KILTED DESIRE - Sands of Betrayal (9 page)

Scott checked his compass to verify his sense of direction and
knew they were heading the right way. About twenty minutes went by before he
was on a road he recognized and calculated they were about ten miles from the
hotel.

“I think we’ll be back tae the hotel in aboot half an hoor.
How are yer doing back there?”

She was badly shaken, so he was trying to make her feel calm
and more secure.

“I’m okay, I think.” She was still nervous. But she was
feeling better.

Scott glanced at her in the mirror and was glad she looked a
little calmer.

“What the …!” Scott cursed under his breath, as the car slowed
down.

“I dinnae believe this,” he said, steering towards the side
of the road.

“What’s wrong?” squeaked a scared voice from the back seat.

“We’ve lost all power. We have plenty of gas so that’s nae
the problem.”

The car came to a complete stand still at the side of the
road. It was not a good place to break down. He was going have to start the car
quickly or get someone to come and get them. It was not good for anyone to be
stranded in this city! Let alone a couple of westerners, especially when one was
a woman.

“Stay lying doon. I’m going tae check the engine,” he said.

She did not say a word as Scott closed the door behind him. A
few minutes later, he got back in the car and tried it again. The engine turned,
but did not fire. It was as if they were out of gas, but he knew that wasn’t
it. He looked underneath the car to see if the gas tank had sprung a leak. It
was fine and to confirm it, he opened the gas cap and rocked the car. There was
plenty. He could hear the gas sloshing inside. He knew it must be the fuel
pump. There was nothing he could do to get it started, so he needed to call the
office for help.

He reached for his cell phone, but it was not there. He got
back inside the car, and checked the floor around the driver’s seat. He hadn’t
dropped it, while he was driving.

“What’s wrong?” asked Britney.

“I’m pretty sure the fuel pump’s gone. I’m looking, but
cannae find my phone tae call fer help.”

“Do you want to use mine?” she asked.

“Aye, we need tae call fer help fast. The longer we sit here
the more danger we’re in.”

“Oh, shit! I left it charging in my office.”

She looked at him apologetically and her face started to
lose color. He quickly checked again around the driver’s seat before deciding
he must have dropped it when the blast shook the building. He remembered carrying
it as he left the rec room after he called the office to let them know they
were leaving. After the blast, he rushed to get to Britney and didn’t remember
putting it back in his pocket. He must have dropped it then.

“It’s nae yer fault. We left in such a rush after the
explosion. I dropped my phone too. It’s my fault. But, we can worry aboot that
later. First thing we have tae do, is get oot of here. It’s too dangerous tae
nae get moving.”

“Whatever you say. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it,” she
said. Britney was scared and shaking, but trusted Scott.

“We’ll just head tae the hotel on foot. I know the way, but
we’ll take back roads. We dinnae want the wrong people tae see us. It will be
dark in an hoor, so we’ll be fine.”

The road was on the outskirts of the city. They moved across
sandy wasteland before getting to the back streets of the city. It was hot and
they only had one bottle of water. Even in an hour, when it was dark, the
temperature would only drop into the 90’s. It was going to be an uncomfortable walk
back, but there was no alternative.

“Stay close tae me. Do exactly as I tell yer and I’ll get
yer back safely. I got yer into this mess and I’ll get yer oot of it.”

“I’ll do whatever you say, and Scott, it’s not your fault.”

Scott was very angry with himself. She did not blame him for
the situation, but it was his responsibility. She followed closely behind him,
as they moved towards the center of the city.

About two hours later at the PCPS office, Tom was informed
that Scott’s call was overdue. He started to get concerned when he tried
Scott’s phone and there was no response. He had heard reports of the rocket hitting
the street where Britney worked, and was getting worried. He set out with Dan,
another security guard, to see what they could find. When they arrived, the street
was quiet. There were no signs of the earlier commotion. The crater had been
cordoned off and there was no one at the office building. It seemed to be empty
and was locked. Many of the first floor windows were boarded up. Tom was still waiting
for news of Scott checking in. They went to the hotel next to see if Scott and
Britney might have returned, but were informed by the hotel staff, they did not
think Scott and Britney had returned. Tom went up to their room and knocked on
the door, but there was no answer. Having no other choice, Tom and Dan returned
to the office to organize a search party. As far as he could figure out, they
had left Britney’s office after Scott had called them saying they were leaving.
When the men got back to the PCPS office, Tom stayed in case Scott headed there.
Dan left the office and went in search of possible routes to see if he could
find Scott’s car.

Around 11:00 p.m., Tom received a call from Dan, telling Tom
he had found Scott’s car abandoned on the side of the road. He told Tom the car
did not appear damaged and there were no possessions left in the car. They
concluded the car must have broken down. If it was a kidnapping or an attack of
any sort, there would be signs of a struggle. Both men agreed on the car trouble
theory. Scott and Britney were probably making their way to the hotel on foot.
The hotel was much closer than her office or the PCPS office. So, that was
where they would be heading. It was about eight miles and they would travel
through some very dangerous areas, going slowly because of the very hot
temperatures. Tom knew that with Scott’s background, he would guide her quietly
and cautiously in the shadows. They would move through the alleys and small back
streets, to avoid being seen. He was confident that Scott and Britney would turn
up soon at the hotel.

Since they found his car with no apparent damage, Tom knew
that his new guard would turn up safe. But he also knew if Scott didn’t turn up
soon, he must call Katie. Scott was very specific when he and Tom discussed
this. If anything happened, someone was to contact Katie as soon as possible.
Tom was torn. He didn’t want to worry her any more than she already was with
him being there. But she did have a right to know what was happening with Scott.
Reluctantly, he looked up Scott’s emergency contact information and dialed
Katie’s number.

“Hello,” she answered, expecting to hear Scott’s accent on
the other end of the phone.

“Hi, is this Katie Johnson?” Tom asked, trying to sound cheerful.

“Yes, this is Katie. Who is this?”

“Hi, Katie. My name is Tom Schultz. I am Scott’s boss in
Baghdad. I do not want to alarm you, but I did promise Scott I would keep you
informed if he went missing or if anything happened. We are pretty sure that he
is fine…”

“Oh, my god! What is it? What’s happened?” she interrupted.

“Katie, we really don’t think there’s a problem or that Scott’s
been harmed in any way. We are quite confident that he’s okay. We just have not
been able to reach him on his phone.”

“What is going on? Please, tell me he’s okay.” She was
starting to panic and sounded very scared.

“Katie, I know it is hard, but please try not to worry. We
know that Scott’s car broke down earlier and we presume the battery died on his
phone. He called in a few hours ago to let us know he was leaving Britney’s office.
And since we didn’t hear from him again upon returning to the hotel, we went
looking for him. We found his car a few miles from the hotel. There were no
signs of an attack on the vehicle. We can only presume that when the car broke
down, he decided they should make their way back to the hotel on foot,” Tom
said, trying to give her all the facts and sound reassuring.

“Tom, did you try calling her phone? This doesn’t make any
sense. Both of their phones couldn’t have died. How long have they been
missing? How far is the hotel from where you found the car?” she asked rapidly.
She was worried and was trying to absorb all that Tom was saying. She was
scared and it wasn’t making any sense to her.

“We’ve tried calling Britney’s phone and only get her voicemail.
The call we did receive from Scott was about seven hours ago. When we found the
car, it was only about eight miles from the hotel. I know what you’re thinking.
It wouldn’t take seven hours to walk eight miles. But you have to understand
that when Scott called in, he was still at her office. They may not have left
right away. So it could have been more than an hour later when they abandoned
the car. As for the time to get to the hotel from where the car was left, it is
not a direct walk. Scott is very experienced. He knows this city, what it is
like and where to avoid. He will move slowly and carefully through back streets
and alleys. He won’t take any chances. I have another guard out searching for them
now, but that is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I know this may
sound like a crazy thing to say, Katie, but try not to worry. I’m sure he’s
fine. I promise, I’ll call you the minute I find out any news.”

“I am glad you called Tom, but I’m not going to stop
worrying until I hear from Scott. I’ll stop worrying when I hear his voice and
he tells me he’s safe.”

“Okay, Katie. I understand. I’ll call you as soon as I hear
anything. Take care.”

“Thanks Tom. Bye.”

Katie was sitting in her backyard enjoying the sun when she
received Tom’s call. The girls were jumping and laughing on their trampoline. They’d
been bouncing the entire time Katie was talking. She was thankful they hadn’t
heard her conversation. She was worried. She desperately wanted to do something,
anything, but, there was nothing she could do, but wait for news.

It was well after midnight in Baghdad. Scott and Britney were
cautiously making their way to the hotel. They had been winding through various
alleys and remote side streets, the last few hours. They were exhausted, hot
and uncomfortable. Scott kept her beside him at all times. He was being extra
cautious. He was very worried that a local might notice she was a woman and
there might be a problem. Scott always carried his guns and knives with him,
just in case. But, so far, he was glad he hadn’t had to use them. Scott and
Britney had hidden for a while in the shade, under a bridge. They started
moving again when it got dark. Scott wanted to approach a number of locals to
use their phone when they passed them, but was reluctant. Most of the local people
were friendly, but he just wasn’t sure who he could trust. They avoided making eye
contact with the locals and kept walking. With a mile still to go to reach the
hotel, Scott was confident they were heading in the right direction to get back
safely. It was not a good area. It was mainly a Shiite suburb, very poor and people
lived in terrible conditions. Every day the neighborhoods witnessed terrible
violence between rival Sunni and Shiite groups. As they reached the corner of
another long alley, Scott turned to Britney.

“How are yer holding up?”

“I’m okay. I just want a shower and to go to bed,” she
replied, wearily.

“Aye. I know. We’re nae too far away now. Just be strong,
Britney, yer doing great.”

“Thanks. How long do you think it will take to get back?”

“I think we’ll back in the room within half an hoor or so.”

“Sounds good,” she said, with relief.

“Ssshhhhhh,” said Scott, putting his hand quickly over her
mouth. He could hear footsteps. People were heading towards them, down the
small street. They would need to pass by whoever it was to get to the next
alley. Male Iraqi voices drew closer. There were a number of them approaching.
They were arguing about something. He pushed her into a narrow doorway and motioned
for her to get down. He kneeled down and crouched in front of her. Due to the
darkness, they were pretty well hidden. If the men decided to turn down the
alley, there was a chance they could be seen. From his position, Scott could
see five men walking down the street. They were still arguing and he could see,
at least two of them had guns. It wasn’t that unusual in this city, so it
didn’t necessarily mean there would be any trouble. But, he drew his pistol
just in case. They were so close to getting back to the hotel. He really did
not want to get into a skirmish now. Scott could feel Britney shaking, as his
body leaned against hers, to ensure her not being seen. Her heart was beating
very fast and her hands were trembling.

“Just stay quiet and calm,” he whispered, reassuredly.

The men arrived at the entrance of the alley. They stood
there a while talking. It appeared they may be saying goodbye to one of the
group. They were maybe fifteen yards away from where Scott and Britney were
tucked back in the shadows. Within a couple of minutes, the remaining four men decided
to walk down the street. The last one started to turn down their alley and was
walking towards them. He walked right past them, without even noticing there
was anyone there. After a minute or so, when Scott was sure the man was gone,
he stood up and without a word, motioned for Britney to follow him. They moved quickly
across the street and into another dark alley on the opposite side. Twenty
minutes later, they could see their hotel. They were nearly there.

With each step closer to the hotel, the relief on Britney’s
face became very noticeable, Scott was relieved too, and was starting to
breathe a little easier. But, he knew he was going to have to call his office
from the phone in the hotel room. Even with a safe outcome, he was unsure how Tom
would react to their adventure. He also realized he was going to have to call
Katie. They were out of touch and missing a long time. He figured that Tom had
probably told her by now that he was missing. He knew she would be frantic and
worried. He hated the thought of her feeling this way.