The Forever Assignment

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘Thank you.’

  Kasey tried to smile but the tears that had been threatening ever since she’d got up that morning suddenly spilled over. It was just gone five and she was about to set off for the airfield. June had insisted on getting up to see her off, although, thankfully, the rest of the team were still in bed. She heard June sigh as she gave her a hug.

  ‘I wish Adam was here so I could knock some sense into him. He must be out of his mind to let you leave like this!’

  ‘He said his goodbyes last night,’ Kasey told her, fishing a tissue out of her pocket and drying her eyes.

  ‘Did he now? Well, he should have had the sense to see what a mess he was making, shouldn’t he?’ June glowered. ‘For an intelligent man, he can be very dim at times, that’s all I can say.’

  ‘You mustn’t blame him, June. He only did what he thought was right. For him and for me,’ she added, because she didn’t want Adam taking the blame for this when it wasn’t his fault.

  ‘And the right thing to do is to send you home when you want to stay?’ June shook her head. ‘Sounds crazy to me, but who am I to comment? Anyway, have a safe journey and make sure you phone me when I get back so we can catch up on all the gossip.’

  ‘I will. Promise.’

  Kasey gave her a hug then got into the truck. Lester was driving her to the airfield and he was obviously keen to be on his way because he set off as soon as she’d slammed the door. She clung to the seat as they raced through the town. They bypassed the hospital and she quickly averted her eyes because she didn’t think she could bear it if she happened to see Adam as they passed the building. Last night had shown her how stupid it would be to hold out any hope that he might admit that he loved her. Now she had to concentrate on the future and start rebuilding her life. It wasn’t going to be easy but she would contact Shiloh when she got back and tell him that she was interested in returning to Mwuranda. If she filled every waking moment with work then she might just survive.

  The plane had already landed by the time they got to the airfield. Kasey got out of the truck and went to find her replacement, a man in his fifties called Ian Alexander. She introduced him to Lester then waved them off on their way back to the hospital. It was all over and done with in a couple of minutes and she felt a little deflated about how easy the switch had been made. Come tomorrow, she would be just a memory as the team got used to working with their new anaesthetist.

  The crew were supervising the cargo being unloaded so she went to speak to them rather than dwell on that thought. They were obviously busy so she merely informed them she was there. Several trucks were lined up near the cargo doors so she sat on her haversack and watched as the goods were loaded onto them and ferried away. She was still sitting there when there was a burst of gunfire and all hell broke out as the soldiers, who were guarding the airfield, started racing across the tarmac.

  Kasey jumped to her feet and ran towards the plane, seeking cover, but one of the crew intercepted her.

  ‘Don’t go in there. If they start firing at the plane it could explode,’ he shouted, pointing towards a tanker that was in the process of refuelling the aircraft.

  ‘What should we do?’

  ‘Get as far away from the plane as possible. And keep your head down!’

  He raced away, heading towards the run-down terminal building, and she ran after him. Bullets were whining overhead and she ducked when one whizzed past her ear then gasped when she saw the man in front of her suddenly fall to the ground. He was clutching his leg so she knew he must have been hit, but there were shots coming from all directions now.

  Dropping to the ground, Kasey crawled towards him. His leg was bleeding heavily and she could see a shard of bone sticking out of the flesh. Taking off her shirt, she managed to tie it around his leg as a makeshift pressure bandage but he was in a bad way.

  ‘We have to get you inside so I can look at your leg,’ she shouted over the roar of gunfire. ‘Can you crawl to the terminal? It’s the only bit of cover around here, I’m afraid.’

  ‘I’ll try.’

  The man’s face contorted with pain as he began to inch his way across the stony ground. He made slow progress and Kasey shot a desperate look behind her, hoping that someone would come and help them, but everyone else had taken cover now. All she could see—and hear—were the soldiers responding to the enemy’s fire.

  It was the most scary ten minutes of her entire life and she was drenched with sweat by the time they crawled inside the empty building. She kicked the door shut behind them and helped the crewman crawl behind the reception desk. It would be safer there if anyone started shooting at the building. Her shirt was already soaked through with blood so she stripped it off his leg then helped him out of his T-shirt so she could use it to staunch the bleeding.

  ‘I want you to stay as still as possible,’ she instructed, wadding the T-shirt into a ball and placing it over the wound in his leg. Taking off her belt, she used it to bind the pad in place, being careful not to put any pressure on the broken ends of bone.

  She wiped her bloody hands down her jeans and nodded. ‘That should help to control the blood loss if you don’t move about too much.’

  ‘I don’t feel much in the mood for dancing,’ he said wryly, and she laughed.

  ‘I’m sure you don’t. I’m Kasey Harris, by the way. I’m a doctor.’

  ‘At least I found the right person to get holed up with.’ He held out his hand and grinned at her. ‘Andy Burton. I am—or rather I was—the navigator.’

  ‘Nice to meet you, Andy, although the circumstances could have been better.’ Kasey shook hands then checked his leg. The pressure pad seemed to be working because there was a lot less blood flowing from it.

  ‘That’s not looking too bad now so just stay there while I see if I can find you something to drink. We need to keep your fluid levels up.’

  ‘OK, but be careful. Keep well away from the windows.’

  ‘Will do.’

  Kasey crawled out from behind the counter and cautiously stood up. There wasn’t much left inside the building but she could see an old vending machine in the corner which looked as though it still contained some cans of lemonade. Bending double, she made her way towards it, taking care that she wasn’t seen as she passed in front of the windows. The battle was still raging outside but, thankfully, the action seemed to be confined to the area surrounding the plane now. With a bit of luck the soldiers would be able to hold off the rebels until reinforcements arrived.

  The vending machine did, indeed, contain some cans of drink. The only problem was getting at them. Kasey tried thumping the machine a couple of times but it didn’t achieve very much. In the end she had to resort to smashing the glass panel in the front which she did with the aid of an old plant pot which she found in the corner.

  ‘I like your style.’ Andy grinned when she returned with a couple of cans of cola tucked into each pocket. ‘Why be boring and put money in the slot if you can smash your way in?’

  ‘So long as you can vouch that it was necessary,’ she retorted. ‘It won’t do a lot for my reputation if I get charged with stealing!’

  She popped the tab on one of the cans and handed it to him then checked his leg again, paying particular attention to the pulse in his ankle because she wanted to be sure the artery hadn’t been compromised. Fortunately, she could feel a fairly strong pulse there so that was one less thing to worry about, although continued blood loss was going to be a problem. Although the bleeding had slowed, it hadn’t stopped completely and her main concern was the length of time they would be holed up in the terminal building.

  She popped the top off another can of cola and allowed herself a small sip of the tepid liquid before she placed the can safely on a shelf. Andy might need it more than she did although, hopefully, they would be rescued before it became an issue. News of the attack must have spread by now and the army would send reinforcements so they just needed to be patient and wait for help to arrive.r />
  Just for a moment she wondered what would happen if nobody came to help them. The rebel fighters had a reputation for being ruthless and she couldn’t imagine they would spare much thought for her and Andy. All of a sudden she found herself wishing that she’d told Adam that she loved him when she’d had the chance. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to hear it last night but she would have felt so much better knowing that she’d told him the truth. Now she was overwhelmed with regret that she might never get the chance to tell him how she felt.

  Adam was in Theatre when he heard about the attack on the airfield. June had popped back to the hospital to fetch some more dressings and she came rushing back with the news.

  ‘When did it happen?’ he demanded.

  ‘About an hour ago,’ June explained, glancing worriedly at the clock.

  ‘So the plane hadn’t taken off when the rebels attacked,’ he bit out.

  ‘No. It was still being unloaded. They think the rebel forces were after the cargo.’

  June bit her lip and Adam could see the same fear in her eyes that must be in his. They both knew that the rebel fighters would stop at nothing to get at the cargo and the thought of Kasey being caught in the crossfire was too much to bear. It was only the fact that he couldn’t afford to let his emotions get the better of him when he was in the middle of an operation that kept him focused.

  He turned to Daniel and began to rap out orders. ‘I want to get this sorted out a.s.a.p. so let’s make sure that nothing holds us up.’

  Daniel nodded as Adam bent over the table and carried on with a steely determination, refusing to allow himself to imagine what might be happening at the airfield. He wouldn’t be able to function if he thought about the danger Kasey was in. It took fifteen minutes before he was able to sew up and they were the longest fifteen minutes of his life.

  He dragged off his mask and headed for the exit and nobody tried to stop him. His gloves went into the waste sack, his gown into the hamper then he was outside. The Jeep was parked in front of the hospital so he got in and started the engine, gripping the steering-wheel as all the images he’d kept at bay suddenly crowded into his head: Kasey cowering beneath a hail of bullets; lying injured and bleeding; maybe…

  ‘No!’

  He wasn’t aware that he’d shouted the word out loud because he was no longer functioning on a rational level. All he could think about was getting to Kasey before something terrible happened to her. He’d sent her to the airfield that day and he’d put her in danger. He wouldn’t want to carry on living if anything happened to her because there would be no point. If Kasey died, his life may as well be over.

  Afterwards, he remembered nothing of the drive to the airfield: one minute he’d set off and the next he was there. There was a road block around the perimeter gates, with armed soldiers manning the barrier, but he drove straight through it, hearing the ricochet of bullets bouncing off the back of the Jeep as they fired at him. He could see the plane sitting on the apron and hear gunfire echoing across the airfield but it seemed to be happening at a distance. He couldn’t see Kasey and that was the only thing that mattered—finding her and making sure she was alive.

  An armed vehicle suddenly appeared on his right and he had to swerve to avoid it, but it kept on coming, forcing him towards the fence so that he had to stop. Adam jumped out and strode over to it, ignoring the gun that was pointed straight at his chest.

  ‘I’m a doctor from the hospital. One of my staff is here and I want to know where she is.’

  The soldier looked uncertainly at him, unsure what to do in the face of authority. ‘There is a woman and a man in the terminal,’ he said at last.

  He pointed towards a run-down building near the edge of the runway but Adam was already racing back to the Jeep. He put his foot flat on the accelerator and raced across the airfield, swerving to a halt outside the terminal building. He could hear shots being fired but he didn’t know if they were being fired at him and didn’t care. Kasey was inside and he had to be with her!

  He shouldered the door open and there she was, sitting on the floor behind the counter, her clothes covered in blood. She gasped when he appeared and he heard her say his name but he didn’t wait to hear anything else.

  Dropping to his knees, he hauled her into his arms and kissed her—kissed her with every scrap of pent-up fear, kissed her with every scrap of love, and the next moment she was kissing him back and everything that had been so terribly wrong a moment before was suddenly all right.

  ‘I love you,’ he ground out when he raised his head, and she laughed shakily.

  ‘You chose one heck of a moment to tell me that!’

  ‘I can’t think of a better one, can you?’

  ‘No, I can’t,’ she whispered, touching his cheek as though she needed the contact more than anything else.

  Adam turned his head so he could press his lips into her palm, wondering if there would ever be a more glorious moment than this. ‘I love you,’ he repeated, softly and with such sincerity that his own eyes filled with tears as well as hers.

  ‘And I love you, too,’ she said, smiling at him even though there were tears streaming down her face.

  All of a sudden they were clinging to each other, holding on tight because they both knew how close they’d come to losing one another. It was another wonderful moment, and he had no idea what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted.

  ‘I hate to break up this very touching reunion, folks, but I think the shooting may have stopped. How about we get out of here so you can continue this in private?’

  Adam glanced at the man lying beside Kasey and chuckled. ‘I don’t know who you are but I can tell we’re going to be friends because we’re on the same wave length!’

  He stood up, holding out his hand to help Kasey to her feet. ‘I’ve got the Jeep outside. Stay there while I check what’s happening.’

  ‘Be careful, Adam,’ she said, clinging to his hand.

  ‘I will.’

  He kissed the tip of her nose then took a deep breath before he cautiously opened the door and even more cautiously peered out. He didn’t need the warning because he had no intention of taking any more risks that day. He had too much to look forward to now to take any more chances!

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ‘WHERE is everybody?’

  ‘Out.’

  Kasey grinned when she saw the surprise on Adam’s face. It was midday and they’d just got back to the hostel after operating on Andy Burton’s leg. Despite the extensive blood loss, it had gone extremely well and Andy was now comfortably ensconced in the main ward. She wasn’t sure what he had told the others but obviously some mention had been made about her and Adam’s reunion because June had been grinning like a Cheshire cat when she’d waved them off. Now Kasey chuckled as she slipped her arm into Adam’s and snuggled against him.

  ‘I think our patient might have said something so everyone is trying to be tactful by giving us some time on our own.’

  ‘Oh, I see. Nice chap, that, has a sound grasp of what’s important, hasn’t he?’ He swung her round to face him and kissed her on the mouth, sighing when she immediately responded. ‘Mmm, that feels so good. It’s the sort of medicine that cures a lot of ailments.’

  ‘Sore toes as well as broken hearts,’ she suggested, laughing up at him.

  ‘Probably, although I can only vouch for the latter at the moment.’ He kissed her again then led her over to the couch and sat down, pulling her onto his knees. ‘Have I told you that I love you, Kasey Harris?’

  ‘You may have mentioned it but you can always refresh my memory if you’re so inclined.’

  ‘Oh, I’m very much inclined,’ he growled, kissing her with a hunger that soon had her clinging to him.

  ‘We really need to do something about that,’ she said dreamily a short time later. ‘Inclinations as strong as those need attending to poste-haste.’

  ‘And they will be attended to if I have my way but first I want to clear up
a few things.’

  ‘Uh-oh! I’m not sure I like the sound of that.’ She drew back and looked at him. ‘Actions seem to work best for us, Adam, so why don’t we stick to that for now?’

  ‘Because I don’t want anything to spoil what we have. It’s too precious to take any risks with. You are too precious, my love.’

  ‘Oh, darling!’ She kissed him on the mouth, wishing there was some way she could make up for all the pain she’d caused him. ‘I’m so sorry about what I did to you. I know I told you that last night but it needs repeating. I never expected it to have such devastating consequences for either of us.’

  ‘It was devastating,’ he said truthfully. ‘I loved you so much and when you told me that you’d deliberately led me on and why it was like a kick in the teeth. That’s why I said all those awful things to you at the time, and I’m so sorry about that—’

  ‘Don’t! I deserved everything I got. I hurt you and it wasn’t fair because you never set out to ruin Keiran’s life.’

  ‘So you do really believe that? In your head as well as your heart, I mean?’

  ‘Yes.’

  She heard the anxiety in his voice and knew how important her answer was to him, but he needn’t have worried because she no longer had any doubts. What had happened that day had simply reinforced her view that Adam would never have behaved so cruelly towards her brother.

  ‘I’m absolutely sure. It just isn’t in your nature to behave so callously. What you said to Keiran was said with the best of intentions and when I next speak to him, I shall make sure we clear up the situation once and for all.’

  ‘I don’t want you falling out with him because of me,’ he said in concern. ‘I know how much Keiran means to you.’

  ‘He does. He’s my brother and I love him very much, but he needs to face the truth just as I did.’

  ‘Maybe he didn’t intentionally mislead you.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘That Keiran wasn’t really himself at the time.’ He sighed. ‘He probably did things which would be alien to him normally.’