Page 38 of Delta Mission
I sprinted toward her, tugging my Glock from my holster.
“Goodspeed, stop. It could be a trap,” Channing yelled at me.
But I didn’t stop. The woman wore a pale blue scarf. She was the one who’d given me the warning in the shelter. And the child on her hip was the boy who had pointed a rifle at us.
I aimed my gun at her. “Put the boy down. Get on your knees. Put your hands on your head,” I yelled at her in Dari Persian.
She did as I instructed, and her boy stood beside her. His expression was so vacant it was terrifying.
Channing, Blade, and Ghost surrounded them with their weapons aimed at the woman.
I raised my free hand at them, trying to portray calm.
The woman lifted her gaze to me. “Please, don’t hurt us.” She spoke in English.
I squatted in front of her. “What is your name?”
“I am Jabeen Mashahdi. I am Blue Hawk.”
A breath escaped me.She isBlue Hawk!
“It is nice to finally meet you.”
“Please help us. We need to go with you, or they will kill me and Insaf.” She tugged her boy to her side.
I put my hand under her arm and helped her to stand. “Jabeen gave me the tip-off about this drug lab. We must protect her.”
“That’s the little bastard who tried to shoot us,” Channing said.
I glared at him. “Which is exactly the reason why we need to save them from this life.”
Ghost lowered her weapon first. “Let’s take her to the shelter. I need to see what she has under her robe.”
Jabeen raised her hands and walked toward the shelter she’d come out of.
“No,” I called to Jabeen. “Not that shelter.”
She turned to me, and I indicated to the shelter on the other side of the street.
“Maybe you should check if there are any more people hiding in that lab,” I said to Blade.
“Roger that.” He nodded. “Wasp, you, Cobra, and Channing check out that shelter, and watch your six.”
“Yes, Captain.” The soldiers raised their weapons and marched into the women’s shelter.
“Come this way,” I said to Jabeen, indicating to the shelter opposite.
Ghost stopped us. “Wait here. Let me check inside first.” She raised her weapon and stepped through the doorway.
She emerged seconds later. “All clear.”
I guided Jabeen and her son into the room. “You understand we must do this?”
“Yes.” She shuffled away from the door, so the men couldn’t see her, and removed her burqa. Underneath, she wore a plain black abaya that covered her from the neck down.
She nodded at her boy, and in Dari Persian, she instructed him to look away.
“What did she say?” Ghost raised her rifle.
