Chapter 17
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“STAY BEHIND ME,” KNOX ordered, moving her bodily behind him.
Except crowds were moving closer from both ends of the block.
Quinn watched in shock as Xaden and Cooper moved in front of them, Boone and Gage handling the rear. Their group was boxed in, with angry mobs edging closer. Did the Afghans have weapons? No doubt some of them did. What had happened to the police they’d seen earlier?
She shook with fear, clinging to Knox, gripping the gun in her right hand. Quinn was a decent shot. Clearly, the men she was with had training she didn’t, but she could aim for the chest of an aggressor if needed. Except they were outnumbered.
Xaden was speaking into his mic again, surveilling the scene. “There’s a ladder against one building on the left. We could climb up to the roof, if need be, to escape.”
“And be shot in the process?” Cooper bit out.
“We’re low on options, Coop.”
Tense seconds passed. If one of Bravo Team took a shot at the bystanders, Quinn had no doubt that the groups would charge them. The crowd was growing angrier. Bolder. One man picked up a brick and threw it toward them. Quinn flinched, despite the fact it didn’t land anywhere close.
“Stay back!” Cooper yelled, aiming his rifle at the crowd.
Suddenly, a woman stuck her head out the door of one building. “Over here!” she called in perfect English. “There’s an alley adjacent to this building. I’ll take you to safety!”
Quinn blinked, almost wondering if she was seeing things. The woman was wearing attire similar to Quinn’s, with long, dark hair peeking out beneath her headscarf. She appeared to be Caucasian and spoke English as perfectly as if she’d been raised in America.
Maybe she had.
“What are we thinking?” Cooper asked, keeping his eyes on the mystery woman.
Boone swore under his breath. “We’re out of options,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “I say we follow her.”
“And if it’s a trap?” Knox asked.
“We take our fucking chances,” Boone muttered. “The natives are growing restless.”
“Let’s move!” Gage yelled. He took point, running toward the dark-haired woman. Knox and Boone took Quinn next, with Cooper and Xaden bringing up the rear. Just as Xaden jumped through the doorway, gunfire erupted outside.
The brunette was already bolting the door behind them, urging them forward.
“This way!” she yelled. Quinn looked around in surprise as they moved through the space.
It was actually someone’s home, nestled in this building, with worn furniture, dinner simmering on the stove, and occupants who didn’t seem at all alarmed by their presence.
Who was this woman?
They exited through a rear door, which did indeed lead to an alley.
The mysterious brunette had pulled out a gun, aiming it in front of her, and for a second, she reminded Quinn of Radley.
She might not be military, but this woman clearly had some skills.
She glanced back, and her sharp gaze ran over their group, taking in Quinn’s appearance.
“You were kidnapped,” she assessed, not bothering to wait for an answer.
“I saw you with the jihadists. This way,” she urged.
Their group ran down the alley, and Quinn could still hear the angry mob in the distance. Would they break into the home they’d just left? Wait for them to leave? Or would they come around to this side of the building to follow them?
Her stomach dropped.
Bravo Team hung a left out of the alley, turning onto a road, and running several blocks down.
This was different than the industrial section of town they’d just left.
A small brown home stood on the right, unassuming and the exact same as every other house in the row.
The woman slowed to a stop in front of it, the group gathering behind her.
It would be a good place to hide, if it was safe.
The woman pulled a key from her pocket, and in a flash, Quinn realized she wore western clothes underneath her disguise. She might have on a headscarf and a shapeless dress like Quinn, covering her figure, but she was absolutely American. Quinn would bet her life on it.
“Holy shit,” Xaden said as they all piled inside the home, noting the laptop and other technical equipment in the living room.
Quinn looked around in confusion. There were weapons.
Comms units. Computers. She noted a satellite phone as well.
The woman pulled off her headscarf and disguise, and Quinn saw that she wore a Kevlar vest over her clothes.
It looked like the woman was running her own operations right out of this unassuming home.
“I’m Sloane,” she said, completely unfazed by the fact that Quinn and five big men were currently standing in her house.
“You’re American?” Gage asked, studying her carefully. None of the men had dropped their weapons. Sloane slid her gun into the back waistband of her pants, clearly trying to show them she was no threat.
“Yes. I’m with State, but I’m working on my own here in Kabul.”
Quinn frowned, studying her. That was no doubt a cover story.
At the moment, she didn’t care what agency Sloane really worked for.
Quinn’s heart was pounding, her breath coming in heaves.
She’d never been so terrified as in the past few moments.
No doubt Bravo Team hadn’t planned to bodily move her through an angry mob.
But how had they arrived at the same spot she was, and more importantly, how could they all escape?
“You guys didn’t exactly blend in with the locals,” Sloane continued. “I figured you could use a little help.”
“Where the hell did you even come from?” Gage asked in disbelief, looking impressed. He strode forward and shook the woman’s hand, standing a good head and shoulders above her. “I’m Gage.”
She hesitated only a beat then shook his hand, and other introductions were quickly made.
“We’re trying to get back to our vehicles,” Knox explained, tense at Quinn’s side. He quickly explained where they’d left them. “We had to exit them to retrieve the package—Quinn.”
Sloane’s eyes ran over Quinn, a hint of sympathy in them.
“Unless you’ve got a team ready to roll down the street and personally escort you out of here, drawing more attention from the mob, it’s best to wait until morning.
The unrest will die down in a few hours,” she said.
“People will eventually scatter and go back to their own homes and routines. We can leave before sunrise, getting you back to your vehicles or rendezvous point. I’ll show you the safest path out of the city. ”
Quinn jumped as gunshots sounded in the distance.
“That’s why it’s best you remain here,” Sloane said, noting her reaction.
“Well fuck,” Xaden said. “There go my plans tonight.”
“Ignore him,” Gage advised, still standing at Sloane’s side and looking at her with pure male interest. Her gaze flicked toward him, clearly not intimidated in the least by Gage or the others. Cooper began asking a few questions, when Quinn suddenly swayed on her feet.
“Shit,” Knox muttered, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her flush against his muscled frame.
“Take her to the extra bedroom,” Sloane directed, pointing down the hall. “There’s an attached bathroom. She needs to rest. These guys can help me get some food rustled up for everyone, and then we’ll hunker down for the night.”
The others continued talking, formulating a plan, but Quinn let Knox guide her down the dimly lit hallway, away from the rest of the team.
“Are you all right?” he asked in a low voice. “This wasn’t exactly the rescue we’d planned.”
“I’m okay, just tired,” she told him. “And overwhelmed.”
“You’ve been through a hell of an ordeal,” Knox said, his voice gentle. “We’ll get you changed. Cleaned up. Whatever you need. And I want to hear what happened. You have no idea how damn worried I was about you.”