Page 88 of Lucky Charm

“That’s him.” Hunt pointed. “See those scratches on his face? He got those when he was injured. That’s him. Who is he with?”

“It wouldn’t be unheard of for him to be by himself.”

“Except the kid isn’t mobile by himself. Look at the way he’s leaning on that side post. It’s only been two weeks since Doc operated on his foot and his leg is broken.”

Pratt tapped some keys again and zoomed in on another individual. “He seems to be with this man. He never turns, so no face. But they stayed together. He could be Reid.”

Hunt shook his head. “We can’t assume from that body type. There are too many alternatives. Have you found him anywhere else in the footage?”

“Still looking. Going to take a team and look yourself?”

The door popped again, and Scott strode in.

“Not yet. We need more info.”

Scott came to them and looked at the screen. “What’s this?”

Hunt answered before Pratt could. “He’s found the boy in Jalalabad. I’ll get Captain Michaels to confirm, but it looks like him to me. Pratt, get me a copy of that picture.” Zeke went to send an image to his phone.

Scott stepped forward to study the frame. “I know that marketplace. There might be a chance somebody saw him and can tell us where he went.”

Hunt tapped the man on the screen. “Yeah, I’ve had a few experiences with that marketplace, too. It’s a complicated, messy maze with unpredictable threats. Pratt thinks he was with this man.” Hetapped at the screen. “He’ll keep the team studying the footage to try to reconnect them for a face.”

“The boy was with someone?”

“Yes. Might be Reid, might be one of Haquiri’s people. Hard to tell from the angle. Who knows? Someone else could have been with them, too. At this point, we have no idea how many people were involved in the disappearance. We won’t know until someone goes and asks around. Can’t be us. Do we have an interpreter, Afghan Army, or police who can ask?”

“Possibly. I’ll pass that on to Stocker.”

Hunt turned back to the map and studied the route. All the pressure points they’d encountered were marked. “If they were intent on chasing us out, are we making assumptions about the target areas we shouldn’t?”

“The Army was here.” Scott pointed at the area considerably south of Haquiri’s compound.

“That weapon’s cache wasn’t a new one. It had been there awhile judging by the smells, and the boxes were old. It’s possible they sacrificed that cache, deliberately pushing us into the mountains to lead us away.”

“Think it was planned?”

“No, I think it was opportunity, and it sure wasn’t Haquiri doing that planning, although I think his men were involved.”

Scott turned back to the map. “You were here. The Army here. That leaves a big swatch of unfriendly territory in the middle. Let’s see whatintelligence we can get on that. You go get some sleep.”

Hunt nodded, recognizing the fuzzy feeling in his head. He wanted to go back to Cait and curl around her. He didn’t dare. “Good night, Commander.”

“I’ll wake you if we find anything.”

“Seems like you should take your own advice, sir. Go off for twenty.”

“Let me asks some questions first, and then I will.”

Hunt’s phone pinged, and he checked to see if the photo would load. He had the devil of a time stifling the urge to go wake her again to see the photo, but she’d be asleep, and he wouldn’t keep his hands off her.

He entered his room, shed his clothes, and fell into bed. The ceiling was still the same bland mass. He closed his eyes on that thought and forced sleep. He’d fall faster if Cait was against him, but he’d have to put that on a bucket list for later. A week in a hotel on U.S. soil without any interruptions, nobody shooting at them, and nothing exploding sounded about right.

She was right in her wish. He wanted to sleep with her against him every night. How did that work with his job? He fell sleep before he dropped feet first into a rabbit hole with no answers.

∞∞∞∞∞

November 19, 2019