Page 5

5

Lyon

Damn it, I didn’t want to leave her.

The thought burned in my mind, making me angrier by the second .

River said Mack was with her, but what if something happens? What if they all get caught? It was wrong to leave her behind.

I should have forced her to come with us. Or I should have stayed .

I dropped into the seat next to Leo on the plane, trying to push my frustration aside.

“Did you ever meet an American over there named Max?” I asked.

Leo frowned. “Max? What’s his last name?”

“O’Riley. He’s the brother of the woman who was with us—Niki. She refused to leave until she found him. I should have forced her to come with us.”

Leo’s expression darkened. “I haven’t heard the name Max O’Riley. But there was a Max Bannon who was shot in the side. I can’t imagine he survived without a doctor or medicine.” He paused. “He was a Navy SEAL. A good man. He tried to help everyone. He knew martial arts as well as you do. He could have left, but he refused to abandon the stranded Americans.”

“Then he was shot,” Leo said.

A weight settled in my chest.

“There were no doctors left behind?” I asked.

“There were some medics, but they weren’t with us. I don’t know where they went. I think they were on the other side of Afghanistan. Everyone spread out to avoid being trapped in a big group.”

A sick feeling churned in my gut.

“You think any of the groups were found?” I asked. “Back home, we’ve been told there were over six hundred Americans left behind. Did you guys actually see that many?”

“All the Americans I met said there were more. They waited for the U.S. to return for them, but no one did.” His jaw tightened. “It’s been four years, and no one has fucking come to rescue us. What the hell happened? Why did we exit Afghanistan the way we did?”

I sighed. “It was a mess. There was a huge mix-up, and a lot of people were left behind. But now we know, and we’re going to get them out.” I hesitated, my mind drifting back to Niki. “I need to know if it’s safe enough that she won’t get caught.”

Leo studied me for a second. “Is she your girlfriend? Why the hell would you bring your girlfriend to Afghanistan?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” I muttered. “I didn’t even know her before this. She hitched a ride with us, and now she’s over there, searching for her brother. That’s why we call her Nick instead of Niki. We all know what will happen if she’s found out.”

Leo sighed. “There are a lot of women left behind, as you could tell from our group. If Mack takes her to the next group, maybe she’ll find her brother if he’s still alive. Some of the Americans starved to death. No food. No water. They prayed for rain that never came. Babies died in the hospitals. The Taliban didn’t give them anything. They didn’t give a fuck about anyone except themselves.”

“I hope she finds her brother,” I said.

“River found me.”

I nodded, my throat tight. “I’ll give River a break and fly the plane for a while.”

I found River in the cockpit, his hands tight on the controls, his eyes staring straight ahead.

“Visit your brother,” I said. “I’ll take over.”

He glanced at me, then exhaled and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”

As he left, I slid into his seat. The hum of the engines filled the silence, but my thoughts were far away.

Niki.

Alone in a foreign country, hunting for a brother who might already be dead.

I hated that she was still there. But Mack was with her. And for that, I was grateful.

Gage sat in the co-pilot seat, his arms crossed.

“You think she’ll find her brother?” he asked.

I exhaled slowly. “I don’t know. I hope she does. They seemed close.” I paused. “We found Leo and a lot of others. We’ll drop these Americans off and head back as soon as possible, pick up more, and bring them home.”

“Hopefully, she’s with them when we get back,” Gage said.

I nodded.

“I just hope she’s safe,” I said. “I don’t want anyone kidnapping her.”

That thought made my chest tighten.

“Hopefully, she won’t talk,” Gage continued. “She’s smart. But with a voice that sexy , you know they’ll figure it out the second she opens her mouth.”

I clenched my jaw. The idea of anyone realizing she was a woman made me fucking furious.

Gage pulled out his phone. “I’ll have to call Lori and tell her where I am. And we need to reach someone about these groups—get more help flying them out.”

I nodded. “Yeah. We need reinforcements.”

I gripped the controls, my mind drifting again.

Stay safe, Niki. Just hold on until we get back.

“Yes, we do. Moving all these people out on our own would take forever. We need more help. I wonder if the Navy SEALs or Army Rangers could assist. I’ll call Kash to see if he can gather some men.”

“Should we land in Pakistan or India? India is friendlier and nearby. Let’s head there.”

“I agree, India is our best option. We’ll try to secure more planes and see what we can arrange. We definitely need assistance; there’s no doubt about that. I hope we aren’t spotted. This mission is dangerous, and we must treat it as such,” I said, frowning with worry about Niki. “I have to get her out of there. I have a bad feeling about her being there,” I added, a chill running down my spine.

“Yeah, I don’t feel good about leaving her alone either. I know Mack is with her, and he’ll take her to that other group. But what if someone is lying in wait? Did she have a gun?”

“Yeah, I think I saw two guns on her, and if I’m not mistaken, some knives tucked under her boots. I meant to ask her about them but forgot. I hope she knows how to use them,” I said, shaking my head. “The sooner we get back and pick her up, the more at peace I’ll be.”

“I agree,” Gage said. “Hopefully, she’s found her brother, and he’s alive. She won’t leave until she finds him, dead or alive. She wants to bring him home, and that’s what she’ll do.”

“Okay, here we are. Let’s find a landing strip. I hope they let us unload.”

“These are Americans,” Gage said. “They better let us unload.”

Authorities were waiting as we taxied to a stop. They boarded the plane, demanding papers from everyone. I approached one of them. “Listen, these are Americans left behind in Afghanistan. We’re taking them home, but first, we need to return and get more.”

“You can’t unload them here. What if Afghanistan attacks India? You have to fly them to America.”

“I want to speak to your President. While I’m on the phone with him, we’ll Zoom call my President to see who will allow these Americans off our plane. If you’re smart, you’ll let us unload these tired, terrified, starving people. They need a place to stay until they’re picked up and taken home. Can you find them something to eat? My government will reimburse you for everything.”

“No need to call the President. Of course, we’ll take care of these poor people.”

My phone rang. “Hello, who is this?”

“This is Kash Walker, Army Ranger. We’ll be there in a couple of hours. What base are you using?”

We’re in India; they’re the friendliest. We’ll be leaving again as soon as we refuel. I’m sure we’ll see each other while we’re here. Don’t let anyone find out about this. We don’t want to tip off the Taliban. Thanks, Kash.” “The government sent some planes to pick up the Americans left behind. They’ll be here in a few hours.”

I turned to the official.“The government will be here to pick up the Americans. They can stay here at the airport and board the plane when it arrives. Can you get them something to eat and drink, please?” “Of course, I’ll take care of it right now.” “Thank you,” I watched as everyone exited the airplane, holding hands. Most were crying and talking on phones provided by people in the airport. I hoped their spouses would be there for them. I knew some of my friends had remarried, believing their spouses were dead and buried.”