Lose Your Breath (Detectives Kane and Alton)

Wolfe stared at the screen array. “This is a covert operation, and if it wasn’t, I couldn’t risk breaking radio silence to contact anyone outside this office. You and I have a direct secured line but anything can be hacked.”

“Sure. We’ll keep heading west. Once we reach the outskirts of the next town, I’ll ditch the flags and we’ll use one truck. We’ll need a safe house. I haven’t had any shut-eye for forty-eight hours and the package needs warm clothes.” He paused for a beat. “Ammo, food, and clean water. A couple of extra cans of gas as well, if possible.”

Wolfe had anticipated the request and made contact to friendlies in the next town. He’d arranged for three different locations for them to stay. They’d have to move around to avoid capture. He explained the deal to the unimpressed Ninety-eight H.

“Three moves? I was expecting to hole up for a couple of days and wait for the search to die down and then head west.”

“You’ll never get past the movement of the hostiles. From the speed they’re moving, you’ll need to hide for three days at least in the town before attempting to leave.”

“Copy that.”

Hesitant to ask, Wolfe cleared his throat. “Ah… how’s the package handling the Pony Express? It’s pretty rough going out there for someone raised in a city.”

“Better than expected.” Ninety-eight H chuckled. “She’s a feisty one, and we fight like cats and dogs. She’s not at all what I’d expected. She’s dead on her feet but hasn’t complained once. We’re getting along okay now. Seems we’ve gotten over yelling at each other, or maybe it’s because she’s just too darn exhausted to fight, I don’t know, but I’m actually starting to admire her.”

Wolfe grinned. He’d heard about the general’s daughter. Strong willed, feisty, and set in her ways. Had she melted the iceman in a few days? “That doesn’t surprise me. She’s a beautiful young woman.”

“Hey, I said ‘admire’ not ‘in love.’ I’ve pushed her like a drill sergeant and she’s done everything right. She deserves my admiration, but trust me, love isn’t in the picture. A man in my profession doesn’t get to love anyone.” Ninety-eight H sighed. “She calls me Dave, by the way. A nice, safe generic name, don’t you think?

“Well, Ninety-eight H is a bit of a mouthful.” Surprised by his good humor, Wolfe smiled to himself. “Does she have a pseudonym? If so, what do you call her?”

“No need. The militia know who she is. I call her Annie.” He could hear the smile in Dave’s voice. “At the moment, her eyes are as wide as saucers. She’s never driven a truck before but is doing okay. There’s not much she can run into out here.”

Wolfe scrutinized the satellite picture, moving in on anything suspicious. “I’m the only one watching the screen, but if I need a break, I’ll still be wearing my earpiece. Contact me if you need clarification of enemy movements, but as far as I can see, you’re clear to the next town. From the intelligence, the militia is moving all its troops south. You should be good to go unless you meet up with a few stragglers but there’s nothing on the radar.”

“Copy, I’ll check in on the hour until we make the town and meet up with the friendlies. I’ll get details later. If it’s safe, I’m getting some shut-eye and you should too.”

“Copy.” Wolfe pressed his com and disconnected. “Stay safe out there, Dave.”

Chapter Twelve

Syria

As the first rays of sunlight came over the top of the hillside, Annie blinked at the dust cloud kicked up by Dave’s truck. Sore didn’t describe her eyes. They’d gone way past sore and into the dragged-out-and-rolled-in-sand feeling. Peering through the eye slit in the burka didn’t help, it covered her sight each time the truck hit a bump in the road. So tired. Exhaustion pulled at her and the thought of a warm bed had taken up residence in her mind. She’d discovered pain had a significant value in sleep deprivation by keeping her wide awake. The agony burning in her back from falling down the hillside had increased tenfold, but determined not to look weak by complaining, she kept her foot down on the gas and gripped the wheel.

The heavy truck was like wrestling an alligator and when the wheels hit ruts in the road, they suddenly had minds of their own. She’d never have made it through traffic, and time and again the truck bounced off the dirt track and into the scrub before she regained control. How much longer did Dave intend to keep going without a break? It was as if he’d completely forgotten about her following behind him. Then there was the smell. The truck stank of unwashed bodies and bad breath. The thick musky odor seemed to hang in the air like a disgusting fog. She’d probably carry the stink on her for days. Opening the window wasn’t an option. It was freezing outside and the windows offered her a modicum of cover if anyone happened to drive by. Dave had taken a hat from one of the dead mercenaries and insisted she wear the stinking thing, as it seemed the militants didn’t allow women to drive, along with an entire list of things he insisted she not do when they met anyone along the way.

> A curl of panic grabbed her as Dave’s truck slowed and he pulled into a clump of trees. She hadn’t seen much vegetation for miles and stared all around expecting someone to jump out at them. She drove off the road and pulled up behind him waiting for instructions. He’d made it very clear she wasn’t to leave the truck unless he was close by. She’d come to the realization he’d take a bullet for her. How did men do that for people they hardly knew? She’d been surrounded by the military all her life but hadn’t fully realized the dedication to duty existed at such a high level. The Secret Service maybe, but from what she surmised, Dave was a sniper. Not that he said anything but after he’d taken down nine men with an equal number of shots and hit a grenade from a long distance, she believed him when he said he never missed. He was fearless and walked into danger as if nothing could harm him. With all hell breaking out around them, he made her feel safe.

When Dave waved her down from the truck, she tossed the hat inside the cab, grabbed her canteen of water, and ran toward him. It was so cold. The icy chill seeped through her thin clothes and her teeth chattered. “What’s up?”

“We have time to stretch our legs and then you’ll be riding with me.” Dave walked toward the trees and then turned to her. “I’ll rig up my backpack so you can wear it under your dress. I have to hide the weapons. Carrying US military issue and wearing a uniform will have us both killed. I’ll stay covered up, and once we get into the next town, we’ll ditch the truck and I’ll find something else.”

Annie looked at his grim expression. “Is it safe there?”

“Safer than out here alone.” Dave rubbed his chin and looked at her. “I have contacts in the next town. We’ll be able to get some rest and hopefully find you some warm clothes to wear under the dress. We’re still Americans and worth money to anyone handing us over to the militants. I might get away with the disguise and I speak the language, but you don’t and your skin hasn’t seen a lick of sun. You’ll need to keep your head down. I mean right down. Your blue eyes will stick out so keep your attention fixed on the ground. Follow my feet, don’t speak, or look at anyone we meet. That’s normal around these parts, especially when I’ll tell them you’re my wife and heavily pregnant. They should ignore you completely. The weight of my backpack will add to the deception.” He waved to a dense bush. “That’s the best I can do for a bathroom. I’ll break out some supplies and then we’ll have to go. I’ll need to check in again soon. I’ll have more info then.”

The numbness that had surrounded her when she’d realized that Dave had killed nine men without hesitation to protect her just got another coating. She headed for the bushes. She’d be in mortal danger in a crowd of hostiles and it terrified her. Her mind was already having problems making sense of the carnage she’d witnessed. She’d been sure the militants had killed Dave, and seeing his flowing robes appear as he walked around the truck had brought tears of relief to her eyes. He’d moved the bodies, jumped into the truck and driven to collect her as if nothing had happened. He hadn’t said a word about the incident until she’d asked him. He’d been so matter of fact, as if he’d just taken out the garbage. In truth, Dave had been incredibly brave or completely crazy. He’d laid down in the ditch with the dead bodies and when the three men from the other truck had checked on their comrades, he’d just rolled over and killed them. Just like that. She swallowed hard. Heck, he must have nerves of steel.

She returned to where he was sitting on a rock, fiddling with his backpack. She sat down beside him. “Thanks for looking after me. I know this isn’t what you do. I’ve heard my dad talking about snipers being dropped behind enemy lines and having to find their way back to an evac point. Nothing specific, just how much he admires them. I’m guessing that’s what you do. Look, I know you can’t tell me anything about yourself, and that’s okay, but when this is all over and you return to the States, come by and we’ll go for a real coffee. I’m sure you know where I live.” She pulled off her burka and smiled at him. “My treat.”

“I’ll hold you to that, ma’am. Once this mission is over, I’m planning on staying stateside for a time. I’d really like to see you again.” Dave searched her face. “You know that few women would want to spend time with someone like me. I’m a mass murderer with no conscience. If I wasn’t in the military. I’d be on death row somewhere by now.”

What’s with the ma’am? Annie took in the man beside her. Handsome was an adjective that didn’t come close. She shook her head. “I don’t see you that way. You don’t kill unless you have to and out here it’s kill or be killed. I can see that. I’m not stupid. I see a brave, loyal, and fearless man.”

“Uh-huh. All that and we’ve only known each other for a few days.” He gave her a slow smile that lit up his eyes. “You’re a pain in the ass but you’re growing on me.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Let’s hope we survive the next few days. Once we make it to the border we’ll be evacuated. And then I’ll hold you to that coffee.”

Chapter Thirteen