Page 64 of Luck Be Mine
Frank grinned. “Our secret, and four bedrooms with two and a half baths. Big yard. Big kitchen.”
“You said the magic words.”
Frank helped his cop to the adjoining cubicle. Bets took Hannah’s arm and walked her out of the room. Another nurse eased into her place, wide-eyed and nervous.
Cait snapped orders. “Get an IV on this guy and get me some vitals. Take his blood and run it to the lab. I want to know what he’s on before I cut him open.”
Cait shook her hand again and tested her fingers. Nothing broken. Thank God - no paperwork.
Mackey would be so proud. Hunt? Not so much.
§§§§§§§§§§
July 2021
One Month Before Fall of Afghanistan
Kabul Province, Afghanistan
1030 Zulu Time
Hunt adjusted his vest, swearing at the heat that clung like a second skin. Not performing overwatch this time, he sank into his training like he’d never been out of the field. Their three black SUVs plowed north on the rocky dirt road, one right after the other.
A request to rescue their loyal interpreter had been approved. The man served on all their missions, every time they’d been in country. With U.S. assets pulling back, U.N. partners scrambled to reorganize, and local allies were frantic with deep fears for safety and desperate to find viable options.
With a ten-man team, Hunt had organized a plan to get Jamil Al-Masur, his wife, and four children back to Bagram for an exfil flight out. A good friend of his team from the beginning, the bond had deepened over the years. They’d been in country when his third and fourth child were born, and the team had passed the hat to help his family. The rescue was what they owed him.
Jamil also held critical knowledge about operations, routes, and personnel. Leaving him behind would rocket the man’s capture to the top of the Taliban’s priority list, threaten security, and leave the man vulnerable after promises had been made.
Hunt couldn’t live with that.
The grim quiet in the vehicle wasn’t only from weeks of bad news. The intel on the interpreter’s whereabouts was iffy, the timing risky, yet they had to try.
Hunt opted out of the front seat spot on this one. LT Jack Brennan and Senior Chief Hernandez were overseeing themission. They needed an extra gun, and Hunt had volunteered. He knew Afghanistan like the back of his hand.
Carter drove Jack, Baxter, and Hunt in vehicle one. Hernandez, Doogie and K-Rock were in the second vehicle. Tommy, Riaz, and Stemmons were in the third vehicle. The extra room was to add six more people. He sat in the same seat Cait had two years ago on their mountain mission. Luck had been a two-edged sword for him ever since.
Carter turned to Jack but included Hunt. “We’re about twenty minutes out.” With mountains to the west and scrubland to the east, they entered the area from the south and kept tabs on the countryside.
“Bax, update our status with homebase,” Jack ordered. Baxter immediately went to his mic and made the call.
Finished with the check in, he signed off. “Homeplate has no new intel.”
Hunt hadn’t been expecting any, but his gut tightened.
Baxter cleared his throat. “Is it just me? Or do things feel different now? The atmosphere is heavy with uncertainty, fear, and anger.”
“Ours or theirs? Carter steered around a boulder in the road.
“Both.” Baxter fingered his weapon.
“Yep.” Jack stayed a man of few words.
Hunt kept silent but agreed. It wasn’t his new rank; the area felt dangerous and unpredictable with a rawness to the emotions that was palpable. So much work had gone into helping this country stand on its own without terrorism guiding it. The news notwithstanding, a hard defeat was in the offing, and it was on every face. The failure sat in his chest, crushing his personal belief in what he had contributed to the fight.
So many men lost, so many friends gone. So many fucked up situations polluted the memories in his head. Without Afghanistan, he never would have met Cait, a highlight hewould forever be grateful for. But the road this would end on? Hundreds of people like Jamil would suffer.
Silence fell again. No one talked, joked, or reviewed the mission.
