Hostage Crisis Read Free

bring him a great deal of trouble. Already, Masud had used him. Hassan hated the fact he’d played a part in Kate’s capture.
    Amin, the tall young Taliban fighter who had carried Hassan to the medical station, caught them up. He handed Hassan a bottle of water. Hassan had grown to like Amin because he seemed different from the others, with his constant joking, tanbur playing, and fine storytelling around their campfires.
    “Masud’s in a really bad mood today,” Hassan observed.
    Amin nodded. “His shoulder wound is painful and he is still angry about the American infidels’ attack we suffered a few weeks ago. We lost many good men, not to mention the drone and its missile intended for the American President’s visit. Still, we are used to setbacks. That is our story, the story of our country, Hassan. Our struggle is a hard one, harder even than trying to empty an ocean by throwing stones into it. We need to regroup and begin again. Taking the woman hostage was an opportunity not to be missed.”
    An old man with a long grey beard emerged from behind a boulder, waved his stick in the air and called out. Masud approached the goatherder and spoke to him. Hassan took the opportunity to rest. He sat down, groaning at his aching muscles. He counted the blisters on the soles of his feet. Amin settled down cross-legged next to him.
    “Do you think he’s warning us of trouble ahead?” Hassan asked.
    Amin shrugged. “Perhaps. This is dangerous tribal territory. The Baloch warlords are always switching sides. One week they welcome us with open arms, the next they’d happily cut off our heads.” He sighed. “The sooner we reach our training camp close to the border with Pakistan, the better. We have dependable friends there.”
    “Do you think the Americans will try to rescue her, Amin?”
    “Perhaps.” He gestured to the mountains. “This is mujahedin country, Hassan. There are many hidden caves and crevices. Men can vanish in the blink of an eye. It will not be easy for them to catch us.”
    Hassan shivered. Amin and the others considered him one of them now, a Taliban fighter. Plagued by guilt, he recalled how his father had despised the Taliban. As they set off once again, Hassan made a silent promise to himself. When the time came he would escape and, so the world would know he was no Taliban fighter, he’d rescue Kate too.

CHAPTER FOUR
GPS tracking
Ops Room, Camp Delta
    “Official US policy is an ass!” Senator Shawcross shouted, banging his fist on the table. “We’re talking about my daughter. If a million bucks is what it takes, then so be it.”
    General Patterson tried to calm the senator. “Paying a ransom is no guarantee we’ll get Miss Shawcross back. And any rescue attempt will need careful planning—”
    “You heard what Dr Tom Ford said. We’ve got a week.” The senator pointed to a large map on the wall. “That region’s huge, and right now she could be anywhere, goddamnit.”
    “Our sources on the ground say they’re heading for a remote compound close to the border, where we believe there’s a Taliban training camp. We’ve been gathering intel on it for some time now,” the general added.
    “Well, why don’t you go after them and kick some butt?” the senator snarled angrily.
    Connor was sitting at the back of the room but only half listening. He was studying Tom Ford’s debriefing notes and a copy of the ransom demand. Tom’s description of the Taliban leader at the medical station fitted Masud right down to his toothless grin. Connor’s thoughts then turned to his personal mission to find his late friend’s son, Hassan. The two were linked. Finding Masud would also mean locating Hassan. During a previous mission to destroy a US Predator drone stolen by Masud, Connor had found evidence that Hassan was among them.
    The general drew the meeting to a close and a frustrated Senator Shawcross was shown out.
    Connor stood. “Now the senator has left, can you fill me in on what