Time Sensitive Target

Part 13 - Black Site Jordan

The terrain we covered was hard and rocky, not that my feet ever touched the ground. I was hauled atop Rob's impossibly broad shoulders and lugged downhill. If it was ever a struggle for him, he didn't show it.

I'd protested at first; it felt humiliating to be picked up like surplus luggage especially now I finally had the strength to walk. They were right of course, I wasn't anywhere near ready to start trekking across mountains. The sensation of being held made me feel uneasy, though. My bones groaned at the pressure and the bruises covering my skin radiated with dull pain. I would never have been able to keep up with the small army I was surrounded by.

Miles flew underfoot as they descended rapidly toward the horizon, dirt and rock churning as their boots disturbed the earth. With every large leap Rob made my tender ribs collided with his shoulder and I bit back a groan. Eventually, when I felt like the little food I'd eaten was about to blurt out of my stomach, Ant held a fist in the air from the front of the snake of soldiers. Rob placed me down behind a large boulder, the cold earth stinging my legs for a moment. Before I'd even shifted slightly the men had created a formation and advanced towards three featureless buildings that would have appeared completely innocuous if not for the tall chain link fencing surrounding them. Several signs in Arabic were fixed against it, warning any curious wanderers not to attempt to make entry.

It seemed it was coded access, and though I waited for a small militia to come running from the buildings ready for a fight, there was no threat to be seen. I watched from behind the gargantuan rock as Jase tapped lightly on a panel that had been entirely concealed just a moment ago. A tall gate swung open and six or so of our army slid inside with rifles at the ready to give the all clear.

Our army. I'd come to think of it as that. The moment- that moment- when I realised I was safe, actually safe, was jarring. I'd been genuinely convinced they were going to hurt me. I'd been so convinced I'd heard Jas's cry as plain as day; an unmistakably shrill scream of terror. I had let my mind get the better of me; the realisation felt in a sense humiliating, and left me contemplating my own fragility more than I had done chained up in a basement.

Little over a minute had passed when Rob's imposing figure approached, boots crunching in to the rocky ground.

"All clear mate, do you need a hand getting over?" The question was rhetorical; he immediately squatted down to pick me up. For the first time I wondered how I looked to them. Did they see me as an inconvenience? Of course you're an inconvenience, not only are they having to lug you around, but they've also been stuck in the Syrian fucking wilderness for days after coming to rescue you. Inconvenience doesn't begin to cover it.
Worst of all- did they see me as pitiful? I stared up at Rob numbly for a moment, wondering what looked back at him. A now thin, frail woman covered with bruises and scars, bandaged wrists and- despite my best attempts to hide it- frightened eyes.

                                       *

Rob didn't wait for approval before deftly lifting Paige's lithe body from the ground and carrying her swiftly into the compound. The Jordanian black site was rarely used and hadn't been in years, but he'd heard a few high ranking Al Qaeda members had been broken here. And disposed of.

The interior of the main building was stark; bare concrete walls, a few tables and chairs. The electricity was working but water barely spat out of the faucet.

"Well lads at least we can take a shit in comfort," Chris grinned as he exited the bathroom. Two of the buildings were large rectangular structures, one designed for operatives to work and live in, the other to house prisoners. The third building was small and set back away from the others, with no windows and a steel door. Rob assessed it from the window of the living quarters- he knew what happened in those buildings. 'Enhanced interrogation techniques' had been struck off in 2007 by the CIA, but there had been people inside those four walls since then.

"You ever been here?" Ant joined him at the window.

"Yeah, actually we were extracted from here once when we dropped a couple of HVP's off. They got fucked up, I think," Rob shrugged his shoulders lightheartedly, concealing the pressure that actually weighed on them. He tried not to think too much about those sorts of things. Sometimes he rescued people from their captivity and torture, and sometimes he trapped them into it.

"Yeah? Shit," Ant replied vaguely. That was something they all said from time to time. What else was there to say? 'Had to drop on a kid earlier.' 'Yeah? Shit.' 'We lost a guy last week, his missus gave birth today.' 'Yeah? Shit.' Ant fixed his ice blue eyes on the small building.

"We'll make sure she doesn't go near it," Ant gazed pensively for a moment and turned around suddenly to nod towards Paige.

"Where's al-Raheem?" Rob looked for the dirt covered prisoner amongst the sea of camo.

"The yanks took him into the prison block. They're keeping him close, don't you think?" Ant kept his voice level.

"They are actually. He's nothing to do with al-Bhagdadi is he?" Rob turned his eyes to the other large building. He could just see the edge of it from where he stood.

"I don't think so mate," Ant pressed out a small smile. What did he know? Ant needed his own comms back up. Al-Raheem's value had nothing to do with the war on terror, otherwise the Americans wouldn't be protecting him from them. There was something, something that he knew, something that the Americans didn't want anyone else to know, and Ant was determined to find out what it was.

Ant was lost in rapid thought when Paige approached. She looked better, he assessed. Well, considering he thought she was dead when he first saw her, this was a vast improvement. The bruising looked worse than ever as it had all fully developed, but the swelling around her nose and eyes had gone down and her neck was healing. She still looked terrible, her image was haunting even for him. Normally he didn't have to deal with the follow up, but in addition to having physical responsibility for her he felt a strain of emotional responsibility. He was trained to ensure she was safe, still he was growing more and more aware that being safe and feeling safe were two very different things.

"Hey, sorry to disturb you," Paige flickered her eyes up to him for a second, then instantly avoided the intensity of his glare.

"No don't be silly, I was miles away. What's up?" Ant studied her carefully as she stood before him. Everything about her looked defeated; she was hunched, arms folded close to her chest to keep the whole world out, a slight tremble on the tips of her fingers that didn't escape his notice.

"I uh..." she trailed off. "I wondered if there might be any other clothes here? If there isn't it's ok, I just... thought I'd ask," humiliation burned on her cheeks.

Ant suppressed latent rage with a dry swallow. Clothes, she wanted clothes. She had to ask him for clothes. There he was walking around wondering how to uncover the American's interest in Bazish al-Raheem whilst all the poor woman wanted was some clothes. She had been stuffed into a sleeping bag to keep her warm whilst they were on the move, but from the moment she was set down behind the boulder while the site was searched she'd been in nothing but layers of their socks and Rob's undershirt, protecting her modesty over her bloodied underwear. Her scabbed legs were covered in huge bruises from the constant administration of adrenaline Bazish had used to float her. Ant realised suddenly that he'd taken too long to reply as he stared at the welts of purple on her thighs.

"Of course, I'll check for you. If there's nothing here then we'll sort something out," he vowed. He'd make her a pair of trousers if he had to.

"Thank you," Paige cast her eyes to the dust shrouded floor. "Don't trouble yourself over it though, it's not exactly the most important thing right now," She attempted a rueful smile.

Ant had saved lives, he had taken lives, and he'd done the things his country didn't dare ask of anyone else. In that moment though, Paige's small request felt like the most important thing he could do.