by Tom Clancy
I started reflecting on everything: my pathetic relationships with women, how I’d tortured poor Kristen for so many years, how she kept lying to me and saying this was the exact relationship she wanted, long-distance and infrequent, when I could see the ache in her eyes. What kind of a life had I made for myself? Was I truly happy? Were all the missions and the sacrifices really worth it?
Like I said, I was really feeling sorry for myself.
Any operator who tells you he has no doubts, that he is fully committed to the choices he’s made and the sacrifices to come, is, in my humble opinion, lying. There will always be the doubts, and they were, at that moment, all I had left.
I’d estimated the car’s speed at about thirty miles per hour and had counted off about thirty minutes, give or take, so I figured we’d gone about fifteen miles when the car came to an abrupt halt, the dirt hissing beneath the tires.
More chatter from the driver and passenger. The zipper cuffs were digging into my wrists and my shoulders were on fire by the time they opened the door and yanked us from the car. We were guided about twenty steps away, and then one man said, “Stay.”
“Boss, I say we make a break for it. I’d rather get shot trying to escape.”
“Relax, brother. We’re going to be okay.”
“Dude! We’re not okay!” he shouted.
That drew the reaction of the men. I heard a thump, Treehorn groaned, and I hollered, “Treehorn, you okay? You okay?”
“Yeah.” He gasped. “They just whacked me!”
The wind was tugging at my loose shirt and driving the sack deeper into my face.
We weren’t in the village, and we hadn’t crossed the mountains. I was sure of that. We would’ve felt the mountain road, heard the engine groaning. The road had been relatively flat.
Suddenly, the sack was ripped off my head, and I was blinded by the glare. It took a few seconds of squinting for my eyes to fully adjust.
Treehorn stood next to me, squinting as well.
They’d taken us west down A01, the main road, to a little truck stop area where several tractor-trailers were lined up. I wasn’t sure if the place was a gas station or what, but I definitely knew we’d headed west because off to the east I could see Kandahar in the far distance and a plane taking off from the airport.
Without a word, the two men got back in the car, threw it in gear, and left us standing there on the side of the road, our hands still cuffed.
“What the hell?” Treehorn gasped.
I whirled, faced the truck stop. A small, blue booth stood near several large trees whose limbs were being thrashed in the wind. I wondered if that was a phone booth, so I gestured with my head and Treehorn and I started walking over there, the wind kicking sand in our faces.
From behind several of the parked trailers came a half dozen more gunmen, AK-47s swinging to come to bear on us.
“Oh, great,” I said. “And I just thought they were playing a prank on us.”
“Remind me to laugh later,” said Treehorn. “Or at least before they kill us.”
From behind the gunmen came a familiar face that left me with a deep frown.
Shilmani.
And then, from behind him, came Kundi, the village headman and land owner, shaking his head at us.
I called to Shilmani and quickened my step toward them. “What the hell is this?” I added.
“Please, Scott, it is very unexpected.” Shilmani’s eyes were bloodshot, and blood was dripping from one of his nostrils.
“You guys better release us right now,” said Treehorn.
“That’s right,” I said.
“No,” said Kundi, shaking his finger at us. “We talk first. Right here.”
“Shilmani, tell this asshole if he wanted a meeting, he could have asked for it.”
Shilmani glanced away, and, his voice cracking, said, “Burki is dead.”
My mouth fell open. “Say again?”
“Burki was just shot and killed. Right after you left. My cousin betrayed us. He told Kundi everything — about us hiring you to kill Zahed.”
I remembered the conversation I’d had with the old man that Bronco had taken me to see:
“Kundi is your son, and your son negotiates with the Taliban.”
“Of course. I fought with Zahed’s father many years ago. We are both Mujahadeen. The guns we used were given to us by you Americans.”
Of course Kundi was loyal to Zahed. Like father, like son.
I widened my eyes on Kundi and started toward him. The half dozen guards he’d brought along cut me off — but what was I going to do with my hands still cuffed? “You killed Burki?” I asked the old man. “Wasn’t he your friend?”
Shilmani translated. Kundi threw up his hands and rattled off something about betrayal. I thought I caught a word of that.
“He says Burki was altering the deal on the water. It was not Zahed who had changed the terms of the agreement.”
“Do you believe that?” I asked Shilmani.
“No, I do not. I was there when Zahed’s man came and told us about the new terms.”
“Tell him to let us go. Tell him if doesn’t let us go, I’m going to make a few phone calls, and there’s going to be a lot of trouble. And we’ll cut off access to the well, that’s for sure…”
Shilmani took a deep breath and reluctantly translated.
Kundi’s eyes grew wide and maniacal. He marched up to me, got in my face, his crooked yellow teeth bared. “You… go home…”
I felt like saying, Let me go and I’ll catch the next flight out. To hell with the politics, this place, the mission. To hell with it all.
But the bastard challenged me, managed to capture me, even, and I wasn’t going to take any more of his bullshit. So what I did say was, “I’m not going home until I either capture or kill your good buddy Zahed.”
Shilmani translated.
Kundi stepped back. The gunmen lined up.
“What the hell, boss?” groaned Treehorn. “Are they getting ready to shoot us?”
Kundi heard the whomping first. He whirled around, lifted a hand to his brow.
Then I heard it. We all did. Two choppers: a Blackhawk and an Apache screaming in from the east, from Kandahar.
“We’re late getting back,” I told Treehorn.
“Good deal,” he said.
Suddenly, Kundi waved for his men to retreat behind the trailers. They ran off, as did the old man, who was shouting back at Shilmani.
“I’m sorry, Scott. Really. I am,” cried Shilmani. “And Scott, maybe you can help me! They took my daughter! They took my daughter!”
With that Shilmani bolted off.
It was interesting trying to explain to the Blackhawk crew how we’d managed to get our sorry asses kidnapped, and I called ahead to Harruck to have someone pick up our Hummer — that was, providing the villagers hadn’t set it on fire. Turned out they hadn’t.
During the chopper ride back to the FOB, Gordon contacted me to say that while they’d been scanning for Green Force Tracker Chips they’d picked up a brief signal from Warris’s GFTC. Intel indicated that he was being moved, and Gordon had pinpointed the entrance to yet another tunnel complex.
It was time to make our move for a rescue.
“So you got yourself taken prisoner,” said Harruck, producing two glasses for us. It was going to be straight whiskey this time and it was barely past noon.
We sat in his office, me still rubbing my wrists, him intent on filling our drinks to the brim.
I took mine and sucked it down like a man who’d found an oasis. The burn nearly made my eyes roll back. After a long exhale, I said, “I’m so over this.”
“You and me both.”
“It’s tearing us up. All of us.”
“It is. You ever think it’d be like this? I mean when you first joined up?”
“Oh, yeah, of course. I was totally stoked about the futility of war.”
He snorted. “Me, too.”
“B
ut maybe now we’ve caught a break.”
That drew his frown. “Really? You know they’ve gone back on the TV. They’re going to kill Warris if we don’t meet their demands in twenty-four hours. Keating has stepped up plans for the offensive.”
“And you know what’s going to happen,” I said. “If I don’t get out there, they’re going to kill Warris, they’ll launch that offensive, and the media will report on all the innocents who were killed. W’ell be the bad guys all over again.”
The XO knocked, then entered. “Sir, the governor’s back. He’s screaming again.”
“Tell him to fuck off,” snapped Harruck.
I laughed under my breath.
“Tell him I’m in a meeting,” Harruck corrected.
“Okay, and Dr. Anderson is outside, too. She says all the workers just walked off the job. They just… left…”
“What?”
“I don’t know what’s going on, sir, but I’m willing to bet it all goes back to Kundi.”
“That’s a safe bet,” I told the XO. I stood. “I’m gearing up. I’m taking the team out tonight. We’ve got actionable intel on Warris’s location. We’ll find him. And maybe we’ll find Zahed.”
Harruck was already shaking his head. “There’s nothing to talk about here. Like you said, they’ll kill Warris, the offensive will happen, and all my work here was for nothing. Actionable intel is just an excuse for C-4 and gunfire.”
I raised my brows. “I’m taking one more shot, and all I need is a little evac if it all hits the fan.”
“You’re dreaming, Scott.”
“I’m not. If I can find Warris — if I can do that, they won’t have to launch the offensive. If I can take out Zahed, that’s icing on the cake.”
“We’ve got more enemies than the Taliban here. Bronco wants Zahed rich and alive and feeding the agency information. Kundi wants the status quo. Even the people here would rather deal with Zahed. We’re the only idiots that want him dead. If you kill him, the Taliban will retaliate.”
“We’ll dismantle and demoralize them. By the time I’m done, they won’t know what hit them.”
“I don’t believe you anymore, Scott. And I can’t support you.”
“I know when it comes down to it, you’ll do the right thing. You won’t leave me hanging out there.”
He took a deep breath. “Just get out.”
I returned a lopsided grin. “Thanks for the drink.”
TWENTY-FIVE
The satellite images that Gordon had provided were both excellent and disconcerting. The tunnel entrance where Warris’s signal had last been detected overlooked the northeast side of Sangsar, so we’d need to hike through one of the mountain passes off the main road, then hike another half kilometer to reach the top and descend down to the tunnel, all the while making sure we were not spotted.
With the men gathered inside our billet, I went over the hardcopy images, indicated our route, and asked for suggestions about our evac.
“Any word on CAS?” asked Brown.
I gave him the usual look.
“Not even a Predator?” asked Hume. “I mean, Jesus God, we’ve lost men up there. Not even a friggin’ drone?”
“I’m working on it,” I said. I had sent Gordon the request. Even if we couldn’t get fire support, the Predator guys could pick up the thermal images of guards positioned near and around the tunnel entrance. I’d said we were willing to take any kind of intel via sensor because anything that’s a sensor has to talk to everybody else.
“Before we leave, I want to put something on the table,” said Ramirez, his voice growing uneven.
My heart might have skipped a beat. I cautioned him with my gaze, which he met for only a second.
“What’s up?” asked Brown.
“Look, nobody’s said anything about it, but we need to talk.”
“Joey, I know where this is going,” said Treehorn. “We’re all in this together. We don’t need to do that.”
“I think we do,” Ramirez said, raising his voice. “Because if we rescue Warris, then he’ll start squealing like a freaking pig — and we’re all going to pay for that.” He looked at me. “Warris is not loyal to the Ghosts. Not the way we are. Isn’t that right, Captain?”
I just shook my head. Was he threatening me now?
“I am not having this conversation,” said Brown, raising a palm. “I am not going there.”
“YOU HAVE TO GO THERE!” Ramirez shouted at the top of his lungs—
We all froze, shocked by the outburst.
Brown whirled back, leaned over, and got squarely in Ramirez’s face. “No, I do not. So you’d best shut up now, Joey. Just shut up.”
Ramirez began to lose his breath. “He tried to relieve the captain of his command. The captain refused. We refused to acknowledge him. We’re all going down if Warris talks. All of us! It’s like we’re going out to save the guy who’s going to chop off your heads! What’s wrong with that picture?”
“Why are you so worried?” asked Treehorn. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what that punk says. It’s his word against ours. Screw him.”
“Harruck will back him up,” said Ramirez. “I’m telling you, if we rescue his ass, we’re done, busted down to regular Army, maybe even discharged.”
“I’ll take all the heat for that,” I said, my tone in sharp juxtaposition to his. “No worries, guys.”
“You can try to take the heat, but that won’t matter,” said Ramirez. “He’ll try to hang us all. And I’m not going to let that happen. Not for a second.”
“Then what’re you saying, Joey?” asked Brown.
“You know what I’m saying.”
Treehorn threw up his hands. “Aw, no way. I’m not listening to this.”
“Look, we do everything in our power to rescue him, but unfortunately, he doesn’t make it back—”
“Oh my God,” said Hume with a gasp. “Joey, are you insane? Do you know what the hell you’re saying?”
“THIS AIN’T A GODDAMNED WAR! IT’S NOT!” he shouted.
I looked at Ramirez. “Maybe you’re going to stay behind.”
“No, sir.”
“Then you’re done talking. You’re just going to shut up and do your job — and our job is to rescue one of our brothers and bring him back. And that’s what we’re going to do. Do you all read me — loud and clear?”
They boomed their acknowledgment.
I pointed a finger at the door and glowered at Ramirez. “Outside.”
We shifted out together, with the heat of the team’s gazes on our shoulders.
He paced and shuddered like a rabid dog.
“I need you tonight. You’re one of the best guys I’ve got,” I began.
“We can’t rescue Warris.”
“You’re getting all bent out of shape for nothing. Who knows if we’ll even find him? Worry about him barking later. Not now.”
“We can’t trust anybody, can we?”
“What’re you talking about?”
He shrugged, then squinted toward the setting sun. “This place… it’s driving me crazy.”
I nodded. “It’s the sand. Just gets everywhere. Shower doesn’t even help…”
He sighed. “No way to get clean. Not here.”
“Look, bro, I can’t do this without you. I need my Bravo team leader sharp and ready. We’re good. You should know that. We’re good.”
“Okay. But Warris… I just don’t know.”
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
“That sounds like a threat.”
“No. It’s an order.”
He took a long breath, cursed, then started back toward the billet.
I echoed his curse.
At about two A.M. local time, we borrowed a civilian pickup truck and drove out past the bridge we’d blown, working our way parallel along the riverbank till I found the shallowest-looking spot. We parked there and waited.
What I didn’t tell the guys was that after I’d had my talk w
ith Harruck and he’d been reluctant to promise any help, I’d gone outside and met with the XO, who was more than happy to take a break from the screaming governor and irate humanitarian lady (although we both once more agreed that she was a looker). I’d called the XO Marty, which made him wince, but I was trying to gain his trust.
“I’m wondering if you guys could move up a couple of Bradleys, put them way into the defile. Do it about oh two hundred.”
“Why?”
“I want the Taliban in the mountains to focus on you guys to the west and not us.”
“Did you ask the CO?”
“I’m asking you.”
He thought a moment. “I see. And what do I get in return?”
I ticked them off with my fingers: “Money, power, fame, hookers, and booze.”
He grinned. “You prima donnas in SF are clever bastards. But I’m serious — what’s in it for me?”
“What do you want?”
“How about a healthy dose of respect?”
“Marty, you got to earn that on your own, but two Bradleys would make one hell of a down payment in my eyes.”
“Okay, but I can swallow this much easier with a lot of beer.”
“You got it.”
“Two Bradleys,” he said.
“Yeah, and can you have them put up a flare when they’re in place?”
“Wow, you really want a party.”
“You know it.”
“Well, Harruck’s been hitting the bottle a lot. I’m sure he’ll be drunk and asleep by then…”
Wouldn’t you know it, lo and behold, the flare arced high in the sky.
I whispered a thank-you to the XO.
The guys freaked out. “Relax, that’s our cue,” I told them. “Let’s move.”
We waded through the hip-high water, holding our AKs above our heads. The water felt thick and warm, like motor oil, and I imagined snakes and piranhas and other assorted demons coiling around my legs as we made the crossing.
