Chapter 17
17
The briefing lasted another 10 minutes. After Rachel gave some more info on Massoud, one of the American Special Forces guys took over and ran through the details.
We would leave for Kabul at 1600 (4PM local time, seven hours from now) with a convoy of regular soldiers as camouflage. It was pretty routine for a bunch of Humvees to drive through Kabul on patrol. Nobody would suspect there were a bunch of Special Forces operatives with them.
Once we reached the target, Special Forces would detach from the regular troops. I would set up shop on a nearby rooftop and act as overwatch to guard everybody’s backs. Gunnar would be my spotter, the guy entrusted with making sure no hostiles snuck up behind me to take me out.
The Special Forces guys on the ground would breach Massoud’s safe house and either capture or kill him.
After the briefing was over, everyone started filing out… except for me.
“Aren’t you coming?” Gunnar asked me in Swedish.
“Go on, I’ll catch up p>
He glanced over at Rachel, who was still speaking with the head of the American Special Forces unit, then looked back at me.
“Aha,” he said with a big grin like he had me all figured out. “Good luck, brother p>
“Get out of here,” I said affectionately.
Gunnar laughed and left with the others.
I waited until Rachel ended her conversation with the American. As soon as he left, I walked over. She was still packing up some files in a briefcase when I said, “Hello p>
She looked up at me as though trying to place me, like she’d read about me in her files. “Henriksson, right p>
“Call me Lars p>
She didn’t give me even a hint of a smile. “What can I do for you, Henriksson p>
Okay, so it was going to be purely professional.
Not a problem.
“You might want to take Delgado off the team p>
“And why is that p>
“One of the guys in Delgado’s unit warned me that if you get on his bad side, you don’t want him backing you up in the field p>
“…because p>
“Because if he has a problem with you, he’ll let the Taliban take care of it p>
Rachel narrowed her eyes. “Delgado has intentionally left other soldiers unprotected so that they’re injured or killed by the enemy p>
“That’s what the guy said p>
“Which guy p>
“Just a guy p>
There was no way I was going to give up the soldier’s name, and she knew it.
“Have you reported this?” she asked.
“No p>
“Why not p>
I shrugged. “There’s no proof. It’s just something he heard from someone back in Spain p>
“That’s a serious charge p>
“Yes, it is p>
“But you’re not going to report it,” she said accusatorily.
“If I go to Command, they’ll ask for proof. I don’t have any. Then they’ll bring in the guy who told me. He’ll deny he said anything. And even if he doesn’t deny it, he doesn’t have any proof, either. And if it gets back to Delgado, then we’re both on his shit list p>
Rachel smiled in a decidedly unfriendly manner. “So… you decided to spread a little gossip instead p>
That annoyed me.
“I was just trying to help,” I said coolly.
“Like Delgado was ‘trying to help’ by suggesting I stand down p>
My voice became even colder. “I came to you in private p>
“I guess I should thank you for trying to undermine me in private, then, instead of in public,” she said sarcastically.
I frowned. “I’m not trying to undermine you – I’m trying to warn you. You just publicly humiliated a man known for stabbing other people in the back – ”
“I can handle Delgado, Henriksson,” she said curtly. “But thank you for your input p>
She turned away, effectively dismissing me.
Now I was irritated.
“How much combat have you seen?” I asked.
She looked back at me with a flash of anger. “Oh, so now you’re questioning my credentials? You’re right, you’re not like Delgado at all p>
“I’m wondering if you know how important it is to thoroughly trust the men you go into battle with p>
“I know this: I’m tired of men presuming to know what’s best for me p>
“I was just trying to help – ”
“Don’t. You worry about yourself; I’ll handle Delgado. You stay out of it p>
I clenched my jaw. “Fine p>
Then I turned and walked out of the room.