A quick peek over the rim of the helipad, and Al ducked back down. He hadn’t seen anything that wasn't supposed to be there and readied himself to lift his eyes over the top for a more extended look. The landing pad and the hangar doors embedded into the face of the mountain were all he saw.
Tom climbed up next to him and waited.
Al nodded, directing his eyes up to the lip of the pad. Tom lifted his head over the top and saw the flat open area designed for a helicopter to land and take off. The large hangar doors were expertly crafted. He’d have sworn they were a part of the mountain if he hadn’t seen them open and close.
“What do you think?” Al said.
Tom dropped his head below the edge and leaned against a crag jutting out from the rock face. “I think that was a pain in the ass climb, especially in this stupid ass man dress, and all without much payoff.”
“Agreed.” Al lifted his upper body and scanned again. “I don’t see any cameras, antennas, or any kind of surveillance gear anywhere.”
“My guess is they don’t get a lot of visitors up here.”
Al blew out his nose. “Probably not so much.” He sighed and used his sleeve to dry his face. With his hat, he wiped his scalp dry. Sweat beads formed on his head as soon as he rubbed it. He’d been sweating bullets for the better part of an hour.
Tom was just as sweaty. It had been a long climb in the dark.
“Let’s sit here for a sec, catch our breath. Then we can move up and see what we can see.” Tom laid his AK across his knees and leaned against the rock face.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Sounds good.”
Al closed his eyes and relaxed, letting a breeze wash over him.
Crack. Crack. Two quick gunshots from below to the south. Al gripped his AK tighter, knowing the shots weren’t directed at them but ready. The shots were too far away and down in the hills below them for them to be the target.
Two more gunshots.
An AK went on full auto, silenced by three more shots.
The hair on Al's arms rose. A berserker yell echoed through the valley. He glanced over at Tom.
Another rifle went on full auto, lasting for half a magazine, if not more. Another long burst followed—two more cracks, then silence.
Neither man moved. They strained to hear, waiting for more. But, whatever had happened was over.
Tom brought his head back and leaned it against the wall. “Sound like Mike yelling?”
“Yeah, I think so. Gave me goosebumps.”
“Me too.” Tom shook his arms and shoulders, trying to shake off the tenseness.
“Maybe…”
A light filled the night above them. Tom got one quick eye over and drew his head back down. An Afghan walked out a personnel door onto the Heliport. The door on the far side of the hangar doors closed, bringing darkness again.
Al felt a tap on his arm. Tom motioned with his hand, one guy walking to their right.
The door opened again. They heard at least two more men follow the first man. The door shut behind them.
Pressed into the rock, Al tried to get small. The first man leaned out to get a look below into the valley. He wanted his rifle barrel pointed toward the three Afghanis but stayed still. They’d let the Afghanis make the first move.
Two of them held a conversation until one of them told them to be quiet. A man leaned out and spoke into a handheld radio. The man on the other end answered in a breathless voice. Another man interrupted, the one in charge gave an order, and the radio man spoke again.
The words meant nothing to them, but they knew a running man when they heard it. Whoever it was was either chasing someone or being chased.
Al hoped Mike was good because he wasn’t likely doing the chasing.