Firefight by Chris Ryan

Author:Chris Ryan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-02-17T00:00:00+00:00

ELEVEN

'We should cuff her.'

Kennedy was glancing over his shoulder at Latifa, who sat huddled in the back, opposite Will. Her body was shaking and Will worried that she was too frail to make it to Kandahar. He put that thought from his mind: the woman was no good to him dead. Slowly she glanced at the SAS man in the passenger seat and looked silently at Kennedy for a full ten seconds before speaking. 'Where is it you think that I am wanting to escape to?' she asked in faltering English.

'I don't know and I don't care,' Kennedy replied, brutally. 'But we've already made the mistake of trusting a stranger once today and we're coming back one man down.' He threw a set of Plasticuffs to Will, who caught them in one hand.

Latifa turned her attention to him. It was only now that Will took in her features, though he was aware that she must have looked a lot different before the Taliban got their hands on her. Her skin was dark, of course, and she had long black hair, matted and greasy, that seemed to cling to the side of her face. She might have been pretty once, but any prettiness had long been beaten out of her.

And she stank. Jesus, she stank. A fetid, pungent smell that filled the whole car.

'You think I wish to return to those animals?' she asked. There was no anger in her voice; she just sounded slightly bemused. Thinking back to the horrific state in which he had found her and the sight of the wounds on her feet, Will didn't blame her.

'No,' he said, gruffly. 'I don't think you'll be going back to them. But I don't know for sure that you'll want to stay with us.' He grabbed her wrists a little more roughly than he intended to, then strapped the Plasticuffs around them.

Latifa accepted being bound without a struggle. It was almost as if this were part of the natural order of things. 'Do you know my brother?' she asked.

Will looked sharply at her. She was gazing directly at him.

The truck trundled over an especially uneven bit of road. He waited for it to level out before he answered.

'No,' he said, doing his best to keep his voice level. 'But I know of him.'

'You said he sent you to rescue me.'

Will could feel Kennedy's gaze on him, but he ignored it. 'Something like that,' he told Latifa evasively.

'Ah,' Latifa nodded. 'Something like that.' She smiled sadly, then looked out of the back of the truck. Somehow, Will could tell that she knew he was lying.

He changed the subject. 'We'll get you medical help when we reach our destination.'

'And where is our destination?' Latifa asked, softly. Her voice had a sing-song quality; close your eyes, Will thought, and you wouldn't know the pain she was in.

'You'll find out.'

She turned to look at him again and Will found her piercing eyes made him feel quite uncomfortable. 'Yes,' she said. 'I will find out.

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