Chapter 10

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I glanced around the crowded marketplace, my eyes scanning the sea of people, all going about their business.

The city was swarming with those Taliban pricks, occupying the place like a bunch of cockroaches infesting a shithole. The atmosphere reeked of tension and fear, like a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

Red and I needed to find some food and water, but blending in was crucial. I spotted a sorry excuse for a Taliban dipshit, his turban perched on his head like a crown. Without missing a beat, I snatched that fucker’s turban right off his head, his dumbass not even noticing. I quickly threw it on, adjusting it to cover my face just right, so I could blend in like a chameleon.

With Red by my side, we sneaked through the narrow, winding streets of the city. The buildings rose like crumbling piles of shit, their walls covered in bullet holes and signs of destruction. The people moved like ghosts, heads down, too scared to even look up.

We slinked through the shadows, our senses on high alert. Every step we took, every breath we took, felt like we were living on a death timer. We needed to get the fuck out of there, find some supplies, and make our escape before those Taliban fuckers caught wind of our presence.

The city was a maze, with alleyways twisting and turning like a whore in heat. We had to move quickly, silently, like a pair of ghosts, avoiding any confrontations that could blow our cover.

The tension in the air was heavy, like a thick fog choking the life out of the city. We had to find what we needed and leave, before the noose around our necks tightened. Our lives depended on it.

As we scoured the city, searching for any sign of food or water, I couldn’t help but notice how fucking quiet Red had become. Her usual fire and sass had been extinguished like a candle in the wind. Her eyes held a haunted look, lost in some fucked-up thoughts that I simply couldn’t understand. But we had no time for that shit. We needed to survive, and that meant finding sustenance by any means necessary.

We hadn’t eaten shit in more than thirty hours, and the water was as scarce as my patience. We were broke as a joke, no money to our names, just a burning hunger in our guts and a thirst that could rival a desert. The city was crawling with those Taliban assholes, making it damn near impossible to find any kind of help or resources.

We had to get creative, think outside the box. I spotted a sorry excuse for a fruit stand, the sight of those ripe mangoes making my mouth water like a salivating dog. But we had no money, nothing to offer in exchange for sustenance. So, I did what I had to do.

I caught the eye of the fruit vendor, a greedy bastard with a crooked smile. My hand dipped into his basket, swift as a thief in the night. I snatched a couple of those juicy mangoes, feeling their weight in my palm. The vendor didn’t even notice, too busy chatting up with some local bitch.

I grabbed Red’s arm and dragged her out of the market, into some filthy-ass alley where we could eat in peace.

The smell of piss and garbage hit hard, but I didn’t give a shit. My stomach was doing flips, begging for food.

“Dig in,” I said, my voice low and eager.

I plopped down on the grimy ground, motioning for Red to join me. She looked at me, those pretty eyes glowing with gratitude. Her fingers deftly fumbled with the ties of her niqab and I watched as it slipped away from her face, revealing a messy bun of red hair which had been hidden beneath it.

“You always know how to find a way, don’t you?”

I smirked, ripping into one of the stolen fruits with my teeth. Juice dripped down my chin, but I couldn’t care less about manners.

“I am a man of many talents,” I stated, pride swelling in my chest.

We ate like animals, our throats swallowing every bite greedily, like it was the elixir of life. It tasted orgasmic, salvation in its purest form.

“You might be an asshole, but you sure as hell know how to find some good shit,” Red said between bites, finally cracking a smile.

I gave her a nod, my mouth too full to respond. We sat there in that dirty alley, savoring every bite, letting the taste of freedom linger on our tongues. For a brief moment, we forgot about the danger lurking around the corner. We forgot about the messed-up world we were living.

Red’s silence persisted. I could see the torment in her eyes, the weight of the world pressing down on her fragile shoulders. I didn’t want to care, didn’t want to let anyone in. I was used to being a lone wolf, a ghost who didn’t let anyone get too close. But there was something about her, something that made me want to break my own principles.

I couldn’t fucking ignore her torment anymore. “What’s troubling you?” I asked, my voice colder than an icebox.

Red avoided my gaze, staring at the ground like it had all the answers. Typical. But then, something happened that went against every instinct I had. I reached out, my thumb lifting her chin, forcing her to look at me. A small move, but it felt heavier than I fucking expected.

“Look at me, Red,” I said, my voice surprisingly gentle compared to my usual harsh tone, which pissed me off. “I need to know what’s going on in that head of yours.”

And fuck me sideways if that touch didn’t make me feel something. It was like an electric shock, coursing through my veins and setting my nerves on fire. Her skin was too soft, too vulnerable, and it dug deep into whatever part of me still gave a shit.

I hated it. Hated how her eyes held something fragile that made me feel... something.

I didn’t want to care, but there it was. She’d wormed her way into my head, and it was eating me alive.

“I’m scared, Rogue,” she finally admitted, her voice trembling. “I arrived in Afghanistan four months ago as a resident doctor. I wanted to make a difference, help those in need. But this place... it’s a nightmare. The suffering, the violence, it’s overwhelming. I don’t know if I can handle it.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. She was here trying to save lives, and I was out here ending them without blinking.

She was everything I wasn’t.

I quickly pulled my hand away, my jaw clenching in frustration. This shit wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything for her. But there it was, a storm brewing in my chest.

My eyes caught sight of the bruises on her wrist, the ones that seemed too deliberate to be accidental. Doubt crept into my mind, like a plague, infecting every part of my being.

They didn’t look accidental.

“Why did you leave the medical camp?” I couldn’t help but ask her again.

Before she could answer, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air, ripping through the silence like a bullet. Our heads snapped towards the source, and we both jolted to our feet.

“Stay behind me,” I whispered to her, not taking my eyes off where the sound was coming from.

We followed the sound, our boots crunching on the dusty ground. We rounded a corner and found an abandoned building, walls crumbling and covered in graffiti. Through a shattered window, we peered inside, and what we saw wasn’t Taliban.

It was a bunch of refugees, beaten down and dirty, looking like life had taken a dump on them. Among them was a pregnant woman, clutching her swollen belly, barely holding it together.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” I muttered under my breath, taking in the dire situation.

Red with her I’m-about-to-save-the-world grin, said, “I don’t give a shit what you say, Rogue. We’re gonna help them.”

I felt my blood boil, my own demons whispering in my ear. “We’ll be putting ourselves at risk,” I argued, my concern for her safety overriding any sense of compassion.

This shit was dangerous, and I didn’t want to put her or myself at an unnecessary risk. But Red, that relentless pain in my ass, stood her ground.

“Are we just gonna let that poor woman suffer and possibly die giving birth?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

Unbelievable.

I grabbed her shoulder, my grip firm and commanding, halting her in her tracks.

“Stop! For fuck’s sake, we can’t save everyone!”

“But we can, at least, try!” she insisted, refusing to back down.

I looked at her, unsure whether to be moved by her persistence... or simply irritated by her stubbornness. I felt the weight of her words, the anguish in her voice. She had a point, and it tore into my soul like a dagger.

I sighed, my internal struggle ripping me apart, tearing at my fucking sanity. Every life we saved meant putting ours on the line. We were already neck-deep in this shitstorm, and all I wanted was to get back to my base, where shit made sense and danger was more predictable so I could focus on finding the rat.

But this fiery-haired woman was driving me absolutely mad. The way she challenged my every instinct, pushed my buttons, and yet somehow managed to turn me on, it was a whirlwind of emotions.

It messed with my head, goddammit. I didn’t want to see any more innocent lives lost, but I also didn’t want to lose my own life in the process. Her obsession with saving every last soul clashed hard with my instinct to stay alive.

I couldn’t fucking understand why she risked it all, why she felt the need to save every person in need. But then it hit me like a freight train. Red couldn’t save herself. She was drowning in her own bullshit, and saving others was the only way she knew how to keep her head above water.

It was twisted as hell, but it made sense. I saw it in her eyes, that haunted look she wore like a second skin. She carried every damn life we crossed paths with like it was her personal burden to bear. As much as it pissed me off, I couldn’t deny that I had some respect for her unrelenting drive.

Fuck, it was both infuriating and kinda admirable. And, without meaning to, I understood her in a way that surprised the hell outta me. We were both damaged, both chasing some sort of salvation in the chaos we thrived in.

I let out an exasperated sigh, loosening my grip on her shoulder. After a second of mentally slugging it out with myself, I gave in.

“Alright, Red, let’s do this. But remember, if shit goes south, I won’t hesitate to rip the world apart to keep you safe.”

Red let out a light chuckle and rolled her eyes. “Sure, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sweat, piss, and desperation. What a great cocktail for my senses. “I’ve never done this before,” I broke the silence, sweat trickling down my forehead.

Red turned to me, and looked at me dead serious. “Neither have I,” she replied without breaking stride.

I stopped dead in my tracks, absorbing her words and staring at her like she’d grown another head, my mouth hanging open like a dumbass. “Wait, what?” I sputtered, my jaw hanging low.

She continued walking, looking as calm as a Buddhist monk.

“You’re shitting me, right?” I blurted out, shocked by her lack of reaction.

She just smiled, but there was no humor in it. “I’ve assisted other doctors, but I’ve never personally delivered a baby.”

I felt my jaw hit the motherfucking ground.

And I damn near laughed.

“Assisted? That’s like saying you’ve watched an entire season of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. Doesn’t mean you can perform open heart surgery, does it?”

“I know the basics,” she said as if I was the one losing my mind, “and also, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ is overrated.”

My blood pressure was skyrocketing.

“Well, here goes nothing,” I mumbled, as we were about to do something incredibly reckless and foolish.

Great. We were two strangers, trying to save the world one uterus at a time.

We should’ve been on a fucking reality show.

As Red and I stepped into the abandoned building, the stench of fear and desperation slammed into us. The shitty light inside revealed the pregnant woman, her face twisted in pain, gripping her belly like it was about to explode. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she tried to stay quiet, terrified the Taliban cocksuckers would sniff them out.

Then the refugee chick screamed her head off, trying to push the baby out, but it was clear she wasn’t gonna make it without help.

As we approached, the crowd of refugees gathered around us. And before I could even process what the fuck was happening, they closed in on us, their hands gripping whatever garbage they could use as weapons.

They began speaking in Pashto, a language that to my uncultured ass sounded like a bunch of gibberish. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what the fuck they were saying, but their faces didn’t exactly scream ‘welcome party’.

Red raised her hands, showing them that we were not armed, trying to communicate that we meant no harm.

“I’m a doctor,” she said in English, hoping someone would get the gist. "I can help her," she added, pointing to the trembling woman.

I gotta hand it to her, she had balls of steel.

One of the refugees spat some incomprehensible crap, and it might as well have been Martian for all I fucking understood. But slowly, Red whipped out her medical badge, a small plastic square with the letters “MD” written on it and shoved it in their faces, proving that she was the real deal.

Well, shit. Looks like we were really doing this.

I watched, dumbfounded, as Red whipped out her medical badge like it was no big deal. She’d been carrying that shit the whole time, and I had no damn clue. Guess I’d underestimated her. Red wasn’t just some pretty chick with a mouth that could go toe-to-toe with mine—she actually had the skills to back it up.

Quite impressive.

“What the fuck?” I said, looking at her with a bemused expression. “Why didn’t you tell me you had this shit on you?”

“You never asked,” she shot back, holding up the badge like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Fucking hell, she had a way of keeping me on edge, always reminding me that I didn’t know jack about what she had up her sleeve.

And, truth be told, I kinda liked it.

But those refugees didn’t seem to give a damn, their eyes darting between her and me, still all skittish and wary, like they didn’t know what the hell to make of us.

I wasn’t about to let that shit slide. “See? She’s the bloody real thing,” I said, nodding toward the badge. Like it needed any more fucking confirmation.

Red tried again, waving that badge like it was a golden ticket or something, hoping it would calm their paranoid asses down. They squinted at it, like they were trying to figure out if it held the meaning of life or some crap.

But no, these stubborn assholes needed more.

I stepped forward, making damn sure my presence was felt.

“We represent the US Army,” I declared, my words ringing with authority. “We’re here to help, and we need your cooperation in order to do that.”

That got their attention. I watched them back off, faces shifting from hostile to reluctantly accepting. Funny how dropping the Army card could make people rethink their stance really quick.

Then one bold motherfucker stepped out from the crowd, addressing us in choppy English.

“What do you want in return for your service?”

I smirked. This was the opportunity we needed. “We want to know the shortest way out of this city,” I replied, my eyes locked with his.

The fucker pondered it for a moment, then nodded.

“After you help, I show you.”

Red and I exchanged glances, a silent agreement passing between us. We both nodded.

We had a deal.