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My eyes fall, realizing he’s right. No more waiting and hoping for the feds to get their heads out of their asses. It’s time to get moving, do their job, and save my friend.
Maxen and I march through the building, separating at the locker facilities. I quickly shower, dress in Knot TDUs, and braid my hair. There won’t be much to load out in terms of weapons this time. Since we’re not under contract, we’ll travel as civilians, subject to customs regulations. Any weaponry we need will have to be sourced from Sambi. All I can take with me are clothes, a sat phone communications system, and surveillance equipment. Fortunately, I have a large enough stash of clothes here that I won’t have to go home before heading to the airport.
Maxen is waiting outside the locker room door when I walk out. He pushes off the wall and slings a duffle bag over his shoulder once I’ve joined him. Together, we walk to Birdie’s office, finding her waiting behind her desk. She must have been called in right after we were.
“I’ve already been briefed on everything. The pilots are getting the jet ready, and I’m to clear my desk for you two. What do you want me doing before you land?”
Leaning over to snag a pen and her notepad, I scribble out a date and time marker. “You can finish scanning the security video from Aaron’s place. Look for anyone messing with his car. It’s a long shot, but we might catch something.”
“What if I don’t find anything?”
“It’s possible you won’t, but we have to check. I already know he spent the evening out that first night back.”
Her head bobs in understanding. “Do you know where else Aaron went after the mission? I might be able to scrub through footage from other locations.”
“Mel’s on Wednesday night. Around seven to eight. Outside that, I have no idea.”
“Ok. You’ll have my report by the time you land. You two, be careful. I don’t think we’re dealing with amateurs here.”
That’s what I’m afraid of.
Maxen turns and heads for the door, and I reach out to squeeze Birdie’s hand before rushing to follow. He hasn’t opened his mouth since leaving Knot’s office, and by the time we reach his car, I’m convinced he’s pissed.
He holds in whatever he’s thinking until we’re seated and buckled. With a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel, he says, “I thought we were working together.”
He sounds miserable, like I let him down. Or worse, lied to him. “We were. We are. There was nothing but complete chaos from the time I landed in Norfolk until the Fairhope meetup. I was going to tell Knot about Avara first, but only because he picked me up at the airport. I didn’t get the chance because you called. He spent the rest of the trip on the phone, and when I tried to tell you guys in his office, he cut me off. He only knows because I sent an email to him laying it all out when I should have been getting ready to meet the judge.”
Maxen doesn’t move, doesn’t even crank the car. The tension is growing thick enough that I might choke on it. Finally, he opens his mouth. “We’ve had lots of time together since then.”
“Yes, we have. I couldn’t discuss it at the restaurant, and as for before and after…”
“What?” he presses when I don’t continue.
Well, Sadie, time to woman up and show your vulnerability. I pull in a deep breath and sigh. “I didn’t want any part of last night to be about work. I wanted it… to be a real date. I was always going to tell you, but when Knot messaged that he would look for Avara, I figured a few more hours wouldn’t hurt.”
Nothing but silence is coming from the other side of the car. I lean my head back against the seat, thinking I screwed up. I should have told him the second he showed up at my apartment. Feeling I should apologize, I roll my head in his direction and see a big, cheesy grin on his face.
“What’s that for?”
“I told you it was a date.”
We land in the Farah Province of Afghanistan around zero-eight hundred local time. The flight was fifteen hours, putting the time at home at six pm. We would have saved ourselves an ass-load of time if we’d flown directly into Iran, but that would have been one big hell no.
So, as the crow flies, we’re about equal distance from the Iranian border and Shindand Air Base. Legally, we won’t have access to either. Fortunately, we have no interest in getting on base. Any answers we’ll get won’t come through channels or by-the-book interviews. Our American traitor would see us coming a mile away.
Our only hope of nailing this guy is to find him by finding his associates. To do that, we’ll need to get into and out of Iran undetected. That’s where Sambi comes in.
“Ready for this?” Maxen asks as the plane rolls to a stop.
“I guess I’d better be.”
Maxen bends near my seat and wraps a hand around my neck. Pressing his forehead to mine, he says, “Look at us. Our first date and first couple’s trip in the same weekend.”
How he manages to joke around right now is beyond me, but I find myself chuckling and accepting the hand Maxen holds out to me. The two of us grab our gear and exit the plane to be greeted by a friendly face. “I did not expect to see you again so soon, my friends.”
Sambi keeps glancing toward the open door as if looking for someone. “Where is Grim? I have never seen one of you without the other,” he addresses me.
“He’s…” I begin but fail to come up with an acceptable explanation.