Duty Bound (Blackthorn Security Book 1)

Chapter 29

Lily stared up at the Airbus A320 that was going to take her to Istanbul. The situation at the airport was still chaotic, but one of Pat’s local contacts, a former Afghani official still working undercover in Kabul, had managed to get her a ticket under an assumed name. She wore a full burqa, including the mesh screen over her eyes, and traveled with a man she did not know.

A local woman traveling alone would raise too many questions.

Once they landed in Turkey, she’d lose her chaperone, switch planes, and get on an American Airline flight to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

“Do I use the same passport?” she’d asked Pat. God only knew what had happened to hers. Probably stolen by now.

“Yeah. It’s not ideal but was the best we could come up with under the circumstances.”

Lily was incredibly grateful to the woman whose passport she was using.

“If someone else uses your original passport, it’ll confuse the hell out of them,” Pat had told her with a dry laugh. “We’ll reissue you a new one when you get home.”

Home.

How unfamiliar that word sounded. She’d been away almost eleven months now. The home she’d shared with Joe would be full of memories, and she didn’t want to go there.

Yet, she had no choice.

Except now, she’d be missing both of them, not just Joe. He’d always have a place in her heart, but it was Blade who consumed her thoughts.

Had Stitch found him?

Was he even alive?

How would they get out of there?

So many unanswered questions. She sighed and climbed onboard, feeling like she was leaving a huge part of herself on the shimmering tarmac behind.

Blade.

Her hero.

She still couldn’t believe he’d voluntarily sacrificed himself like that.

For her. For Stitch.

She found her seat and curled into it, wishing it would swallow her up. God, how she missed him.

Pat had moved fast. He hadn’t wanted to risk the Taliban locking down the airports. “We’re banking on them not having figured out who Blade is yet. Once they connect him to you, they’ll launch a major manhunt. You’ll be the talk of the town.”

“What about Blade?”

Pat had remained stoic. “He’s a big boy. He can look after himself.”

“What if they kill him, Pat?” She hadn’t been able to keep the fear from her voice.

He didn’t answer for a long while. “He’s trained for this, Lily. Stitch is going after him. Have a little faith.”

She wished she could, but it was so hard.

She didn’t want to believe he was dead, that she’d never see him again.

It was just… she had so much to lose.

The doors closed, then the plane began to taxi along the runway. The anxiety she’d felt up to now began to dissipate. A few more seconds then they”d be airborne.

Pat had said as soon as they left Afghanistan airspace, she’d be safe. Home free. The sparse, dry scenery flew past the window, faster and faster, until it became one long, yellow-green blur. The plane groaned and the wheels lifted. They were up.

She leaned back, eyes closed. Didn’t want to open them until she was safe. How long until they flew into Iran airspace? Ten minutes, twenty?

An hour later, she was finally able to relax.

They’d done it. She was free.

Blade had done it. He’d gotten her out, just like he’d promised.

Pity he wasn’t here to share the moment with her. They should be celebrating right now with a glass of bubbly. Stitch should be home with Soraya.

So many people had pulled together to make this happen, and she was the one getting out. They were stuck there, God only knew in what state.

It didn’t feel right.

Lily feltthe plane start to descend and opened her eyes. She’d slept most of the way from Turkey to Charlotte. Now, about to land in her home state, she felt the weight of the past week lift.

Reality was settling in. She was safe.

They wouldn’t come for her here. Too late, they’d lost their chance. She’d give the codes to the authorities, and it would no longer be her problem. Pat had said a team would be waiting at the airport to debrief her. CIA, NSA, and goodness knows who else.

All she cared about was that the nightmare was over.

A cloudless, cobalt sky welcomed her home. A bright sunny day in Charlotte, NC.

She couldn’t enjoy it. Not with Blade still out there, whereabouts unknown.

Maybe Pat had heard from Stitch in the interim. It had been a long flight. Two flights, in fact. She’d left her travel partner in Turkey and gone on to board the American Airlines plane with no problems. She’d even removed the burqa after takeoff. Lily left Turkey as the borrowed-passport woman, but she arrived in America as herself.

Holy shit. Pat wasn”t kidding about the debrief.

She stepped off the plane, carry-on slung over her shoulder, then walked into the terminal. A SWAT team greeted her.

Seriously?

Was scaring the daylights out of her really necessary? After everything she”d just gone through, this felt like total overkill.

But they led her to a private room where three stern-looking guys and one equally no-nonsense lady waited around a conference table.

The room was stark, illuminated by harsh fluorescent lights that put her on edge. There were no pictures on the walls, no furniture other than the table and a few chairs. It felt cold, almost clinical—a stark contrast to the warmth of sunlight she”d just left behind on the tarmac.

Lily sat then placed her carry-on beside her chair. The air was thick with anticipation, or maybe it was just the recycled air conditioning. Either way, it made her skin prickle.

One of the men introduced himself as Agent Thompson. He attempted a smile, which made him look constipated, and said, “Thanks for joining us.”

Like she’d had a choice?

“I’m glad to be back.”

“I’m sure.” The woman spoke for the first time. “You’ve suffered a terrible ordeal.”

No shit.

“You didn’t have any problems on your way home?”

She shook her head.

“Can we have your passport?”

Lily took it from her jacket pocket then slid it across the table.

The woman nodded.

Agent Thompson spoke. “Lily, the software codes…” He let the sentence hang, an implicit invitation for her to fill in the blanks.

She glanced at them. They were practically drooling over the table. This was a chance to track not just the Taliban, but any enemy, anywhere. The software she’d helped develop would provide data they could use to strengthen America”s borders, assist their allies, and understand their adversaries better. It was all about the information.

“Can I have a piece of paper?”

He had one ready.

Slowly, and with precision, she wrote down the strings of code that would get them access to Hawkeye.

“Just to be clear,” another agent added, “this is everything?”

She gave another nod. “That’s everything. Can I go now?”

The fourth man grimaced. “I’m afraid not. I’m with the Department of Defense, and we’d like you to talk us through everything that happened over there, beginning with your abduction.”

She sighed. Really? They were doing this now.

Someone knocked.

“Excuse me one second.” The man stood then opened the door a crack.

Pat’s voice flowed into the room, terse, demanding, abrupt. The debrief could wait. She’d been through enough. He was taking her home.

“I suppose it can wait a day or two,” the DOD man said reluctantly.

Lily threw herself into his arms. “Pat, thank goodness. It’s so good to see you!”

He hugged her, a great big bear of a hug. Keeping a protective arm around her, he turned to the other agents, towering above them. “She’s coming with me.”

Lily couldn’t have been more eager to leave.

As they left the airport building, Pat said, “I was thinking you should come and stay with at my place for a while. If you want to, that is.”

Her eyes welled up. Damnit, she hated crying in front of him, but she was so relieved to not have to go home. “That would be great.”

He gave a happy nod. “Let’s go then. Let’s get you home.”