Page 9 of Asher

“He’s already in transit. ETA in five.”

“Appreciate it, brother.” Asher stowed his cell and headed to the door with his pistol drawn. There was no lock on the door and no window in the room. Whoever betrayed Marlowe’s current location to the Taliban must’ve known that. Which led him straight back to Tippetts. It didn’t make sense that a woman who’d signed on with ISIS would now be involved with Taliban fighters. The Taliban had been at war with ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, since February 2015. While ISIS now went by ISIL, the Islamic State of the Levant, they’d become mortal enemies after an ISIS fighter killed a senior Taliban commander.

Historically, the Levant that ISIL now claimed had once covered the entire Mediterranean Basin, including what was now modern-day Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and alladjacent regions. Basically the entire Middle East. If Tippetts was involved in human trafficking, and if Marlowe was her target, were the Taliban and ISIS working together again? Wouldn’t surprise Asher if they were. A terrorist was a terrorist was a terrorist. Didn’t matter what names they went by.

He rang the desk in the small embassy clinic to get a feel for where Tippetts was. No answer. He rang the ambassador’s office next. Someone always answered there. Not this time.

Pissed that he was the only one between Marlowe and the shitstorm he suspected was headed his way, Asher jammed his chair under the doorknob, unhooked Marlowe from her monitoring devices, and prepped her for evacuation. He wouldn’t be carrying her this time, not with all the equipment that had to go with her.

But how had the Taliban known where she was? Hell, even Asher hadn’t known his boss had cleared the way for them to land in Pakistan until they were in the air. Last-minute emergencies still took time to coordinate and authorize. Ambassador Clark would’ve had to clear any landing with Pakistani authorities after he’d cleared their change of plans with the United States Secretary of State. Director McCormack must’ve run his ass off to make sure The TEAM helos got that clearance. Jed McCormack was now Secretary of State. It was good to have friends in high places.

Had the Taliban tracked the TEAM helicopters over the Khyber Pass and all the way to Islamabad? Asher wouldn’t be surprised if they did. The Taliban had come up in the world since the war began. They were smarter, tech savvy, and used social media to their benefit. But why Tippetts, and where was Ambassador Clark? For that matter, was Marlowe their target or was something else going on? That was possible. Embassieswere protected sanctuaries and U.S. ambassadors served at the pleasure of the president. Clark should’ve been in-house when they arrived, but he hadn’t been. Instead, his chief of staff had met them on the rooftop landing pad, and Mr. Dixon hadn’t given any explanation as to where Clark was or that there were any problems.

Asher’s cell phone vibrated in his hand. “We’re almost there,” Murphy advised, over the roar of helicopter rotors. “Have our girl ready to go.”

“I’ll need help getting her to the roof. Are the Marines still guarding the embassy?”

“Yes. Mr. Dixon called and advised me that Ambassador Clark came down with pneumonia yesterday. That’s why he’s been out of sight. Dixon wasn’t at liberty to tell us earlier.”

Asher breathed easier at that news, but it made him wonder who Dixon hadn’t wanted overhearing that information. “Watch out for Tippetts.”

“Already informed Dixon who she is and spoke with Alex, too. He’s advised President Adams, and Adams has ordered more Marines into Pakistan to secure the embassy. Also spoke with the USMC commander here. He’s put his people on alert.”

“It doesn’t feel right leaving them.” Asher remembered Benghazi, how those men had been betrayed by their country, left to fight and die alone on foreign soil.

“Listen to me, guldarn it. They have their job; we have ours, and there’s more of them stationed here than there is us.”

“You’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

No sooner did Murphy disconnect than someone pounded at the door. Asher’s phone chimed an incoming text. Thank goodness. Renner Graves and Heston Contreras were in the hall, not Tippetts. Okay then. Time to go. He let them in. He’d already strapped Marlowe onto her backboard, making sure her sling was wrapped snug against her body and under her blanket. Between him and Renner, they lifted her and her bed, along with the medical equipment she needed and proceeded into the hall, while Heston guarded their rear. As expected, Tippetts wasn’t at the desk she’d called the nurses’ station. Nobody was. Foreboding edged up Asher’s spine. So where was she?

The stairs were straight forward but going was slow. It took all three men to wrangle Marlowe up the narrow staircase and onto the roof without hurting or waking her. Once at the helo, it didn’t take long to load her, thanks to Decker’s astute preplanning.

“Where’d you find a hydraulic lift?” Asher asked. Hydraulic lift carts easily loaded heavy military equipment from ground level into helos and transports.

“I have friends in low places,” Decker growled. He was one of those older, grumpier, Vietnam vets. “Give me that crap.” Without skipping a beat, he grabbed the monitor and IV from Marlowe’s side, handling the wires and tubes as if he’d had plenty of experience evacuating injured people. Which he no doubt did. Next, Heston passed him the portable oxygen canister. All Asher and Renner had to do was ride the hydraulic lift up to the level of the helo door and Marlowe was inside.

“This everything?” Murphy asked as he helped Asher transfer Marlowe to the narrow bed attached to the far inside wall.

“Yup,” Asher replied. Decker had already secured her oxygen tank to a nearby bracket and the IV bag overhead. After hecovered her with warmed blankets, Asher strapped her in as gently as he could. He’d just fastened the harness over her chest when she woke up and touched his cheek. She said something. He leaned in closer and said, “Say again.”

So she did. But this time, she took a deep breath and belted out, “Dimple. You’ve got a dimple, Asher. It’s cute.”

Well, damn. Now he’d made sure everyone heard and sure enough…

“Step on it, Dimples. You’re so-o-o cute,” Beau announced in an ultra-girly voice.

“Shut it, Villanueva,” Asher snapped.

Murphy clamped protective earphones over her head. “Poor little thing,” he murmured when she didn’t move or speak again. “I meant her, Dimples, not you.”

“Copy that and knock it off,” Asher replied, still watching his back and now wishing his team was deaf and dumb. Renner and Heston hadn’t heard. They’d been busy shoving the lift and hospital bed away from the helo. Climbing back inside, they strapped into the two forward-facing seats without poking fun at Asher, while Murphy strapped into the copilot’s seat. Everyone put headphones on. Asher stayed standing between Marlowe and the still open door. He’d had enough surprises, and Tippetts was just another one in a long line of ugly.

It wasn’t until Decker had the bird hovering over the rooftop that the blonde nurse dashed out of the stairwell. She wasn’t armed, but she was obviously angry, yelling and gesturing at the dark-haired man in a suit with her. The moment she pointed up at the helo, Asher harnessed himself into firing position behind the GPMG installed at the doorway. Air-cooled and belt-fed, thegeneral-purpose machine gun was lethal at close range, and Ms. Tippetts needed to see it.

Asher aimed the weapon directly at her, openly declaring his intention to defend the helo. His fingers weren’t itching to fire. He wasn’t an impulsive sniper or a stone-cold killer. Asher needed facts and evidence, not just suspicions, before he unleashed death. Bonafide-trained snipers weren’t assassins. They didn’t take life without just cause, and revenge was no reason to take Tippetts out. She might be a traitor and an avowed terrorist, but she posed no threat at the moment. But she did need to understand that he would ensure swift retaliation if she made a move. He would take her out, and he wouldn’t blink an eye while he did it.

---