“We couldn’t find Gholam in the village,” Buck informed Megan. The Marine stood in the doorway of the emptied clinic.
“Is that good news?” Megan asked. She had two more men to examine and then she could go back to the Marine compound with the sergeant.
“I’m not sure,” he drawled, studying the closed clinic door. “There are Taliban sympathizers here in this village.”
“Mina was worried about that, too,” Megan said, applying antibiotic to a man’s right foot. Crouching down, she bandaged the wound. “Is the Marine platoon still up on the mountain?”
“Yeah.”
“What have they been finding?”
“They’re just keeping a presence on the mountain, that’s all. It’s a way to tell the Taliban we’re here to stay. And if Gholam’s still alive, it sends him a message he’s not welcome on this side of it.”
Megan grimaced. “I wish we knew where he was.”
“Makes two of us,” Buck said, resting the butt of his rifle on his left hip. “My gut tells me he’s alive and well. Men like him are like starved wolves. They know how to survive anything.”
“Is there any shooting up on that mountain?” She worried that snipers might be in place to pick off the Marines.
“No, it’s quiet.”
“That’s good,” Megan whispered.
“How about I come back at 1700 and pick you up?” Buck asked.
“That’s fine. I’ve got two more patients.” Glancing up, Megan pointed to several boxes in a corner. “The medevac brought me more supplies. I need time to unpack them and get them in the locked cabinets before I leave.”
Nodding, the sergeant said, “Okay, I’m taking the two Marine guards I stationed here this morning and we’re going to make one last search of the village for Gholam. We’ll be back at 1700.”
Megan finished helping her last patient and hurried to unpack the boxes of supplies. She had her medical bag sitting on the gurney next to the drug cabinet. Already, she’d refilled it with medical items. In a half hour, Buck would drive up in the Humvee.
The drugs were well packed. She automatically pulled morphine, several types of antibiotics and other medications and placed them in special compartments within her knapsack. Megan swiftly put the bottles back in alphabetical order on the shelves. Done! After locking the cabinet, she pocketed the key.
There was a sound behind her.
Frowning, Megan turned. And then gasped.
Standing in front of her, grinning, was Jabbar Gholam and two of his Taliban soldiers. Their weapons were pointed directly at her.
“You are Megan?” Jabbar demanded in Pashto.
Heart pounding, she stared into his black eyes. She recognized Gholam from the picture that had circulated yesterday. “Yes, I am,” she returned in the same language.
His thin lips twitched beneath his fuzzy black beard. “Come with us. Now.” He pointed toward the rear door to the clinic. “And bring your medical bag.”
Mind stunned with shock, Megan hesitated. Gholam was barely five feet five inches tall, thin and reminded her of a starving, angry dog. What should she do? What could she do? The rifles were pointed at her. She’d already put on her Kevlar, but her rifle was in the kitchen. Should she scream for Mina? It was doubtful the woman would hear her. And even if she did, Megan was afraid this dangerous Taliban leader would kill her, too.
“Pick up your bag,” Gholam ordered impatiently.
“Where are you taking me?”
“You have no right to talk to me, woman.” He jabbed a finger at her pack on the gurney. “Pick it up.”
The icy rage in his guttural tone spurred Megan into action. “Okay,” she said, grabbing the pack.
“Wear it.”
Megan slid the straps of the medical bag across her shoulders. Terror moved through her. What was Gholam going to do with her? The eyes of the three men projected pure hatred. “Now what?”
“Come with me.” Gholam gestured sharply toward the rear door.
Megan remained anchored to the spot.
“Move or I’ll tell my men to shoot you where you stand.”
The two soldiers prepared to shoot her.
“Okay,” she said and headed toward the wooden door at the rear of the clinic.
Outside, the two soldiers grabbed her arms, hauling her toward a group of awaiting horses and two other soldiers. Shoved roughly, Megan was ordered to mount up on a scrawny bay horse. Her hands were tied tightly in front of her and she was attached to a long rope. It was handed to the leader. Gholam grinned unevenly as he moved his stallion close to the Megan’s gelding.
“I hope you know how to ride, because we’re going to move quickly.” He glanced toward the opened gate that led out to the creek and valley. “One word, one cry for help, and the man riding behind you will shoot you in the head. Do you understand?”
Gripping the leather reins of the horse, Megan nodded. There were five men. Where had the horses come from? She didn’t know. The sun was sliding behind the western mountains. Another man on a bay horse rode up beside her. He took out a curved knife and grabbed her shoulder, nearly unseating her. In seconds, he’d sliced the cord to her radio and ripped it off her shoulder.
“Let’s go,” Jabbar growled to his men. He turned his stallion around, laying his heels into the animal’s flanks.
Megan was jerked forward as the gelding rapidly broke into a gallop. They made a mad dash though a back street of the village. Would anyone see her? Would they warn the Marines and let them know she was being kidnapped?
They rode hard out the gate, the horses pounding down a dirt road toward the slope of another mountain. Megan’s mind whirled. Unfamiliar with the area, she could only cling to the saddle, her fingers entwined in the horse’s long black mane. She hadn’t ridden since she was a child, and the hard wooden saddle seat was harsh against her backside. Only the thin rope stirrups helped keep her on top of the fleeing horse.
Within fifteen minutes, the group was hidden by towering trees that followed the trickle of a stream between two larger hills. Gholam slowed his horse to a trot and they wove ever higher, the dirt path becoming narrower and rockier as they continuously climbed. Many times in the next hour, Megan nearly fell off her gelding as the animal slipped on the shale and loose gravel.
They rode into the night. Megan’s hope of rescue died with the last of the light. Above, thousands of stars twinkled and observed her below. She had no idea where she was, only that the horses labored mightily along a path in the shadow of a mountain. The air had turned cold.
The soldiers never rested, and they whipped their horses to keep them moving. The animals were clearly exhausted, stumbling, their heads down as they labored up the mountain slope.
Where was she? She looked around, but saw nothing but darkness. By now, Buck must know she was gone. Would the villagers tell him what they’d seen? As she closed her eyes for a moment, tears froze on her lashes, the chill of the mountain well below freezing at this altitude.
Her legs were raw and she felt shaky as they crested a slope. For a moment, Jabbar halted. She saw he had night-vision goggles on. No one talked. The horses grunted and breathed heavily, trying to catch their breath from the brutal climb.
Megan turned to scan the sky. She couldn’t hear any Apaches coming to rescue her. There were no lights far below in the valley. It was as if nothing existed in that moment—except her kidnappers.
Her mouth was dry. Her throat ached with unshed tears of fear. Thirsty. She was dying for some water. Yet no one in the group had any bottles or canteens on them. She wondered how the horses were managing in this situation. And then her heart turned to Luke.
Megan rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t be seen crying. As she lifted her head, the Taliban leader kicked his horse and they started downward on an u
nseen path.
In her mind’s eye, she saw Luke’s rugged face, his eyes tender with love for her. More than anything, Megan regretted never telling him she loved him. Now it was too late....
Chapter 14
Luke stumbled, exhausted. Sunset was less than an hour away. Every Marine in the platoon was silent as they followed the goat trails down the mountain. The threat of retaliation never came, thank God.
A few scraggly groves of trees survived the massive B-52 bombing. Huge craters were dug, spewing debris, mostly rocks, all over the forbidding landscape. It reminded him of a barren moonscape. The wind was cold at this altitude and Luke had to get two of the Marines into their gloves because of frostbite. This was a harsh, unforgiving land.
Halfway down the slope, they moved onto an easier path, one used more often by the many goat herds. Sergeant Troy Archer gestured sharply for him to come up front. Moving carefully, Luke squeezed in and out of the line of Marines. Based on Archer’s expression, something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
“What’s up?” Luke asked, hurrying to catch up with the long-striding sergeant.
“I just got a call from Cap’n Hall. Mina Khan sent a farmer up to our compound to tell us she can’t find Megan at the clinic.”
Eyes widening, Luke exploded, “What are you talking about?” He knew there was worry about the Taliban still hiding in the village. His heart wrenched with terror.
“I don’t know any more than this. The cap’n is sending a column of Humvees with Lieutenant Speed to the village right now.” His mouth turned downward.
Luke felt as if someone had just hit him in the chest with a sledgehammer. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. “But she had two Marines protecting her.”
“We’ve got to get more intel. I’m sorry.” He clapped his hand over Luke’s shoulder.
“Maybe...maybe Megan’s made a house call? She’s done that before with the elderly.” Desperation leaked though his hoarse voice. Luke stared hard down at the village in the center of the valley. Two miles away stood their huge military compound. He noticed four Humvees on the road crawling along.
“We don’t know,” Archer said.
Shock rolled through Luke. He stopped and looked around on the surrounding mountains. What if Megan had been kidnapped? The Taliban would seek revenge for the bombing. Was this their retaliation? Wiping his mouth, he muttered, “I wish we had a SEAL team nearby.”
Archer nodded and increased the speed of his stride. The path was wide enough for both of them. “Cap’n told me he was asking for a four-man SEAL team from Bagram.”
“Then he thinks Megan was kidnapped,” Luke said, his mind in chaos. “That she’s with a group of Taliban going somewhere.” He tried to stop the terror from eating him into oblivion, but people were kidnapped for two reasons in Afghanistan. Either for money and the person was returned unharmed, or they were kidnapped for political reasons.
He couldn’t erase the possibility Megan had been kidnapped and would show up on a video being decapitated. His stomach clenched hard.
“Don’t go there,” Buck growled. “Just chill out. The SEAL team is on its way right now.” He looked down at his watch. “They’ll arrive about the time we get to the compound, an hour from now.”
The SEALs were the only ones who had the ability to help in this situation. Luke knew from working with the Navy teams that they had the focus, lethal training and tracking ability that could make a difference in finding Megan. He wanted to run now. Run down this damn mountain, run to the village to find out from Mina what had happened.
* * *
“Luke!” Mina rushed forward as he appeared at the door to the clinic in the village. Night had fallen and she had lit several oil lamps in the room.
As he greeted Mina, he could see the tears in her eyes. “No one’s found Megan?” he asked. He’d been listening to all the radio exchanges on the mountain. The farmers and Marines were scouring every place within their walled village.
“No. I’m so sorry, Luke!” She rushed over and sobbed. “Lieutenant Speed and the Marines have searched every home in our village. Megan has not been found.”
Grimly, he looked around for signs of a fight. Everything seemed in order. “Did any of your villagers see anything?”
“No, not that we know of.”
“What do you think happened?”
“I think she was kidnapped. She was here by herself the last hour. Sergeant Buck took the two Marines to continue looking for Gholam in our village. We both felt sure she would be safe for that hour.” Sobbing, tears leaked from her eyes. “I was wrong. I know you love her and she loves you.” Looking around, Mina pulled the dark red scarf up over her hair. “I should have told Sergeant Buck to allow them to stay. If they had, this wouldn’t have happened.” There was real sorrow in Mina’s voice.
But he didn’t have time to comfort her since he was crazed over Megan’s disappearance. Luke saw a small, thin farmer come in the door. Behind him were Lieutenant Speed and two other Marines. None of them looked happy.
“Good that you’re here,” the lieutenant said to Luke. He pushed the farmer forward into the clinic. “You speak Pashto. Ask this bastard what he knows. Another family gave this dude up. He saw what happened.” Speed glowered at the defiant farmer, who stood in a dirty white turban and dark clothes.
Luke moved forward, wrestling with his own emotions. The look on the farmer’s face was one of hatred toward the Marines. Luke had seen this look too many times before. Before he could open his mouth, Mina stepped forward. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin to an imperious angle and kept her gaze on the farmer.
“What did you see?” she demanded.
“Jabbar Gholam and his soldiers came in here,” the farmer said in a gloating tone, pointing his finger toward the door. “They took the American infidel with them. Out the back door.”
Luke’s heart lurched in his chest, but he remained motionless. Mina was doing the hard work and he was grateful.
“Where were they taking her?”
The farmer frowned, as if considering not speaking, but Mina moved closer to him, her gaze angry. Finally, he spoke. “As you know, my lady, Lord Gholam’s wife, Tahira, is pregnant. She is having problems and he came over here to kidnap the American woman medic because only she can work with another woman under Muslim law.”
Some of Luke’s terror abated, and he jerked a look toward Mina, whose expression conveyed surprise and relief. He waited for Mina to ask the next question.
“And that is the only reason he kidnapped Megan?” she demanded.
The man screwed up his face in a sneer. “The Marines have killed hundreds of our people! I do not know Lord Gholam’s plans. I only know he needed medical help for his wife.”
“Thank you,” Mina said, then turned to Luke. “This is good news. I thought Jabbar took her as an act of revenge for the bombing.”
Luke heard the lieutenant order the Marines to take the farmer away for more questioning at the compound. Speed came back and stood with them, a worried look on his face.
When the three of them were alone, Mina spoke in English to them. Giving Speed the information, she added, “I just finished a visit over there and Tahira is in her eighth month of pregnancy. She isn’t well, but the old woman who helped the women of the village died two months ago. They have no other midwife.”
Speed rubbed his jaw. “So is this not an act of revenge against us?”
Mina wrung her hands. “I don’t think so. Jabbar is ruthless. He’s unpredictable and cruel. The only people he loves are his beloved wife and his two sons.”
Luke dragged in a deep breath. “This isn’t good. Megan is skilled in all types of emergency medicine, but she’s not a specialist in pregnancy issues. Jabbar doesn’t know that. And it puts Megan in danger.”
&nbs
p; “She’s in danger, anyway,” Speed muttered, pacing the floor.
“Lieutenant, as long as Tahira is alive, he won’t kill her. That is my opinion.”
Luke cursed to himself. “Mina, do you know what’s wrong with Tahira?”
Sorrowfully, Mina shook her head. “I do not. She only said she was uncomfortable and bleeding a little.”
“She’s bleeding?” Luke asked, alarmed.
“Yes, a little.”
“How long?”
“For the last two months. It’s a small amount, though.”
Luke knew Tahira was in serious medical trouble. There was little Megan could do to help her.
Speed drilled a look at him. “What does that mean, Doc?”
“It’s called placenta previa. It’s a condition that occurs usually in the last trimester of pregnancy. The placenta literally is being torn away from the wall of the uterus. She will bleed a little or a lot. And by the description, it sounds like Tahira’s condition.”
“What’s the outcome?” Speed demanded, scowling.
“Tahira is a ticking time bomb,” Luke told him. “If the placenta continues to tear away slowly, she may be able to carry the baby to near term. The real problem is when she goes into labor, the muscle contractions can quickly tear the placenta completely away from the wall of the uterus at a moment’s notice. Tahira could bleed out and die in three minutes and her baby could die along within her.”
“Oh, no,” Mina cried, her eyes growing huge.
“Damn it,” Speed snarled, pacing again. He stared at Luke. “Can you tell me how stable or unstable this woman is right now?”
Shaking his head, Luke muttered, “No way. I’d need a lot more information, sir.”
“You got any ideas on how we can stop this from happening?”
Beyond Valor Page 19
