One Life ✓

Chapter 11: The Homecoming Shift

Grace—Little Rock, Kandahar, Afghanistan

I kneel in the sandy ground, one hand in TC's own and the other in Noor's. I'm glad to see that they at least cared enough to bind her arm and leg.

Noor's mouth moves silently, praying. Tears drip from her eyes and dampen the dunes.

I squeeze her hand. "It's okay. We can try to get out of this. Don't worry."

"Hey!" The leader of the gang points to me, sword in hand. "You first. You, Indian girl."

I stand up, hugging Noor and Tee for the last time. I walk right up to the man, looking him in the eye, chin up. I get on one knee.

"I am ready to die," I declare in Pashto.

The man raises his sword and my mind is clear of everything. My life doesn't flash before my eyes or anything. Just crystal clear.

The blade comes down with a slashing sound. But it never hits my skin. It hits something else.

My executioner gasps.

Another man yells to him. "Habib! She is protected!"

By what? By my Kevlar? It's easily sliced through.

"She is under the oath of God," whispers the guy who must be Habib. "We cannot kill her. Or them. Something stops us."

Then I remember. My golden necklace, pure gold, is still circling my neck. I got it made on my first trip back to India since I came to America, and I've worn it ever since, every single day. The pendant is the last obligation of Sikhism that I follow, the kirpan, a minuscule ceremonial dagger. It's to always protect me, to keep me safe from evil. When the sword came down, it must've come down on the chain. A lucky hit, per se.

I am protected by God. Sounds good to me.

Say something godly, Grace... "Uh, I am a servant of the heavens, here to defeat all wrongdoers!"

"Run, Habib!" yells another man. "She will kill us all!"

As they flee, I can't help but call out "thank you" behind them.

TC—Little Rock, Kandahar, Afghanistan

We ride back to the base, crammed onto a single motorcycle, reeking of goat.

"Our success is always hunched on this Grace," I tell Noor. "We don't know why. She's obviously a servant of God."

Grace dismisses my comment. "I'm a human. The end."

When we reach, Gale receives us. "They all know. You guys are kind of heroes. They want to send you home ASAP."

"Doctors, I owe you the biggest debt. You...saved my life," Noor sobs.

Grace embraces her. "Oh, no, don't cry, sweetie. It's okay."

I can't help but smile when I see her mutual kindness. That's only one reason I love Grace so much.

As Noor is sent off to recuperate with her family, Grace raises an eyebrow at me. "So. What's the plan now?"

"When we get home?" I return her suggestive look. "You know what that plan is..."

"Very funny," Grace says, sticking her tongue out at me. "However, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. And..." She comes close to me. "We don't have to wait to get home, do we now?"

I wrap my arms around her waist. "And here I thought you were the slow kind."

"Oh, the things you have to learn about me, Tee," whispers Grace, running her hands through my hair.