Page 45 of Deadly Betrayal

“Please, stop saying such things. It was anightmare.” She grimaced and stopped to take another sip of water.“You didn’t know who I was.”

“Bottom line is: I hurt you, again.” Hesnorted. “Let’s see, in less than twenty-four hours, you’vesuffered a head injury, a concussion, and a near strangling. Ifthis keeps up, we won’t have to worry about Tariq killing you.You’ll already be dead.”

A smile crinkled the flesh at the corner ofAzita’s eyes. “Are all Americans so melodramatic?”

With a groan, Kaden fell back onto hissleeping bag—he’d left Azita the homemade mattress—and covered hiseyes with his arm. “Great, now I’m acting like a girl.”

Azita’s hand ran up his arm, then she cradledhis cheek, each touch lighting small sparklers along his skin.“Many soldiers experience post-traumatic stress,” she said in thesoothing monotone of doctors worldwide. “It’s nothing to be ashamedof. I should not have teased you.”

He blew out a puff of air. “I don’t havePSTD.”

She pushed his arm off his face and lookedhim in the eye. “Have you not had this dream before?”

Kaden was trained. He could lie with the bestof them, even while looking this kind, gentle woman in the eye. Butthe sweat covering his body, his racing heart, and his dilatedpupils would be clear indications to a doctor, not to mention hisfingerprints around her neck. “Not for a while. I thought I waspast it.”

“Perhaps returning to Afghanistan triggered amemory. Do you wish to talk about it?”

Sitting up, he placed his hand on her hip andmoved slowly, giving her plenty of time to react. “Can I just holdyou for a little while?” She hesitated too long. “You’re right,” hesaid quickly. “It’s a bad—”

“No. I-I want to.”

He stretched out on his side and patted thesleeping bag. When she lay down facing him, he smiled and rolledher over to her other side, then pulled her close. “This way.”

Her back resting against his chest, shesnuggled into his arms. Kaden bent his legs, molding them to hers,which resulted in her well-rounded bottom fitting perfectly againsthis groin.

“This is nice,” she said on a sleepysigh.

Mindful of her injury, he nuzzled behind herear and inhaled her scent. He had to agree. This was so much betterthan seventy-two virgins.

Based on the information from Agha Ali thatthe American’s phone had contacted a cellular tower along the A7,Khalid had decided to head toward Kunduz. It made sense. If he werean American about to take on a warlord, he’d want some help, andwhere better to get it than the American camp or even theneighboring German-run ISAF base? Perhaps his colleagues werestationed there, and bored as they must be with preparations for apullout, taking on Tariq might seem like a bit of fun.

Well. They were all in for a big surprise.Tariq was a dark horse. Just like all the other warlords and theTaliban, Tariq had been quietly building up his militia inpreparation for the epic battle that would follow the upcomingretreat of foreign troops. The size of Tariq’s militia and theirlevel of preparedness were among the main points factoring intoKhalid’s desire to do business with the man.

As a Tajik, Khalid’s chances of being electedon his own merits were slim, given the de-facto rule that thepresident had to be a Pashtun. But with men as powerful as Tariqbehind him, Khalid’s chances improved significantly, especially nowthat he had allies in almost every province in the country. Thosealliances were tied to the land deals and the promise ofexploitation rights once he was elected. Of course, Khalid had madeit clear that the mineral rights would be awarded only to companiesthat would benefit all Afghanistan, not merely the owners. Once themagnitude of Khalid’s plan and the extent of the land he alreadyowned were revealed, no one would dare defy him.

Khalid parked his car across the road fromthe small American camp and stared at it while Shahram slept. Thislate at night, there was little activity or even light in the camp.Was Azita there now? He’d hoped to arrive earlier, to locate herbefore nightfall. There was nothing to do now. The camp was lockeddown, and he had to leave Azita alone in the hands of the American.All night.

Allah help the man if he’d touched her.Khalid would not be made a fool of a second time.

Shahram stirred in the passenger seat. He’dbeen sleeping, or pretending to sleep since Baghlan. Khalid smackedhim in the head. “Wake up!”

“W-wha—?” Shahram bolted upright and lookedaround, hispakolfalling into his lap. After a moment, hedropped back onto the seat, limp and exhausted.

Khalid sneered. “We’re in Kunduz. If youvalue your life and your sister’s, you will do everything in yourpower to help me find her.”

Shahram pointed to the military camp. “Youthink she’s here?”

“He is American,” Khalid said. “It’s anobvious solution.”

“The American was in Canada when I reachedhim.”

“So?”

“So, he’s not in the military anymore.”

Khalid shifted in his seat to get a betterlook at his future brother-in-law. “Then how did he get here?”

“A commercial flight three days ago, Isuppose. Like everyone else.”