Sniper Elite: One-Way Trip

CHAPTER 61

From a thousand yards farther up the road, Forogh and his uncles could hear the shooting. When they saw the balloon go up, Forogh ran for his horse, shouting for everyone to follow him. They were needed to provide cover for the extraction.

But Orzu refused to let his men ride any closer to the battle.

“We can’t risk getting that close,” he said. “There’s no cover back there. If the HIK knows we helped the Americans, we’ll be hunted. We’ll never be able to go home. You said he was supposed to meet us here, at the edge of forest. Why did he change it?”

Forogh shrugged and shook his head. “You’ve been in battle, Uncle. You know things sometimes go wrong. Listen to the shooting. He needs our help!”

Orzu still refused to jeopardize his men. He ordered them all mounted up and ready to leave. Once they were mounted, they sat on their horses listening as the battle continued to rage a thousand meters away. Then the plane suddenly went soaring overhead for the second time, trailing the woman behind it from the end of the rope.

“There!” Orzu shouted over the roar of the engines. “She’s away! He didn’t need our help. We can go now.”

The sound of the shooting began to intensify, and they heard the explosions of RPGs down in the pass.

Forogh reined his horse wildly around. “Listen to that!”

Orzu caught the bridle of Forogh’s horse. “Stay here, Nephew. You’ll be killed if you go back there.”

“It’s my life to lose! Let go of my horse.”

“Why?” Orzu said, letting go of the bridle. “Why risk your life for a man you owe nothing?”

Forogh brought his saddle even with his uncle’s and looked into his eyes, the first signs of dawn beginning to show in the east. “Because he would do it for me! Now… what would Massoud do if he were here?”