“Beautiful.” She wanted to divert her gaze from his, but his words kept her mesmerized.
“Beautiful,” he echoed.
Were they talking about the same thing? She turned her attention back to the valley feeling an uncomfortable blush start up her neck and face. Darya stepped closer. He pointed out several things, even a snow leopard hiding in the rocks below. This took her longer to see, but she became excited at seeing such an endangered animal in the wild.
Several times their faces almost touched, but Darya made no inappropriate moves.
When he spoke in a low voice, Tessa leaned in to catch his words although she understood very little. She watched him speak, liking the way his mouth moved. His slanted eyes grew wide then narrowed to slits as he emphasized some point. Once he laughed in a light tone as if at himself. His wide mouth made Tessa happy when he showed humor. She wondered why. He reminded her of someone, someone strong who’d protected her in the past. Darya also hinted at being dangerous. Why something so sinister affected her in a positive way remained a point of concern.
The horse stomped with impatience then shied toward Tessa. She jumped out of the way but stumbled back toward the edge of the cliff where the ground crumbled under her feet. In a split second, Darya grabbed her by her clothes, yanking her into his arms. A scream escaped her throat as she clung to Darya’s neck.
“Oh my gosh.” Breathing fast, she peeked behind her to see rocks and earth snapping their way to the bottom of the valley. Darya stepped backwards and pulled her with him. He stroked the back of her uncovered hair while his other hand pressed her up against his chest. She eased out of his embrace.
In a timid, but grateful voice, Tessa whispered, “Thank you.” She said it in Pashto then Russian, hoping he would understand.
“You welcome,” he said in English. “Dangerous place. Careful.” He hesitated as if searching for a word. “Please.” His lips clamped together in a straight line, and she imagined his forehead creased beneath his mask considering the words sounded difficult for him.
Tessa agreed. “Yes. I’ll be more careful.” She stole another glance at the cliff behind her and wondered why they were here. And why had he begun looking at her like there was something he had on his mind. His gaze spoke volumes as it roamed around her face, resting on her mouth then sliding down her neck and shoulders. Fear crept up inside her. Had she begun to trust this renegade too soon?
More words came from his mouth, deep and low, as his stare dwelled on parts of her body. Tessa didn’t understand the words, but the meaning seemed to imply Darya thought she should show more gratitude.
“I guess you think I owe you a little show-and-tell because you saved me from certain death.”
Darya tilted his head.
“Let me remind you your stupid horse caused me to fall in the first place. And let’s get one thing straight, Batman.” Tessa shoved a finger in his chest then withdrew it, frightened at the way his mouth twisted in a snarl. “I need to—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Darya scooped her up like a rag doll and tossed her onto the front of the horse. He swung up behind her and enclosed her between his arms as they rode with abandonment across the plains.
His breath warmed her cheek, his scent touched her nose, and the press of his body spoke of unfulfilled desire. The days ahead would be woven with danger and treachery along with the unwanted affections of a mountain tribesman.
I will always come for you if you are in trouble. Those words once more lay bare on her mind. Would the person who said them come in time?
Chapter 7
D arkness fell as the group reached the river Tessa had spied while standing on the cliff hours earlier. It seemed warmer in the valley. The gurgle of the river had the children yawning as the men set about making camp. Snorts from the yaks and the horses crunching of sprigs of grass brought a quiet calm among the men and children.
Bone-tired, she longed to sleep, but the little girls clung to her one by one until she collapsed like a limber clown near the campfire to offer encouragement. She sang a lullaby which seemed to float up with the curling smoke. The men showed their pleasure at hearing her sing with clapping that involved slapping their thighs. She attempted to teach the children the song with comic results. Laughter rippled among them. Even Bonnie made the effort to sing along in spite of having remained sour faced since Tessa returned from the ride with Darya.
“Where did he take you? Are you all right? I thought he might…”
“I’m fine. He wanted to show me where we were going to be tonight.” Tessa pointed to the towering cliffs and searched for the exact spot where they’d stood. “I’m not sure why he thought I needed to know.” Tessa removed Arzo’s head scarf and ran her fingers down the light-brown hair. She forgot herself as she sang folk songs she remembered from some other place and time. One song, in Japanese, made the children wrinkle their noses and giggle at the sounds. Tessa remembered how to sing “Silent Night” in German. The children swayed as her voice lifted into the night sky now splattered with stars.
“So what does he want? Where are we going?” Bonnie kept her questions low but her irritation couldn’t be hidden. “Will they take us to the Americans?”
Tessa shrugged, not caring where they were going. “We need to take care of these children.”
Bonnie huffed. “At this point, if we get a chance to go back to Kabul we need to act on it. These”—she waved toward the men—“whoever they are, can take care of the girls. Their lives will be better than what they had. At least—”
Tessa snarled. “What are you saying? I will not leave these babies to the likes of anyone but the American authorities in Kabul. Out here, they are destined to be wives at the age of fourteen, mothers by fifteen. This part of the world is rich with opium. These mountain tribesmen are Kyrgyz. Half of them become addicts out of grief for their dead children.”
“How do you know that?” Bonnie’s voice rose. “For someone who keeps saying she’s lost her memory, you seem to have an uncommon grasp of who these people are. Have you been lying to me? This morning you said your name was Tessa.”
“And you promised to tell me more about the days leading up to our departure from Kabul. Spill it.”
“What are you, CIA? You seem to have a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time? And you were pretty good with a knife back there when you severed a man’s spinal cord.”
Tessa froze as she noticed Darya standing not more than ten feet away, listening to them argue. “Shh! Lower your voice. I think Darya understands more English than he lets on.”
“Well, la-di-da. You’re our ticket out of here. He keeps watching you like you’re on tonight’s menu.” Her voice turned into a harsh whisper.
“Shut up.” Tessa couldn’t hide her revulsion. “What are you saying? I should sleep with him so he’ll take us back?”
“Yes. Do whatever it takes. Considering how you like to slum among the natives, you’ll no doubt enjoy it.”
“Ms. Melanie, please don’t be angry.” Shirin inched closer. “They are watching us.”
Tessa patted her cheek. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I will be quiet. Should we sing some more?”
Darya sat down across the fire from her as food was passed out.
“What I’d give for a juicy steak. Don’t these people eat meat?” Bonnie turned her nose up at the kurut again, but grabbed the bread.
“On special occasions. These yaks are part of their wealth. I’m sure when we arrive at their permanent camp, we’ll find sheep. Maybe then.”
After softening the kurut cheese in her mouth, Tessa chewed slowly as if by doing so might make it taste better. She made “yum” sounds to urge the children to eat more. Bread then tea followed. The young rider named Rashid kept following Shirin with his stolen glances and seemed to speak to Darya for encouragement but didn’t appear to gain support. Tessa made pallets for the children from yak hides. They loved burrowing down in the soft fur. With grou
ps of three snuggled together, she guessed they would stay warm enough. The rock outcropping deflected winds coming down from the cliffs above and formed a shelter to protect the children.
The men were bedding down for the night as well when Bonnie joined Tessa near the fire, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The stylish woman who had run the conference a few days earlier now resembled a homeless person. Her clothes were dirty, the reddish-brown hair stringy and thinner. With her makeup gone, Bonnie appeared older than Tessa once thought. The expensive tennis shoes she wore weren’t the most practical thing you could wear on terrain like this.
The day they left Kabul, Tessa had wondered at Bonnie’s wisdom in wearing snug khaki pants for a helicopter ride. A no-iron blouse in a pale shade of yellow had given her a window mannequin appearance: perfect. Tessa, on the other hand, had dressed like she planned to work at the barn with her uncle’s horses. Then she’d covered her head with a shawl. Even when the air turned hot, Tessa protected her skin from being exposed. A show of respect needed to be observed even if she thought it archaic. After all, it was Afghanistan, not downtown Miami. Funny how one tidbit of information remained clear and other things blurred.
When Bonnie told her of the days leading up to her amnesia, Tessa managed to string information together. For instance, she remembered seeing Bonnie slip into the ambassador’s sleeping quarters on the night before they left Kabul. The undersecretary held a bottle of some kind of wine or champagne. How in the world did she manage to get it into the country considering the culture rejected the drinking of alcohol? Tessa also became aware over the course of their travels that Bonnie enjoyed the company of influential men.
“What are you so glum about?” Bonnie mumbled as she found a twig and threw it into the fire. “Thinking about your boyfriend over there or the one you left behind in Kabul?”
Tessa jerked her head around in shock. “Boyfriend? What are you talking about?”
Bonnie smirked. “Seriously? I could tell you anything and you’d never know the truth.”
Tessa wondered if the woman might have already undertaken that tactic.
“The morning after the bombing, the base commander told us the Marine left you in the care of a Delta Force captain who you found getting stitched up. Ring any bells?”
She stared into the fire to dig for answers in a clouded memory. The recall of a man in the shadows with a naked chest made her wonder if he meant something to her as Bonnie implied. “I-I don’t remember.”
A hiss came out of Bonnie’s mouth. “One of your CIA buddies?”
“I don’t work for the CIA,” Tessa said in hesitation. “I’m sure of it. I’m a geographer on loan to another government agency. I serve as a goodwill liaison for children and women’s issues.” It sounded rehearsed, as if she were reading it from a script. “I know I work in California.”
“That guy you were talking to disappeared after he loaded you up with some Rangers in an armored-plated Humvee and sent you back to us. The base commander had nothing to say on the matter. He had some reservations on letting us go get the girls but, after checking out the latest intel, he decided to let us use one of his helicopters.” Bonnie released a snort. “I hate those things. Got sick as a dog, what with all their swerving and dodging tactics.” She chuckled. “You were green as grass by the time we got there.”
Tessa remembered riding in helicopters with dangerous men. The image of the same shadowy man appeared in her mind as he spoke. I will always come for you if you are in trouble.
She couldn’t remember him. Were they friends, colleagues, or lovers?
“I don’t know who sent me back.” Tessa pulled her robes tighter. “What does it matter? We’re here now. I’m betting someone is searching for us.” She took a deep breath before glancing over at Bonnie who stared into the fire. “What happened after we left Kabul?”
Bonnie’s voice reminded her of a malfunctioning robot. “All hell broke loose.” With each word, more of Tessa memories surged to the surface.
~ ~ ~
Kabul, Afghanistan
People moving along the congested streets like they were caught in a zombie apocalypse would be Tessa’s lasting impression of Afghanistan. Centuries of destruction and violence continued to capture the Afghan people in a stranglehold. Tessa pressed her face against the bulletproof glass of the ambassador’s car to observe this strange world. The beauty of the jagged white-capped mountains glowing gray blue in the distance created a sharp contrast with the rubble of the centuries-old city. Rebuilding had made resurgence in places, and Bonnie proved correct about there being a shopping mall, although Tessa puzzled over how those in such poverty could afford a toothbrush, much less a pair of boots or a jacket. She leaned back in the seat and listened to honking horns, whistles, rumbling motorcycles needing a new muffler, and an occasional jackhammer. Everything felt dirty and old. Where was the romance of the historical fiction she’d read as a girl? Where were the beautiful faces of women who struggled to become a force of change alongside men who cherished them?
Not here. War forever changed the landscape of Afghanistan. Americans continued to leave the latest bloody gash of change. Like everything in Central Asia, soon it would scab over and heal in an unpredictable way. The scar left in its place would come back to haunt her country as it had the ones who came before. Russia would never recover from their blunder and Tessa knew America played a part as well. When the US aided the rebels against communism with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons, it left a bad taste in the mouths of several American presidents. Now those arms were being used against American soldiers.
The Black Hawk helicopter waited on the runway for the women. An army colonel introduced himself to them as he shook hands with Ambassador Jarvis.
“Ready to go, ladies?” He pointed to their ride. His square jaw showed a tiny Band-Aid from shaving, and his sparse hair caught the sun for a second to glisten a deep silver. The light-brown eyes bore deep creases at the corners as he squinted against the morning light. He raised his voice to compensate for the engines of the helicopter as it rived to life. “The village is north of here, about sixty miles. Won’t take this bird long to reach it. Good folks. Helped us on numerous occasions. World Cares Organization built the orphanage there. There are twelve or thirteen girls. It’s been successful, but they’ve run out of money.”
The ambassador lowered his head as the helicopter blades turned. He pressed his milquetoast hand against his tie. “I decided on these girls myself.” He bobbed his head at the colonel. “Any problem with Taliban up there?”
The colonel shook his head. “None. The locals have been diligent in defending their community. We’ve left radios to call for help at any time. It’s been over a year since we had to go in and clean a nest of those black-turban ragheads out.” He tightened his jaw. “Sorry, ladies. I mean Taliban.” He pointed to a soldier standing by the open door of the helicopter. “The warrant officer will need to make two trips to get everyone back. The other birds are needed elsewhere.”
“Send the oldest children back first, Ms. Finley,” the ambassador yelled to her. “Let Ms. Glenn stay behind for the next trip. We have unfinished business.”
I’ll bet, thought Tessa, seeing how he grasped Bonnie’s arm and winked. She didn’t like the idea of being left behind in an Afghan village without a weapon, soldier, or way to get back.
The colonel frowned. “Negative, Ambassador Jarvis. I won’t leave an American woman behind without protection.”
“You said it was safe.”
“Nothing is safe in Afghanistan.”
Tessa realized her scarf had fallen around her neck, trapping her hair. She could picture how wild that must be with the chopper blades trying to pull her strands toward chaos.
The colonel motioned for another soldier and gave orders for him to stay behind with her. “You’ll be there two hours alone. A lot can happen in two hours. I’ll feel better if this soldier tags along.”
“Thank
you, colonel.” Tessa offered her hand to the soldier who waited to assist her onboard. “Yes, ma’am.” He put a finger to his forehead in an offhand salute.
Tessa let the men on board buckle her in and felt trepidation as they lifted off with a sudden burst of speed.
Helicopter rides didn’t agree with her. She got airsick looking at one of these birds. It reminded her of riding on the curvy roads in her home state of Tennessee. Squeezing her eyes shut helped, but she wanted to see the breathtaking landscape as they clicked off the miles to the small village. The noise of the Black Hawk prevented conversation so the women sat in silence.
The image of her children swam up to her mind as she said a prayer of protection for them and herself. What am I doing in this awful place? What if I’m kidnapped or killed? What would become of my kids? Can my husband manage?
Then her thoughts slid into dangerous territory when the image of Captain Chase Hunter loomed in her imagination. The way she idolized him continued to drag her toward dangerous territory which had nothing to do with the Taliban. His heroics, without regard for his own life, had managed to save her on several occasions. Their unusual partnership had turned into a love hate relationship. But, as of late, the complicated bond between them felt as if it led her on a path full of pitfalls.
He continued to be the most irritating yet compassionate man Tessa had ever met. His six-foot-one-inch height wore strength and power like armor which intoxicated her. The Native American features and bronze skin made him a perfect model for the cover of one of those videogames her sons loved to play. The often pouty mouth appeared too big for his face. The lips made her wonder if God chiseled them for her to kiss. There were moments when she promised herself she would enjoy it if it had to do with national security. The nose narrowed down toward his mouth then widened almost too much. She’d learned to recognize his anger when it flared. The high cheekbones tightened when she confused or teased him. He didn’t understand a joke. At least not until she’d come along.
The Enigma Series Boxed Set Page 77
