12 Minutes (#2 in Military series)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

They had been walking for nearly 45 minutes when they stopped upon a small ridge and the Afghan border came into view. The sun was gaining height in the sky and the hot, dry air was beginning to cling to her skin.

Unclipping her bottle, Jules took a swig of water but was careful to conserve it. She didn't know when she was going to be able to get a refill.

Carlos crouched beside her, rooting in his bag for the sweets he had had on the plane, whilst Twitch rested against a rock, a hand raised to shield his eyes as he gazed around them. Jules could see the back of his neck beginning to burn, matching his hair.

Marc reached into his jacket pocket and received a small pair of binoculars. As he did so, his jacket pulled up and revealed the handgun that Strong had given him, strapped to his hip.

Jules found herself staring at it.

"What do you see?" Carlos asked, popping a sweet into his mouth as he did so.

"A whole lot of mountains," Marc joked, turning his head slightly.

Carlos laughed and stood, offering Jules a sweet. Jules shook her head.

"And one checkpoint approximately half a klik out," Marc added in all seriousness.

"Where?" Twitch got to his feet, hauling his rucksack onto his shoulder, clinging to the medical supplies that rested inside.

"There, to the east," Marc pointed to his right and if they all looked, they could spot the same small building.

"If we head down to the west, we should be able to cross and avoid the border control." Marc lowered his binoculars and looked around at them for their agreement.

"Sounds like a plan," Julia restrapped her water bottle and walked over, her boots scuffing the ground as she did so.

Gathering their things, they began to walk down the craggy side of the ridge, loose rocks becoming dislodged with each step they took.

Jules watched the rocks tumble to the ground closely as she remembered her dream. She had been trying to reach Safia but a loose rock had caused her to plummet to the ground and fail.

Trying not to think too much about it, Jules placed her focus on the plan ahead. As she reached the bottom of the ridge, Jules noticed that the ground began to flatten out around the border.

Ditches, foliage and large rocks provided sufficient coverage though for them to cross.

They were stuck between the ridge they had just descended and the next small mountain across the border in which the gap was nearly a mile

They began to advance forward and as Jules stepped over a small pile of rocks she looked to her right and saw the checkpoint in the distance.

It was a small building, most probably made of solid concrete with no windows. Jules knew that on the opposite side would be a large rectangular hole for the doorway, situated next to a dirt road with a wooden barrier lain across it to stop vehicles passing through.

Jules licked her lips as she wondered if the checkpoint was currently occupied, and if so all they would have to do was to walk out to get some fresh air and they would see them.

For that reason, Marc kept his eyes on the checkpoint at all times whilst they crossed.

Jules kept thinking that the officers would be able to hear her boots and a cold sweat broke out on her brow, her muscles clenched ready to hit the ground and hide.