10. Ghost

"Fuck,I can't see a thing with this wind blowing sand everywhere. We've already wasted an entire day because of this sandstorm," I grumbled, shaking sand out of my hair as I returned indoors after checking outside. "When do you think this will ease up? I swear I have sand in every pore on my body. How it finds its way inside is beyond me; the floor is covered in sand."

"It can blow for days sometimes, but I don't think it'll last this time. It should be calming down soon," Viper remarked, his experience of enduring four years as a prisoner in this sandy wasteland giving weight to his words. As the wind died down, a glimmer of sunlight filtered through the lingering sand in the air, painting a bleak picture of our surroundings akin to the heart of the Arabian desert.

It looked like we were in the middle of the Arabian desert; all you could see was sand. "It's a good thing we brought water. I don't think we would find any around here," Viper said as we walked outside.

"Where the hell do we even go from here? It feels like a blizzard, except it's sand instead of snow. I think I would rather have the snow," Steel said, looking around. "Where is the jeep we were supposed to pick up? Where do we go to pick up the people?"

"We'll give it another hour before attempting to leave this place. We don't want to risk getting separated if the wind picks up again. We stick together," Viper insisted. "We've had it stop and start again in a few hours."

I wondered if Viper was telling us to stay together because when he stopped to help Wesley, an Army Ranger, they were left behind, and both were held prisoner in Iran for four years. "I can see the jeep, but with all this sand, I doubt we'll get it started. Let's go take a look."

We made our way to the jeep, and I raised the hood; sure enough, the engine was covered in sand. After clearing it out and tinkering for an hour, we finally managed to start it. As I slid into the driver"s seat, uncertainty loomed. "Which way?"

"Fuck. You don't know where to go?" Viper exclaimed; frustration evident in his voice.

"I thought one of you had the directions. Weren't you the one who spoke to the guy who hired us?" I retorted, feeling a pang of frustration myself.

"Enough bickering. I have the address, but finding the road in this mess is challenging. Everything looks different with all this sand covering the road. Okay, turn left—no, wait, it"s right. Yes, turn right. The road should become visible soon. Keep your eyes peeled," Steel instructed, a smirk playing on his lips.

"If you lead us in circles, I'm going to kick your ass," I said, glaring at Steel, who just laughed.

"The sandstorm threw us off. I get it. But let's keep it together. I won't tolerate arguing," Viper interjected sternly, a reminder of his own harrowing confinement. I bit my tongue, not wanting to irk Allison's brother.

"We know where you"ve been, Viper, but I"ll argue with Ghost if I want to. And I"ll win," Steel quipped, breaking the tension with laughter.

"Alright, let's focus. How much further before we turn off? I redirected the conversation.

"About two hours from where we left the plane, then a right turn until we reach the sand-colored building," Steel replied, mapping out the route.

"I hope to hell there isn't more than one building. I'm not in the mood for a Taliban showdown. Even though I wouldn't mind breaking a few of their body parts," I said as I strained to see anything moving.

"Are those headlights behind us?" I asked, checking the rearview mirror.

"Fuck, do you think they've spotted us," Viper growled, "I will not be put in any more prisons."

"Are we even on a damn road? You have to outrun them. They must have been stuck in that sandstorm, too. Let's make a run for it." Steel urged. "Charlie will never forgive me if I get killed over here."

"Headlights ahead," I shouted. "Hang on to your seats, I'm going to hide us. Maybe they haven't seen us since I haven't used our lights."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Viper muttered.

"They don't call me Ghost for nothing," I replied, maneuvering the jeep behind a small hill to conceal it as best as I could. We scrambled to another vantage point just as gunfire erupted, the two jeeps drawing ominously closer.

We exchanged glances as American voices reached our ears. "Americans," Viper murmured, prompting us to move closer, assessing whether they posed a threat. "Are those men from the Band of Navy Seals?" Viper inquired.

"Yes, that's Killian Cooper, Storm Anderson, and Matt Gray," I whispered. We listened as they commanded the Taliban to stand down in their native tongue, though I couldn't catch most of what was said.

"Here comes a Taliban straight for us," I whispered. As soon as he got close enough, I stood up and punched him in the face. He went down fast.

"Who the hell are you guys," Killian snarled. I smiled, and so did he. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to pick up four people who have been unable to get home," I said. "What about you guys?"

"We are helping the Army Rangers find Emily's brother, Jason. Kash said she's ready to come here herself if we don't find him. He's a Navy Seal and was on a rescue mission but went missing three weeks ago."

"Three weeks ago, I'm surprised she even heard he was missing," I remarked.

"He was here with Axel Martin, Opal's son. He's also a Seal. When he couldn't find Jason, he called Kash, who called us," Killian explained.

"We'll be on the lookout for any American being held captive. I guess you've figured out he has to be held captive, or you would have heard from him," I said, shaking hands with the other Seals.

"Yeah, we all figured he must be held captive. But Kash hasn't said anything to Emily yet. You might spot some of the Army Rangers around somewhere. We need to find Jason fast before something bad happens to him." Storm said, scanning our group.

"I might have an idea where they"re keeping him," I interjected, gauging their reaction.

"Where do you think they're holding him? It's not their torture chamber like everyone thinks. They've got this room near their headquarters where they stash Americans. I was held there for a few days. But three weeks would be a nightmare. I hope I'm wrong."

I looked at Steel and Viper. "How about I take a detour and check if Jason's there? Then we'll get him out if he's still alive?"

Viper stepped into my space. "I promised Allison I'd keep an eye on you. I'm coming with you." He looked at the others. "You all can stay with Steel and the people we are taking home with us."

"Viper, we haven't found them yet," Steel said, shaking his head. "I say us three stick together, and then we'll proceed with the rescue."

"I suggest you both go to the people we were hired to rescue, and I'll go alone. It'll only take me thirty minutes. No one will see me. Killian and the others will stay with you."

"No, I will go with you," Killian said. This is our mission; I won't argue with you about it. We'll follow your lead. What should we do with the other guy you knocked out?"

"He tried escaping, and I had to deal with him," I replied bluntly.

"I didn't see you go back over there to finish him off," Killian said, frowning.

"That's why they call me Ghost, and that's why you shouldn't come with me. They can see you; they won't see me," I grinned mischievously.

"I'll make myself invisible," Killian retorted with a grin.

"Alright, just don't get yourself killed. The last thing I want is Bird coming after me. How is that family of yours?" I inquired

"Expanding. We're expecting one more, and Bird swears this will be the last child. Fuck, I'm as bad as Bird. It makes me sad saying this is the last one."

"How many children do you have now?"

"Seven."

"Seven, damn."

"What about you? How many do you have?"

"None yet. I just got married a couple of months ago."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. Alright, we need to find the people we were hired to rescue, and then we can leave and rescue Jason," I said, looking at everyone.