Lose Your Breath (Detectives Kane and Alton)

The house smelled of sweat, potatoes, and the same aromatic coffee. A woman came out of a back room but said nothing as she waved them to a table. As soon as Annie sat down, hot food arrived, with bread and the same yellow coffee. Dave spoke to a man in fast Arabic and gave him a wad of bills before sitting at the table with his back to the wall. Armed men guarded the door but Dave’s attention shifted all around as he ate his meal.

They’d driven in virtual silence, although he’d been in communication with someone by the name of Terabyte. At times they’d veered off-road and bumped over uneven farmland or driven behind buildings and waited as a convoy drove past. It was as if he sensed when trouble was approaching. She’d been too intimidated by him to ask questions. What had he meant by “I’m the only weapon you’ll need”? Annie kept her head down and ate slowly, eyeing him from under her lashes. He acted like a robot, as if he never tired. They’d been driving for hours, stopping only when nature called, and apart from thick black stubble, he looked as fresh as when they’d left the last town. His strength was formidable and when he’d lifted her over his shoulder, it had been like hitting a brick wall of solid muscle. His handsome face always had a stern expression, but then at times his eyes danced with amusement. He’d also treated her with respect and gentleness. There was obviously a nice guy under the shell of a hardened soldier. There had to be a reason. She wondered if he was a family man. She sipped the coffee. It gave her a rush of caffeine and, feeling much better, she met his scrutinizing gaze. “Are you married?”

“Negative.” Dave refilled his cup and his gaze moved over her and then back to his plate. “Of all the questions you could have asked me, you want to know if I’m married.” He continued to eat, shaking his head.

That went well. Annie shrugged. “Just making conversation. It’s obvious the mission is classified, so asking you anything is a waste of time, but are the long silences really necessary?”

“It’s okay to talk in the vehicle but remaining silent will save your life.” Dave lifted his head but his attention was constantly moving from door to window. “Muslim women don’t speak to men in this area, and as you’re dressed as one, you should act the part, plus if anyone hears your accent, they’ll kill you. We’re in the heart of a rebel militia stronghold. The people helping us are placing themselves in danger by just speaking to us.”

The reality of the situation hit Annie like a sledgehammer. She’d been under the impression that after so long, they’d moved out of danger. She clasped her hands together to stop them trembling. “I’m sorry I didn’t understand how much danger we’re in. I thought we were well away from the people who’d kidnapped me.”

“Nope, the bounty on us will be high.” Dave pushed his plate away and then pulled out his weapon, checked the load and his ammunition. “I’m in communication with someone who’ll guide us out of trouble, but apart from a few friendlies who can be bought for a price by both sides, we’re on our own.”

“I see.” Annie refilled her cup. “So, this could be our last meal for a time?”

“Yeah, but these people will give us some food and supplies.” Dave checked his backpack. “I still have cheese. It keeps well but I’m restricted for space. I have a sniper rifle and will need to pack more ammo and the US bills into my backpack. There’s not room for much else. My backpack is crucial to our survival, so you’ll have to keep it safe.” He gave her a wink. “Which means if we meet up with anyone suspicious on the road, you’ll hide it under your robes. No man will touch you. They’ll think your pregnant. We’ll ask for another bag to carry the food. It’s lucky it’s winter. We’d never make it in summer.” He stiffened as a man walked into the room.

The man spoke in rapid Arabic and handed him two bags. Annie waited for the man to leave and looked at Dave. “Food and ammo, right?”

“Yeah, and we need to go.” Dave swapped cheese from his backpack and replaced it with ammunition. He inspected three grenades and placed them inside a pocket in the backpack and then took out a pair of night-vision goggles. “Take the food. We need to leave right now. Eyes down, don’t look at anyone.”

They hurried to the Audi and Annie stowed his backpack at her feet, the food and ammo went behind them under a blanket. She clipped in her seatbelt as Dave pulled on the night-vision goggles and took off at speed. “Is there a problem?”

“Maybe.” He press

ed his ear. “Terabyte, do you copy? What have we got?”

There was a pause as he listened to the transmission coming through his earpiece and then Dave turned suddenly off the road and headed across the barren landscape. The old car bumped and leapfrogged over the uneven ground. They moved at full speed and Dave spun the wheel, sliding the old sedan behind a small clump of trees. The movement had kicked up a cloud of dirt, which settled over the vehicle in an orange dust.

“Grab the food.” Dave shrugged into his backpack, slung the other bag over one shoulder, and took her hand. He took off at full tilt toward a pile of rocks.

He moved so fast Annie had to suck in huge breaths to keep going. Her legs cramped but she kept running. As they got closer, she could see the ruins of a building made from mud bricks. Part of it still stood but most had been damaged. Bullet holes riddled one wall in a sickening show of violence. Heart pounding at a million beats a second, she allowed Dave to drag her up the side using the broken bricks as steps. She stood panting, bent over with her hands on her knees, sure her lungs would burst.

“Stay down, we have company.” Dave scanned the building, checking the gaps, and then pushed her toward one. He pulled a box from his backpack, clicked it open, and in seconds had constructed a rifle and set it up, the muzzle fitting neatly between the bricks. He looked down at her and then handed her his sidearm. “If I go down, you might need this. Don’t let them take you alive. These guys don’t negotiate.”

Dragging in deep breaths, she nodded and hunched down. Her mouth was so dry she couldn’t form words. She pulled out a canteen of water, took a sip, and then handed it up to him. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “They might drive past. The sedan looks like it’s been there for a while with the dust all over it. It depends if the friendlies give us up or not. You never know. Out here nothing is certain. You can’t trust anyone except me.” He removed his goggles and stowed them in his backpack. “We wait and see.” He pressed his com. “Terabyte, do you copy? We’re in position. I’ll wait here for the convoy to pass. Check in at twenty-four hundred.”

When the sound of trucks rumbled through the night, Annie couldn’t stop shaking. Fear grabbed her and her teeth chattered. She gripped the bag of food and hunkered down, but out in the middle of nowhere with only a few mud bricks for protection, terror had her by the throat. As the trucks moved closer and headlights moved across the landscape, a warm hand closed over her shoulder and squeezed. The hand stayed there, like a shield of protection.

“It’s going to be okay. Take deep breaths, close your eyes. Stay calm.” Dave’s soothing voice had a strange calming effect on her. “They might shoot up the Audi but they don’t know we’re here.”

Annie nodded. And then all hell broke loose. A spotlight swept the countryside back and forth and moved over the ruined house before settling on the car. The convoy stopped and gunfire rang out as automatic weapons sent thousands of rounds into the Audi. Unable to catch her breath, Annie closed her hand over Dave’s and squeezed. She could feel the tension radiating from him, but he remained like a statue watching in silence. The noise went on forever and then loud raucous laughter came from the militia. After what seemed like a lifetime, the trucks rumbled off into the distance.

“Okay, we need to move.” Dave stripped down his rifle and packed it away. “Ready?”

Petrified, Annie couldn’t move. She just stared at him as he peeled her fingers from around the handle of the Glock. Her heart pounded in her ears and her legs refused to obey her. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

“You did good.” Dave slid down to sit beside her. He took her hand and rubbed it between his own. “We all go into shock the first time we come under fire. You’ll be fine.” He stood, pulled on his backpack, and picked up all the bags. “Wait here, I’ll see if the sedan is drivable.”

Shaking like a bowl of Jell-O, Annie watched him move away and almost disappear in the dark, his long flowing robes covered special ops camouflage, which blended in with the sandy landscape. She wondered why he’d come to save her with only a robe covering his uniform. If the militia caught him, they’d torture him for days. She noticed a flashlight and made out Dave under the back of the car. The light flicked over the vehicle for a few seconds before he jumped inside and started it up. When he drove it toward her, she started down the building. Her feet went from under her and the air shot from her lungs as she landed flat on her back. Dazed and trying just to breathe, she stared at a million stars in a black endless sky.

“What part of ‘stay here’ didn’t you understand?” Dave checked her over and stared into her eyes.

The look of concern for her calmed Annie’s nerves. She couldn’t resist touching his arm. “I’m sorry. Don’t get so mad.”

“I’ll do my best.” Dave’s arms went around her as he lifted her and carried her to the car. “The Audi’s toast. The fuel tank is leaking but I stuck a twig in it. We might make it to the next stop but it’s going to be a rough ride. The tires are shredded.” He sat her in the front seat, pulled out the canteen, and handed it to her. “Where’s it hurting?” He pushed her hair back inside the burka and straightened it.