His Woman in Command & Operations: Forbidden: His Woman in Command / Operation: Forbidden

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“My team is coming back in a week to base camp,” he told her conversationally, sitting down once more. “We get two days off. I’d like to take you to Jalalabad, to a nice little restaurant I know about, and have dinner with you. How about it?”

“I don’t think so, Gavin.”

“Are you sure? I see some hesitation in your eyes.”

Setting the cup down next to her knee, Nike said, “I just can’t.”

Nodding, Gavin said nothing. His instincts were powerful and he knew she liked him. Just how much, he didn’t know. He’d tried to play fair and that hadn’t worked. Honesty wasn’t necessarily the best policy with Nike, who was jumpy and wary. While he understood her reasons, Gavin wasn’t about to back down. He watched as she drew out her notebook and pen once more.

“Ready for my village assessment?” he asked her. Instantly, he saw Nike’s face relax. So long as he remained on a professional, hands-off basis with her, she wasn’t distrusting.

“More than ready.” Nike looked at the watch on her wrist. “I have to lift off in thirty minutes.”

“No problem.” Gavin launched into the many details, names, events and places that he knew her CO would want. It was still an unadulterated pleasure to be with her. She was a feast for his eyes, balm for his heart and Gavin felt as if her presence pumped him full of life and hope again.

* * *

Nike just about ran out the door of the house when they were done. She did not want Gavin to trap and kiss her. If he ever kissed her again, she’d melt away in his arms, completely defenseless against his heated onslaught. Moving out into the late-afternoon sunshine, she saw that the shipment of boxes had been removed from the CH-47. Next, she visited Jameela at her home and gave her the box of dates. The woman nearly cried, threw her arms around Nike and hugged her.

“You are my sister,” Jameela whispered, wiping her eyes as she held the precious box of dates.

Feeling the warmth of true friendship, Nike reached out and squeezed her hand. “All women are sisters,” she told her with a grin.

Jameela nodded and understood exactly what Nike was saying. In this man’s world, ruled by men and where women were considered secondhand in every way, they needed to band together and support one another. “The next time you visit, you must have time to have chai with me,” Jameela said.

“Ah, I love your chai,” Nike said with a laugh. “And yes, if I get this mission again, I’ll ask my CO for a half hour more and we’ll sit and talk over chai.”

Bowing her head, Jameela’s eyes burned with warmth. “I would like that, my sister. Allah keep you safe.”

“Thank you,” Nike murmured, meaning it sincerely. “I can use all prayers.” She left the house and hurried down the muddy street. She wanted to do nothing more than get out of here and away from that man who drove her to distraction.

Nike ordered Andy into the helo to raise the ramp, and she settled into her right-hand seat. Just the act of putting on her helmet and running through the flight list before takeoff soothed her taut nerves. From time to time, Nike would give a quick glance out the window, looking for Gavin to show up. He had a way of quietly walking up to her so that she never heard him coming. Not today.

Within minutes, they were airborne. Some small part of her was disappointed that Gavin hadn’t come to see her lift off. Moving the heavy two-engine helo into the blue sky, Nike now had to focus on more important things—like surviving this flight back to base.

As she flew nap-of-the-earth throughout the region, she never took the same route twice. Consequently, the route through the mountains was always different and filled with unexpected new difficulties. Nike was glad for the challenge. It kept her mind—and her heart—off Gavin. Still, even as she flew, she wondered what would happen when he and his team came back to base for a two-day rest.

Chapter 7

Nike was halfway back to base when she got orders to turn around and head back to Zor Barawul. Stymied by the clipped radio message, she had no choice but to do so.

As she landed near dusk, the sun tipping the western mountains, she saw Gavin standing with Jameela and her daughter, Atefa. The whirling blades of her helicopter kicked up heavy clouds of dust.

By the time she got out of her harness and placed her helmet on the seat, Gavin was at the rear of the ramp.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“The medical doctor just approved Atefa to be flown to Kabul to be fitted for a prosthesis.” He grinned. “I called your base and asked that you return. Sorry to do this. I know it’s damn dangerous flying in and out of here.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nike said, looking out the ramp door at Jameela, who stood with a protective arm around her young daughter. “Is Abbas in favor of this?”

“He is. That’s the best news.” He searched her face. “I’ve already talked to the CO of the base. We need to fly them in now and preparations are under way to give them a tent and food for the night. Tomorrow morning, the three of us will be flown to Kabul.”

“You’re coming along?” Her heart beat once to underscore that news.

“Yes. I’m leaving Sergeant Bailey in charge while I’m gone.”

“But…”

“The threat of attack here is always high,” Gavin said, reading her concern. “I’ve gotten permission from my superior to do this because they feel this particular village is essential in the fight against the Taliban.”

“And Jameela and Abbas trust you.” Nike nodded. “It makes sense.” She managed a slight smile. “Have you warned them about the rough ride and nap-of-the-earth flying we’ll be doing?”

“I have. What I want to do is get Jameela and her daughter strapped in behind you and I’ll ride shotgun in the copilot seat if that’s all right with you?”

Her smile turned devilish. “Sounds good to me. If I get shot you can take over flying.”

Gavin recognized her black humor and chuckled. “Right. I have a pair of gold-plated tin wings from a United flight attendant that makes me pilot material. Will that do?”

“You’re a piece of work, Jackson.”

“But you like me anyway, right?”

Seeing the glimmer of warmth in his eyes, Nike waved a hand at him and walked down the ramp. “There’s no way I’m answering that one.” She gestured for the pair to come forward. After giving Andy orders, she walked back into the bird. Gavin had passed her on the ramp, walking down to meet the twosome. Nike noticed most of the village had turned out to watch. She had to remind herself that these people, cut off from the outside world, hadn’t seen helicopters since the Russians tried to ransack their country decades earlier. The CH-47 was a curiosity among them, especially the younger children.

Jameela walked slowly and kept a hand on her curious daughter as they boarded the helicopter. Nike finished off her radio message to her base and then turned around. Lifting her hand, she waved hello to Jameela, who was draped in her black burka. Nike could only see her wider-than-usual eyes. The woman must not ever have flown in any type of aircraft. Feeling for her, Nike went back, knowing that a smile might make the woman feel more at ease.

As Jameela grabbed her hand, Nike said, “It’s okay, Jameela. Everything will be all right.” She leaned over and gave Atefa a hug. The little girl was dressed in her finest, most colorful robe, her black hair brushed to perfection. Atefa’s eyes shone with excitement.

Jameela gave the ramp door a desperate look and still gripped Nike’s hand.

“She’s scared to death,” Nike said to Gavin, who had come up behind her.

“I know. Show her to the nylon seat behind your seat. I’m sure being near another woman will help calm her fears.”

Nike didn’t disagree. She took Jameela to the nylon webbed seat and asked her to sit. The woman did, with great reluctance. Nike had to guide her carefully to the seat so she wouldn’t trip and fall over her burka.

After getting the harness in place around Jameela, Nike attended to Atefa in the next seat. Andy took the girl’s crutches and tied them down next to their two stacked suitcases strapped down on the deck of the helo. Atefa’s eyes were huge as she scanned the cargo hold of the helicopter. Nike kept smiling and murmuring words of encouragement as she ensured they were strapped in.

Next came the helmets. They had none that would fit Atefa, so Andy brought over a pair of earphones and clapped them over her head so she would have protection from the horrendous sounds within the airborne helo. Jameela pulled on hers and was hooked up to the communications system. This way Gavin could continue to answer her questions and soothe her throughout the flight.

In minutes, the ramp groaned and squealed as it came up and closed. The cargo hold was thrown into semidarkness. Patting Jameela’s shoulder, Nike went to her seat, pulled on her helmet and got ready to take the bird up.

Andy sat down next to the twosome and Gavin explained to Jameela that he was there to support her through the flight. Jameela seemed less intimidated when Andy strapped himself in next to her. Nike’s large, broad seat back on one side and the young man on the other seemed to calm her fears, Gavin thought.

After climbing into the copilot’s seat, Gavin picked up the extra helmet and put it on, opening communication between the four of them. As she rapidly went through the preflight checklist, Nike’s gloved hands flew across the instrument panel. She was focused on this flight, not on the man next to her. He must have understood the gravity of this dangerous flight and wasn’t about to distract her. For that, she was grateful.

The flight back wasn’t any different from any other, but Gavin had his hands full with Jameela, who screamed into the helmet’s mouthpiece whenever they dived and wove through the mountain passes at a hundred feet. Nike couldn’t afford to pull her focus off her flying. The CH-47 shook and shuddered like a dog shaking off fleas as she guided it up and down and then twisted around the mountains to plunge down into the next valley.

By the time they arrived at the base, Jameela was frantic. Atefa, however, was laughing and throwing her arms up and down. For the child, it was like a fun roller-coaster ride.

By custom, no man could touch the woman, so it was Nike who unharnessed Jameela and Atefa, taking off the helmet and earphones and walking them down the ramp into the dusk. Andy brought along the suitcases. A medic met them at the bottom of the ramp in a golf cart, ready to whisk them to a tent for the night.

By the time Nike had them settled, it was pitch-dark. Gavin met her outside the tent.

“They all set?”

“Yes. Finally.” Nike quirked her mouth. “What a day.”

Gavin nodded and fell into step with her as they headed to the chow hall on the other side of the base. “Couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks. I know Jameela feels better because she knows you and trusts you.” No lights marked the camp after night fell. To have it lit up was to invite attacks by the Taliban. Each of them had a small flashlight to show the way between the rows of green canvas tents.

The cool night air revived Nike. She was always tense after such a flight. It felt good to talk about little things, and, even though she didn’t want to admit it, she was glad to have Gavin’s company. After chow, she’d go to ops and fill out her mission debrief report.

Inside the large, plywood-floored tent, the odor of food permeated the air. Nike found herself hungry, so they went through the line and ended up at a wooden picnic table in the corner. She eagerly sipped her hot coffee. Gavin sat opposite her.

“You a little hungry?” she teased Gavin, who sat opposite her, digging into roast beef slathered with dark brown gravy.

“Listen, when you eat as many MREs as we do, real food is a gift,” he said, popping a piece of beef into his mouth.

Nike could only imagine. There were mashed potatoes with that thick, brown gravy, corn with butter and a huge biscuit. She ate as if she’d never seen food. Normally, she didn’t have such a large appetite, but tonight, she did. “This hits the spot,” she told him.

“Mmm,” Gavin mumbled, barely breathing between bites.

Nike grinned. “If you don’t slow up, you’re going to choke on that food you’re shoveling down your gullet.”

Chastised, Gavin had the good grace to flush. He slowed down a little. “You have no idea how good real, hot food tastes.”

“I probably don’t. I’m spoiled. I might fly every day or night, but I can come here and get good chow. I hate MREs.”

“Everyone does,” he said between bites. He took his third biscuit and pulled it open. After putting in several slabs of butter, he took a big bite.

Nike saw the absolute pleasure the food gave him. She knew these A teams were out in the wilds for a month at a time, sometimes more. This unexpected trip was a real present to Gavin. She tried to ignore how handsome he was, even with the full beard.

“Do you mind wearing your disguise?” she wondered, pushing her empty plate to one side. She held the white ceramic mug of coffee between her hands.

“No.”

“It’s got to be different from the spit and polish of shaving every day.”

“Oh, that.” Gavin touched his neatly trimmed beard. “I bet you wonder what I look like without it?”

“No…”

“Sure you do.” He grinned.

“I was just wondering how you liked going under cover.”

Shrugging, Gavin finished off his third and final biscuit. “Doesn’t bother me. Usually, when we’re out for a month, we’re riding horses and doing our thing.”

“So you’ve all learned how to ride.”

“That or fall off.” He laughed. Scraping up the last of the gravy, he sighed. “That was damn good food. I wish I could take this back to the guys.”

“You and your team go without a lot of things,” Nike said, feeling bad for them.

“Luck of the draw,” Gavin said. He wiped his mouth with his paper napkin, pushed the plate aside and then picked up his cup of coffee. “I’d rather be on the ground than threading the needle with that hulking helo of yours. That must take some starch out of you.”

“Sure it does. Seat-of-the-pants kind of flying. I don’t mind doing nap-of-the-earth. I do mind getting shot at.”

Chuckling, Gavin felt the warmth of the food in his belly. How lucky he was that Nike had shared such a meal with him. He felt happiness threading through him like sun shining into a dark valley. “Makes two of us. I felt for Jameela. The poor woman is probably going to refuse to step into the CH-47 tomorrow morning.”

“We’ll have to persuade her that the flight to Kabul will be smooth and quiet, unlike the snaking flight from her village.”

“I don’t know if she’ll believe me,” Gavin said.

“She’ll get on board because her daughter is going to be fitted for a new leg.”

“I appreciate all you did. If you hadn’t been there, this would have been a lot tougher. Muslim customs don’t allow any man to touch a woman.”

Shaking her head, Nike muttered, “I’m glad I was there, but I can’t see how their women live in such a state. I know I couldn’t.”

“Different realities, different belief system,” Gavin said. “We don’t have to like it for ourselves, but we have to understand and respect them for it.”

“Glad I’m a woman from a democracy, thank you very much.”

Gavin smiled. “Dessert? I saw some great-looking cherry pie over there. Want some?”

“Sure.”

He got up. “Ice cream on it?”

In that moment, Nike saw he was like a little boy in a candy store. The light dancing in his readable blue eyes made her heart melt. “Why not?”

“Be right back.”

She watched him thread his way through the noisy, busy place. This was the dinner hour and the place was packed with crews. There were a few A teams, as well, all dressed in their Afghan clothing. Still, as she allowed her gaze to wander around the area, Nike thought Gavin Jackson stood head and shoulders above any other man present. Maybe she was prejudiced. Maybe she liked him more than she should.

Feeling uneasy for a moment, Nike didn’t question why she decided to have a meal with him. If she was really sincere about not ever wanting to love a military man again, she’d have left him at the chow hall and disappeared. But she hadn’t. Damn.