Page 3 of Bullets and Dandelions

I wiped at the sweat slithering down my face and neck. God was it hot, but I didn’t dare take off my ghillie suit. The camouflage netting with burlap strips was the only thing keeping my pursuers from spotting me. My energy levels were dropping rapidly, I had a killer headache and was feeling a bit nauseous. All signs of heat exhaustion. Not a big surprise. The Taliban had been chasing me for over four hours. To make things even more challenging, my water was almost gone.

Thankfully, there was a small, spring-fed lake about two miles due east. I could fill my canteen and take a short swim to cool down. Just the thought of the cold water on my overheated skin brought a smile to my face. I broke into a jog. Paradise awaited.

The whomp-whomp grew louder as the Huey got closer and closer. I increased my pace, which wasn’t easy with a forty-pound backpack weighing me down. If I could get to that ravine ahead of me, I would be safe.

The Huey abruptly changed course.

Shit! Had they spotted me? I dove under a mushroom-shaped rock and held my breath as the helicopter hovered overhead. The gunner had a M60 machine gun pointed my way. If they had infrared technology, I would be the one getting my head lopped off. After what seemed like an eternity it flew off. I let out a shuddering breath of relief. Maybe they were worried about being caught in the sandstorm too.

I got to my feet and sprinted down the ravine. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I fell to my knees. This mission might be the one that got me killed. Would Pops miss me? Probably not. Pulling the canteen out of my backpack, I drank the last of my water and wiped the sweat out of my eyes.

Shit! Footprints. I examined the impressions carefully. Military boots. Four big men, carrying heavy backpacks and hauling ass. Dammit. I bet they were headed for the lake too. The question was: friend or foe? Did they know about the tunnel the smugglers had cut through the mountainside, or the cave filled with canvas bags of poppy seeds? God, I hoped not. I needed a safe spot to rest.

Going into stealth mode, I followed the footprints, and my shoulder sagged in relief. Instead of going up the mountainside, the tracks went east. I quickly climbed up to the tunnel.

Pulling my pistol, I crept silently down the dim passageway. The smugglers had punched a hole in the mountainside, allowing them a bird’s eye view of the lake. I stopped at the mouth of the cave. The bags of poppy seeds were gone. Hopefully, that meant the smugglers wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

I dropped my backpack on the ground and with a sigh of relief removed my ghillie suit. It was like wearing a suffocating tent. A wave of weariness rolled over me and all I wanted to do was sleep.

A man’s laugh drew my attention.

Crap. It seemed the soldiers were enjoying the lake. A lot. Getting the binoculars out of my backpack, I walked over to the crude lookout point and surveyed the lake.

My jaw dropped. Three naked men were floating in the shallow water. They all had dog tags and looked to be American, probably the Force Recon team. My gaze locked on the biggest guy. Yowzer! He made my heart go pitty-pat. Too bad a thick, black beard covered his face. His body was utter perfection. He had to be at least six-feet-seven, with a massive chest, bulging biceps and heavily muscled thighs.

My gaze froze on his groin, and I suddenly knew what Sally meant when she said a guy was hung like a stallion. Would that thing even fit? Since Pops never allowed me to date, I had zero experience with men. Never been kissed and the one kid that tried ended up with a busted jaw: courtesy of my father.

C’mon handsome, roll over and show me your butt.

A coyote howled.

I frowned. There weren’t any coyotes in the Koh-i-Baba Mountain range or were there? I quickly surveyed the area. Nothing moved and there was no sign of any critters. I turned my attention back to the lake and my stomach knotted. It was empty. Somehow, they knew I was here. One of their scouts must have spotted my footprints.

Damn, I wasn’t in any shape to go up against a Force Recon team. I could always ask them for help, but since I was the Army’s secret weapon, that might get me booted. Which was exactly what Pops wanted. Come hell or high water, I wasn’t going to work for the CIA. All I needed was a place to hide, but where?

I gave myself a head smack. Talk about brain dead. Pops said if the Taliban ever found me, I could escape through a narrow crevice in the cavern wall which led to a smaller cave with a waterfall. All I had to do was hide there until the Force Recon team left. Easy-peasy.

I dragged my pack over to the crevice and studied it. I was skinny, but I didn’t know if I would fit. The way the rock curved, I would have about twenty inches in some places.

Crappity, crappity, crap. My backpack was too big, but I couldn’t afford to leave it behind. It held my extra ammo and supplies. Removing the last package of food, I shoved it into my waistband and examined the cave. Where could I hide my backpack and ghillie suit? My gaze settled on an outcrop of rock with a fissure big enough to conceal them. I shoved everything as far back as it would go.

Something skittered down the wall.

Shit! Was that a spider? I took a closer look. Whatever it was, it was big and hairy. Ick. I backed up and eyed the outcrop. Nope, nothing was poking out except for long furry legs.

A coyote’s howl echoed down the tunnel.

Just my luck, they were damn good trackers. I removed my gun belt and tossed it in the opening. God, I hoped there weren’t any more spiders.

A large shadow flickered across the wall.

So, what if the spiders were the size of a small dog. They were probably more scared of me than I was of them. I snorted. Who was I kidding? Spiders gave me the willies.

Maneuvering my body, the canteen, and the sniper rifle through the sandstone slot wasn’t easy. My boot struck the weapons belt. Hooking it around my left ankle, I dragged it with me as I twisted and shimmied along the passageway.

The coyote howled again.

Damn! They were getting closer. I sidestepped as fast as I could. A finger of rock jabbed into my chest, and I couldn’t move. The joy of having big breasts. I leaned my head against the rock and took a calming breath. This was the last time I would go out alone. If I had my own team, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

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