by M A Comley
“But we’re talking about being interred in a different culture, where women are treated as second-class citizens the majority of the time. What makes you think you can just roll up in this God-forsaken country and extract your fiancé?”
“I hear what you’re saying, boss. I haven’t taken the decision lightly, I swear. You know as well as I do that I’m no ordinary woman. I have balls bigger than most men I know.” Kayli sniggered, trying to ease the tension that had built up in the room. She ran a hand over her face and brushed a stray hair behind her ear.
“I know determination when I see it. I also recognise that I’d be wasting my time trying to persuade you to reconsider. I’m on the fence about this one. I desperately want you to stay for selfish reasons and for your own safety. However, I totally understand your desire to be the one to rescue Mark. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t try and dissuade you, though, right?”
“I know. Believe me, if the tables were turned, I’d be saying exactly the same thing to you, ma’am. If I hadn’t been having these vivid dreams lately, I probably wouldn’t be considering taking the trip.” She placed her flattened hand over her heart and wiped away a stray tear with her other hand. “The pain here is too strong to deny. If I fail, at least I’ll know that I tried my very best for him. I won’t get that satisfaction staying around here.”
“But we’re talking about Afghanistan here, not the South of France.”
Kayli smiled and tried to remove her hand from the chief’s, but her boss held firm. “I know. The dangers will probably overwhelm me once I land in the country. All I know is that it wouldn’t be right for me to stay here when Mark needs me so badly.”
“Tell me about your dreams.”
Kayli shook her head. “I can’t. It’s too personal, ma’am.”
“Nonsense. I’m ordering you to tell me. Come on.”
Kayli’s head dropped to her chest. “I see him in chains, wasting away. He looks up at me and tells me they’re starving him to death. My heart leapt when Giles told me he’d been spotted. My hopes have been raised that he’s still alive. I should be satisfied with the news, but if anything, it’s made me even more determined to go out there. I’m not saying that it will be a successful mission, but in my heart and in my head, I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that I did all I could to help save him.”
“I truly understand. Come here.” DCI Davis stood up and pulled Kayli into her arms. At first, Kayli stiffened, objecting to the DCI’s sudden bout of soppiness, but then she relaxed into her arms and found herself sobbing for the next few minutes. Davis held her at arm’s-length and wiped away Kayli’s tears, her own eyes welling up with emotion. “I won’t stand in your way, and I willingly give you my blessing. I’ll sanction two weeks of emergency holiday time for you. Do you think that will be enough?”
Nodding, Kayli sniffed, and the DCI handed her a tissue from the box sitting on her desk. “I think so. Can I have the option to extend if I need to?”
“Of course. Now go, bring that wonderful man of yours home. I need to see the smile on your face again around here.”
“Gosh, I haven’t been that bad, have I?”
“No comment. Most of all, take care of yourself. Don’t take unnecessary risks, and for Christ’s sake, don’t get caught. I dread to think what those animals are likely to do with you if you are.”
Kayli laughed and shook her head. “Oh shit! Thanks for that, boss. Very reassuring words to take with me.”
DCI Davis waved a hand in front of her. “Get out of here. You know what I mean. Hey, great news on solving the murder case. I had every faith in you doing that even with your mind not always on the job.”
“You caught that, did you? Dave put me on the straight and narrow a few times. The team is in safe hands in my absence.”
“I know that. I’ll bring him in later, read him the riot act.”
Kayli’s mouth dropped open.
“Where’s your sense of humour gone? I’ll run through a few things with him, make sure he knows I’m here if he needs me, not that that kind of thing ever works with you.”
“Nonsense. I always rely on you to back me up, or when I have a problem that needs solving.”
“Hmm... sometimes. Go on. Get yourself off. Stay safe, and if at all possible, ring me when you can.”
“I promise. Thank you, boss, from the bottom of my heart. I truly appreciate you backing me like this.”
“I know. I wouldn’t do it if you were a shitty inspector.”
Kayli leaned forward and shared another hug with DCI Davis before rushing out the room.
She inhaled a large breath and entered the incident room. Three anxious gazes all looked her way.
“The DCI has sanctioned my time off. I have two weeks to rescue Mark and return home.”
“Oh right, you think it’s going to be that simple, Kayli?” Dave said, folding his arms across his tight chest.
She smiled and walked towards him. “Have faith in my abilities, partner. You’re in charge until I get back. The chief will want a word with you today. Don’t be worried about that. She’s a pussycat, really.”
Dave groaned and rolled his eyes. “Thanks, that’s something to look forward to—not. When are you setting off?”
“Giles is busy making all the arrangements. I’m going to shoot home now and do some packing.”
“Do you know what to pack? What kind of weather are they having out there at the moment, boss?” Donna asked.
Kayli tutted. “Crap, I have no idea.”
Donna raised a finger and turned to her computer. Within seconds, she had traced the regional weather forecast for Afghanistan via Google. “It’s pretty variable. Anything between fifteen and twenty-five degrees during the day. However, it can drop below zero at night.”
“Thanks, Donna. I suppose I better pack a bikini or two and a few jumpers too.”
Dave’s jaw dropped. “You can’t frigging do that. No matter how hot it gets out there, you’re going to have to keep yourself covered. You start flashing creamy-white skin around...”
Kayli laughed. “Christ, when did you become so gullible? Of course I won’t be exposing my skin over there. I’d hate to end up with sunstroke.”
Dave shrugged and shook his head. “Now I know you’re winding me up.”
She winked at him. “I’m going. Be good. And don’t fret about me—that’s an order. You guys know how resilient I am.”
“Let’s hope you can remember some of your martial art skills,” Dave replied.
“Don’t worry. That’s not something you tend to forget when you’re up against things. Be good, chaps and chapess.”
She quickly hugged each member of her team and ran out of the room before they could witness her breaking down again.
When she arrived home, she flew up the stairs, pulled out a small suitcase, and began throwing her underwear inside while she thought about what other clothes to take. She decided she would be better off taking darker clothes and settled on three pairs of leggings and set aside a pair of skin-tight black jeans for the journey. Four heavy jumpers and five T-shirts were slotted into the case along with two sets of trainers, a pair of ankle boots, and a nightshirt. Kayli rushed into the bathroom and packed her toothbrush and toothpaste into her toiletry bag.
Next Kayli returned downstairs and opened a can of soup, aware that she should be eating something more substantial in the likelihood that she and Giles would be leaving soon, but her stomach was too knotted to consider eating anything else.
At eight thirty, she was pacing the floor, when Giles called her mobile. “Be at my house for six in the morning.”
“Really? We’re going tomorrow?”
“Yep, all the details have been finalised. Don’t forget your passport, love.” His voice lowered. “Thanks to you, I’m in the doghouse here.”
“Shit! Sorry. You stay here, and I’ll go by myself then. The last thing I want is for Annabelle to fall out with me.”
&nb
sp; “No chance. I’m coming with you. Umm... I think you better forewarn Mum and Dad.”
Kayli sucked in air and blew out a breath. “I’ll do it now before I go to bed. Thanks for this, Giles. You’ll never know how much this means to me.”
“I think I can hazard a guess. See you in the morning. Sweet dreams.”
Kayli hung up and immediately dialled her parents’ number. Her mother answered the phone right away. “Hi, Mum. How are you?”
“Can’t complain, lovely. We’ve had to resort to putting the central heating on tonight, a sure sign that winter is rearing its ugly head. How’s the case going?”
“All solved, Mum. The culprit is tucked up in a cell at the station until he can be moved to a detention centre tomorrow.”
“Excellent news. Was it the ex-boyfriend?”
“Nope. It was a colleague of the victim. Shameful really. He gave her a lift home from work that evening and doubled back to see her. That’s when the deed was done. Look, I have something to tell you and Dad. Is he there? Can you put the phone on speaker, so I can tell you both at the same time?”
“Oh gosh! You’re not pregnant like Annabelle, are you?”
Kayli laughed. “Give me some credit, Mum. No, I’m not about to deliver you your third grandchild.”
“That’s a shame, dear. Hold on a moment. I’ll give your father a shout. He’ll have to put this contraption on speaker. I’m hopeless at doing that, always tend to cut people off.” The phone clattered on a hard surface, then she heard her mother calling her father. He chuntered on about being busy until Kayli’s mother told him she was on the phone, wanting to speak to them both.
“You’re on speaker now, darling. How are you?” her father asked.
“Hi, Dad. I wanted to tell you both together.” She paused and cleared her throat to dislodge the sudden lump that had formed. “Giles and I are going on a trip tomorrow. He asked me to pass on the news.”
“How exciting. Are you all going on holiday? With Annabelle and Bobby?” her mother asked.
“Hmm... I’m not getting that impression, Moira. Let the child speak,” her father silenced his wife abruptly.
Kayli closed her eyes, and before she realised she’d even opened her mouth, she told them, “No. It’s not a holiday as such. We’re travelling out to Afghanistan on a rescue mission.” Her eyes remained tightly closed as she waited for the onslaught from her parents.
Her mother gasped and broke down in tears. That was all Kayli could hear until her father said, “I think you’re being bloody foolish, Kayli. You both are.”
“I’m sorry you think that, Dad. I have to go. Mark needs me.”
“What utter tosh that is. He needs you to be here for him for when he returns home. Not out there, risking your life, as well as your brother’s. What does Annabelle have to say about this?”
“Giles just called to say he’s in the doghouse. Why aren’t you all prepared to back us on this one? I’ll be with Giles. I’m not aware of the finer details of the rescue plan yet. However, I’m presuming that Giles has a military team out there willing to give us some backup if we need it.”
“But you don’t know that for a fact. Kayli, you have no idea what savages these people are. What will likely happen to you if you fall into the hands of either the Taliban or, worse still, ISIS. They behead people just for the sake of it and rape all the women and children without a second thought. That’s their own people, by the way. I dread to think how they would treat a Western woman. Bloody hell, this is insane. I can’t believe you and your brother can be so selfish. To have no thoughts for your mother and me—or Annabelle and Bobby! It’s absurd, I tell you. I’m bloody furious about this.”
Kayli ran a shaking hand over her face. Over the years, her father had never raised his voice at her. She was at a loss for words.
“Are you still there, Kayli?” her father shouted.
“I’m here. Please, Dad, don’t be angry with me. It’s your support Giles and I need, not your anger. Mum, what do you think?”
Her mother sniffled and whispered, “I’m with your father on this one, dear. Please, let the men more suited to tasks like this deal with it over there. You have no awareness of what awaits you.”
“Exactly. Kayli, you’re being unreasonable about this, and I’m begging you to reconsider your decision.”
Kayli felt torn. Her desire to rescue Mark far outweighed her need to appease her parents. They were wrong about one thing: she was totally aware of the dangers ahead of her. “Mum, Dad, I love you dearly. The last thing I want or need right now is to fall out with you both, but my mind is made up. I’m sorry. I have to go now. I need to finish packing before I go to bed. Lord knows if I’ll be able to sleep or not. I love you both. Please remember that. Also remember that I haven’t taken this decision lightly. Mark needs me—needs us—to help him. Love you both. Nothing will ever change that.” Kayli hung up before either of her parents could speak again.
The phone rang constantly for the rest of the evening. Kayli ignored it, knowing that it would be her parents, trying their best to dissuade her from going. She felt bad, but no one was going to be able to do that. Once she was adamant about something, no matter how dangerous, she always saw that notion through to its conclusion. Rescuing Mark was the only thing that mattered to her now. The phone finally went silent around nine thirty.
She went to bed and lay awake for several hours, her thoughts filled with what she was likely to find out in Afghanistan. That was when the stark reality hit her. What if the mission fails? What if we’re too late and Mark is already dead? What if these monsters abduct me? What if I never return? What will happen to this place? I should have put a will in place by now. What am I thinking, going over there at the drop of a hat? The same questions were repeated over and over again as she searched for the answers. It was gone three before she finally drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kayli was too nervous to even consider having breakfast that morning. Instead, she set off for Giles’s house at five thirty and was standing on his doorstep a mere fifteen minutes later. He greeted her at the door, looking as tired as she felt. He placed a finger to his lips and invited her in.
“I told Annabelle to stay in bed,” Giles said, kissing her on the cheek.
Kayli placed her suitcase at the bottom of the stairs. “Is she still mad at you?”
“You could say that.” Giles pointed to her suitcase. “What’s that?”
She chuckled. “What does it look like?”
He shook his head and gave her a stern look. “You can’t take that, love. It’s got to be the bare minimum. We’re not going on holiday.”
“I realise that, and believe me, that is the bare minimum.”
He bent down and unzipped the case then collected his kitbag, which was sitting a few feet away, and opened it. Kayli watched as he sifted through her suitcase and rammed what he considered to be essentials into his own bag before he closed his kitbag again. “That should do you. Are you ready to go? Do you have your passport?”
She opened her small handbag and extracted her passport. “I have.”
“Good. I’ll allow you to take your purse and your passport. Your handbag will have to remain here.”
“Crap, Giles, seriously?”
“I’m deadly serious.”
The stairs creaked as Annabelle descended. Her terrified glance swept between them. “I can’t believe you’re both going.” She raised her hand to prevent either of them from speaking. “But I couldn’t let you go without saying goodbye. Please, whatever happens out there, promise me you’ll think with both your heart and your head. Most of all, come back to us, unharmed. We love you both. I might not agree with what you’re doing, but that doesn’t stop me caring about what happens to you both. Stick together at all times.”
Kayli rushed into her arms. “I’m sorry for dragging Giles into this. I need to help Mark, though. You understand that, right?”
“I do. I�
��m still angry with you both. However, I didn’t want you going over there distracted. I’ll cope with my anger in your absence and will be sending positive thoughts to you throughout your mission. Look after each other. You’re all I’ve got.” She ran a hand over the tiny bump that had developed in the last week or so. “This one needs you guys.”
Giles kissed Annabelle and hugged her tightly. “I have every intention of returning in one piece. I’ll do my darnedest to ensure all three of us return safely, and quickly. We’ll be in touch when we can, love, I promise you. Take care of yourself and Bobby in the meantime.”
“I will. Shouldn’t you be going? What time is your flight?”
“At nine fifteen. You’re right. We should be getting a move on.” Giles picked up his kitbag and hoisted the strap over his shoulder.
Kayli glanced down at her suitcase. “He says I can’t take that. Shall I put it upstairs in the spare room?”
“No, you go. I’ll deal with that.” Annabelle squeezed her. “Stay safe. I hope you find Mark soon, sweetie.”
Kayli pulled away, her eyes moist with tears. “Me too, and once again, I’m sorry for getting Giles involved in this mission.”
Annabelle smiled and looked over at her husband. “I think you’d have had a devil of a job preventing him from getting involved. Just be safe, the pair of you. Touch base when you can. I’ll be sure to pass on any news I have to your parents.”
Kayli’s head dropped, ashamed at the way she’d treated her parents the evening before. “We had words last night. I hung up on them, and they kept ringing me all night, but I refused to answer. I’m not sure they’ll ever understand my reasons for going over there, but will you tell them how much I love them when you speak to them later?”
“Of course I will, not that they don’t realise that already, love. They’re just concerned about you—we all are.”
“Come on, Kayli. We need to go.” Giles tugged on her arm.
“Tell them I love them no matter what they think of me,” Kayli said, following her brother out the front door.
