Chapter 11

They had been walking for nearly 45 minutes when they stopped upon a small ridge and the Afghan border came into view. The sun was gaining height in the sky and the hot, dry air was beginning to cling to her skin.

Unclipping her bottle, Jules took a swig of water but was careful to conserve it. She didn't know when she was going to be able to get a refill.

Carlos crouched beside her, rooting in his bag for the sweets he had had on the plane, whilst Twitch rested against a rock, a hand raised to shield his eyes as he gazed around them. Jules could see the back of his neck beginning to burn, matching his hair.

Marc reached into his jacket pocket and received a small pair of binoculars. As he did so, his jacket pulled up and revealed the handgun that Strong had given him, strapped to his hip.

Jules found herself staring at it.

"What do you see?" Carlos asked, popping a sweet into his mouth as he did so.

"A whole lot of mountains," Marc joked, turning his head slightly.

Carlos laughed and stood, offering Jules a sweet. Jules shook her head.

"And one checkpoint approximately half a klik out," Marc added in all seriousness.

"Where?" Twitch got to his feet, hauling his rucksack onto his shoulder, clinging to the medical supplies that rested inside.

"There, to the east," Marc pointed to his right and if they all looked, they could spot the same small building.

"If we head down to the west, we should be able to cross and avoid the border control." Marc lowered his binoculars and looked around at them for their agreement.

"Sounds like a plan," Julia restrapped her water bottle and walked over, her boots scuffing the ground as she did so.

Gathering their things, they began to walk down the craggy side of the ridge, loose rocks becoming dislodged with each step they took.

Jules watched the rocks tumble to the ground closely as she remembered her dream. She had been trying to reach Safia but a loose rock had caused her to plummet to the ground and fail.

Trying not to think too much about it, Jules placed her focus on the plan ahead. As she reached the bottom of the ridge, Jules noticed that the ground began to flatten out around the border.

Ditches, foliage and large rocks provided sufficient coverage though for them to cross.

They were stuck between the ridge they had just descended and the next small mountain across the border in which the gap was nearly a mile

They began to advance forward and as Jules stepped over a small pile of rocks she looked to her right and saw the checkpoint in the distance.

It was a small building, most probably made of solid concrete with no windows. Jules knew that on the opposite side would be a large rectangular hole for the doorway, situated next to a dirt road with a wooden barrier lain across it to stop vehicles passing through.

Jules licked her lips as she wondered if the checkpoint was currently occupied, and if so all they would have to do was to walk out to get some fresh air and they would see them.

For that reason, Marc kept his eyes on the checkpoint at all times whilst they crossed.

Jules kept thinking that the officers would be able to hear her boots and a cold sweat broke out on her brow, her muscles clenched ready to hit the ground and hide.

Every footstep felt like she was walking on a thin wire when they came level with the checkpoint.

They took a few more steps when Marc glanced at his watch, confirming that they had just crossed the border.

"Welcome to Afghanistan." Marc smiled.

"Don't you mean 'welcome back'?" Carlos chuckled.

She had just wiped her brow with the back of her hand when she saw Twitch hold up his fist in front of her.

"Hey," He called back, "I've got a vehicle heading this way."

His words hit them with shock as they all looked to where he was pointing.

In the distance, somewhere behind the checkpoint, was a great cloud of sand that could only have been disturbed by a vehicle.

Marc ordered them all to spread out and find cover.

Slipping off her rucksack, Jules turned to her left and crouched in a small ditch behind a decent sized rock which, with her bag laid beside her, just about covered her from view.

Glancing up, Jules saw Marc less than fifteen feet away knelt behind a bush with Carlos, his eyes found hers and he gave her the signal to stay down.

As if she needed telling.

Looking around for Twitch, careful not to make any part of her visible, she began to hear the rumble of a car engine as it sped through the dessert.

Peering over her shoulder behind her, Julia saw Twitch with his back pressed against another rock a few metres out. His sand-coloured clothes did a good job of camouflaging him.

"If we're lucky, he'll just drive by," Marc called, the car engine drowning out his voice.

The car engine was beginning to grow louder, as if the vehicle was picking up speed and it felt as if Marc was right, that the driver would just carry on through.

Judging it to be a good distance away, Jules peered around the corner of her rock and glanced at the vehicle, which just turned a bend and came into view.

It was an old jeep, covered in sand and speeding past them.

"Keep going, keep going," Jules whispered, her fingers crossed and her eyes glued to the Jeep.

Just as the vehicle began to go by them and Jules thought she could breathe again, the car performed a U-turn and came heading straight towards the border.

Spoke too soon.

Watching carefully as the jeep came to a halt less than ten feet away from the rock she was hiding behind, blowing sand and dust up around it as it did so, its engine still rumbling, Julia watched the driver side door creak open.

The sound of an Afghani radio station filled the surrounding area from the stereo in the car.

Julia's throat grew dry as a pair of leather sandals and cream trousers appeared at her eye level as a man stepped out from the vehicle.

Trying to remain as motionless as possible, Jules glanced upwards.

The man's features were strong with caramel skin, a black turban and a thick beard that brushed the cream tunic he was wearing, matching his trousers. His hands were empty though as he held onto the car door and looked out across the border.

Marc and Julia shared a desperate look at each other. Had the man heard or seen them crossing the border? Was that why he stopped?

Julia wondered if the checkpoint had heard him, they must have done. It was hard to imagine that they hadn't. Perhaps they were in on it with the Taliban. Julia had learnt not to be too surprised by anything anymore.

Her throat was dry as she peered back around, her head level with the man's knees and his calf-length tunic, as he took a few steps forward towards the front of the jeep.

Julia silently pressed herself back against the rock, her hand travelling down her bent leg towards her boot where, strapped securely to her ankle, there was a knife.

Over the distracting noise of the radio, Julia heard the soft crunch of the man's sandals against the floor. Looking to her left, she could see the man's shadow as he drew close to the rock she was hiding behind.

Clenching her jaw, Julia glanced upwards and saw Marc. His eyes were glued to her in fear and it made her palpitating heart worse.

She watched his hands move for the gun at his hip but Julia gave a sharp shake of her head, hoping he understood.

Carlos saw what he was doing and hurried to grab Marc's wrist, stopping him from doing anything.

Marc glared at Carlos but did not try to take his hand back, knowing that any noise could alert the man to their presence at his feet.

A few beads of sweat travelled down the side of her cheek but Julia dared not move to brush them away, her eyes glued to the man's shadow that indicated his position behind her rock.

It felt like they had been there for hours and would be there for a few hours more when the man's shadow refused to move from his position. He was so close that Julia could hear him breathing and it made her own breathing hitch with anxiety.

Her legs were beginning to cramp when the shadow finally began to recede away and Julia risked a glance around her rock.

She saw the man's sandals hurrying back to the driver's side of the jeep.

Just get in and drive away, Julia thought.

All four of them were watching the man closely as he leaned into the jeep, only his back was visible but Jules couldn't help but think that it didn't look like he was going to get in and drive off.

Her fears were confirmed when he re-emerged from the vehicle carrying an AK47 rifle, the gun strap dangling by his side as he stepped back towards her position.

Marc tried to reach for his handgun again but Carlos grabbed him.

"It has to be done quietly," Carlos whispered, his eyes looking across to Julia, "We can't risk the checkpoint hearing us. You heard what Strong said. We cannot be caught."

Julia realised what she had to do and hurried to get into position whilst she had a chance.

Keeping low and quiet, Julia turned so that her shoulder was against the rock and she slipped the knife from its sheath at her ankle.

Curling her fingers around the hilt of the blade, Julia bunched her muscles ready to pounce.

It had to be done quietly and quickly. If he got any shots off, it would alert the soldiers in the checkpoint and they would come to investigate.

Their mission rested on their presence here being a surprise. Dead soldiers would give them away.

Jules didn't know what had given them away but the man was now walking quickly towards the other side of the rock, she could hear his heavy footfalls against the ground.

Not risking a visual, her heart racing inside her chest Julia watched the man's shadow against the ground, using it as a guide, when she looked up at Marc for reassurance.

She saw that he had raised his hand towards her with his fingers spread wide. He mouthed the word 'five'.

Five steps.

Julia gave him a nod to let him know that she knew what he meant and she took a shaky breath.

Marc pulled his thumb in towards his palm, leaving four fingers stretched out.

Four steps away.

Julia took a second to rest her shoulder against the rock, gathering her energy.

Marc's little finger disappeared, leaving only three.

Three steps.

Looking out of the corner of her eye, all Julia could see was rock, but she could hear his sandals against the rock.

Another finger dropped into Marc's palm.

Two steps.

Julia straightened herself up so that she wasn't resting against the rock and she re-gripped the blade, remembering her training. Go for the throat so he can't scream.

One step left.

She couldn't think about the fact that she was about to kill a man, her mind wouldn't let her.

With one final breath, she looked towards Marc and watched his forefinger bend over towards his palm so that his hand made a fist.

Now!

Exploding to her feet, Jules reached out and grabbed a handful of the man's tunic before she dragged him down off the rock.

He was heavier than she expected and for a moment she thought he wasn't going to fall but gravity aided her efforts and his body hit the ground with a loud thud.

Leaping on top of him, she placed her knee strategically on his arm so that he couldn't fire any shots, and, without a moment's pause, Jules sunk her blade into the side of his neck.

Julia was aware of Marc hurrying across and dragging the AK47 out of the man's grasp, securing her safety, as Julia removed her blade and watched blood spurt out from the side of his neck.

She looked into his eyes and in those dark glossy spheres she saw her own reflection looking back at her.

After a moment she felt his arm relax under her knee from where he had been resisting and his eyes grow dull and she knew he was dead.

Stumbling to her feet, Julia stepped back and stood over his body.

"Are you alright?" Marc turned her to face him as he held the AK47 by his side.

Julia just stared at him for a moment before she nodded her head, "I'm fine."

Her hand had a strange sensation of pins and needles but the thing that struck her the most was how easy it was . . . as if she had done it before.

Marc's hand cupped her cheek but she knew that he didn't know what to say. This was the job they had both chosen and Julia didn't know what the man had done or would do in the future.

He could have been about to help plan a bombing, she could have just saved a dozen people from a suicide bomber, she didn't know but what she did know is that he couldn't have found them.

Safia's life and that of dozens of others depended on them.

Carlos and Twitch grabbed an arm each and began to drag his body away when Marc turned to them and spoke, "Strip him down. We'll check out the jeep."

Carlos and Twitch both dropped the man's arms and looked at each other before glancing back down at the man at their feet.

"It's your turn," Carlos pointed at Twitch, "I did it last time."

Twitch grumbled, "Fine, let's get this over with."

Reaching down, Julia pulled her backpack onto her shoulder and turned with Marc towards the vehicle.

Marc trained the AK47 at the vehicle, checking it was clear before he rested the strap over his shoulder and leaned in through the open door.

Julia looked around them but it seemed as if the altercation had gone unnoticed but it didn't mean they could stay there for long.

Walking around to the passenger side, Jules dropped her rucksack on the floor, sat inside and looked around. The car was in a general state of disrepair but that did not surprise her. There was another AK47 with a few clips of ammunition on the back seat along with a map.

Jules picked up the map and tried to locate their position.

"She's got a full tank of petrol," Marc slapped the roof of the car at their first spot of good luck, "Guess we're not walking after all."

"Introducing Miss Afghanistan 2016," Carlos laughed.

Looking up, Julia peered through the front windscreen and saw that Twitch had pulled the dead man's clothes on over his own but they were at least two sizes too small, making him appear very constricted, with his turban wrapped badly around his head.

His military pack was dangling by his side as he glared at them. Julia was trying her best not to laugh.

"Not. A. Word." Twitch pointed a finger at each of them.

Marc held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Let's get this over with," Twitch walked over to the driver's seat, pulling at the turban on his head, "This thing itches like crazy."

Ten minutes later and they were preforming another U-Turn and heading back along the road, heading for the capital as if the entire last thirty minutes hadn't happened.