Blood Lily Company - Afghanistan - Year 2

XXXVI

When the land arrived, we did see we wouldn't all fit in it. So, with Benji's help, I secured the three bad guys on the bed of the truck, on their bellies and tied down with double or triple zip-ties and straps. I didn't want to take any risk and allow the bad guys to be able to free themselves and endanger Curly's patrol.

- Kris, Erk, I have instructions for you. But Lin said that the whole patrol had to be OK with them.

- Guys, meet up at the truck, I said.

- OK, Curly said when our guys were all there. You have two possibilities. You come back home, with a little detour eastwards, to get closer to the Dotard.

- Not very keen to go back there, Erk said. Our numbers won't stop him if the bounty on our heads is worth losing some guys and piss Lin off.

- She told me you would answer something like that. The other possibility is to go due west, take a gander over the border with the Pashtun and come back home along it. Far enough to take no risk, but close enough to see what's happening on the other side.

We all looked at each other. Last time we'd gone close to his territory – more than close, as we'd passed the border – things had gone pear-shaped. Erk looked at his brother, who was looking at us. The giant lowered his eyes to his boots, silent.

I remembered having lived a very difficult moment, being frightened, being hurt, feeling pain when the bullets or the knives hit us. And of being very, very lucky to have a Healer of the Viking's mettle. And my first reflex was: "No, no way, I don't want to suffer again, I don't want to risk being dead."

And then, I'm not sure, it may have been Erk's example, who had suffered so much, both in his flesh, with his injuries, and in his mind, with the torture in Chechnya and the sexual assault that had been part of it and who, despite everything, still threw himself between us and danger – proof, the journalist or Fort Alamo – to protect us, to fight for the others. So, I said to myself that yes, I was ready to go there again. If only to confront my fears.

The others were wearing masks. Not shemags, nor balaclavas. Poker faces. Impossible to know what they were thinking. Even Kitty seemed difficult to read, to me. Bear was the only one who, obviously, had questions.

- Erik, you're silent.

- So are you. But... I'm afraid to go back there, that's for sure. We were lucky last time, but it might not be the case this time...

He stopped, pensive. He turned west, then slightly south. Kris discreetly sighed.

- I think we need to go that way, the Viking said.

- Why, big boy? It makes our return trip, our patrol, longer and it's in the middle of the crazy's territory.

- I know. But...

He shrugged, shook his head. Obviously, he couldn't clarify what was happening.

- Okay, guys, I said. What do you think? We'll keep it simple, no justification. If you want to follow Erk, stand next to him. If you'd like to go home, even on foot, stand next to the truck.

You know what? I should have traced those stupid lines they put in the metro corridors during the Covid epidemy to keep people away, with the speed the team went to the Viking. Kris and I were surprised by this crowd movement. We exchanged looks and approached the giant, who looked surprised and moved.

- Erik, you really thought your patrol...

- Our patrol.

- Your patrol, big guy, look how they follow you, without even thinking about it. Did you really think your patrol would let you all alone in front of danger?