duty." She motioned for the pre-mission papers. "You'll be in charge on the ground. Stay alert anyway. Stranger things have happened, but I highly doubt anything will." She glanced at her watch. "Briefing with the full squad, that's our crew and another, in five minutes."
"About yesterday …"
"Concentrate on today." Megan turned her attention back to her paperwork.
Jake waited a couple of seconds then stood up and left. He knew when he was dismissed.
CHAPTER 4
Four days later was a celebration of Afghanistan independence from the British. The celebration lasted a couple of days with the actual Independence Day on Friday. It was a time of feasting and a chance for employees of White Pine to see the real Afghanistan people.
As predicted, the last several days had been a milk run. Not a whisper of trouble. Actually boring. Megan walked into the base office when one of the clerical walked up to her with a big smile on her face.
The secretary wore a head scarf while on base but off base wore the full chadari, sometimes mistaken as a burqa in the West. This was a full covering from head to feet of blue or white material with a mesh opening for the eyes. Even after the Taliban had been ousted, most women still wore it in public.
"Ms. Cartwright."
Megan smiled at the Afghan woman. Zarin Saikal was not only intelligent, but being the only two females on base they had naturally been drawn together. "Hello Zarin."
"Mail today." Zarin handed two envelopes to Megan.
"I got mail?" With only her brother, who she hadn't spoken to in years, and her father being her only living relatives, she never received anything that she didn't send for over the internet. "Thanks."
"You are most welcome." Zarin smiled and walked off.
Megan glanced at the outsides of the envelopes but neither had a return address. The post office mark showed them to be from her hometown, which meant they were probably from her dad, who hated to write letters. With a frown, she grabbed the work reports and headed to the briefing room. The rest of the crew was due in a few minutes to turn in reports, then they had a couple days off.
After sitting down at the head of the table, she tore open the first postmarked letter with a frown. It was short and to the point.
'Megan, I'm writing to tell you that I was taken to the emergency room four days ago after a car accident that I caused. I blacked out and they're still working on the reason why. I don't think it's serious and I considered not even writing you, but I thought that you should at least know about it. I'm home now, only a broken arm. I'll write again if they find out anything. Take care. Dad.'
The frown deepened as she read. This was not good. She tossed the first letter onto the pile of blank crew reports and tore open the second, postmarked two days after the first.
' Megan, I have a brain tumor. Cancer. I have an appointment on the sixteenth with some asshole cancer doctor. For all of the shit I went through and this is what's going to kill me. Damn Russians couldn't kill me. I retire and look what happens. I should have stayed in the Company. A bullet would have been faster and easier. Keep your head down, Kid. Love, Dad.'
Megan swallowed hard. Today was the fourteenth. She leaned her head on both of her hands and stared at the letter she had dropped on the table , her mind completely blank.
"Hey little Cowgirl, I like this kinda job. Fly and park. Fly and park. No shooting at us…" Cowboy began as he walked in to the room. He stopped seeing Megan's expression. "Meg? Darlin', you okay?"
Megan swallowed back the tears threatening to come. She sniffled twice before looking up. With a quick swipe, she brushed her hand over her damp eyes.
Cowboy slid into the chair next to hers. "What's the matter?"
Megan gathered the letters up and shoved them under the crew reports. "Just news from home."
He frowned. "You never get letters from home. Must be
"About yesterday …"
"Concentrate on today." Megan turned her attention back to her paperwork.
Jake waited a couple of seconds then stood up and left. He knew when he was dismissed.
CHAPTER 4
Four days later was a celebration of Afghanistan independence from the British. The celebration lasted a couple of days with the actual Independence Day on Friday. It was a time of feasting and a chance for employees of White Pine to see the real Afghanistan people.
As predicted, the last several days had been a milk run. Not a whisper of trouble. Actually boring. Megan walked into the base office when one of the clerical walked up to her with a big smile on her face.
The secretary wore a head scarf while on base but off base wore the full chadari, sometimes mistaken as a burqa in the West. This was a full covering from head to feet of blue or white material with a mesh opening for the eyes. Even after the Taliban had been ousted, most women still wore it in public.
"Ms. Cartwright."
Megan smiled at the Afghan woman. Zarin Saikal was not only intelligent, but being the only two females on base they had naturally been drawn together. "Hello Zarin."
"Mail today." Zarin handed two envelopes to Megan.
"I got mail?" With only her brother, who she hadn't spoken to in years, and her father being her only living relatives, she never received anything that she didn't send for over the internet. "Thanks."
"You are most welcome." Zarin smiled and walked off.
Megan glanced at the outsides of the envelopes but neither had a return address. The post office mark showed them to be from her hometown, which meant they were probably from her dad, who hated to write letters. With a frown, she grabbed the work reports and headed to the briefing room. The rest of the crew was due in a few minutes to turn in reports, then they had a couple days off.
After sitting down at the head of the table, she tore open the first postmarked letter with a frown. It was short and to the point.
'Megan, I'm writing to tell you that I was taken to the emergency room four days ago after a car accident that I caused. I blacked out and they're still working on the reason why. I don't think it's serious and I considered not even writing you, but I thought that you should at least know about it. I'm home now, only a broken arm. I'll write again if they find out anything. Take care. Dad.'
The frown deepened as she read. This was not good. She tossed the first letter onto the pile of blank crew reports and tore open the second, postmarked two days after the first.
' Megan, I have a brain tumor. Cancer. I have an appointment on the sixteenth with some asshole cancer doctor. For all of the shit I went through and this is what's going to kill me. Damn Russians couldn't kill me. I retire and look what happens. I should have stayed in the Company. A bullet would have been faster and easier. Keep your head down, Kid. Love, Dad.'
Megan swallowed hard. Today was the fourteenth. She leaned her head on both of her hands and stared at the letter she had dropped on the table , her mind completely blank.
"Hey little Cowgirl, I like this kinda job. Fly and park. Fly and park. No shooting at us…" Cowboy began as he walked in to the room. He stopped seeing Megan's expression. "Meg? Darlin', you okay?"
Megan swallowed back the tears threatening to come. She sniffled twice before looking up. With a quick swipe, she brushed her hand over her damp eyes.
Cowboy slid into the chair next to hers. "What's the matter?"
Megan gathered the letters up and shoved them under the crew reports. "Just news from home."
He frowned. "You never get letters from home. Must be
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