Page 269 of 5+Us Makes Seven

With a sigh like a miffed teenager, I sat down and crossed one leg over the other.

“You’re in a warzone, Ms. Hart. I know modern journalist blogger types like you don’t respect the unspoken agreements between the media and the military, but you’re not going to endanger the lives of me and my men while you’re here. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” I mumbled.

“I can’t hear you, Ms. Hart.”

I repeated the word louder.

“That’s better. If I could get you the hell out of here tonight, I would do it, but it’s not possible. The Taliban are making a move because of the firefight you caused yesterday.”

“That I caused?”

“Shut-up and listen,” he said. “You would be out of here tonight, but I can’t risk bringing a transport copter in to take you to the Kandahar airport. That said, you’re out of here in a few days or a week at most.”

“No,” I said, moving to the edge of my seat. “That’s not fair. The agreement said two weeks.”

“And you broke the agreement, Ms. Hart.”

The smugness in his voice told me he enjoyed the strict discipline of the military way too much.

“Fine. I’ll just have to finish earlier. You can’t stop me from doing my story.”

“Your story on the villagers here in the province?”

He stared into my eyes. I used my many years of practice to lie.

“Yes, that story. Why else would I be here?”

Don’t push him!

“Get out of here before I change my mind and fly you out of here over the enemy for the fuck of it.”

I stood and saluted, which he hated.

Outside, I saw Cooper standing a few feet away.

“How did it go?” he asked.

“He’s making me leave a week early.”

He stared at me like he wanted to say something.

“Spit it out,” I said. “I’m running out of time.”

“There’s things going on here you don’t know about.”

“Yeah? Tell me more.”

“I can’t right now.”

“Fine. I’ll ask Max and some of the others.”

“You need to stay away from Max.”

“I do?”

He nodded.

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