Page 121 of Deadly Betrayal
There wasn’t a second to waste. Kaden helpedAzita to her feet, her bag firmly clutched in her hand. The sightmade him want to smile. “Run to the clearing.”
She opened her mouth to speak. No sound cameout. Or maybe he’d gone temporarily deaf. He pointed to theclearing and nudged her—gently—toward it. Her gaze shifted to aspot behind him. Blood drained from her head, and her mouth droppedopen. Kaden swung around.
Fuck! Khalid and Freba were huddled together,his arms and body sheltering her. Sullivan lay bleeding besidethem. The others were on one knee, their weapons trained on a spotKaden couldn’t see. He also couldn’t hear their weapons firing,though he saw the flash and recoil.
Taking Khalid and Freba, one in each arm, hepulled them up. They seemed scared, but had escaped with only a fewcuts and bruises. Pointing to the clearing, Kaden shouted, “Go!”They joined Azita, and she helped Khalid support Freba.
Next, Kaden went to check on Sullivan, whowas starting to move. Good, he wasn’t dead. Blood was darkening thetan of his camos on one leg, just above the knee. Gritting histeeth against the needle-like pain in his side, Kaden swung the manacross his shoulders and began lumbering down the small incline tothe clearing. He couldn’t hear if the man complained. Didn’tmatter.
The vibration of boots hitting soil indicatedthe rear guard was catching up. Christ. He hoped Hoffman’s Chinookwas coming. He had to believe it. Believe it even though he couldsee plain as day that the clearing was still fucking empty.
When he reached the others, Jenkins liftedSullivan off his back and Kaden took a series of quick shortbreaths. The pain had been so intense with the added weight, he’dbarely dared to inhale at all.
A huge wind whipped up. Leaves, dust, andother forest debris swirled around their legs. Reaching out, hetugged Azita to him, pressing her face to his chest to shield her.When he felt the telltale downward pressure of rotor wash, hisrelief was immeasurable. At least now they had a chance. As thewind grew stronger, everyone took shelter in the surrounding treesand dropped a knee. Kaden held Azita’s face protectively in hishands. She stared up at him, her beautiful blue eyes filled withfear and… love.
The warlord’s men had at least one RPGlauncher, most likely the Russian made RPG-7, so they weren’t inthe clear yet. Far from it. In recent conflicts, the US Army hadlost over a hundred helicopters to RPGs and fire from small arms,like those AK-47s Tariq’s men all sported. There were two optimumtimes for attack: from the front, as the chopper approached forlanding, but was in a one-hundred meter range, and during takeoff,when it was seven to eight hundred meters away, with the hope thatthe explosion from the round’s self-destruction at nine hundred andtwenty meters would catch the chopper.
An RPG impact now would kill all of them. Andif they were going to die here or shortly after takeoff, Kadenwanted to go with Azita in his arms. He wanted her face to be thelast thing he saw. God, he didn’t want it to end this way. Hebrought his mouth down on hers, brushing their lips together. Histongue darted out and swept between her parted lips in a lastattempt to get a taste of her. Reluctantly, he lifted his head andlet her see the tears burning in his eyes. “I love you,” hemouthed.
Love shining brightly in her gaze, she spokein Dari, the wind whipping her words away. But he knew them anyway.“Man ham dostat daaram.” I too have love for you.
The Chinook landed, and as soon as the crewlowered the rear loading ramp, Kaden took Azita’s hand and racedher to it. Once she was safely inside, he turned back to cover theothers. They had to keep Tariq’s fighters at bay long enough forthe Chinook to take off.
Hassan and Cooper ran up the ramp, carryingtheir charges on their backs. Next was Laila. The girl trembled inJake’s arms. He stroked her cheek as he set her in the body of thehelicopter. Azita quickly pulled the girl away from the opendoor.
Something whizzed by Kaden’s ear, thevibrations tickling him. He swatted at it and his hand came awaybloody. Fuck. They were being shot at.
“Down. Everyone get down,” he shouted. Behindhim, chaos erupted.
Khalid was once again bent over Freba as hetried to get her to the ramp of the Chinook. Kaden saw her flinch,then the pair tumbled to the ground. Crawling over to them, he tookin the scene. Jake was crouched a few feet away, firing at Tariq’smen as they raced through the trees. If they got close enough,they’d shoot the helicopter. But Jake and the rear guard wereholding their own and by now Hassan and Cooper would have taken upfiring positions from inside the chopper.
Kaden had to get Freba and Khalid inside.They might all get blown up, but it was their only option. Turningback, he approached the pair. Blood soaked the front of Freba’stunic. Damn.
Motioning Khalid to stand back, Kaden liftedFreba into his arms and raced up the ramp and onto the Chinook’sdeck. The flight crew had obviously been notified of potentialwounded and had mounted six stretchers in two rows of three on theleft wall. Afrooz and Sullivan were each occupying one. Kadengently deposited Freba on the first free top-level stretcher. Azitaraced to the woman’s side.
Jake and the remaining soldiers movedbackwards up the ramp while maintaining steady fire on Tariq’s men.As soon as they were clear, the loading door closed and the Chinooklifted off. Hassan and Cooper continued to fire out the windowsuntil the clearing was just a blip in the green of the trees. Untilthey were well out of RPG range.
Kaden pressed his palms to his ears toequalize the pressure. When he let go, his hearing returned.Overwhelmed with gratitude that they’d escaped Tariq’s clutches, hewent over to Jake and gave him a one-armed man-hug, then did thesame to Hassan. He squeezed his eyes tight and blinked away themoisture pooling in them. “I love you guys.” He coughed to clearhis throat, before frowning. “But don’t you ever risk your liveslike that for me again.”
They exchanged a look, then laughed.
“You got it, boss,” Jake said.
Hassan bowed his head in a solemn gesturethat was anything but. “You have my word, Viking.”
They were both lying through theirshit-eating grins.
Azita held her breath as she lifted Freba’snightdress to expose her abdomen. What had once been smooth tanskin was now a gaping hole. Blood poured from the wound as Frebafought for her life. The cowards had shot her in the back. Thebullet had gone right through her body, its path of destructioneven more terrible upon exit.
“Maman,” Laila cried. Face ashen, eyes wide,she trembled with the onset of shock.
Azita raised her eyes. Kaden met them andarched a questioning brow. She gave a small shake of her head.Freba wouldn’t make it. If they’d been in a hospital with properequipment, her chances might have been better. Here, in the field,with nothing but a medical bag and a first-aid kit, Azita’s handswere tied.
Nevertheless, she had to do her best. Gentlyrolling Freba onto her side, Azita examined the much smaller entrywound on her back. Azita packed the hole with gauze to slow thebleeding and carefully lowered Freba to the stretcher, then did thesame to the mortal wound in her abdomen. She might not be able tosave Freba, but she would do everything in her power to give motherand daughter a few more minutes together. A few more minutes to saygoodbye.
One of the soldiers offered Khalid a blanket,which he wrapped around Laila’s shaking shoulders. Azita’s eyeswatered at the sight. How could a man who was so kind in his heartdo such cruel things?
Azita applied pressure to the gauze while shestroked the woman’s hair. Freba grabbed her hand with surprisingstrength. She wet her lips and her mouth moved as she tried tospeak. The roar of the helicopter drowned out whatever words shemight have managed. Azita leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Itis okay, Frebajan.” She swallowed the inevitable break inher voice. “We’re all here. Laila is safe.”
