verifying there wasn’t anyone in proximity, which would determine what she said next. “How can I help you?”
“You’re alone?”
“Yes.” Cassie’s gaze locked onto the crowd gathering around Ramsey’s office door and the hum of conversation.
“We need you in Kabul. An asset will give you the packet.”
Kabul? Cassie frowned and turned away from Ramsey’s office. “Sir, something is happening here. I think—”
“Tomorrow, Walker. No questions. Just do it.”
The phone went dead. Frustration coiled in Cassie’s stomach and tightened. Tomorrow? With what was happening here? Were they insane? But she was a low-level analyst. A lackey. Barely had clearance for what they’d tasked her with.
She rolled her shoulders and stretched her jaw. Fine. She wouldn’t be at the bottom of the stack forever. She’d prove herself. She’d gotten this far. Faster than most operatives.
But leaving the base when things were heating up so much, when she felt she could be of help, didn’t make sense. She could guide the soldiers toward answers that would stop this insanity. She reached for the thin tendril of hope that she could redeem herself. Maybe then Sal would forgive her.
The thought squeezed the air from her lungs. His hatred was so palpable. Had, for so long, mirrored her own hatred of herself. The hatred that pushed her to contemplate suicide.
But then God threw her a lifesaver.
Cassie’s landline rang. She lifted the handset. “Lieutenant Walker.”
“So, you are in Afghanistan.”
Heart thumping at the feminine Chinese voice filtering through her phone, Cassie leaned forward. “Kiew?” Disbelief colored her voice and her mind!
“So you remember.” Her words held a smile in them.
“Of course I do,” Cassie said through a laughing breath. “How could I forgot my China sister?”
“Or me my America sister.”
Her laugh mingled with her friend’s as the worries of the day seemed to flit away amid a rush of affection and endearment. “How…?”
“I am here, too.”
Cassie blinked again. “Here?” She looked around the somewhat-quiet area. Of course her friend didn’t mean the base—she couldn’t. “You mean Afghanistan?”
“Yes. On business.”
“How crazy—how on earth did you find me here?”
“Look, I’m in between meetings and time is short. I just wanted to connect. When I heard you were here, I couldn’t resist calling.”
“Where are you?”
“Kabul.”
“Kabul? But that’s only a few hours away!”
Kiew laughed. “Crazy, isn’t it? That we’re both here—in another country yet closer than we’ve been since the year you were an exchange student. It’s been too long since we got to see each other. E-mail and phone calls are nice but not the same.”
“No kidding.” Cassie gasped, remembering her earlier call. “Hey, I just remembered they’re sending me that way for a meeting with a contractor. Do you think you could get away for lunch or something?” She couldn’t shake the joy but something else was there. The wildness of it all.
“Oh, I’m not sure. My schedule is very tight.”
Disappointment tugged at Cassie. “I bet. You’ve always been hard to get ahold of.”
“Yes,” Kiew mumbled, her tone shifting dramatically.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t blaming you.”
“No, no, I understand.”
“I’m just glad you called. You made my day. It’s been pretty crazy and depressing here.”
“Same here. Look,” Kiew said firmly. “I will meet you for lunch.”
Cassie brightened. “Really? Are you sure?”
“I will make time. Two o’clock?”
“Oh, I’ll need to confirm the time—I’m not sure of my schedule yet.” Cassie reached for a pen and paper. “What number can I reach you at?”
“I’m at a pay phone. I’ll have to call you back.”
“Oh. Okay.” Strange, but that’s the way things had always been with Kiew. She shrugged aside the surprise and disappointment. “I can confirm by tomorrow morning. Call my
“You’re alone?”
“Yes.” Cassie’s gaze locked onto the crowd gathering around Ramsey’s office door and the hum of conversation.
“We need you in Kabul. An asset will give you the packet.”
Kabul? Cassie frowned and turned away from Ramsey’s office. “Sir, something is happening here. I think—”
“Tomorrow, Walker. No questions. Just do it.”
The phone went dead. Frustration coiled in Cassie’s stomach and tightened. Tomorrow? With what was happening here? Were they insane? But she was a low-level analyst. A lackey. Barely had clearance for what they’d tasked her with.
She rolled her shoulders and stretched her jaw. Fine. She wouldn’t be at the bottom of the stack forever. She’d prove herself. She’d gotten this far. Faster than most operatives.
But leaving the base when things were heating up so much, when she felt she could be of help, didn’t make sense. She could guide the soldiers toward answers that would stop this insanity. She reached for the thin tendril of hope that she could redeem herself. Maybe then Sal would forgive her.
The thought squeezed the air from her lungs. His hatred was so palpable. Had, for so long, mirrored her own hatred of herself. The hatred that pushed her to contemplate suicide.
But then God threw her a lifesaver.
Cassie’s landline rang. She lifted the handset. “Lieutenant Walker.”
“So, you are in Afghanistan.”
Heart thumping at the feminine Chinese voice filtering through her phone, Cassie leaned forward. “Kiew?” Disbelief colored her voice and her mind!
“So you remember.” Her words held a smile in them.
“Of course I do,” Cassie said through a laughing breath. “How could I forgot my China sister?”
“Or me my America sister.”
Her laugh mingled with her friend’s as the worries of the day seemed to flit away amid a rush of affection and endearment. “How…?”
“I am here, too.”
Cassie blinked again. “Here?” She looked around the somewhat-quiet area. Of course her friend didn’t mean the base—she couldn’t. “You mean Afghanistan?”
“Yes. On business.”
“How crazy—how on earth did you find me here?”
“Look, I’m in between meetings and time is short. I just wanted to connect. When I heard you were here, I couldn’t resist calling.”
“Where are you?”
“Kabul.”
“Kabul? But that’s only a few hours away!”
Kiew laughed. “Crazy, isn’t it? That we’re both here—in another country yet closer than we’ve been since the year you were an exchange student. It’s been too long since we got to see each other. E-mail and phone calls are nice but not the same.”
“No kidding.” Cassie gasped, remembering her earlier call. “Hey, I just remembered they’re sending me that way for a meeting with a contractor. Do you think you could get away for lunch or something?” She couldn’t shake the joy but something else was there. The wildness of it all.
“Oh, I’m not sure. My schedule is very tight.”
Disappointment tugged at Cassie. “I bet. You’ve always been hard to get ahold of.”
“Yes,” Kiew mumbled, her tone shifting dramatically.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t blaming you.”
“No, no, I understand.”
“I’m just glad you called. You made my day. It’s been pretty crazy and depressing here.”
“Same here. Look,” Kiew said firmly. “I will meet you for lunch.”
Cassie brightened. “Really? Are you sure?”
“I will make time. Two o’clock?”
“Oh, I’ll need to confirm the time—I’m not sure of my schedule yet.” Cassie reached for a pen and paper. “What number can I reach you at?”
“I’m at a pay phone. I’ll have to call you back.”
“Oh. Okay.” Strange, but that’s the way things had always been with Kiew. She shrugged aside the surprise and disappointment. “I can confirm by tomorrow morning. Call my
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