30. Reaper

30

Reaper

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the dusty streets, I knew it was time to head back to work. The thought of leaving Sarra and Glory tugged at my heart, but duty called.

I was off to Afghanistan to rescue a couple of boys whose father said they had gone to visit their grandparents but had been stuck there for six months. He was worried because his wife was also having trouble returning.

Sarra's eyes shimmered with worry. She was upset that I wouldn't return in time for the baby's birth, which was a month and a half away. I squeezed her hand gently, trying to infuse my words with confidence I didn't entirely feel. "I'll be back in a week; that's plenty of time. Don't worry."

But now, three weeks have slipped through our fingers, and we are still here. I didn't know what else to do. I exchanged a grim look with Steel, who was also getting worried. "We have to get out of here. The boys' mother refuses to leave without her parents, and she won't budge."

Steel's jaw tightened. "Then we take her parents with us. I'll spin a sob story if I have to."

"What kind of sob story?"

He sighed, frustration evident. "I don't know, but if I'm not back soon, Charlie might just show up with the babies, demanding I get my ass home."

Despite the gravity of our situation, I chuckled. It was a possibility I couldn't dismiss.

"They don't understand the danger here. These boys are Americans. If the Taliban find out, they're dead."

"You're right. Take my boys home," we turned and looked at the mother. "We'll go with you. If my parents want to be selfish and put us in danger, then I will leave them here."

"I'll get my boys and tell my parents that we are leaving. I'm sorry it took this long for me to see what was happening. They are trying to make me see sense and stay here; it doesn't make sense; them going with us is what makes sense," she said. "I'm worried they will call the Taliban, so I'm going to tell them that you two have already left. Then we will sneak away when it gets dark."

It was almost dark, so we agreed and waited outside. Three hours later, they showed up.

"My parents wouldn't go to bed. It was almost like they expected something."

Steel and I led the way down a dirt path to the waiting jeep. Every step felt like a countdown to freedom. When we finally reached the plane, I exhaled, realizing I'd been holding my breath. The sight of the plane, still untouched, was a beacon of hope.

I glanced around to make sure we weren't seen. All I saw was a desert with no lights. And when the engine was shut off, I didn't hear anything.

Without a word, we moved swiftly. Steel hoisted the family into the plane, and twenty minutes later, we were airborne, navigating the darkness like phantoms. Silence enveloped us, the weight of our mission pressing down as we flew under the radar.

Suddenly, the plane sputtered. My heart raced as I joined Steel in the cockpit. Together, we wrestled with the controls, coaxing the plane toward safety. Once we were clear of Afghanistan, I walked back to the others, bracing myself. "Hold on tight. We need to land, and it's going to be rough."

We all buckled up as Steel prepared for landing. He had to turn on his lights to see what he was doing. I looked out the window and prayed I would see Sarra, Glory, and my baby son again.

And then I saw the runway. I laughed out loud as Steel landed the plane. It was a little rough, but we were out of Afghanistan, and I could call Sarra and let her know we were on our way home.

We hugged each other as the plane landed. I glanced out the front door and didn't see anything. When we walked off the plane, I couldn't believe there wasn't a soul around, not one light. Nothing.

I looked at Steel. "What do you think of this?"

"The Taliban must have run them off. We'll get some sleep and see if there are any tools in the morning," Steel said, glancing around.

I had a creepy feeling. "We'll find a safe place to sleep. Not the plane or the hangar; I think we should walk for a while and see what we can find. I don't trust it here," I said, guiding us into the woods and away from the airstrip.

We walked for an hour before finding a place to rest. "I'll take the first watch. You can get some sleep," I said to Steel. "I'll wake you in a couple of hours."

The next morning, I looked at Steel. "Hey, I thought one of us could scout ahead, so we don't walk into something we shouldn't."

"Good idea. I'll walk ahead. Make sure no one makes any noise."

We walked back to the others and stopped when we heard laughing. I saw two other kids talking to our little group.

"Hello, who do we have here?" I asked.

"These two said we could use the phone at their house and call someone to help us," the older boy said.

"No way is it this easy," Steel said, smiling.

"Let's see where they live," I said. We walked for thirty minutes and came into view of a few homes. One belonged to the kids. We saw their father working in the yard, and he didn't look happy with his kids. I couldn't blame him.

"Hello, we are sorry to barge in on you, but the kids thought maybe we could use your phone to call someone to look at our plane," Steel explained.

The man frowned at the kids; then he turned to us. "I don't want any trouble. If you have someone after you, I want you to keep going."

"I don't blame you. No one is after us. We were hired to pick these three up and had trouble with our plane. We were lucky enough to find the airstrip."

"I thought I heard a plane last night. I can take a look at your plane. Let me grab my tools, and we'll take a look."

"Thank you, that's great."

He ordered his kids to stay in the house and pushed a wheelbarrow with some tools behind us. When we reached the plane, I hurriedly glanced around and didn't see anyone.

"What happened to the little airport?" I asked as we reached the plane.

"People were afraid to land here with the Taliban patrolling the air all the time, and it went out of business. I had to find another job since I was the mechanic here."

"I'm sorry that happened. I'm glad you have the tools that can hopefully fix our plane so I can get this family home."

It was the afternoon before the plane was ready to fly. We paid the man for his work, and he was very happy with what we gave him. I was glad we were on our way again. We called the husband when we landed to fill our tank, and he met us in Germany.

We were walking down the hall when the boys spotted their father. All three of them ran, and he gathered them in his arms.

Two days later, I walked into my house, and no one was there. I checked the backyard, and there they were, playing with the puppies. Bub and Molly had their babies. This time, I would be sure to get her spayed.

"Daddy's home," I said, and Glory jumped up, screaming for her Daddy. I picked her up and threw her in the air. Then I walked over and pulled Sarra up and into my arms. I kissed her passionately. "I missed you so much, sweetheart."

"I missed you too, but I knew you were safe, and I felt it in my heart," she said, then giggled. "Charlie said she was going after Steel if he didn't get home soon."

"I'm glad you're home; I think our son will be here soon. Have you decided what name we want for him?"

"Yes, I want to name him after my grandfather. His name was James David, so I want to name him David Knox Bellmont."

"I love that name."

"Me too, so I hope we have a boy."

"We will have a boy; I feel differently this time around. I'm so happy because you came into my life and saved me. I love you."

I heard a noise and looked around for Glory. She was in the middle of all those puppies, squeezing three in her arms. I reached down, removed the puppies from her tight little fingers, and picked her up. She laughed and kissed me. "Daddy."

"Yes, sweetheart, Daddy's home."