Lindsay McKenna - His Woman in Command & Operations - Forbidden - His Woman in Command / Operation - Forbidden

Nike hadn’t slept well and was finishing up breakfast with Jameela and her three daughters. Chapatis, a thin pita bread, had been filled with vegetables and seasoned with curry. She had trouble focusing on food when she kept remembering Gavin’s kiss. It was completely unexpected—but welcome. Groaning inwardly, Nike remembered all her nightmares of Antonio’s death. He’d been shot to death in the jungles of Peru. She’d sworn never to fall in love with a military man again. Not ever .

So why had she kissed Gavin? Why did she still want him? Nike had seen the predatory look in his eyes. She could have easily brushed him off. Why hadn't she? First things first: stop thinking about it. Nike watched as the older daughters of the family cleared away the dishes and went to clean them in the kitchen.

Jameela was helping six-year-old Atefa wrap her leg, which had never had any surgical intervention. The little girl’s leg was missing below the knee. Jameela had her daughter lie on the rug as she carefully wrapped the red, angry-looking stump with soft cotton fabric. Once it was tied in place, Atefa sat up and took her handmade crutches.

“Have you sought help for your daughter’s missing leg?” Nike asked the mother.

“When it happened, we were shocked. My husband tried to get help from our government. He pleaded and begged a regional official to bring a doctor out here to help her,” Jameela responded.

Nike frowned. “I’m so sorry. Who planted those mines?”

With a grimace, Jameela whispered, “The Afghan army did, to stop the Taliban.”

Surprised, Nike blurted, “Why?”

“They hid them along the edges of our fields where we plow. They didn’t want Talibans coming in here.”

The whole conflict and mind-set of the Taliban didn’t make sense. As soldiers, they could only do their part and hope families would be saved. Nike had to get to work pronto. Getting up, she shrugged on her coat and put the red scarf in place around her head. It was 0700 and dawn crawled up on the horizon. A mechanic team would arrive this morning to try and assess what was wrong with her CH-47. Every minute on the ground kept the helo a target of the Taliban. She had to get out and relieve her load master so he could come to Abbas’s house and get breakfast.

“I’ll come back later,” Nike promised the woman. “Right now, I have to check my helicopter and relieve my sergeant.”

Jameela stood and nodded. “Of course.”

In the freezing cold of the spring morning, Nike hurried down the muddy, rutted street. The 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?”