Page 3 of Bewitched

CHAPTER TWO

Paige sat with her back against the ancient concrete wall with her hands and feet bound and wondered how their trip had gone so wrong. One minute they were meeting with farmers and seeing how well the USAID’s programs were working, and the next they were being torn out of their car while their driver was shot.

She wasn’t naïve. Working in the Foreign Service meant you were going to face danger at some point. It just hadn’t seemed like yesterday was that day. Perhaps avoiding it for as long as she had made her complacent. Thinking back over the last two days, she tried to determine what she could’ve done differently. The only thing that came to mind was not making the trip. Or, as her mama liked to remind her weekly, Stay home in Dallas.

Since neither of those things had been an option, she took a long deep breath. The only thing she could control in this situation was her fear. If she could stomp that down, then she might be able to recognize an opportunity when and if it came along.

The three men who had taken her and Amy seemed like they came from the low end of the terrorist totem pole. It was obvious they were unaware of the fact that all American captives were not created equal. Had they done their homework, they would’ve discovered that snatching her and Amy was not going to get them much. They were low-value targets, and the chance of the State Department doing much was slim.

Glancing over, she saw Amy resting her head on her knees. They had been beaten when they arrived and had guns shoved in their faces about every hour. The ordeal started thirty-six hours ago, and neither of them was in very good shape. They hadn’t been given any water, and the dizziness was almost constant now, along with some interesting heart palpitations. But they were still alive, so she held on to hope that somehow they would make it out of this nightmare.

The door slammed open, and the two men who had beaten them strode in and spoke with the man guarding them. Paige tried to understand what they were saying but could translate only a word or two. Even after taking classes for a year, her grasp of the language was minimal.

Amy leaned over and spoke quietly. “They said our time is coming and we should pray for mercy.”

Paige closed her eyes. “I hope to God they don’t force us to make a speech, then behead us while filming the whole thing. Our families don’t need to have that as their last memory of us.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. I figured they’d just shoot us and that would be it.”

“If we’re lucky,” Paige responded. The last thirty-six hours had changed her view on a lot of things, and she’d decided that being shot and killed was about the best thing that could happen. The men had threatened rape at least a dozen times while they ran their AK-47s along their faces, so anything short of that was a preferable outcome. “Unfortunately, instant death is looking really good right now.”

Amy nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. No one is sending in the SEALs to rescue us. We don’t have enough value.”

“If we’re lucky they won’t film anything, and our names will be the only thing reported on CNN. Just another cautionary tale about the Middle East,” Paige said as she dropped her head to her knees. Her birthday was next week, and it seemed as though blowing out birthday candles wasn’t likely.

***

Blake and his team stood in a grove of trees across from the building where the women were being held and waited for Bryce to launch his drone.

“I’ll have thermal images with exact location in ten,” he stated.

“What else you got strapped to that drone?” Frisco asked.

“Everything,” Bryce answered succinctly. “I’m embracing the SEAL ethos and thinking outside the box.”

“God damn, I love these kids,” Will said quietly. “I can retire in peace and know the world is in good hands.”

“How does it feel to be the old man?” Blake asked as he checked his weapon.

“The fact that I made it to the ripe old age of thirty-eight is a damn miracle. So, old man suits me fine.”

“We’re not far behind you, brother. If I live another five years, then I’m going to throw the biggest damn party San Diego has ever seen,” Frisco said.

“Five heat signatures,” Bryce said. “Three on Charlie red. One Alpha white, and the last one is Bravo black.”

Blake flipped his NVGs down and studied the structure. “The women are probably Charlie red, along with what I’m guessing is a guard. The other two heat signatures are probably guards, as well.”

“Not picking up any exterior alarms or cameras. I’ll jam the signal just in case,” Bryce added.

Blake squatted and took his knife out of his kit and drew the building in the loose dirt at his feet. “Bryce, is this what you’re picking up?”

The young SEAL moved next to the commander and studied the drawing in the dirt. “There is a third exit on the Red wall.”

Using his knife, Blake added it and then studied the drawing for a minute. “Will, you’re Bravo black. Secure the Tango and move to the staircase. Frisco, you’re Bravo white, same. Bryce and I will climb this wall and enter Charlie green and move toward the targets. Once we enter the building, listen for my command on three.” Looking at the group, he asked, “Questions, comments or suggestions?”

Frisco squatted beside him and studied the drawing. “Any reason to believe they rigged the place to blow if captured?”

Blake nodded. “Absolutely. Doubt they’re planning on coming out of this alive. Our objective is to bring the women home. HQ did not indicate they needed to chat with the Tangos. So, let’s not give them a chance to take the building down before we get out.”

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