Gage had seen the layout with its many caves and tunnels. He’d now memorized it. He was a sniper, and that’s what snipers did—memorize the hell out of their hunting area. Crouching, he moved close to the wall, quickly trotting around the cavernous oval. It was easy to move because he could see everything. If there were animals or humans around, it would light up and glow. At the tunnel, he halted, dropping another node. Then, peering into it, he saw it was a long, steep curve downward. The floor was all limestone with no soil. It would be easy to get through.
Sweat was pouring off him as he estimated going half a mile downward. The tunnel was long and narrow. Not more than three people could walk up or down it shoulder to shoulder. The temperature in the cave was around sixty-five degrees, pleasant enough. Breathing easily, he dropped the third node at the end of the tunnel.
Straightening, he clicked his radio, letting Drummond know he was all right. Receiving a click back, Gage heard male voices drifting upward. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, only that it was in Urdu. Where were they holding the women? The cavern he had reached was long, reminding him of a large cucumber in shape. At the other end of it was another tunnel. All he focused on was remaining a silent, black ghost drifting through the caverns, undetected.
He was desperate to find Alexa but scared, too, of what he might find. Was she dead? Had she been raped to death? His mind played the worst of possibilities.
He set another node at the other end of the cucumber cavern. Then he went into another tunnel that ran straight ahead, no longer canting downward. As the tunnel twisted and turned, the ceiling lowered and then became higher. At some points, Gage, because of his height, had to run in a crouch. It was a wicked tunnel. At the other end, breathing out of his mouth, he knelt, placing a node. He again clicked his radio.
Operators did the clicks because it told their team they were all right. In a situation like this, Gage did not dare talk unless he knew for sure that there were no tango ears around to hear him speak. And right now, he didn’t know that. Tangos could have been guarding any of these entrance/exit points in any of these tunnels. He received one click back from Drummond.
Pulling the cover off his watch, Gage saw that fifteen minutes had elapsed. The truck would arrive in half an hour. Urgency thrummed through him and he pushed off, swiftly moving into the next cavern in the shape of a bloated watermelon. The sound of men talking became much clearer as he made it to the next tunnel. Setting a node in place, Gage crouched, ear cocked toward the sounds moving up the tunnel. He could pick out words. Two men talking, one giving orders and another sounding nervous in his responses. But there were no women’s voices.
Where were they keeping Alexa and the women? Where? He shoved off, carrying his rifle up, ready to fire, as he ran silently through the tunnel that first curved right and then curved left. Sweat dripped into his eyes, burning them momentarily. Gage blinked several times, his focus on getting to the end of this long, long tunnel. The end came up abruptly. Skidding to a halt he went to his knees. He perched by the edge of the tunnel before it spilled into another cave.
His heart pumping furiously, he dropped a node next to where he was and noticed grayish light emanating from the next tunnel on the other side of the cavern. It looked like a deflated balloon. This was a rough cavern with a lot of wings and hiding places. Carefully, he stepped forward, making sure his boots didn’t disturb any loose rock that had shaken and fallen down from the ceiling. The voices were clearer. There were tangos in that next cave where the light was coming from, and only a tunnel separated Gage from them.
He put a node next to that tunnel and then swiftly moved to the opposite side, where he found some hiding possibilities. This cave had partially collapsed in on itself, half of it in rubble. There were huge, white limestone boulders big as an Abrams tank here and there. There were also pieces of thin limestone that reminded him of a bird’s wing. These were perfect hiding places, because the limestone was thick enough for a person to hide behind and not be seen.
Checking out several hidey-holes, Gage turned, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his arm, keying his hearing. This time, the voices were clear and understandable.
“Go get the women. Bind their hands in front of them!”
“Yes, sir.”
Gage heard scurrying sounds, thinking it was a soldier carrying out the orders. His footsteps quickly died away, indicating he was walking away from where he was hidden.
“When is that Unimog arriving?”
“Twenty-five minutes. Relax, will you? Everything is under control. They just checked in with me by radio. They will arrive on time.”
“You’re going to have to push these women through the caves in a hurry!”
The man snickered. “Don’t worry. After what they just went through, if we tell them to jump, they’ll ask how high.” He laughed.
Gage felt anger stir in him. Wiping his eyes free of the sweat, he leaned back against the wall, the M4 across his lap. He took out the canteen he carried and took a deep swig. Capping it, he snapped it onto his web belt. The women were in another cavern on the other side of these tangos, and Gage knew there was no way to get around to them. Slowly standing, he turned and quietly moved among the boulders and rubble, getting as far back in the collapsed cavern as he could.
Once he was hidden behind a massive rock, he knelt down on one knee. This time, he spoke in a low voice to Drummond. The SEAL responded with a click. Gage gave him the layout, gave him all the information, and told him what he’d seen and heard. His breathing was slowing, his hearing keyed to any unusual sound. The only way he could be heard was if someone came out of that tunnel, and he had a line of sight on it and would see them first.
“I’m going to hide here and wait for them to pass by me,” he said. “We need to know how many tangos are here. Once they’ve all come through with the packages, I’ll call in the number, the weapons, and what we’re up against.”
There was a responding click.
Gage rubbed his mouth, steadying his breathing, watching the tunnel. “If there aren’t many, I’ll take them out myself from behind. They’ll never know what hit them. But if there are too many, I’ll let them pass. I’m sure they won’t have the women in front of them, but I’ll let you know. Plus, you’ll have the node speakers on. I can be eyes and ears down here to help you know the lineup. Only when they get into the entrance cave can they spread out. At that point, you’ll need to figure out what you’re going to do.”
They were only three SEALs, but Gage knew that was as good as having a platoon of forty soldiers.
“We’ll have to take out whoever is with that Unimog,” Drummond said in a low tone. “It’s about twenty minutes from arriving. We’re going to intercept it now. The problem is if they radio that they’re being attacked.”
Nodding, Gage understood. “Roger. I’ll maintain my sniper cover here and assist as things play out.”
Drummond said, “If we can kill the driver and the others, I can drive the truck up here. And if someone from the caves calls in, I speak Urdu and can answer him. If we can fake them out, make them believe nothing has happened and that the truck is arriving on schedule, we’ll have a better chance of getting those women out of there alive.”
“Roger that. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
“Roger. Out.”
Gage inhaled deeply, hearing men’s voices once again. The node he had put at the tunnel could be activated, and he did so, linking it to his electronic ear device, sending the sounds into his earpiece. And he heard everything as clear as if the men were standing next to him. A small grin flashed across his face as he hunkered down to listen.
“Are they out of the cages?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Bound?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Any problems?”
“The blond woman, sir? She’s very weak. She’s saying she can’t walk.”
Gage heard the man swear.
“Put a gun to her head and tell her if she doesn’t get up and walk, you’ll shoot her.”
“Yes, sir!”
*
Alexa stood in horror as a Taliban soldier came racing into the cage cave, his pistol drawn. Cathy, the blonde, was sobbing on the floor. The examination had somehow injured her. Alexa wasn’t a doctor, but she could see that Cathy was in terrible pain. The women stood around, eyes wide, terrified as they saw the men bind Cathy’s hands like theirs had been bound. They all wore the same black wool burkas and the same red slippers on their feet.
The soldier grabbed Cathy by her long, blond hair, jerking her head upward. He leaned over, his teeth bared as he shoved the pistol to her temple. “You get up right now or I’ll shoot you where you are.”
Alexa saw the soldier’s finger become firmer on the trigger.
“No!” Alexa shouted. “Stop!” She rushed to Cathy. “I’ll help her! Don’t shoot her!” she pleaded as she leaned down, gathering Cathy up.
The soldier blinked, shocked at her unexpected action, and backed off, unsure what to do.
Another woman, Tracy, approached, and she and Alexa held Cathy up between them. “I’ll help,” she whispered to Alexa. “We’ll walk her out of here.”
Alexa froze, seeing the General storming into the cavern, his eyes blazing with fury. The soldier turned, quickly explaining in Urdu what had happened.
The General was breathing like an angry bull, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the three women. “It’s time! We must go. Herd them out of here,” he bellowed, yanking his thumb toward the tunnel. Gritting his teeth, he roared to the six soldiers surrounding the huddled group of women, “If any of them slow you down, shoot them where they stand!”
And then he advanced upon Alexa, Tracy, and Cathy. He curled his fist and then glared at the trembling hostages. In clear, concise English he repeated his command so there was no confusion about what he would do if they didn’t keep up the pace.
“Do you understand?” the General bellowed, his deep voice echoing eerily around the cave.
All the women vigorously bobbed their heads, clinging to one another, crowding into a tight group for protection.
As the General turned, he nailed Alexa with a dark glare. “Do not make me shoot you, whore. You do as I command, or else. Do we understand one another?”
Alexa nodded, keeping her eyes downcast, not wanting to invite his wrath.
With a curse, the General spun around, barking more orders to his tense soldiers.
Immediately, the women took their positions in line. Two Taliban soldiers were at the rear of the line, two were in the middle, and two more led them out of the smelly cavern. Three kerosene lanterns were passed out to the men in line so that everyone could see where they were going.
Alexa transferred Cathy’s left arm across her shoulders, and Tracy did the same with her right arm; they practically dragged her along.
“I-I can’t,” Cathy sobbed. “I can’t do this. I hurt so much,” she wailed piteously.
Alexa pursed her lips. The drug she’d been given had finally worn off. She’d slept miserably in her cage, exhausted, and had no idea for how long. Then soldiers had come in, yelling at them to wake up. They had given the women water and then ordered them out of their cages, where their wrists were bound. Cathy had to be dragged out of her cage, screaming and trying to stay in it. Every woman here now knew she had been sold as a sex slave to some man somewhere in the world. They now knew what was going to happen to them.
Trying not to think of Gage, of her parents, Tal, or Matt, Alexa swallowed a growing lump in her throat. No one had told them where they were going, but Alexa figured either they were going to truck them to the border or a helicopter was going to pick them up. And that would be the end of her life as she knew it.
All she could look forward to was the monster who had bought her. She would try to escape and make her way to India, where she could get help. Alexa wasn’t afraid of trying to get her freedom. She knew it would take a huge toll on her in every way, but if she could get out of Pakistan, get to the Indian border, and beg for help from the border guards, she could get hold of her parents.
And then, rescue could come. That was her plan. But Alexa also knew that the great unknown yawned before her, where nothing was guaranteed.
Cathy suddenly collapsed with a cry, nearly knocking both of them together as her weight brought them down. Alexa stumbled, terrified that if they fell, it would bring the wrath of the General upon them.
She caught herself, as Tracy did, and they redoubled their efforts, continuing to drag the girl between them, but Cathy had given up. She had collapsed. She was injured and unable to go on.
How Alexa wanted to give in to those very feelings herself. Tracy shot her a look, her mouth pursed. Alexa nodded but said nothing. They were not to talk. And no one wanted to get slapped across the mouth, or worse, if they made the mistake of doing it.
Now the three of them were at the head of the line, struggling to move quickly as the Taliban behind them kept poking them with the barrels of their AK-47s. Alexa saw the General, the Scribe, the Toad, the doctor, and his assistant ahead of them. The assistant was laboring like a donkey under too heavy a load, carrying a lot of suitcases of equipment plus a huge rucksack over his slender shoulders. The General had an AK-47, wore a bulletproof vest, and was on guard. They came out of the tunnel and into another cavern that looked as if most of it had already caved in, with deep rubble everywhere.
Alexa wanted to tell Cathy to try walking, but she dared not speak. The General was clearly on edge now, looking around, his AK-47 held high, his finger on the trigger. Cathy weighed around a hundred and thirty pounds, and Alexa saw Tracy struggling to keep the girl upright. None of these women were in good, athletic shape like she was, and Alexa silently thanked the military all over again. At least her body was strong.
Her spirit? Well, it was bruised, bloodied, and spinning. Something had broken inside her and she could feel it. It was as if they had killed a part of her soul, and she’d never get it back. It was a hollow, dark sensation that made her even more fearful.
They crossed the cave, heading into another tunnel. Alexa’s arms were tiring, and her shoulders were aching. Being strung up and beaten had drained her of any reserve. She felt deep rage, hated all men right now, wanting to kill all of the bastards, starting with the General, followed immediately by the doctor.
*
Gage hunkered down, remaining absolutely still. His heart leaped as he saw Alexa at the front, trying to carry another hostage with another woman from the group. He anxiously zeroed in on her. He saw no marks, no swelling, or anything to indicate she’d been struck. But he knew her well enough to see the black holes in her eyes, the tight set of the corners of her mouth, her hair in utter disarray. She was dirty, that black burka she wore too big for her as it dragged on the floor, making her trip sometimes.
The last of the line straggled in. Gage couldn’t speak yet, so he clicked his radio once. He had no idea if Drummond or his team had apprehended the truck.
He received one click. Relief filled him. Something had happened and it must have turned out all right, or Drummond would not have clicked his radio. Gage didn’t pray often, but he prayed now, because if the SEALs had command of that truck, this slaver group heading into the tunnel would be taken as prisoners—or would be dead—in about fifteen minutes. The most important thing was to ensure that the women would be safe. He knew if he yelled at Alexa and told her what to do, she would respond instantly. But what of the other women? Hell, they’d probably panic and not hear his order at all.
This wasn’t going to be easy. All the women looked pale, drawn, terrified. Their hair was uncombed; they were dirty and dusty. They looked like they’d gone through hell itself, their eyes filled with terror.
Gage couldn’t open up to his emotions, but he did let his heart swell fiercely with love for Alexa. Only she looked capable and strong, her eyes burning with
rage. Clearly, she was their leader. Had she paid a price for that? Gage hoped not, but her long red hair in that braid shouted of her warrior abilities. Had one of these bastards taken her down? Raped her? Hurt her? His rage funneled up through him.
As soon as the last two Taliban soldiers cleared the cave and were well into the next tunnel, Gage broke radio silence. His hopes rose. Drummond’s team had killed the driver and his partner in the cab. The rear of the Unimog was empty.
Drummond said he had driven the truck up to the entrance. A Pakistani speaking Urdu had radioed him, and Drummond had spoken in the same language, telling him they would arrive in five minutes.
More relief trickled through Gage. “I’ll take out the two in the rear first as they enter that last tunnel before the group emerges into the entrance cave. My next step is to get close enough, with some timing and luck, to sneak up the line of women and use my pistol, taking out the two center guards. At that point, my gunfire is going to alert everyone, and your men will have to take out the tangos in front. I’m taking out that Pakistani general who’s just in front of the line of women. You get the rest. Over.”
“Roger. Out.”
Cold fury wound through Gage as he slowly, silently rose. He unsafed his M4, the bullet in the chamber. Now all he had to do was to follow at a safe distance, like a ghost shadowing the line. The two Taliban soldiers at the rear were distracted, yelling at the women to hurry. They weren’t looking around or checking out anything else.
A feral smile pulled at his tightly drawn mouth as he eased forward in a slight crouch—now, at last, the hunter closing in on his prey.
CHAPTER 13
Alexa was breathing hard as she and Tracy half dragged, half carried Cathy up another tunnel. Her back was now on fire, pain radiating in every direction, because Cathy’s arm was across her shoulders, which had taken the bulk of the General’s belting. Tracy was truly brave, fighting to stay upright, not used to bearing so much weight for so long. The women stumbled and fell to their knees more than once, the bruising pain making Alexa limp. She was sure she’d cut her knees on the small rocks in the tunnel, feeling the trickle of blood down her calves from the injuries.
Broken Dreams (Delos Series Book 4) Page 17
