“Smart,” Cole said.
That one word went a very long way toward soothing the humiliation she’d felt at the hands of her captors.
“I was counting the days I was there, and it was on the seventh day when things changed.”
“How so?” Phantom asked.
“No one came back to the alcove I was chained in to hit me or torment me. They were too busy doing something at the mouth of the cave. I was enjoying the reprieve when it got oddly quiet. That’s when I got really scared. The anticipation of what they were planning was almost overwhelming. Then, one second I was sitting in the back of my alcove, wondering what everyone was doing, and the next there was a huge boom, and it was pitch dark and I was struggling to breathe because of all the dust and debris in the air.”
“Did you know they’d blown the entrance?” Cole asked with a squeeze of her hand.
“Not at first. I was too disoriented. It was so dark and my ears were ringing. But when the dust settled and still no one appeared, I panicked. That’s when I got most of the injuries on my ankle,” she admitted. “I yanked on the chain over and over until I was exhausted. I felt around me until I found some rocks that had been knocked loose by the explosives, and I hit the chain over and over until it snapped. The first thing I did was feel my way over to where the water had been dripping down the side of my prison, and I thanked God that it was still there. I knew without water, I was dead.”
Experiencing the emotions she’d felt when the cave had been sealed shut was almost too much, and Avery just wanted to be finished telling her story so they could move on. So she quickly summed up the rest of her time in the cave by saying, “I didn’t want those bastards to win, so I decided to dig my way out. One rock at a time. Then you were there…and now we’re here.”
“Sounds like you saw something you shouldn’t have,” Phantom said after a beat. “And that’s why you were supposed to be killed in the first place. The American must be a traitor to his country; why would he want you dead if he wasn’t? But instead of killing you quickly, the Afghani man kidnapped, tortured, and left you to die a slow death because of his beliefs. Does that sound about right? Do you think your death was ordered simply because you saw the Afghani with an American? Or did you see or hear something else?”
Avery’s head hurt. Hell, everything hurt. The food she’d consumed earlier felt as if it were sitting in a large lump in her belly, ready to come up at a moment’s notice. Her feet were sore, her ribs were throbbing, and she swore she could feel every bruise from where she’d been hit, punched, and kicked.
Knowing someone had deliberately ordered her death was bad, but comprehending that the insurgents and his compadres had done everything they could to make sure she suffered first was a whole new level of cruelty.
“The American shouldn’t have been wearing what he was, trying to blend in with the locals. It’s against regulations. I’d bet everything I have that he tipped off the insurgents with the details about the weapons convoy.”
“I agree,” Cole said. “The army keeps the details of those convoys very hush-hush, on a need-to-know basis. There’s no way the locals would’ve been as prepared as they were to attack it and had that cave ready to store the weapons. Not to mention rallying their supporters to come up and take the weapons to hide them.”
For a moment, she was glad the mystery of why she’d been taken had been solved. But then she realized that, in actuality, nothing had been solved at all. “Shit,” she said softly.
“Yeah,” Cole agreed, as if he could read her mind. “Unless you can tell us who the American was, you’re still in danger. And I have a feeling he’ll be even more desperate to do whatever it takes to keep you quiet about what you saw, now that you’ve escaped.”
“I don’t know who he was,” she said with a hitch in her voice. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure there aren’t any Americans living in the village, so the man had to be from the base. But with hundreds stationed there, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him other than that one time in town. I don’t even know if he’s army or navy!”
“Don’t panic,” Cole said, squeezing her hand once more.
“Don’t panic?” she asked a little hysterically. “How can I not? Someone thinks I can ID him and wants me dead! Who does that? When he finds out I escaped, he’s going to do whatever he can to find me and finish what the insurgents fucked up.”
Avery knew she was losing control, but she couldn’t stop. Her heart rate kicked into high gear and bile rose in her throat.
Before she knew what was happening, Cole had taken her in his arms and was holding her head to his shoulder. A part of her knew it was to muffle her increasingly loud words, but her body didn’t care. He’d been the first human she’d had contact with after a very long week in the dark and with only the sound of her own voice to keep her company. He was the one who’d helped her walk when she didn’t think she could go another step. He was the one who’d kept her afloat in the very scary trip down the river, and he was the one carrying her when she’d came to after passing out. It was no wonder she associated his arms with safety.
“Breathe, Avery,” Cole ordered.
It was hard, but she did as requested. She took a deep breath. Then another. She realized that Cole was breathing with her.
“We’re not going to let him get to you,” Cole vowed.
“But how can you stop him? I have no idea who he is, and he obviously knows exactly who I am,” she reasoned.
“One of us will be by your side until he’s caught,” Cole told her.
“And don’t think that won’t happen,” Phantom said before she could protest and say that wasn’t feasible. “The second we get you back to the base, we’ll arrange for you to come home with us. Once back in California, we’ll get the records of every serviceman stationed over here and you can look through them one by one until you recognize the traitor.
“We’ll also have our computer-genius friend Tex start looking through bank records. I’m doubtful this asshole gave up state secrets out of the kindness of his heart. He was probably paid a shitload of money. Someone had to have a large amount of money deposited into their account. It’ll stand out like a sore thumb,” Phantom finished.
“And between me and the rest of the team, we can keep you safe until we flush the rat from his hiding spot. He won’t get away with this, Avery. I give you my word as a SEAL,” Cole told her.
Their absolute confidence that they’d find out who was behind everything—the attack on the convoy, the death of the two army privates, and her torture—was incredibly soothing. But she still wasn’t convinced they could keep her safe. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to recognize him from an official military picture,” she admitted. “He could’ve changed his looks from the time that picture was taken. And it could take weeks. Months. You can’t stay by my side twenty-four seven. You have jobs, and so do I.”
“I’ve got confidence in you, Avery. I think you’re underestimating yourself. You’ve been trained to remember details, both as a naval officer and as a nurse. I think once you aren’t in the middle of the desert, and you’re back in the comfort of your own home, your belly full, and your injuries healed, you’ll find that you’re better able to concentrate,” Cole said. “And you’re right about our jobs, but we know a lot of people, including other SEALs, who would be more than willing to help protect you until this is solved.”