Pillars of Evil: An addictive murder mystery crammed with intrigue, and shocking twists. by JJ Carson

Author:JJ Carson [Carson, JJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Asubconscious threat jarred Charlie awake. Up close, a menacing shadow blocked the low dawn sun. The second guard leered; close enough for Charlie to smell him. A heady combination of damp clothes, stale sweat, and camel dust assaulted her nostrils. With his matted black hair and maniacal beard, the word hirsute could have been invented to describe the vision before her. His blank stare made it difficult to gauge the man’s intentions. He thrust a tin plate under Charlie’s nose. The unmistakable smell of fresh bread pulled her fully awake.

Charlie called after the guard in gratitude. “Tashakor!”

He stomped off without registering, crumpled blue flannels flapping in the early breeze. Charlie buried her face in the sweet flatbread. She enjoyed the deliciously fragrant taste. She chomped away and ruminated on the moment. A good night’s sleep had calmed nerves. The fire had thawed her blood. The bread had helped, but her fate remained a mystery.

She looked around for her rucksack, it lay nearby, drying beside the dying fire. They must have tended it all night. She clutched the thought that the men cared for her well-being. The second guard, appearing with piping hot tea, only added to the hypothesis. Charlie gratefully accepted the hot mug with as warm a smile as she could muster. Tapping her chest, she attempted to interact with the native. “Charlie. Charlie.”

The second man responded in kind. “Daud. Daud.”

Across the compound, Gasim stood watch amongst the tall grasses, fearless and sleepless, AK at the ready. Charlie guessed he had stayed there all night. Daud took his leader some bread and tea. The conversation witnessed through the swaying foliage seemed less than convivial. Charlie strained to capture the dialogue from their visual expressions. Nothing was gleaned from the interactions, other than Daud was sent to take up a position on the other edge of the camp.

They spent the day lying low in the tall grasses. Guarding duties were shared amongst the men. Charlie’s gestured offer of help was dismissed with a flailing hand. Dialogue was restricted even between the two Tajiks. Sleep was caught up on. Stomachs were filled and energy banks were restored. It eventually dawned on Charlie that the next moves would be made under cover of darkness. She spent the remaining daylight hours dozing, pondering, and planning. With so little information, the planning phases were limited. She confirmed the retention of the money, the phone, and the hidden gun. In a quieter moment, she checked the gun’s mechanism. It felt far from slick. She helped herself to tea, without sympathy, before compartmentalizing her thoughts.

The two guards were neither friendly nor hostile. They had been working under orders, but their reactions to their leader’s murder were still to surface. The Afghan drink had helped thaw them, but they were far from warm. Right now, the only word to describe them seemed unpredictable. Charlie only dealt with facts. So far, the men presented no immediate danger. She set her position midway between fear and trust. Time would tell which way the pendulum would swing.

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