Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Blink hurt. Everywhere. But it was the feeling of drowning that had him unable to sleep. Waterboarding sucked. There was no getting around it. Intellectually he knew he wasn’t drowning, but the soaking-wet towel on his face was enough to give him the feeling of not being able to breathe, of being underwater. He’d had extensive training in the torture technique, but that didn’t mean it still didn’t suck.
Now, he was lying in an extremely uncomfortable position, but it was the small, cold fingers wrapped around his hand that kept him as still as possible on the floor. He wouldn’t move unless he had to. Touching him was a huge step for this woman, and they both knew it.
And it was all the proof he needed that he’d made the right decision yesterday.
Flash and the rest of the team probably could’ve come up with a new plan on the fly, but the odds of succeeding would’ve been drastically reduced. It was better that they regrouped and came back ready for two POWs instead of one. He’d go through ten more waterboarding sessions if it meant they both escaped.
The thought of her experiencing two seconds of what he’d been trained to withstand made Blink want to fucking kill the asshole who’d threatened her with his bare hands. He’d do whatever was necessary to keep her safe.
Suddenly, she jerked her hand off his, hitting it on the bars hard enough that Blink winced. She stared at him with wide eyes, reaching up to her ear.
“Ah, they’re here?” he asked.
She nodded, a much more aggressive nod than he’d gotten from her ever before. Instead of opening his hand for the receiver, Blink moved closer to the bars and tilted his head in her direction. “Can you put it in my ear? That asshole fucked my arm up with one of his kicks.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie. Something was wrong with his arm, but Blink wanted to feel her touch again, strengthen that small bit of trust she’d shown him.
She hesitated, then she reached toward him.
Her fingers brushed against his earlobe, and goose bumps broke out on the back of Blink’s neck. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t dally, just gently placed the earbud inside his ear then backed up.
“…in ten. You copy, Blink?”
“Sorry, no. Repeat,” he told Preacher.
“Plan is to quietly and carefully take out a few of the cinder blocks in your current abode. We’ll take you out that way, put them back, so it’ll look like you disappeared into thin air. Gonna get to you in ten. ”
“And my friend?” he asked.
“We’ll get to her the same way, at the same time,” Preacher said.
“You’ll only need to remove half the bricks to get to her,” Blink said.
“Know that. We all saw her. We’ve got burkas for the two of you. It’s not ideal, I realize, but neither of you can walk around in what you’ve got on without drawing the wrong kind of attention. Things are still extremely hot out here. No one’s happy about what went down.”
Blink thought that was an understatement. He and the SEAL team he’d been with had taken out two very high-ranking men in the area. Men who were longtime terrorist leaders. But he couldn’t think about that right now. “Shoes?”
“Sandals. Had to guess at her size.”
Blink nodded. He felt the woman’s gaze on him and looked up. “We’ll be ready,” he told Preacher.
“Roger. Out.”
Blink took a breath, then quickly said, “It’s time. My team is going to take out some cinder blocks in our cells. We’ll go out that way. They have burkas for us to put on. Then we’ll simply walk away.”
He saw her swallow, then nod. This woman had more courage in her little finger than many men he’d worked with in his SEAL career.
“We can do this,” he told her.
Again, she nodded.
Not for the first time, Blink wished she would or could talk to him. Ask all the questions he saw swirling in her gaze. But for now, it was enough that she wasn’t panicking .
The sound of scraping seemed loud in the otherwise quiet room, and Blink winced, praying the men on the other side of the door wouldn’t hear.
The woman in the cell slowly stood. She walked over to where the cup was sitting on the floor under the water drip that had literally kept her alive. She picked it up, looked into it, then back up at Blink.
She held it up, as if asking if he wanted the water that had accumulated.
His chest hurt, and not because he’d been beaten time and time again. Blink shook his head. “You drink it, Spirit. Things are about to get pretty intense. Just stay calm, do what my team and I tell you to do as soon as we ask you to do it. All right?”
She didn’t nod, just tipped the cup up to her lips. Then she lowered it to her side and held it with what looked like a death grip. He could see her fingers go white as she gripped the thing. It would be smarter to leave it, but since it had literally kept her alive, he understood her need to take it with her.
About two minutes passed as his team worked to remove enough cinder blocks so they could crawl out of their cells. Spirit’s was completed before his, which wasn’t surprising, since the hole didn’t need to be as large.
“Tell her to come on out,” Kevlar said in Blink’s ear.
“Go on,” Blink encouraged the woman.
But she didn’t move. She stayed where she was, staring not at the hole in her cell, the path to freedom, and not at him…but at the progress his team was making to the hole on his si de. It was hard to believe she wasn’t bolting the first chance she got.
Instead, she was waiting for him.
Determination swelled within Blink once more.
No one was going to hurt this woman again. No fucking way.
“I think it’s big enough. Get your hairy ass out here,” Safe said through the radio receiver.
“Ready?” Blink asked the woman. “Together.”
She nodded, then moved toward the hole on her side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her lie down, and then his team pulled her out with no fuss. It wasn’t quite as easy for him. Blink lay on his back, since his hands were still cuffed in front of him. He wiggled his head out of the hole and then had to turn this way and that, as Kevlar and MacGyver struggled to get his shoulders out.
Blink wanted to scream in pain as the rough bricks scraped over the many wounds he already had on his body, but he didn’t even grimace as he was finally pulled out of that hellhole and hauled to his feet.
“You look like shit.”
“Wow, someone had a little too much fun rearranging your face.”
“Good thing you have that beard to hide your ugly mug.”
But Blink wasn’t listening to the banter his team was known for, especially in stressful situations. He only had eyes for the woman who’d been his rock. She’d kept him calm, gave him a purpose while waiting for rescue.
She was standing in the alley next to the building where they’d been held. Filthy as hell, wearing a fucking bikini under a brown cover-up that was at one time probably some pretty pastel color, holding on to that damn cup as if her life depended on it. Her toes looked dainty and fragile in the dirt and trash that was all around them.
“Here, get this on. You can be the mom, she’s the kid, and Kevlar’s the dad. Keep your head down and be ready for anything,” Safe said as he shoved a pile of material at Blink, even while Smiley worked to remove his shackles from around his wrists and ankles.
He figured out how to get the burka on and saw MacGyver helping the woman cover herself. The mesh screen across his face made it difficult to see clearly, but his team would be his eyes for him.
“Eyes open, everyone,” Kevlar said through the radio. “We aren’t out of here yet. Taxi’s waiting, let’s get the hell out of dodge.”
Without thought, Blink took a step toward the woman. He couldn’t see her eyes anymore, which bothered him for some reason.
“Stay one step behind me, Blink,” Kevlar told him. “And keep hold of the woman. She looks like she’ll blow away with one gust of wind.”
Kevlar wasn’t wrong. Blink reached out a hand and, to his surprise, she latched onto it with startling strength.
“If you have any trouble walking, let me know. I’ll carry you. We’ve got this, Spirit.”
To his amazement, Blink felt her fingers tighten around his, as if in confirmation of his words. Again, the thought of how brave she was hit him hard. She wasn’t crying. Wasn’t bitching about the sandals on her feet that he saw were obviously too big. She was doing what she had to do in order to survive.
But he had no time to think, as they were moving fast. And to his chagrin, Blink was the one having trouble walking. He felt himself swaying back and forth as if he were drunk. The beatings he’d received were catching up with him.
He felt the woman sidle up next to him. She held his hand even tighter, as if she could hold him up by sheer force of will. It worked. Having her walking so close helped Blink steady his stride.
They’d gone only a few blocks when they heard loud shouting from the next block over.
“Shit! Let’s get the hell out of here!” Safe exclaimed through the comms.
And just like that, adrenaline flooded Blink. He no longer felt his injuries. No longer felt weak.
“We’ll go north five blocks then west toward the water. There are three boats waiting,” Kevlar told him, bringing his weapon up, ready to use at the slightest provocation.
Blink didn’t need to explain to Spirit that something was wrong. Her body was tense and she could hear the shouting as well as he could.
“Easy,” he murmured softly.
Knowing if they ran they’d look even more out of place, Blink walked them behind Kevlar as they went as fast as they dared toward the extraction point. Getting out of the city was going to be dangerous as hell.
As soon as he had the thought, he heard rapid gunfire echo through the streets around them .
“ Fuck . Can you run?” Kevlar asked, addressing the question to both Blink and the woman at his side.
Spirit nodded, and that was all Blink needed to see.
He wasn’t dying here, and neither was she. Every step hurt like hell. The shoes his team had brought him weren’t great for running, and Spirit’s were even worse. But if they didn’t get on one of those boats, the condition of their feet would be the least of their worries. And just getting to the boats wasn’t a guarantee they’d make it out of the country. Until they were out of Iranian waters, the possibility of being captured again was high.
Shouts sounded behind them—dangerously close.
They weren’t going to make it to the boats.
Frustration and anger swam through Blink. He’d promised Spirit he’d get her out of there, and he wasn’t going to be able to keep that promise.
Suddenly, Spirit tugged on his hand. Hard.
Almost falling, he glanced at her through the mesh of the burka and saw her pointing toward a house. A woman was standing in the doorway, motioning frantically for them to come closer.
“Kevlar. House!” Blink hissed, letting his team leader know what Spirit had spotted.
Every instinct told Blink to keep moving. To get to the boats. But the sounds of men searching the streets were louder now. Any second, they’d come around a corner and see them.
Kevlar nodded at him and they ran toward the house.
The door had just shut behind them when they heard the pounding of boots pass by. The woman who’d invited them in held a finger to her lips. Blink had no idea if she knew he was a man, that Spirit wasn’t a little girl, but he wasn’t about to blow their cover.
He could feel Spirit shaking next to him and without thought, he pulled her close. Her head barely came to his shoulder, and despite the dangerous situation, Blink felt something click into place deep inside as the woman leaned against him. It was a feeling he’d never had before.
A sense of rightness. Of coming home.
They were in the middle of a completely fucked-up rescue mission, as vulnerable as he’d ever been, and yet somehow, everything felt right in his world.
“Blink?”
Jerking at the sound of Kevlar’s voice, he turned.
His team leader looked completely at ease. As if he wasn’t running for his life with two very weak people who, at this point, were liabilities to his survival. He motioned to the earpiece they were using to stay in touch with the others—the one he’d completely ignored because he was too busy feeling blown away by his connection to Spirit.
“The team took two of the boats. We need to get to the third. Our contact is still there. Just in case we get separated, it’s a brown speedboat. Looks like shit but she’s got enough power to outrun anyone who might follow. He’ll wait until dark if need be. The plan is to get to the boat and the second we get out of Iranian waters, we’ll be picked up by a bird.”
Blink nodded, not liking their odds at actually making it to the boat at this point. And he wasn’t even going to ask Kevlar what he planned on doing if they did get separated, and he and Spirit took the boat that was waiting .
As if he’d been working with Blink for years, rather than the short time they’d actually been on the same team, Kevlar said, “We’re getting out of here, Blink. We still need to have words about you sneaking off in the middle of the night without us.”
He nodded. He realized he was breathing hard and adrenaline was still coursing through his bloodstream. They were so close to getting out of there, but the most dangerous part still remained. They had to get to the water and hope the pilot and the boat were as good as Kevlar claimed.
The woman who’d invited them into her house said something in rapid-fire Persian, then pulled on Spirit’s burka and pointed toward the back of the house.
None of them had any idea what she’d said, but it was obvious she wanted them to follow her. They walked through the small house to a back door. She opened it a crack and peered out. Then she said something else to them and nodded, holding open the door.
Blink would have preferred to wait a little longer to make sure their pursuers thought they were gone, but it looked like they were leaving now. He nodded at the woman who’d helped them and stepped outside with Spirit and Kevlar once more.
“Doing good, Spirit,” he told her quietly, as soon as they were back on the city street. “Just a little farther.”
His feet hurt. His legs hurt. His fingers and back hurt. But nothing would keep Blink from getting to the water. He thought about the rest of his team, who’d been willing to come after him. About his former teammates, who’d died and been injured fighting against evil. And he thought about the woman who’d just risked her own safety to hide them. She didn’t know they were Americans; all she probably saw was two parents and a child, scared and about to be caught in the middle of something dangerous. Blink had no idea if the woman thought they were the ones being chased, or if they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. But her kindness had allowed them another chance to get home. He would forever be grateful.
That was the thing about war. About the missions he did. Even though they might be in a hostile country, there were always innocents. Civilians who were merely living their lives. They weren’t hardened terrorists, didn’t want to kill or be killed. They were simply trying to survive in whatever situation life had handed them. Women, children, and men who loved and wanted to be loved. Who had goals and aspirations. Who didn’t agree with others who were willing to kill for power. The woman who’d let them use her home as a momentary refuge was one such civilian.
Blink didn’t know exactly where they were going, but he trusted Kevlar, and he could smell the water as his team leader steered them toward it. It didn’t take long to reach, and there was a lot of action around the docks. Men yelling and pointing toward the gulf.
Scanning the boats, Blink spotted what had to be their ride. A man sat in a brown boat, and Kevlar was right, it looked like it would sink if it tried to go anywhere. Instead of looking concerned about the commotion around him, the guy appeared calm. He wasn’t fiddling with fishing gear. Wasn’t doing anything but sitting at the back of the boat with one hand on the control stick of the outboard motor .
But if this wasn’t their contact and their way out of there, and Blink, Spirit, and Kevlar hopped into his boat, they were fucked.
Kevlar stopped with his back against the wall of a building not far from the dock, and Blink did the same, noticing he didn’t even need to instruct Spirit to sandwich herself between them. She followed his lead without questions, without hesitation.
“See that boat?” Kevlar asked them, pointing out the exact one Blink had already spotted.
Spirit nodded, at the same time Blink said tersely, “Yes.”
“That’s our ride.”
Spirit immediately looked up at Blink and shook her head.
He wished he could see her eyes better, but with both of them wearing burkas, he couldn’t. “It’s okay,” he told her.
Instead of nodding, she shook her head again.
He wasn’t sure why she was hesitating. He needed her to be onboard with this. He could carry her, but it would bring attention to them, attention they definitely didn’t want or need. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, realizing yet again just how small and fragile she really was.
He didn’t wait for Kevlar to explain why their only option at this point was getting into that boat. Spirit was looking to him for reassurance. “The helicopters can’t cross into Iranian airspace without triggering a major international incident. Out in the desert, sure, they can manage to sneak in, drop off special forces, then sneak out, but coming into the city just isn’t possible. We have to get out of the country so they can pick us up. Kevlar assures me that the boat can get us where we need to go in order for a chopper to pick us up. I trust him with my life. But more importantly, I trust him with yours . We can do this, Spirit. Hell, this is easy compared to what we’ve already been through.”
He had no idea if what he said was getting through. She stared up at him, and it didn’t feel like she was even breathing.
Then she shocked the hell out of Blink by sagging toward him, her forehead smacking against his chest. Her arms wrapped around him and held on so tightly, he winced from the pressure she was putting on his bruised ribs.
But he didn’t hesitate to put his arms around her in return. She was shaking, obviously scared out of her mind. He wasn’t sure why…but he was beginning to think it was because of the boat.
“Is that what happened to you? How you ended up here? A boat?” he asked quietly.
She nodded against him, and Blink’s heart bled for her.
As much as he loved having her lean on him—he was a protector, after all—he knew they couldn’t stand there forever. Someone would notice them.
He pulled back but didn’t let go of her. “You aren’t going back there. I give you my word as a Navy SEAL, and as a man. We’re all getting the hell out of here. And when we get to the carrier where the rest of my teammates are waiting, I’ll make sure you have the biggest, juiciest hamburger I can find. With all the trimmings. Oh, but if you’re a vegetarian—which is fine, I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that—I’ll fix you the biggest salad instead, with every vegetable known to man.”
She made a sound, and if Blink wasn’t mistaken, it was a laugh of sorts .
Then…finally she nodded. It was a tiny movement of her head, but he saw it. She continued to impress the hell out of him.
“Right. So, let’s go catch our ride. It’s going to be bumpy. And fast. But all we have to do is keep our heads down and it’ll be okay.” Blink was talking out his ass. He had a feeling this was going to suck, hard . He had no idea if their pursuers—he had no doubt they’d be chased—would stop once they crossed out of Iranian waters, but their bird would be there. That he knew without question.
He felt something hard against his side, and realized she was still holding the little metal cup. “I have some pockets in my pants. If you trust me with it, I can put your cup in there. It’ll free up your hands…just in case.”
Blink had no idea how badly he’d wanted her to trust him with the precious cup until she held it out to him. It was smaller than it had seemed back in their cells. But the thing had saved her life, and probably his as well. Moving quickly, he shoved it into one of the many pockets of his pants. They were usually full of all sorts of things, but his captors had taken everything from him before they’d beaten the crap out of him the first time and thrown him into his cell.
“All right. Let’s do this,” Kevlar said.
Blink held out his hand and, once again, the world seemed to shift when Spirit placed her small hand in his larger one. Their fingers were filthy, his were bloody and bent from the torture he’d received, but somehow seeing their hands clasped felt like a good omen.
They were in this together.