebook and opened it. “She told me about them just before the Chinook landed. I need to give you this intel.”
“You do,” Hampton said. He grinned a little. “Nice work. You want to get cleaned up, eat and then meet me back over here in about two hours?”
The sun was setting and Bay nodded. “I can do that.”
Hampton nodded. “Gabe? I want you present.”
“Got it,” he murmured.
“Okay, get out of here. I’ll see you two in a bit.”
* * *
“NICE WORK,” GABE congratulated as they sat in the chow hall, eating. He’d chosen a table at the rear. The noise was high as hundreds of men and women were coming in for their evening meal. “You really know your medical stuff.”
A warmth went through Bay. She liked having Gabe’s company. Spooning in some potatoes and gravy, she savored the hot food. She hadn’t eaten all day, just keeping hydrated with water and attending to over forty people in a very intense and short amount of time. “I love what I do, Gabe.”
“You put what I know about combat medicine to shame. I’m like a fumbling kid with Band-Aids and you’re like a skilled surgeon.”
She chuckled. “You SEALs rock when it comes to field medicine, and I know it. You’re all trained up to a basic EMT level, so you don’t fool me.” She knew SEALs were also trained to insert IVs into another man’s arm to get fluids into him if necessary and that one technique could save a life.
“I was really impressed with you out there today,” Gabe admitted, scraping up the leftover gravy on his tray with a piece of bread. “The people fell in love with you.” He met her shadowed eyes. “You’ve got a great bedside manner, Bay.”
He seemed frustrated with himself, probably because he’d called her by her first name. A burst of pleasure soared through Bay at how intimate Gabe sounded. But she couldn’t even begin to pursue this. They had to stay professional. She pushed the empty tray away from her and picked up her coffee mug
. The truth was, Gabe appealed to her. His quiet intensity drew her. It didn’t hurt that she thought he was ruggedly handsome, even with a beard. There was warmth in his eyes as she met his gaze. Something happened in that charged split second. Maybe it was the slight smile tipping the corners of his sensual mouth. Or the feeling that passed between them, no words needed.
Her fingers tightened around the mug a little as she absorbed his narrowing green gaze upon her. Bay could feel him wanting her, man to woman. The discovery shook her. For so long since Jack’s death, she lived in a no-man’s land of numbness. Sipping the coffee, Bay suddenly felt alive again. Normal. And with normal wants and desires a woman had. Her sex drive had been nil. Until now. Until Gabe unexpectedly entered her life. Her heart pounded briefly beneath the intense, heated look Gabe gave her. It was unsettling in an exciting way, her body responding whether she wanted it to or not.
Her gaze fell to his hands wrapped around his coffee mug. She wanted to tell Gabe he had the most beautiful hands she’d ever seen on a man. There were many small nicks and scars, new and old ones. They were burned dark by the sun and time spent outdoors in the rugged Afghan climate. What would it be like to have him touch her with those long, spare fingers? She felt her breasts tighten in answer, felt her nipples harden. Even more powerful, Bay’s lower body came to life, like coals beginning to glow with fire within her.
How long had it been since she felt like a sexual being? Gabe was bringing her to life whether he knew it or not. Bay closed her eyes for a moment, trying get a hold of herself. Maybe she was overtired, stressed by the patrol.
When she opened her eyes, Gabe was watching her. His intense look didn’t frighten her. Just the opposite. Bay responded to that look and felt her heart opening up for the first time since Jack’s death. Oh, God, what was going on with her?
“Let’s mosey on over to the office,” Gabe growled, getting up.
He seemed desperate to do something to break that sizzling connection that had suddenly leaped to life between them. Bad timing, wrong place to be attracted to someone. If anyone sensed what was going on, Gabe would never live it down with his team. He appeared eager to create a distance, and she did nothing to stand in his way.
* * *
“GOOD INTEL,” HAMPTON praised, standing over the table with the map of the valley before them. Bay had used a red marker on the plastic placed over the map and drawn in where Husna had told her the Taliban rat lines were located. They’d spent a lot of time going over everything that Husna had imparted to Bay in minute detail.
“Can we get some sleep?” Gabe asked. He saw the darkness beneath Bay’s eyes. She’d worked hard and she’d been smart enough to make detailed notes, even while taking care of forty people today, men, women and children.
“Yeah,” Hampton said, running his hand through his hair. “This is good stuff, Doc. You did well.”
Straightening, Bay moved her shoulders to get rid of the accumulated tension in them. “Thanks, Chief.”
“We’ll meet at 0800 tomorrow. I’m going to talk with the LT about setting up some night ops on those trails to check them out. We don’t have drone capability, so we do it by sniper scope sight.”
“You’re going to have to go back and get GPS on them,” Gabe warned.
“Yeah. We’ll send out Bravo Squad tomorrow to verify locations on these rat lines for us. Then I’m sure the LT will coordinate with the other teams and some serious night ops with snipers will happen.”
“Sounds like a plan I want to take part in,” Gabe said.
Bay settled the helmet on her head, the NVGs on top. They’d be walking in total darkness through Camp Bravo to reach their tents. There were never any lights that could attract the Taliban’s attention. Gabe put on his own helmet.
Bay was the first out the door, pulling the NVGs down over her eyes. In the distance, they heard Apache helicopters spooling up to take off, their thumping rotors a clear signature of their identification. Somewhere out there, there was a black ops team in trouble and needing their firepower. This base was operating at breakneck speed 24/7 because it was only thirty miles from the Pakistan border and in the thick of the fight to stop traffic across the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan.
“You’re looking whipped,” Gabe murmured, walking at her shoulder. The streets were quiet, most personnel already asleep in their tents.
“I am,” Bay admitted. Everything looked green and grainy through her NVGs. The big problem on rutted areas like this, she had no depth of perception through them, so she walked slowly, making sure her boots were stable beneath her. “How about you?”
“The same,” Gabe said in a low voice. The chill was below freezing now and he saw white wisps leaving her mouth as she spoke quietly with him. There was something emotionally satisfying to simply being near Bay. Several curls peeked out from beneath her helmet and he smiled. It completely softened the military look.
“Do you think the chief was really happy with the intel I was able to provide?” There was worry in her husky tone.
“Hell yes. Those people in that village looked at you like you were an angel of mercy.” He grinned unevenly as they made a left turn and went down another street. “They had nothing but respect in their eyes for you. And I’ve been here long enough to be able tell you they trust you. There’s just something about you that opens them up. They know you really care.”
This trait opened him up, too. Though he tried to suppress his reaction to her, he couldn’t. Gabe had seen the positive effect Bay had on people all day long, and he was equally caught beneath her soft-spoken spell, too. Her hands were beautiful and she touched everyone so gently and with genuine care.
Gabe had seen the tender look in her eyes with every patient. He could feel her sending out her energy, her heart, to every Afghan person she treated. And he’d seen the hard faces of the men relax. The children smiled sweetly up at her, calling her Allah’s angel. The mothers...well, they could only cry, hug her and profusely thank her for her compassion.
There was no doubt in Gabe’s mind that Bay was going to be this team’s secret weapon in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda. And like all her patients, he wanted to experience her touch, too. What would her fingers feel like across his chest, tangling in his dark hair? Her lips touching his mouth? He’d fought those images all day long. The ache in his chest built quickly once they arrived back to base where he didn’t have to be on alert.
“Good to hear,” Bay whispered, relieved. And then she gave a low laugh. “But I’m no angel of mercy. I wish I were. I want to call Bagram Hospital tomorrow morning and see if I can patch through and find out how that little girl is doing.”
They halted near Gabe’s tent. He shut off his NVGs and pushed them up on his helmet. Bay did the same. Eyes adjusting, he could barely see her as a quarter moon had risen over the peaks of the Hindu Kush. Her hair was mussed but beautiful around her face. Looking deeply into her darkened eyes, he made sure no one was around. The men in the tents around them were sleeping, snoring now and then. Lifting his hand, he cupped her cheek. How badly he wanted to kiss her, but that would be the stupidest thing he’d ever done. Feeling the firm warmth of her skin beneath his calloused fingers, Gabe held her softened gaze. When her lips parted over his unexpected touch, he groaned inwardly.
“Get some sleep, Bay. We’re going to rock it out tomorrow. You need every bit of rest you can get. Good night....” Gabe reluctantly pulled his hand away. His roughened fingers tingled hotly and he ached to do so much more. Bay invited something he’d never been aware of before: tenderness. It was a foreign feeling. And wherever it had been hiding, she’d somehow found it and pulled it out of him. He wanted to make slow, tender love with this woman whose eyes shone like the stars above them. Whatever this was, Gabe realized he had no control.
* * *
BAY STOOD THERE, shocked by his gesture.
As she watched Gabe turn and quietly disappear into the tent next to hers, she released a ragged sigh. Her heartbeat had amped up when she saw that look of attraction come to his eyes once more. When he’d moved within inches of her, reached out and cupped her cheek, she’d felt a bolt of white-hot heat sizzle through her and explode into her lower body. For an instant, she knew he wanted to kiss her.
Turning, Bay went to her tent. Her frayed emotions were beginning to unravel. As she sat down on her cot, taking off her boots and placing them beneath it, she closed her eyes and just sat there. So much had happened in such a concentrated, intense amount of time today.
Lifting her hands, Bay rubbed her face. She was filthy, feeling the grit of dust beneath her fingertips. The SEALs who had made her tent a home had thoughtfully placed a steel bowl, a towel and washcloth with a bar of soap opposite her cot. Someone had also thought about water and had stored a case of bottles next to the cabinet. Bay stood up and poured several of them into the bowl.
As she washed up, feeling the cold cloth against her gritty flesh, her heart and mind returned to Gabe. There was something good and clean shared between them. She wished they had time to explore each other, but combat ruled that out. And she couldn’t afford to let her growing personal feelings for Gabe to get in the way of staying alive out here.
She inhaled the scent of jasmine soap deeply into her lungs. It blotted out the constant odor of kerosene aviation fuel polluting the air. Scrubbing her face, neck and arms, Bay felt a little cleaner. A shower tomorrow morning, a clean set of cammies, would make her feel human once again.
No one at an FOB went to sleep undressed. Just as she’d done in Iraq, Bay placed her rifle, Kevlar vest and helmet near the head of her cot. The boots were placed beneath it, within easy reach. She’d sleep in her green T-shirt, trousers and socks. The air was freezing and she snuggled beneath four wool blankets, trying to get warm. The exhaustion of the day stalked her as she closed her eyes.
Breaking Point Page 8
