His Woman in Command & Operations: Forbidden. Lindsay McKenna

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СКАЧАТЬ men were already busy. A donkey hauled a wooden cart filled with wood brought from the slopes of the nearby mountains. She saw no one from Gavin’s team, which was just as well. Right now, Nike couldn’t bear to see him. She was too confused about what happened between them, that part of her wanted it to happen again…

      Andy was delighted to see her and climbed out of the CH-47. He rubbed his gloved hands to warm them up. Even though Nike had provided heavy bedding for him, she knew it was no fun to sleep in a helo in freezing weather. After motioning for him to hightail it to the awakening village for breakfast, Nike took over watch of the helicopter. He handed her the binoculars.

      Around her, the valley awakened. The brownish-red haze above the village came from the many wood fires prodded to life to feed a family in each of the mud-brick and stone dwellings. Above, the sky was a pale blue and she could see the tips of the mountains illuminated as the sun peeked above them. When the first rays slanted over the narrow valley, Nike could feel the warmth caressing her.

      Dogs barked off and on. It seemed as if everyone had a dog or two. She never saw any cats and wondered why. Her breath was white as she exhaled. This was a very cold place even in the spring. But then, they were at eight thousand feet, so what did she expect? Moving around the helicopter, which sat out on a flat, muddy area, Nike looked for movement below. There didn’t seem to be any, but she didn’t trust the naked eye. The binoculars around her neck were a better way to search for the enemy.

      Standing behind the helo for protection against sniping, she scanned the slopes below her. Nike noted small herds of sheep and goats being prodded out of the village center and down to the green grass below. It was a tranquil scene. The sun’s emergence had already upped the temperature by several degrees. Several dogs herded the animals farther down into the flat of the valley floor. It all looked so peaceful.

      By the time Andy had gotten back to resume his duties, Nike was more than eager to go back to Jameela’s home and grab another hot cup of the delicious and spicy chai tea. The woman had shared her secret recipe with Nike. Chai was individual to every family and Jameela’s was legendary among the villagers. With some gentle persuasion, Nike got Jameela to divulge her recipe. Chai consisted of strongly boiled tea with goat milk, a pinch of brown sugar, cardamom and nutmeg. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.

      She gave Andy a welcoming smile. He grinned as he walked up to her.

      “Nothing?” he asked.

      “No.” Nike handed him the binoculars. “Keep watch. Captain Jackson was saying that the Taliban come through the northern end of this valley at the new moon, which is next week.”

      “Under cover of darkness,” Andy said, placing the binoculars around his neck.

      “Most likely, but you never know.”

      “I wouldn’t know a Taliban from a villager. They all dress alike.”

      Grimly Nike said, “The villagers know they cannot approach this helo. So, if someone does, you draw your pistol and assume it’s the enemy.”

      “Yes, ma’am. I just hope no one approaches,” Andy said unhappily.

      “I’ll ask one of Captain Jackson’s men to relieve you once an hour,” Nike responded with understanding.

      “Thanks.” Andy looked up at the helo. “I’ll sure be glad to get out of here and back to base. I didn’t sleep hardly at all last night.”

      “Neither did I.” Nike smiled a little. Looking at her watch she said, “The team’s supposed to arrive at 0800. That’s not long from now.”

      “Can’t be too soon. I’m spoiled,” Andy said with a grin. “What I’d give for some bacon and eggs now. Not that the hot grain cereal wasn’t good. It was.”

      Chuckling, Nike lifted her hand and walked back toward the village. Her heart thumped hard when suddenly she saw Gavin walking down the street, his rifle over his shoulder, looking as though he was hunting for someone. When he noticed her, his mouth lifted in a smile. He was the last person Nike wanted to see, but she couldn’t turn around and avoid him.

      “Good morning,” Gavin called, catching the wariness in Nike’s narrowed gold eyes. Those lips he’d caressed yesterday were pursed with tension. Over their kiss? He wasn’t sure. Maybe she was upset over something else?

      They met near the last mud-brick home. Both were aware that they might become targets and stepped into the alleyway between two homes for more protection. “I had sweet dreams,” he told her.

      “I didn’t.”

      The flatness of her voice startled him. “Sorry to hear that. Everything okay?” He hooked a thumb toward her helo. Maybe Nike was discouraged over the fact her bird was down.

      Nothing was okay, but she couldn’t stand here discussing her personal stuff. Instead, she said, “You’ve seen Atefa? Abbas and Jameela’s little girl who lost a leg to a land mine?”

      “Yes.”

      “What are the chances of flying her and her mother out to Kabul to get some medical help with a prosthesis?”

      Shrugging, Gavin said, “I could make some calls and find out.”

      “I’d appreciate that. That kid lost her leg to a land mine. She needs some type of medical help. Why can’t the U.S. supply her with a prosthetic limb?”

      Assuming Nike’s worries were over the little girl, Gavin relaxed. Several black curls peeked out the sides of the red scarf she wore around her head. Nike looked even more vibrant and breathtaking to him. “There’s no reason we can’t. I’ve already radioed Kabul to tell them to get a medical doctor out here in the next two weeks.”

      “What about dental? A lot of people here have tooth problems,” Nike said. She was relieved to be talking business with Gavin.

      “Good idea. I hadn’t gone that far with my plans for this village. Usually, it takes us a good three to four days to assess their health needs. Then I create a report and suggest a plan of action. After that, other medical or health teams are flown in to supplement the initial work we’re doing right now.”

      “I see.” Nike wasn’t familiar with the tactics, but it sounded like a logical approach. “I think if you can help Atefa that it will go a long way to lessen Abbas’s distrust toward us.”

      “Yeah, the old codger is definitely questioning everything we’re doing,” Gavin agreed quietly. “I’ll give a call this morning to the medical people in Kabul. Several American programs help children who have lost limbs to land mines.”

      Warming to his concern, Nike tried not to look at his mouth. Memory of the kiss came back hot and sweet. Frowning, she said abruptly, “Look, what happened yesterday is in the past, Gavin. I don’t have time for any type of a relationship right now.”

      Gavin heard the desperation in her husky tone and trod carefully. “It was a shock for me, too,” he admitted. “I came out of a relationship with a woman helicopter pilot about a year ago. I swore off military women.” He gave her an uneven grin. “Until you came along.”

      Nike held up her hands. “Listen, I’m stopping this before it starts. I do not have room in my life.” His blue eyes became assessing and furrows gathered on his brow. He took the Afghan СКАЧАТЬ