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Chapter 6
Once on the loose rock beneath the cave opening, Laila leaned against a large rock on the slope and studied the mountain to figure out her strategy. The wall of rock was dotted with caves at different heights. Plenty of places to hide from Bahram, Feroz and the Taliban.
If she walked at this level over the scree, she wouldn’t have to go down, then back up again. But climbing over the loose, uneven rocks meant she’d move much more slowly. And since her goal was to get as far away from this cave as she could, she’d need to walk on the level ground at the bottom of the scree.
So she began to back down the slope, her hands gripping the stones as she descended. Her palms and fingers, already bloody, burned and stung as she gripped the sharp rocks. Afraid she might leave a blood trail, she lowered herself to the stones and retrieved her knife from its case strapped to her thigh. Used it to cut off one end of her scarf. Then she cut that piece in half.
She replaced the knife in its sheath, then wound the pieces of the scarf around both hands. Tucked the ends in securely. It looked and felt as if she wore two thick mittens, with only her fingertips exposed.
Taking another drink of water, she replaced the bottle in its pocket as she studied the slope. She’d gone less than a quarter of the way down. She’d have to move faster if she wanted to find shelter before the sun rose.
Her body cried out for sleep, but she ignored it as she turned around and began backing down the slope again.
It felt like hours before she reached the bottom, but when she glanced at the moon, it hadn’t moved far in the sky. She left the scarf remnants wrapped around her hands -- she’d have to climb the scree again to find another cave.
She needed to get as far away from the first cave as she could, so she kept walking, even when her legs felt like limp noodles. Finally, when she looked behind her and couldn’t see the cairn that Bahram and Feroz had constructed, she looked up at the mountains rising above her.
She needed to regroup. Sleep. If she waited much longer, she’d be too tired to climb the slope again. She’d make a mistake. Slip on a rock. Fall down the slope.
If she injured herself, she wouldn’t be able to climb back up to shelter.
So she took a deep breath and started up the slope again. Going up and down once already gave her more confidence. She moved steadily upward, being careful where she put her feet, avoiding rocks that were too big or looked unsteady.
Finally she reached the mouth of a cave. She crouched outside it and listened for a long time. Heard nothing. So she pulled out her flashlight and aimed it at the floor before she turned it on.
Shining it on the interior of the cave, she saw wooden boxes stacked against both walls, Pashto characters stenciled on them. Clearly the crates contained different kinds of weapons.
Most likely the Taliban had stashed them here. No way could she stay in this cave.
Swallowing hard, she looked down. The ground appeared very far away. Drawing a deep breath, she glanced to her left. The cave where Bahram and Feroz left her was to her right. She wasn’t going back that way.
A black hole in the mountain indicated another cave entrance not far away. Instead of going down and up again, she edged sideways, moving slowly. After what felt like a very long time, she made it to the entrance of the next cave. Her flashlight revealed nothing inside, but she didn’t want to be this close to a Taliban storage site.
She kept moving. The first faint light of dawn appeared in the eastern sky. She had to find shelter. It wouldn’t be long before sunlight would shine like a spotlight, illuminating her on the mountain.
She found another empty cave as the sky lightened even more. She had no choice but to hide.
Stepping into the cave, she stood up. Listened for a long time and heard no signs of life. No noises. No breathing. As far as she could tell, there were no humans or animals in here.
She edged away from the opening until there was nothing but blackness in front of her. When she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face, she pulled out her flashlight and turned it on.
Larger than the cave where Bahram and Feroz had left her, the ceiling rose seven or eight feet tall. As she moved farther into the dark space, she swept the light in front of her, looking for obstacles. Found nothing.
The cave curved to the left, and after a small passageway, she found another cavern, smaller than the first one. Also empty. Two tunnels led away from it, but she had no desire to explore them. She swayed on her feet, exhausted from her long hike and climbing up and down the scree slope.
She’d sleep in this room. That way, if anyone glanced into the cave, they wouldn’t spot her. She’d be just as vulnerable back here, but at least she’d have some warning if someone entered the outer space. She had her gun. She could defend herself.
Laying Bahram’s blanket on the hard stone, Laila pulled a bulky sweater out of her pack to use as a pillow. She drank half a bottle of water, returned it to the pocket, and pulled out her phone. Texted Mel ‘in a new cave. Pretty deep. Text if tracker can’t read my location. FYI, I’m close to an arms depot.’
Laila hit send, then set the phone beside her head so she’d hear when Mel returned her text. Then she lay down. Moments later, she was asleep.
* * *
Jase’s phone pinged as they bumped over the rough ground, and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Hey, Mel,” he said.
“I just heard from Laila. She’s safe. In a new cave. Said it’s close to an arms depot, so you need to be careful. Maybe find her location, then find a place to hide the Humvee. Wait until after dark to retrieve her.”
“Got it,” Jase said. “I’ll keep you posted.”
