by Kaylea Cross
“I’ll be right behind you,” he told her, looking her straight in the eye. His calmness took the edge off the panic swirling in her chest. Aisha’s palpable fear pushed her into action.
Go. Hurry.
She began to climb, thankful for the initial boost of Hunter’s strong hands on her back. At the top she struggled to get her footing with the long robe and Aisha encumbering her. One of the men from the other team noticed and grabbed her by the forearm to haul her upward, then gave her a push toward the others. The headmistress emerged behind her, then Hunter cleared the opening and secured the hidden door before turning back to them, rifle held in front of his body in a practiced grip.
“Head west with the others,” he called out, his gaze moving restlessly across the surrounding terrain.
She couldn’t help but look around, relieved when she didn’t see anyone charging at them, brandishing a weapon. Walking faster, she kept one hand on the back of Aisha’s head to prevent her from seeing the carnage up ahead and broke into a jog.
She saw the damage to the school first, the bullet strikes and what looked like shell holes pock marking the front. Then she saw the bodies strewn across the grass in the distance and the bile rose in her throat. She wrenched her gaze away from the horrific sight and ran on, keeping pace with the line of girls ahead of her.
Other security team members guided them along the route, keeping constant watch on the distant hills as the students passed by. The lingering fear in the air was tangible. Up ahead in the distance she finally caught sight of the military trucks Hunter had mentioned. Soldiers were fanned out across the grassy plain keeping vigil for any further attacks. Beyond the barriers they’d put up behind the trucks stood a growing crowd of civilian onlookers, probably attracted by the commotion.
The whole time she kept Aisha’s head safely tucked into her neck to shield her. When they got closer to the military barricade she saw some of the students at the front running to adults in the crowd, being engulfed in hugs and Khalia realized they must be the parents. She couldn’t even imagine how terrified they were from hearing the gunfire and knowing their children were in jeopardy.
Slowing to a walk as she neared the line of soldiers, she gently pulled Aisha’s head away from her and pointed toward the crowd of adults. The girl scanned them with an anxious frown on her tearstained face. She must not have recognized anyone because she turned back and buried her face into Khalia’s neck once more, her little body trembling with fear and shock.
A wave of anger swept away the shakiness. Whoever those dead men were on that field behind them, Khalia sincerely hoped they burned in hell for what they’d done—and for what they’d wanted to do today.
Finally she reached the group along with the main body of students. Chaos erupted around her as frantic parents and villagers reunited with the children. Shouts and cries rose up, frightened wails from the girls and their female relatives. Khalia stood away from it all and rubbed Aisha’s back, watching the villagers to see if anyone had spotted the little girl. Hunter came up beside her.
“She all right?” he asked, looking down at the top of her scarf-covered head.
“No, she’s still terrified.” And so am I. She felt like she was living a waking nightmare. Hopefully it looked like she was holding it together, at least on the outside. “I don’t think her parents are here yet. She took a look around but didn’t react to anyone.” They would come for her, right?
“We have to move. It’s not safe here.” Before she could argue he took her upper arm and pulled her toward some of the Pakistani soldiers, flagging Zaid along the way. “Tell them her parents aren’t here and that she’ll need an escort home,” he told the translator.
The soldier said something in response to Zaid’s words, then gestured to Khalia to give him the child. Reluctantly she started to pull the little arms away from the nape of her neck but Aisha cried out in protest and shook her head, clinging even tighter.
Heart breaking, Khalia threw Hunter a pleading look. “I can’t leave her. I can’t.”
His mouth thinned and she was sure he would argue, but instead he gave in with a reluctant nod. “Bring her with us then. We’ll take her to the next checkpoint but we’re moving out now. I don’t want anyone hanging around here until the military clears out the valley.”
“I’m not leaving her with a bunch of soldiers,” she protested, horrified. She knew she’d promised to obey his orders without question but she wasn’t budging on this one, no matter what he said. “I have to stay with her until her family comes for her.”
“We’ll worry about that later. Let’s go.” He grabbed her arm again to tow her past the soldiers and down the hill. “Zaid!” he yelled. The interpreter finished up the conversation he was having with a soldier and hurried after them. Khalia fought to keep up. Hunter glanced down at Aisha with an uncertain frown. “Will she let me carry her?”
“I doubt it.” Not without terrifying her even further.
“Can you run for a bit with her?” he asked.
“Yes.” She’d do whatever she had to, no matter how wobbly her legs were. With the initial spurt of energy gone, the muscles in her legs felt like mush. And shit, just how close were the remaining enemy that they had to keep running? What about all the parents and children? “Where’s Ray?”
“With his team.” He tugged her toward him again, less gently this time. “Come on. I’ll go slow, but stay close and tell me if you can’t keep up.” With that he broke into an easy lope that was the equivalent of a fast jog for her. She struggled to keep pace, balancing Aisha as they made their way down the slope toward the road blocked off by more military vehicles. Hunter got on the radio to someone, issuing more commands.
She was panting by the time they reached the roadblock, her back and face soaked in sweat despite the cool air. Someone screamed Aisha’s name. The girl’s head snapped up and Khalia spun around. A young woman was racing toward them, her face crumpled with fear and grief. Aisha shoved at Khalia so she let her go and watched the little girl run into the woman’s waiting arms. Khalia swallowed back tears when the woman caught her daughter and fell to her knees there on the dirt road, sobbing as she rocked her.
“We’ve gotta go,” Hunter said impatiently, dragging her forward.
Khalia resisted, reluctant to leave them until she was sure they would be okay. “How will they get home? How do we know they’ll be safe?”
“The military and police will handle it. We have to go,” he repeated. This time he jerked her forward hard enough that she had no choice but to follow. The sound of Aisha and her mother crying followed them down the hill to where a familiar black SUV was roaring toward them.
Breaking into a fast jog, Hunter towed her toward it and yanked open the back door for her when it stopped. She barely had time to register that Gage was at the wheel before Hunter slid in beside her, pushed her across the leather and slammed the door shut. Zaid jumped in the front passenger seat. The tires spun as Gage hit the accelerator.
“She okay?” Gage asked.
“Yeah, but let’s get outta here,” Hunter muttered.
“What’s going to happen to them all?” Khalia demanded, twisting around to look out the rear window at the dispersing crowd. She was cold and shaky, her heart only beginning to slow. “How do we know the Taliban aren’t planning more attacks later on in the villages?”
“They won’t mount another attack this soon, and they rarely operate at night. There’re soldiers and police scattered all through the valley. They’ll handle it,” Hunter said, laying his rifle on the floorboard between them.
“We need to make sure they’re—”
“The only thing we need to make sure of is that you’re out of this valley and back in Islamabad tonight,” he snapped.
She bristled at his curt tone but didn’t bother arguing because she knew it wouldn’t get her anywhere. This didn’t feel right though. Fleeing and abandoning the villagers to their fate after what had happened seemed
wrong on every level, regardless of her inability to help them. Still shaken, she fumbled to get the seat belt into the buckle. A large, strong hand closed over hers. She glanced up at Hunter. The breath caught in her throat at the sudden leap of male interest in his eyes. Held by the magnetic pull of that gaze, she couldn’t look away.
He broke eye contact first. “You’re frozen,” he said with a frown. “Gage, turn up the heat back here.” He reached over the top of the seat to grab a blanket from the back and wrapped it around her.
“No, it’s fine—”
“Just shush,” he said in exasperation, taking her hand between his and rubbing. The heat of his skin took her by surprise as much as the gesture of concern did, but then he shocked her even more by settling an arm around her and pulling her into his side. Huddled against all that vital, masculine strength, she felt more confused than ever.
They both could have been killed today. Her attraction to him was wrong, especially here and now, but she couldn’t stop her body’s reaction to his nearness. It was a simple biological response to surviving a deadly situation. What she really wanted was his arms around her, holding her tight to his chest, but wasn’t about to act on it. She decided to make the most of the comfort he offered and closed her eyes, savoring his warmth and strength. After a few minutes the trembling in her muscles stopped.
They drove toward Saidu Sharif in silence. She suspected the men stayed quiet to calm her down as much as to hide the details of what had happened in that gun battle. But the truth was she was dying to know what had happened.
They passed through two more checkpoints on the way to Saidu Sharif. Gage handed over their passports and other necessary documents and they drove into the city to drop Zaid off without incident. Hunter surprised her again by staying with her and allowing her to remain cuddled into his side rather than take Zaid’s seat up front. After passing one more checkpoint on the southern edge of the city, Gage finally got them on the highway back to Islamabad and she took her first deep breath since the start of the firefight.
The five hour drive seemed twice that long. At one point Khalia sat up and pushed the blanket down to her lap, rubbing her tired, burning eyes. Her mind was spinning with all that had happened, unable to shut down no matter how exhausted she was. What would happen to those families now? What could she do to help them?
“Get some sleep,” Hunter said to her quietly, reaching out to place one hand on the back of her head and pull it down against his left shoulder. She didn’t resist, grateful for the bolster. The cumulative lack of sleep and continual stress had done her in. It weighed down her eyelids and she dozed off and on for the rest of the trip. She woke disoriented and with a kink in her neck as Gage brought the SUV to a stop in front of a small hotel.
“Wait here,” Hunter told her and climbed out. He returned a few minutes later and opened the back door for her, handing Gage a room key. “See you up there.” He reached out for her hand and helped her from the vehicle. They used the stairs rather than the elevator and exited into a hallway on the fourth floor.
At her room Hunter followed her inside. He let the door close behind him and stood near it, watching her as he took off his body armor and set it on a chair. She watched, heart hammering, trying not to read anything into it. Next he removed his holstered sidearm and laid it on the reading table next to the chair.
Realization dawned. “Are you staying?”
He nodded, but didn’t look at her. “Just for tonight. We’re trying to get you on a flight home tomorrow. After everything that’s happened I’ll feel better staying here.” He paused, finally met her gaze. “Unless you’d rather I didn’t?”
“No, it’s okay.” She’d feel way better with him in the same room even though it was bound to be a little awkward. They were in for a long night but at least with him here she had a shot at sleeping. And the mention of going home made her feel teary. God, she wanted to go home so badly but the thought of leaving now made her feel guilty. And she also felt a sudden pang of dread about never seeing Hunter again.
Her conflicting emotions confused her. He wasn’t interested in her that way, had made it clear he didn’t even want to be friends. They had nothing in common. He was a hardened soldier, she was a teacher and wannabe humanitarian.
But he had another side to him too. A few times already he’d shown her glimpses of a startling tenderness she wouldn’t have guessed him capable of. Now she craved more of it, with a strength that surprised her.
“Gage went to grab us something to eat,” he said, heading to the vanity sink just outside the bathroom to wash his face and hands. “Be tough to get anything decent in the morning.”
Since he didn’t seem to expect a verbal response, she only nodded. After another few minutes of silence, however, she couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “So are you ever going to tell me what happened out there?”
He looked up from checking his sidearm and hit her with that direct gaze of his. “What do you want to know?”
She stared at him, incredulous. “Am I breaking some kind of protocol by asking?”
“No, I’m just not exactly sure what you’re asking for.”
Okay, he didn’t seem to be deliberately trying to misunderstand her or piss her off. She sighed. “When did you first spot them coming?”
“Ellis did. About thirty seconds before I contacted you on the radio.”
“And they just started…attacking?”
“Pretty much.”
God, the man was so nonchalant about the whole thing. “Were any of you hurt?”
“No. That RPG round made things pretty interesting for a few seconds though.”
Khalia chewed on her bottom lip and folded her arms across her chest. He looked so strong and invincible sitting there, but she knew he was just a man, made of the same vulnerable flesh and blood as she was. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried.” Worried didn’t even begin to cover it, actually.
Surprise flashed in his eyes for a second before they warmed with what almost looked like affection. “No need. We had it covered.”
“And you did it well, thank God. I’ll make sure I tell Tom, because I’m sure you won’t tell him anything more than the operational details.”
He shifted his attention back to his sidearm as though uncomfortable with the idea of her singing his praises to his boss. “That’s not necessary.”
“I think it is.”
This time when he glanced up his eyes strayed from her face down the length of her robe-covered body and suddenly the room felt way too small. Every place his eyes touched, her skin started to tingle, her body coming to life as if waking from a long sleep. Since that could go nowhere, she turned away and pulled the robe over her head, leaving her in her pants and T-shirt. When she continued to feel Hunter’s gaze on her, she told herself she was imagining things.
Gage showed up a few minutes later with some takeout and their bags and left, saying he had things to take care of. Without pause, Hunter grabbed a small kit from his duffel and glanced at her over his shoulder. “Mind if I grab a shower first?”
“No, go ahead.” When he disappeared behind the bathroom door and the sound of the shower started up, she pulled off her head scarf and shoes, dumping them on the floor. After cleaning up at the sink outside the bathroom she pulled back the covers on the bed and sat down. The silence closed in, making her restless and jittery. The time alone gave her too much to think about. She sighed in relief when Hunter came out of the bathroom a few minutes later in a cloud of steam, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, his short dark hair slicked back.
So very hot and so very unattainable, she thought wistfully. Though he’d certainly star in her fantasies for a long time to come.
They ate together without talking until the silence began to feel brittle. Watching him in between bites, she again marveled at his composure. Didn’t anything bother him? Unable to stay quiet any longer, she laid her fork aside and blurted, “How do you do it?”
He looked up at her, white plastic fork poised halfway to his mouth. “Do what?”
“Cope with all…this.” She waved a hand around to convey she meant everything. “Compartmentalize terrible things so they don’t affect you.”
Something flickered in his eyes at the last part and he looked back down at his container of rice and veggies. “Training and experience, mostly. I learned real quick that dwelling on things doesn’t do any good because it won’t change any of it.”
The decidedly cryptic edge to his tone made her certain there was a story behind the words. A thousand thoughts flooded her mind, none of them good. By comparison he’d gone through much worse than her today and yet he acted as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
“Got any tips?” she prompted with a half smile when it didn’t seem like he was going to elaborate.
He lifted that light brown gaze to hers, and she saw the flash of empathy there. After a second he set his food down and leaned back in his chair, muscles shifting beneath the snug fit of his shirt. “None that would help much. You did good today though.”
She sighed and rubbed a hand over her forehead. “I didn’t do anything.” That was the problem. The guilt was clawing at her, eating her alive from the inside. She hadn’t done enough to ensure those girls were safe, or their families. There must have been something else she could have done.
“Yes you did. You stayed calm when you needed to and you helped get those girls to safety. You comforted that little girl when she needed you. That’s what you need to remember about today.”
None of that eased her conscience any. She raked a hand through her messy hair and shot to her feet, needing to pace to relieve some of the anxiety coiling in her stomach. “I feel like I abandoned them, Hunter. Here I am safe in a hotel room with a personal body guard when they’re back in their villages hoping the Taliban won’t come after them for sending their children to our school.”
