Page 31 of Duty Bound

CHAPTER 12

Blade didn’t hesitate. He opened fire and let off a short, sharp volley of shots. One in the head, one in the chest. The soldier fell to the ground, the expression of surprise still on his face. Lily screamed and put her hands over her ears.

The other two men spun around, but Blade was faster. He gunned one down with another lethal double-tap before the fighter managed to get off a shot. The remaining soldier fired, but his enthusiasm compromised his aim. The bullets flew harmlessly over their heads. Before he could bring his weapon under control, Blade shot it out of his hands. It fell to the ground, leaving his hands damaged and bloody. The man didn’t have time to register the pain before Blade gunned him down with another controlled burst.

Lily stared at the three dead men, slack-jawed and gasping.

There was no time to comfort her or help her process this. No time to do anything other than move.

“Come on! We’ve got to go. The gunfire will have given our position away.”

He grabbed the netting and stuffed it back into his backpack in one practiced motion.

She didn’t move, her attention still fixed on the dead men.

“Lily! We have to go.”

“You shot them.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper.

“I had to. They were going to kill us. Now, let's get out of here before their buddies find us.” He pulled her out of the ditch. It was like leading a zombie, but at least she let him guide her through the undergrowth and around the trees. He was desperate and determined to put some space between them and their compromised position.

“We’ll head to the river.” If they could find a way across, at least they’d have a chance. He was pretty sure the Taliban fighters wouldn’t cross the raging river, as many of them couldn’t swim. Not right now, anyhow. They’d wait until they could find a boat.

Additionally, the enemy also wouldn’t expect them to go that way. It was dangerous, and in the opposite direction to where they needed to go. Kabul. The fighters would know that was their final destination, their only hope of getting Lily out of the country.

Blade was running now, pulling Lily behind him. Her breathing was erratic, but she kept up. For a moment there, he’d thought she was going to fall apart, but somehow she’d held herself together.

He recalled the disbelief on her face after he’d dispatched the young Taliban guard in the cave. That had probably been her first. Now she’d witnessed three men gunned down in front of her in the forest. It was a lot to take in when not used to it. Plus, a weapon discharging that close to your ear was deafening. Both the traumatic visuals and the loud noise would contribute to her shock.

Her face was a mask of concentration, her eyes gleamed with determination. Blade didn’t know her, what drove her. Not really. But she was stronger than she looked.

He wanted to get to know her, to learn the answers to his questions. The thought hit him like a damp branch to the face. For the first time in God only knew how long, he actually wanted to get to know someone. And for longer than just one night.

Problem was, she was out of bounds. A no-go area.

Blade pushed on, keeping a tight hold on Lily’s hand, until the trees began to thin out. Before long, they were in the open air. Fresh, cold air tinged with mud and silt. He muttered, “Nearly there.”

The earth was softer there, their shoes sinking into the fertile soil. It made walking difficult, so he slowed for her and released her hand. A patchwork quilt of agricultural fields lay between them and the river, each demarcated by a low, stone wall.

“Come on.” He nodded to one of the barriers. They clambered over it then slunk across the dark field to the next one. The soft roar of rushing water told him they neared the river.

Lily stumbled, and he turned to help her, but she’d collapsed on the other side of the wall with a sob. The horror of what she’d seen had set in, and her body had shut down. To be honest, he was surprised they’d gotten as far as they had before shock set in.

He sat beside her and put an arm around her. “Shh… it’s okay. We’re safe.”

For a little while, at least.

She was probably trying to get a grip, but he recognized the signs of horror overriding control. Chest heaving, eyes wild and unfocused… her brain was failing to work through what she’d seen.

He didn’t blame her. How could she process such an extreme level of violence? It was difficult enough for soldiers, who were trained to do it on a regular basis. But for civilians?

Her breath came in shallow gasps, like she couldn’t get enough air.

“Lily, look at me.”

Panicked eyes swung toward him but didn’t settle. She was hyperventilating, in the throes of an anxiety attack.

He had to get her breathing under control.

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