by Holden, Abby
"Why?"
Jake thought about it. He knew several snipers in the Rangers and he had never asked them. His team, when he was a spotter, had never been assigned a killing. He'd taken out inanimate objects, trucks, planes, even a satellite dish. Still, he knew of several that had been called on to exercise their training to its fullest potential at military targets. It never bothered him about his buddies. Why does it bother me about her? His eyes met hers. "I don't know."
Megan looked down at the ground. "Maybe too many. I can handle some of them easily enough. Some of the people I've killed were monsters and that's easy to justify, but there are some that I don't understand."
"Like Masood's relative?"
She shrugged. "I understand the reason, I guess, but…" She drifted off. It was a few seconds before she spoke. "In answer to your question, yeah. Each and every one of them bothers me. Sometimes late at night or in my dreams, I see them." Megan flicked dirt off of her pant leg. "Sometimes it's hard."
The rain continued unrelenting as the two fell silent. The darkness came quickly under the storm but neither moved to eat. The ground was soggy under the tarp and everything felt wet.
"Look at it this way, maybe we could build an ark," Jake said with a grin at her, breaking the silence and tension.
Megan laughed. She laughed holding her sides until she cried.
Jake eventually joined in.
The wind picked up, plummeting the temperature. Megan pulled her outer coat and emergency blanket around her. Hugging her legs, she rocked slightly.
Jake looked up from his lounged position. He wasn't cold yet, his silver, thin, emergency blanket still in his pack. With a quick move, he grabbed the pack from under his head. "Megan."
She lifted her eyes.
Jake patted the ground next to him. "Temps are dropping. We're wet and we don't want to get cold." He scooted out from his place, laid his foil blanket on the ground then resumed his place. "Climb on. We'll cover up with yours and conserve body heat."
Megan narrowed her eyes. "No."
"Seriously, Chief. No hanky-panky. You aren't completely well. I'm pumping out heat here and you're already two shades of cold. Survival mode." Jake held out his left arm for her to cuddle in close. His right hand he held up as if in court. "I swear."
Megan frowned. "So help me…"
Jake grinned, still waiting. "Come on. Harding will drum me out, if you catch your death of cold."
Megan relented and was soon cuddled up in his warm embrace. She shivered and involuntarily, snuggled closer.
"See."
"You make a good furnace."
Jake chuckled. "I could make your furnace burn."
"Knock it off. I told you that can't happen."
"I know what you said." He pulled her in tighter with his arm. "Just relax. You take the first sleep." It took everything in his being to stop his normal reaction to having a woman in his arms, especially this beautiful woman. He gave her arm a gentle caress.
Megan closed her eyes and shivered again.
Jake smiled. This time he knew it wasn't from the cold.
***
Megan sat contemplating the situation. It was after daybreak but the storm clouds were still hanging on. Could Cowboy make it in today? If the clouds gave up more rain this morning and the storm didn't regenerate, maybe. Or should we walk to the road and hope for a friendly pickup? She frowned.
No. We'll give Cowboy one try at a pickup. Worst case, we'll start walking and at intervals call out via a beeper radio for Cowboy, if he's in the area. She almost smiled. The radio was small and concealed in her outer jacket collar, a precaution that no one knew about except Cowboy. It was to be used as a last resort only.
Jake's movement next to her caused her to look down at the sleeping man. He wouldn't be asleep for long, he was probably entering his last stage of REM sleep because he was getting restless. Something he would need to work on if he worked for the Agency. All good agents, those that survived any length of time, learned the trick of waking without telltale signs. Her Dad had taught her that at the age of eleven.
Still, she doubted if he would actually sign up. She was surprised that he had gone for working at White Pine. When they had proposed it and asked her opinion, she had told them he'd refuse, but he obviously had a reason for joining the organization. Maybe he would surprise her and join the Agency.
She sighed. It didn't matter. This is my last rotation. If, if I continue on the job, I'm not leaving the States, so help me God. And I have the pull and seniority to make that demand.
Her eyes panned the area near them. There was no movement of anything, even animals. A natural quiet settled over the area as the day began to assert itself still under dark, stormy clouds.
"Morning, Chief."
Megan glanced down to see a set of blue eyes looking up at her. "Yeah."
"Anything?" He glanced around without getting up, his head lying near her thigh.
Megan shook her head. "All's quiet on the meadow front."
He sat up part way. "How's the cloud front?"
"Heavy."
As he scratched his chest, he sat all the way up. "At least the storm provided us with plenty of water." He glanced around the immediate area. With a quick move, he stepped out from under the tarp and headed to a huge rock that they were using as a bathroom.
Megan grinned after he rounded the rock. She watched his waking with glee. It was always fun to watch men wake up.
"Something funny I should know about, Chief?" Jake asked as he sat back down.
Megan blushed as she handed him the canteen. "Nope."
Jake chuckled. "Sure." After drinking, he handed her one of the last food packs. "Here."
Megan broke it in half and handed it back, then broke the half in her hand in half again. "We'd better conserve. If this doesn't break, we'll have to hoof it out. Frankly, I'd rather have extra food for the march. Besides, I'm on a diet."
Jake chuckled again, took the half and put it away in the pack. He then took the part that Megan held out for him. Together they ate in silence. After they finished, Jake turned to her. "So, what's the game plan?"
"What do you think?"
"Doesn't matter. You're in charge." Jake gave her a wry grin.
"Now you start to obey me."
His grin got bigger.
"Still, I want your opinion."
"But you've already decided haven't you?"
"So?"
Jake nodded. "Okay." He glanced around the whole visible valley. "I say we stick it out one more night. If Cowboy can't make it in, we head toward one of the main roads. The military patrols it occasionally. Or we may get lucky and hitch a ride." Jake rested his eyes on Megan. "Well, did I pass the test?"
Megan smirked. "Smart ass."
***
The day drug out only as it can when you're waiting for something, like Christmas morning to open presents. They were cold, tired and hungry. They talked only in short spurts, not knowing how far the sound would travel.
It was mid-afternoon when their eyes met. Simultaneously they smiled at each other. They were sitting side by side under the tarp. Off and on all day the storm had dumped on them. Right now there was a break in the wet. And even though they were under the tarp, both were soaked to their skins.
Jake reached out and took her hand in his. "I know a way to pass the time."
"I bet you do," Megan replied without retracting her hand.
"No one would ever know."
Megan said nothing but her pulse was elevated and she knew she was getting wet in all the right places, which had nothing to do with the rain.
"A chance of a lifetime."
Megan glanced down as he began to gently rub her hand. The gentle massage was causing explosions in parts of her body, explosions she couldn't ignore. She squirmed a bit and glanced out into the meadow.
Jake reached with his other hand and brought her face back to look at him. He held her chin. "I felt the same in Iraq. Let it
happen. Right now."
Megan knew she had lost as she looked into those piercing blue eyes. Even the voices that usually yelled at her in her head were strangely quiet.
Jake leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips with his.
Megan responded by gripping his head and exploring his mouth. He replied in kind and the explosions in her body went off like fireworks. The fire blazed hot in her as he gently laid her on the ground, the mud under her providing a surprisingly soft surface.
A dirty finger traced her jaw as the kiss lengthened. Megan's own dirty hands were enjoying themselves in his light brown hair, massaging and groping. She brought both hands down onto his chest and his hands helped take off his body armor. It fell to the side with a squish in the mud. Her hands started unbuttoning his shirt, to find another barrier of t-shirt.
Jake had her coat already unbuttoned as they greedily lip locked each other.
She started pulling his shirt up, rubbing his chest en route. As he fumbled with her body armor, she quickly and efficiently released the Velcro straps on one side to help him. Within seconds, her body armor followed his onto the muddy mess next to the silver blanket.
They broke the kiss long enough for both to take off their black T-shirts. As they did, Megan stared into his blue globes. Before her shirt was all the way off, his hands were exploring her chest through her black bra.
Megan arched her chest toward him as he twirled her erect nipples between his finger and thumb. A moan escaped her lips involuntarily. She gripped his head and pulled him back into a mouth-exploring kiss.
Jake's right hand pushed the bra off of her breasts and exposed them to the air. He broke the kiss long enough to glance down.
Megan smiled as his eyes took in her tighter than a virgin's nipples. They were dark pink and topped her small breasts like a crown.
Jake grinned back. "Beautiful."
"I'm glad you like."
His head moved down and took the right nipple into his mouth.
Megan groaned at the slightly painful, playful nip he gave it. His teeth putting pressure on the sensitive end making her lay her head back in pleasure. She did so miss this.
Her hands weren't still either. She slid her hands down his chest, rippling over the washboard abs and over his pants. As she gave the turgid organ a rub, he massaged her left breast with his hands and let up on her right nipple with his mouth. His tongue flicked at the now extremely sensitive nib.
A soft squish caught her attention, but Jake had moved his body so that she had a better angle to grope his growing erection. Another moan escaped her lips as his left hand started to descend to her lower region. His fingertips circled lightly on her hard stomach, making her wiggle in pleasure.
A loud click snapped her back to reality.
Jake's hands froze.
Megan's eyes focused on a gun barrel two inches from her face.
CHAPTER 13
Seconds became hours.
In her hand, Jake's erection softened as though a floodgate had opened. Her attention switched from the black, endless hole of the gun barrel, she recognized it as a AK-47, to the one pressed into the back of Jake's head.
Megan's eyes flashed to Jake's. The blue was deep as though they had dropped into his stomach. A look of 'fuck' filled his face as he was pulled off of her, their eyes still locked. Her own heart suddenly beat again, at six times its normal speed.
As she followed Jake's body with her head, a gun barrel pressed into her nose, grabbing her attention instantly. With fingers and hands outstretched, she lay staring into the eyes of the strange man standing over her―her mind numb. Frozen.
Sounds off to the side jumped started her brain. Impact sounds. Flesh pounded. Guffs of air forcefully expelled. Grunts. Flesh hit again. A loud intake of air. Seconds of silence. Laughing.
Jake.
The beating seemed to last forever as she stared into the black eyes of the man over her. His smile changed from a warning to a sneer. As the beating off to the side continued, his smile increased. His eyes roamed her naked chest. The gun barrel lowered to between her breasts. The dark haired man's eyes changed again, this time to lust as his eyes studied her nipples.
A shout, in a dialect she didn't understand, pulled his eyes up and away even as he shoved the gun barrel harder into her chest, causing her to take shallow breaths. Her ears also detected that there were at least five or six guys standing around, and Jake's beating had stopped with the shout.
The voice got louder as it hesitated near where Jake was lying moaning. Then it continued giving instructions, as it got closer to her.
Megan swiveled her eyes up and to the left to see a new man standing over her. He ignored her half dressed state but stared into her eyes. A motion from him moved the gun toting man off. Another motion indicated that she should sit up.
Megan did, slowly. As she moved, she glanced toward Jake. Her eyes hardened as she took in his condition. Jake lay in a ball, moaning. Eyes closed. Hands hidden in his genital area. Three AK-47's pointed at him.
"Up."
Megan slowly stood.
This guy appeared to be in charge. He bent down and grabbed her outer coat then threw it to her. He rattled off more in his language. Another man came and pointed his AK-47 at her. The head guy bent down and began going through their packs.
Everything was examined then tossed onto the ground. Jake's pack was finished with the scope examined in more detail. This the head guy tossed to one of the men standing over Jake, who tucked it into the folds of his clothes.
Megan almost grimaced when the head guy picked up her pack. The first thing taken out was her rifle. She kept her face as neutral as possible. Shit! I love that rifle. I finally got it just how I…
The head guy growled and immediately headed to Jake's side. Grabbing Jake by the hair, he pulled him into an upright position. He shook Jake several times before McGrew opened his eyes to look at him. The leader growled in Jake's face for several minutes then stuck Megan's gun into his face still talking in a dialect. He switched to English. "You gun?"
When Jake refused to answer, the leader tossed him to the ground. In a swift motion, he slammed her gun butt into Jake's stomach eliciting a loud guff from the ex-military man. As the leader swung the gun to hit Jake in the face, one of the others yelled at him and pointed at Megan.
'Crap. Here it comes. I'm dead.' She finished buttoning her coat.
The leader twisted to look at her then with a swift step headed to Megan's side. He grabbed her by the coat collar and brought her up to his face, growling something in his language.
Megan shook her head that she didn't understand.
The leader tossed her to the ground.
Megan stayed down, looking up at him but not looking him in the eyes. Any protest by her would elicit a beating far worse than Jake's. Women were considered worthless and had no rights.
The leader growled in his language again as the rest of Megan's pack was searched. Nothing else of value was there except for the gillie suits and the rest of her ammo. He pointed once again at her.
The second gunman grabbed Megan by the hair and coat, hauling her to her feet. Roughly her pockets were searched. When nothing was found, the leader swung. The punch knocked Megan back to the ground.
Megan saw bright lights and shapes but hung onto consciousness. Her face now lay half submerged in the mud as the men over her began a discussion.
When she opened her eyes, she looked immediately toward Jake. He also lay half submerged in mud, but his eyes were riveted on her. The area around his eyes softened just a bit as her eyes focused on him. She looked up and around, but everyone was ignoring her. With a slight grin, she gave him a nod.
At that moment, Jake was grabbed and stood up. His hands were roughly tied behind his back. Twice the men, who were securing him, punched him, causing him to double over and almost fall. A black hood was placed over his head as he gave a quick glance back at Megan from his doubled over position.
&n
bsp; Megan was yanked up by her hair. Her hands were tied so tight behind her back that she could feel the circulation being cut off. She wiggled her hands a bit and a gun butt slammed into her back, knocking her down. Two more hits landed on her head and back before a shout stopped the beating.
She was stood again and a hood was put over her head. As it descended, she took a deep breath. It was now or never.
"Keep your head, Cupcake."
No sooner had the words left her mouth, the beating continued as she knew it would―one more to her face. She felt her lip split. She was just recovering from that one when a loud crack sounded in her ear.
***
When Megan woke again, she was laying in a room of some sort. This wasn't the first time she had become conscious, just the first time without the hood. Her eyes panned the area immediately in front of her. It was either an earth house or cave. She blinked her eyes trying to focus them. Taking a shallow breath, she took inventory of her body.
Her wrists were still bound behind her back, and she couldn't feel her hands. Her feet felt like they were unbound, and she managed to wiggle each slightly. Everywhere else hurt. Her back throbbed, as did her head. She scrunched up her face. There was something dried on the side of her face. Probably blood.
She moved her head and the walls began to pulsate. Not good. A concussion at least. She closed her eyes to stop the nausea. It helped only a little.
Her hearing detected no sound at all. It was dead quiet. She opened her eyes and tried her mouth, a metallic taste. Blood. Then she smelled something she couldn't identify. She sniffed again. I know this smell. What is it? Think. Earthy…stinky… She scrunched up her face. She knew what it was.
Dung. Animal shit.
She opened her eyes again for another look at her surroundings. Sure enough, it looked like a stable. She was near some sort of pile of animal waste. Scrunching up her face again, she tried to ignore the thoughts of what she might be laying in.
She moved in a snake like motion. It also moved her perspective so that she faced another direction. Yep, this was a stable of sorts, maybe a place to tie up a horse or donkey.
