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Chapter 9
Once he was out of the tunnel and able to stand up, Jase pushed the packs and his gun to the side and squatted in front of the hole. Laila’s breathing sounded a little fast. She was stressed. Panicked.
“You’re almost there, Laila,” he said quietly. “Keep crawling.”
Her head shot up and she locked eyes with him. He’d set the flashlight next to him, so there was a little illumination. Her eyes were dark pools of anxiety.
“You okay?” he asked.
Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded. Crawled a little faster, until her head emerged from the tunnel. Jase stepped to the side and extended his hand to help her stand up. She curled her fingers around his, and he got the same little tingle he’d gotten every time he touched her.
As she got to her feet, she gripped his hand tightly. Took a deep breath as she stared up at him. “We made it.”
“Yeah.” Holding onto her hand, he tugged her to the side. He couldn’t hear the Taliban, but that didn’t mean they weren’t close to the cave they’d left behind.
He yanked the packs away from the opening of the tunnel and secured them on one side. He left his gun beside the packs for now.
“We’re gonna stay right here for a while,” he murmured. “See if they come into the cave we just left. If we hear anything, the flashlight goes off. You okay with total darkness?”
She stared up at him. “I have to be, don’t I?”
“Pretty much,” he said, studying her face. “You probably feel a little claustrophobic right now. This tunnel is big enough to stand up, but I have no idea where it goes. I’m guessing someone will be checking out the cave we just left in the next hour or so. Once they do, I’ll take a look. If they’re really gone, we can go back.”
She sucked her lower lip into her mouth. “This... we’re surrounded by tons and tons of rock. I feel as if I’m buried in this mountain. That it could all crash down any moment and crush both of us. If we can go back to the cave, I think I’d feel better.”
“I would, too. Getting back to the cave is our goal. I have no idea what we’ll find if we start exploring this tunnel, but I doubt it will take us closer to Dev and Cody and the Humvee.”
Laila wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m not panicking,” she said, but her eyes betrayed her. “I can stay in here if we have to.” She lifted her chin. “I can do anything I need to do.”
In the dim illumination from the flashlight, he studied her face. Saw fear. Resolve. When she squared her shoulders and stood straight, he wanted to wrap his arms around her. Hold her tight. She was the bravest damn woman he’d ever met.
“I believe you could,” Jase murmured. “You are one tough woman.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Not so tough. That tiny tunnel we just crawled through? Completely freaked me out. I’ve never done anything remotely like that before.”
“Not a spelunker, huh?”
She shook her head hard. “Nope. Never had any desire to explore caves. I have no interest in dark, narrow spaces beneath tons of rock.” She shivered, and he was pretty sure she didn’t even realize it. “I’ll stick to places where I can see the sun.”
He reached out slowly. Drew her toward him, and when she didn’t resist, he wrapped his arms around her. She needed a distraction, and he was happy to provide it. When he tucked her against his body, she fit perfectly. Just as he’d known she would.
Pressing his face to her hair, he inhaled deeply. Even after the cave and that tunnel, she smelled of sunshine. “I’ll get you back to those sunny places as fast as I can,” he whispered. “I’m sorry you’re stuck somewhere that sounds like your worst nightmare. But I’m right here with you. You’re not alone, and you won’t be alone until you’re safely back in Kabul.”
She gripped his shirt in her fists and drew in a jagged breath. “I will not freak out on you, Jase. I’ll do whatever I need to do.” She lifted her head, and in the dim light, her wobbly smile lit him up. “I’m just telling you my opinion of dark places in the middle of a mountain. Not a fan.”
“So noted. After we’re done in here, I won’t suggest any fun caving adventures.”
“Oh, you can suggest them all you want,” she shot back. “But you won’t be doing them with me.”
“Then I guess I’d better come up with some Laila-acceptable adventures.” What the hell? Where had that come from?
Her fingers tightened on his shirt, as if she wanted to hold onto him. As if she wanted to go on adventures with him, too.
That was fear taking over, he told himself. Dread of dark, tight places. Adrenaline.
Her gaze locked with his, and he couldn’t look away. “I think I’d like adventures with you, Jase,” she whispered.
“I know damn well I’d like adventures with you,” he whispered back.
