Page 15 of Deadly Betrayal

She should pull away, should scold him fortouching her, but she didn’t. Instead, like a wanton woman, sheturned into his touch and, for just a moment, dreamed of the manand the life she could never have.

Chapter 4

Kaden browsed through a rack of tatteredbooks a street peddler had set up across the road from the women’sclinic. Shahram had told him that Khalid would be picking her up,so this could be his best chance to get a look at the man who heldthe good doctor’s life in his hands. At the man who would trade hiseleven-year old niece to a sadistic warlord.

While he waited, he placed a call to FirstSergeant Hassan Zahir, a member of the Afghan National Army (ANA),stationed just outside Kabul. Hassan had been embedded in Kaden’sDelta Force unit as part of the ISAF’s efforts to build up aSpecial Forces group within the ANA. After seeing some pretty heavyaction together, conflicts during which Kaden had saved the man’sass more than once, they’d become friends. Hassan had laterreturned the favor when they’d been on a mission to locate aninsurgent hiding in a remote mountainside village. The FirstSergeant’s connections in Kabul and his talent for ferreting outsupplies had made him popular with the Americans. If anyone couldget Kaden a car by evening, it was Hassan.

After two rings, the man answered in thetraditional curt Afghan way. “Bale?” Yes?

“Salaam alaikum.”

“Walaikum assalaam.”

“Is this Hassan?” Kaden asked in Dari. Theline was a bit scratchy and he had to be sure who he was addressingbefore he went any further.

“Who wants to know?” The question wasn’thostile, but it was firm.

“The Viking,” he said, using the name many ofthe locals had taken to calling him.

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because I’ve got a bottle of White Diamondsperfume with your wife’s name on it. Of course, I’m sure someoneelse might want it.” As soon as the plans to come to Kabul had beenmade, Kaden had picked up some items he’d known would come inuseful for reestablishing his connections, like Hassan’s wife’sfavorite perfume.

“Viking? I thought you’d gone back toAmerica.”

“I did, but I’m here now. And I need you toget me a few things. You up for the job?”

“Anything you want, my brother.”

“Let’s start with a car. Something that willblend in, but is tough enough to go outside the city.” Kaden wouldhave liked a truck or a Jeep, but either of those would be asinconspicuous as a red tank.

“A Toyota Hilux would be best if you’replanning to travel off-road, but you could be mistaken for aninsurgent.” Hassan laughed. “I’ll get you a Corolla. If you don’ttry to drive up a mountainside, you should be okay.”

“Can you get it by tonight?”

“Tonight? That’s impossible.”

“Are you saying you don’t have the pull youused to have, Hassan? Should I be calling Omar instead?”

“No! Thatbisho’urcouldn’t find hisowncoon. I’ll get you the car. Anything else?”

“Extra fuel, flashlights, sleeping bags,food, a GPS device, and any other supplies for the road you canthink of.”

“How much money you got?”

Kaden snorted. “Don’t worry, my brother. I’mgood for it.”

“You are sure that’s all you need?”

Kaden hesitated. Hassan could probably gethim the ID cards and weapons that he needed, but the less he toldthe man about his plans, the better. It wasn’t that he didn’t trustHassan, because he did. Almost as much as Jake. But he didn’t wantto risk getting his good friend into trouble with the ANA. Instead,Kaden set up a time and a meeting point for the exchange.

“Shohna-ba-Shohna,” Hassan said whenthey were done.

Emotion tightening his chest at the motto hehadn’t heard since working with the ANA, Kaden swallowed severaltimes before responding in kind. “Shoulder to shoulder.”

After ending the call, he immediately dialedJake’s number. As soon as Jake was on the line, Kaden spokecryptically, in case the call was being monitored by anyone at thehotel. “We’re going out tomorrow. Pick up some cards for me and thewoman.”

“I’m on it,” Jake said, then hung up. Thatwas another thing Kaden admired about his younger partner: the mangot things done. The local ID cards,taskera,would beneeded to provide fake identities if he and Azita were everquestioned by the ANA or ANP.