Freefall Read online

  “Mom is a senator’s wife, and she’s good at it.” Amy smiled when she thought of her mother. “I think she’s behind all the success the rest of the family has had. She’s just always there, you know? If you do something wrong, you know she’ll find out about it. When you do something right, she’s always there to congratulate you.”

  Brent returned her smile. “She sounds like my mom. She quit working before I was born to stay home full-time. She coached the high school swim teams as kind of a hobby, but it was amazing how much information she picked up. We couldn’t get anything past her.”

  “What about your dad?”

  “We didn’t see him much during the daylight hours, but Mom made sure he knew everything that was going on. Until he retired, he worked for a government contractor. He had to commute into DC every day, but he spent most of his time on the weekends with us kids. Every time I drive from Stafford into Washington I realize how much he sacrificed so that Mom could stay at home. It must have taken him at least an hour each way.”

  Amy grinned. “Yet you chose a job where you have to commute across the world at a moment’s notice.”

  “That’s different,” Brent told her, amused by her observation. “I live on base when I’m not on assignment, so I don’t even have a commute. When something comes up, my team is so focused on what needs to be done, we don’t really think about how far we have to travel.”

  “Still, it must be hard on your family.” Amy dropped the bait.

  “They worry some, but they know that traveling on I-95 is usually more dangerous than my job is.” Brent studied her a moment before he offered the information he hoped she wanted. “And there isn’t anyone else back home to worry about me.”

  “I should say I’m surprised, but I don’t imagine it’s easy to date with your job.”

  “I don’t know.” Brent reached for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “I can’t say that I ever gave it much of a chance.”

  Nerves fluttered in her stomach, and for a moment she thought he might just lean down and kiss her. His hand was warm in hers, and he was staring down at her in a way that made her wonder if her heart was designed to beat quite this fast.

  Brent stared at her for a long moment, lost in his own thoughts. Finally, he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “We had better get some sleep.”

  Amy saw something flicker in his eyes as he released her hand and tried to get comfortable. Confused by her feelings, she watched him for a moment longer before lying down in the darkness.

  CHAPTER 6

  Amy sat just inside the cave, scissors in hand. She had gone up to the spring first thing that morning, first washing her own clothes so that she could let them dry while wearing the poncho and pants Brent had given her. Once they were dry enough to wear, she had taken a shower and washed the rest of her clothes.

  As soon as she returned, Brent went up to the spring so that he too could shower and wash his clothes. He was moving much better this morning, and he had suggested that she try to get a nap before they set out that evening.

  For now she had other plans. To battle the midday heat, she was dressed simply in her T-shirt and her sweatpants that she had cut off at the knees. Though the small scissors made the task difficult, she was currently turning the extra fabric that had once covered the lower part of her legs into bandages. After analyzing their supplies that morning, Amy realized exactly why Brent was so slow to take the painkillers. They were running out, and she had to assume he wanted to save them for when he would really need them. The roll of gauze bandages was also nearly depleted.

  They had already started rationing their food, deciding to share one of the energy bars for the day since they would have access to as much water as they wanted for the time being. Amy imagined they would need their full portions once they started traveling again, but hopefully they could make it through tonight on a little less.

  As she continued to make bandages, she let her mind drift back to her conversation with Brent the night before. Until he had gotten shot, he had seemed almost invincible, but last night he had seemed just like any other guy. Well, maybe not like any other guy, but for the first time she could almost envision him outside of a hostile environment. The way he talked about his family revealed a lot about him, and Amy was realizing that she would like him even if he hadn’t saved her life.

  She wondered what he would be like when he wasn’t behind enemy lines, but her imagination didn’t stretch quite that far. Setting down the scissors, she rubbed at the cramps in her fingers. Methodically, she began to pack the scissors and the new bandages into her backpack.

  She didn’t hear Brent approach, but suddenly there he was in front of her. She hardly recognized him. His face was free of the paint he had smeared on it at the beginning of this ordeal, and he had shaved. He looked younger and yet somehow more formidable at the same time.

  He didn’t notice her staring as he settled down next to her. “Can you bandage this up again for me?”

  “Sure.” Amy took out one of her newly fashioned bandages and scooted closer. He smelled like shaving cream and toothpaste, and nerves danced in her stomach as she retrieved the antibiotic cream and began spreading it over his wounds. She took a deep breath and told herself to think about something besides the way the muscles rippled in Brent’s arms.

  “Did you go to college or on a mission before joining the military?”

  Brent nodded. “Both. I went to Moscow for my mission, and I graduated from George Mason University.” He glanced down at his arm as she finished bandaging it. “And let me guess. You graduated from BYU, right?”

  Amy smiled. “Good guess. I got my degree in international relations.” Now finished with his arm, she put the medical supplies back into her pack. “Obviously, there were a few practical lessons they didn’t teach me.”

  Brent laughed, appreciating the sarcastic tone. “For someone who has literally been dropped into a combat zone, I think you’re holding up pretty well.”

  “Believe me, falling out of helicopters was never mentioned in any of my orientation classes at the State Department.”

  “But hostage situations were,” Brent pointed out.

  She nodded. “I was naive enough to think it couldn’t happen to me.”

  The vulnerability was back, and Brent bit back on his frustration. Had he not been wounded, they would be within a night’s journey of safety. He marveled that Amy didn’t complain about the setback and that, despite her situation, she continued to be optimistic that he could get her home.

  She shifted beside him, and her hair curtained her face. Without thinking, he reached over and tucked it behind her ear as she turned to face him. Embarrassed, he told himself to keep his distance, but he struggled to keep his body from moving closer anyway.

  She stared up at him as he settled against the cave wall beside her. She was quiet for a moment before asking, “Is this the first time you’ve been shot?”

  Brent nodded. “Believe it or not, Navy SEALs usually don’t get into fire fights. Typically our operations are covert. If everything goes well, we’re in and out before anyone even knows we’re there.”

  “I guess that wouldn’t have worked this time.”

  “The guys who took you hostage were expecting us,” Brent said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “They set traps, making it look like we could enter the building safely when I’m sure they were just waiting for us.”

  Amy studied him for a minute and then asked, “How did you get onto the balcony?”

  “I climbed.”

  “You climbed up the building?”

  He gave a casual shrug. “It was a better alternative than getting shot.” Before Amy could point out that he ended up getting shot anyway, he added, “This injury was from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, not because I fell for a lame ambush attempt.”

  Amy considered his words for a moment before speaking. “Personally, I’m glad you and
your friends are good at your job.”

  “Thanks.” Brent leaned his head back against the cave wall and resisted the urge to put an arm around her. “We should get some sleep before we head out tonight.”

  Amy nodded and settled down beside him. Moments later she closed her eyes and let the sound of his breathing lull her to sleep.

  * * *

  When Brent had said that the six miles of hiking through the rock formation weren’t going to be easy, he hadn’t been kidding. They had set out three hours before dusk hoping to reach the desert by dark, but it had already taken nearly four hours to make it those six miles.

  “Do you need a rest?” Brent asked Amy as they approached the sandy terrain ahead, the darkness of the night now complete. Only the moonlight illuminated the empty space ahead of them.

  “I just want a quick drink.” She pulled her water bottle from her pack. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m holding up.” Brent motioned for her to sit down, and he pulled out his canteen and took a sip. He then opened up his map and clicked on a penlight to study it.

  “How far is it to the nearest shelter?”

  “It’s hard to say.” He shifted closer so that she could look at the map also. “The nearest port is this way, but there’s nothing but desert between here and there.”

  “Which means we would be out in the open during the day,” Amy finished for him. “What other alternatives do we have?”

  “We can head north toward this village on the river. We might be able to pick up a boat. If not, we can follow the river out to the ocean.” He turned to her. “Unfortunately, our latest intelligence said that the town just upriver from the village is where the rebels have one of their command centers. In fact, we think that’s where Namir Dagan is holed up.”

  “Isn’t Dagan the one who tried to overthrow the government three years ago?”

  Brent nodded. “We have to assume they have troops there, but we can avoid the main thoroughfares.”

  “Sounds like a better bet than risking dehydration. And like you said, no one realizes we’re even here,” Amy pointed out. “How far is it to the village?”

  “About fifteen miles. We can make it before morning,” Brent said as he folded up his map once more.

  “Let’s go then.” Amy stood up, preparing for the next workout. Thankfully, her shoes were holding up so far except for a little hole in the toe where she’d stubbed it on a sharp rock a couple of miles back.

  Brent wasn’t moving quite as fast as he had the first two nights, but his stride was long and he didn’t appear to be struggling. The minutes passed by in silence. Amy recognized that he had clicked back into work mode and his senses were working overtime as he scanned the area for any perceivable threats.

  The trees in the distance told her they were getting close to the river. She could even smell the water from almost a mile away. Brent slowed down and took her hand in his for a moment. “If anyone sees us, just keep your eyes on the ground. Let me handle it, okay?”

  Amy nodded, oddly disappointed when he released her hand. Her mind turned to Jared, the man she had briefly considered marrying. She expected the next time she saw him he would pull the I-told-you-so routine. Repeatedly he had told her that she shouldn’t take this assignment, that it was too dangerous. Little did he know that she had taken the job as much to get away from him as to satisfy her own sense of adventure.

  She could admit now that she also needed to put some distance between her and her friends back home for a while. After she broke things off with Jared, she had watched many of them move into marriage while she remained firmly in single adulthood.

  Maybe that was why she had been so eager to get out on her own. She didn’t want to be part of the singles scene, and the few times she had attended the singles ward at home she had felt like everyone expected she was just there to find a husband. She glanced over at Brent and wondered if he had the same problem. Perhaps he just wasn’t interested in a relationship at this point in his life. His life was certainly exciting enough without adding any other elements to it.

  Still lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed Brent slow his pace. He reached out and touched her shoulder to get her attention as he approached the riverbank. He then signaled for her to be quiet as they moved slowly forward.

  She expected that he would find a spot to leave her so that he could scout out the village, but instead he motioned for her to follow behind him. The village was primitive, made of simple huts. Even though the sun was now visible, they couldn’t see any sign of life in the village except for some livestock near the river. A goat stood on the bank drinking water and a few chickens were pecking the ground outside the nearest hut. Three horses were grazing just beyond it.

  The dock that gave the village access to the river was void of boats, an oddity in itself. From where they stood, sheltered by a few trees, Amy could see a watchtower that was twice as tall as the huts surrounding it, but it too appeared empty.

  Brent studied the village for several minutes before finally turning to Amy. He signaled for her to be quiet and then drew his gun and motioned for her to follow him. He moved to the first hut, peered inside, and then led the way to the next one. Slowly, meticulously, he checked out each of the huts, over twenty of them, before moving to the watchtower in the center of the village.

  “Stay here,” Brent whispered before starting up the ladder. He reached the top, staying low so that he couldn’t be seen by anyone in the distance. With his binoculars he scrutinized the countryside before descending the ladder to where Amy was waiting.

  “Did you see anything?”

  Brent nodded. “There are signs of a battle in the town a couple of miles upriver. The villagers must have deserted their homes and fled for safety.”

  “They can’t have been gone long since they still have animals grazing here.”

  “The boats are all gone, but those horses look domesticated.” Brent stared down at her a moment. “You can ride a horse, can’t you?”

  “Yeah, I can ride.” Amy looked around the eerily quiet village. “Are we staying here for the day?”

  “Actually, if you’re up for it, I’d rather start for the coast. If anyone comes along today, those horses will be long gone before we would be able to set out tonight.”

  “Isn’t that pretty risky?” Amy asked hesitantly.

  “I think it’s riskier to stay here.” Brent pushed open the door to the hut where he had seen some of the locals’ clothing left behind. “If it was safe, the villagers would have already returned.”

  Amy took the robe Brent handed her. “I don’t suppose you saw any bridles anywhere.”

  “There’s some rope beneath the watchtower.” Brent moved to look beneath the two-story platform. Suddenly he jumped back and aimed his weapon at the dark space in the corner.

  Instinctively, Amy moved back. Fumbling, she retrieved the pistol from her bag just as Brent kicked another weapon out into the dirt in front of her. She didn’t know much about weapons but she recognized the gun in front of her. It was the same kind her captors had used.

  A moment later, Brent pulled a motionless man out from beneath the tower. He wasn’t dressed like a local but instead wore some kind of uniform.

  “Is he—?” Amy left her question dangling as Brent checked the man’s pockets.

  “Yeah, he’s dead, but he hasn’t been for long.” Brent stared down at the face for a moment. Surprise crossed his face, followed by disbelief. “I think this is Rashidi Re. He’s Namir Dagan’s chief military advisor.”

  “What would he be doing here?”

  Brent shrugged. “He probably tried to escape the battle and got shot in the process.” He checked the man’s pockets, tossing various items onto the ground: a handful of coins, a torn photograph, a cigarette lighter. The last item he fished out was a Palm Pilot. Brent studied it for a minute, punching various buttons. He let out a sigh when his first attempt to bypass the security failed.

  Amy ave
rted her gaze from the man sprawled on the ground, instead looking at Brent. “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to bypass the security codes,” he said. “My Arabic is a little rusty. This may take a few minutes.”

  “You speak Arabic?”

  “Enough to get by.” Brent glanced up long enough to see her confusion. “All SEALs have to learn at least one foreign language, but the more we know the easier it is to do our job.”

  With a shrug, Brent turned his attention back to the computer. He continued to punch buttons as the sun rose higher in the sky. Finally, he hacked his way through the computer’s security systems. His eyes widened as he scanned through emails and notes.

  Amy felt Brent’s tension level rise. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not sure.” Brent continued reading. “There are schematics and photos in this email. It looks like an assassination attempt, but I can’t tell who or where.” He glanced down at his watch to check the date and then scrolled through to where a date was listed along with the photo of a building. “Whatever is going on is supposed to happen two days from now.”

  “Can I see?” Amy let him come to her rather than moving closer to the body. She looked at the building photograph and recognized it immediately. “That’s a picture of the hotel in Cairo I stayed at on my way here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Amy nodded. “It was only a few weeks ago. In fact, that’s probably where the U.S. embassy staff was evacuated to until it’s safe to return to this country again.” She turned to look at him. “Do you think the ambassador could be the target?”

  “Not the ambassador. The DCI.”

  “What?”

  “The Director of Central Intelligence was supposed to be coming here for a meeting with the ambassador. The hostage situation might have been part of a bigger plan to get the ambassador out of the country. Here in Abolstan the DCI would have been invisible, arriving by helicopter at the embassy and leaving the same way.” He shook his head, turning back to retrieve the rope he had started to get a few minutes earlier. “I don’t know why the DCI was coming, but it must have been pretty important for him to decide to come here instead of just having the ambassador come to Washington.”