Sierra started, not having seen the man pass them. Grover steadied her and grabbed her hand, squeezing lightly. “He and Brain went ahead to scout things out.”
Sierra realized that Grover had probably purposely distracted her as his teammates made sure things ahead of them were safe, and was grateful all over again. “How far are we from the military post?” she asked.
“I’m not sure, but I know Trigger will have been in contact with them by now. Once we get to the bottom of this hill, we’ll figure out our next steps.”
“Hill. Yeah, right,” Sierra said with an eye roll.
Grover smiled. “You’ll do, Bean. You’ll do.”
It was funny how much so few words could mean. Sierra was hungry, thirsty, scared, and completely out of her league. But somehow, with Grover at her side, she felt as if she could get through anything.
Chapter Six
Grover wasn’t happy. He’d hoped they’d be able to go straight to the base and get Sierra some medical attention after getting off the mountain. He figured they were within ten miles of the town and the base, but couldn’t be sure of the exact distance. Walking ten miles after being sedentary for so long would be a challenge for Sierra, but his teammates would help carry her if need be.
He’d gladly carry her himself, but he knew he wasn’t one hundred percent, which pissed him off. His ribs hurt, but he’d had his ribs cracked and broken so many times, it wasn’t difficult to ignore the pain and do what needed to be done.
Sierra couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds, but Grover wouldn’t want to risk hurting her if his body failed him. He’d felt her backbone when he hugged her, and he hated how frail she’d become. But while her physical body might be weak, her determination was as strong as ever.
Her appearance was shocking, even more so than it had been in the cave. She’d somehow lost the hat during the trek down the mountain, and tufts of auburn hair stuck up all over her scalp. She was covered in dirt and grime, and she was right…she didn’t smell all that great. But neither did Grover. They were both alive. That was all he cared about.
It turned out, getting to the military post tonight was out of the question. Trigger had contacted the post commander and learned the townspeople were on edge after hearing what had happened up in the mountains. Many had family members who’d been killed in the raid on the caves, and even though the dead men had been working with Shahzada and the Taliban, they were still someone’s brothers, sons, and husbands. Shahzada’s few remaining supporters had gotten everyone worked up, and there were protests and riots happening outside the post’s gates. The general had kept the post locked down for everyone’s safety. He recommended Trigger and his team, and Sierra, lie low for the night and come in when things had calmed down.
Grover had hoped a helicopter could come and pick them up, but with the Taliban having access to rocket-propelled grenades, the last thing any of them wanted was to be shot down before they could get Sierra to safety.
So for tonight, they’d be hunkering down and waiting for the dust to settle. They’d report in tomorrow morning and find out what the situation was before making a decision as to their next move.
“It’s okay,” Sierra said softly, putting her hand on Grover’s forearm.
He jerked, mentally kicking himself for being distracted for even a second. She shouldn’t have been able to get that close without him noticing.
“Heck, spending the night out here in the fresh air is a hundred times better than being in that cave.”
The fact that she was trying to reassure him was just another way she proved with each and every minute how damn unique she was.
Even though they were pretty sure they hadn’t been followed, no one wanted to risk building a fire. When the sun had finally gone down, it was pitch dark, although Sierra didn’t complain. Not one grumble or protest left her lips. She ate what she could of the MRE Oz offered her, drank the chemically treated water, and even allowed Doc to take a look at her feet without saying a word.
If Grover didn’t know better, he’d think they were out on a camping trip with friends. But Lefty and Brain sitting a bit away from the rest of the group with their weapons at the ready were a healthy reminder that shit could hit the fan at any second.
Sierra was sitting next to him. She had her legs crossed and one of her knees was touching his thigh. When Grover felt her shiver, he looked at her. They’d broken three glow sticks and were using them to see as nighttime pulled around them.
“Cold?” Grover asked her.
“A little.”
Grover turned and rummaged in Doc’s pack for a moment. It felt weird not to have his own, but he was grateful his teammates were as well prepared as they were. He pulled out an extra desert camouflage uniform top. It would be huge on Sierra, but should keep her a little warmer.
“Here. It won’t fit, but it’s better than nothing.”
Sierra’s eyes widened, and she eagerly reached for the top. Kicking himself for not thinking about it earlier, he couldn’t help but grin as she wrapped the top around her and sighed in contentment.
“It’s not even that cold out here. My parents will be so disgusted at how wimpy I’ve gotten when it comes to the cold,” she said.
Lucky grunted from across the way. “I’m guessing your parents, and indeed anyone who hears your story, won’t think you’re wimpy.”
“You don’t know my parents,” Sierra quipped.
Grover could hear a note of…happiness…he hadn’t heard before now. He supposed being free would do that. While she’d wanted to believe him when he said his team would come to their rescue, he knew it was nearly impossible until it actually happened.
Once again, he struggled to comprehend the woman had been in captivity for a year. A few months would break almost anyone. Sierra was smiling slightly, acting relatively normal. Grover was relieved she wasn’t hysterical, though he had a feeling it would be a long time before she truly got over her ordeal, if ever.
“Tell us about them?” Trigger asked.
Grover was glad his friends were there. He wasn’t the best at idle chitchat. He wanted to know everything he could about Sierra but was thankful he didn’t have to do all the asking.
“They both grew up in Leadville, Colorado…do you know anything about the town?” Sierra asked.
“It’s got a high elevation, right?” Lucky asked.
“Yeah. Ten thousand, one hundred and fifty-one feet, to be exact—or three thousand and ninety-four meters. The average highs in the summer are around the upper sixties and lower seventies. The average lows in the winter are negative fifteen or so. There are only about three thousand people who live there year-round.”
Trigger whistled low. “Damn, that’s cold.”
“Yup.”
“And you grew up there too?” Grover asked.
“I did. And I loved it. Skiing was my jam. You can see several fourteen-thousand-peak mountains from town. The view from my parents’ back deck is ridiculously beautiful. It’s like a postcard,” Sierra said.
“But you left,” Oz noted.
“I did. I love my parents, and they love me, but I needed…more. I wanted to do something with my life. I went to college in Denver and got a job there when I graduated, but it wasn’t fulfilling. I listened to a podcast by the contractor company that eventually hired me, and was intrigued. I decided, after much back and forth, to take the job here in Afghanistan. The money was great, I won’t lie…but more than that, I felt as if I’d be doing something good for my country.”