The Desert Wolf, Chapter 6

												----------The Desert Wolf----------
															Chapter 6
											   Sticks and Stoning May Break My Bones
March 26, 2013
Terrorist Camp
Sinjar Mountains


	Screams, not of anger or hatred, but the lonely desperate screams of a tortured soul rang through out the camp. The wailing of the American bounced around the stone walls of the valley that hid the camp to make it seem as if didn't even exist. With every lash of the whip, flesh was torn from bone as it licked across Jason's back. And with every crack of the leather zipping through the air, a horrid ear splitting wail accompanied it a moment later. Ashah's turban cinched down tightly over her head as she grimaced in an attempt to drown out the noise. She had been made to stand and watch as the one called Almasi whipped the American POW over and over. One after the other, every flick of his wrist sent the leather braid flying forward with a wicked hum then a sickening thwack as it left one more gash in Jason's skin. The sight of his crimson life blood pouring out across his pale white skin was a stark contrast. Despite the years of gore she had seen during her travels with the jihadists this sight was too much for her; she clenched her eyes shut as the acrid taste of bile rose in throat.

	Please just let it be done with, I beg you, Ashah thought to herself. She tried to think of anything to block out the unpleasant scene, but the howls of pain from the American pierced her veil and took root in her very soul. Please...

	As if on cue, Almasi lowered his arm, wiping his forehead with the back of his sleeve. They had been at this for over two weeks now. Beatings, whippings, starvation, partial drowning, electrocution. Many different methods of torture they had used to try and pry information from Jason's lips. Even trying sleep deprivation, cutting him with knives and rubbing sand into his wounds to keep him awake. But even that failed to elicit information from him. Nothing left his lips save screams of pain and terror.

	Almasi cast his eyes over to the form of the geist standing off a pace from the rest of the others watching the spectacle as if it were a street performance. He watched her for a moment as she kept her eyes forward on the scene, trying to keep her face free of emotion. He called her over as he handed the whip to one of his subordinates.

	"I will give you this American, you are tougher than I gave you credit for," Almasi relented as he took a canteen from one of his men and took a long draft of water. Jason kept his silence, as he had the last sixteen days since they had started taking him from his cell in the cave to the square each and every day to break his body and will. He simply slumped down to the ground as far as his bindings would let him. The wooden stake they kept him tethered to gave him few options to sit or stand comfortably; his beaten and torn body didn't help matters either.

	Handing back the container, Almasi spoke to the geist ordering her to untie him and take him back to his cell through the network of tunnels carved into the bowels of the mountains. Ashah looked on at Jason's pitiful state and grimaced inwardly before moving to undo the ropes.

	"What if he cannot walk on his own?" Ashah questioned him before she realized what she had done. She quickly cast her eyes downward as he shot her a look of rage, veins beginning to pop out along his aged paper thin skin.

	"Then drag him for all I care!" he screamed at her as he lost his composure. Turning to Jason as he tried to relax his temper he spoke.

	"I've spent more time on you than most trying to break your spirit, but I have grown tired of staring at you every day. I'll give you one last chance to tell me what I wish to know American and if you do..." Almasi paused a moment as a cruel grin spread across his weathered face, "I'll grant you the mercy of a quick death."

	Still Jason remained speechless and Almasi huffed in disgust at the stubbornness of the American infidel. Jason let his eyelids sink down as his life force trickled out of his wounds and down his skin to mix with the sand and dirt below. They had been at it nearly all day, taking short breaks as they whittled down his being. Beating him with wooden rods, hitting and kicking him, stoning him to the brink of fainting and finally moving to the whip. The sun had rose high in the sky then sank back down casting an orange-yellow glow on the darkening sky by the time Almasi had yielded.

	"Let us be done with you then if you will not talk." Almasi turned to walk away as he spoke but then turned back peering down at the bloody husk of a soldier before him. "Tomorrow, you will brought back here in the morning. You will be stripped down and stoned, and just before you slip into unconsciousness I will sever your head."

	With that last bit he turned and walked toward his tent. The crowd dispersed with excitement at the news of killing the American while Ashah busied herself with undoing the ropes holding Jason to the wooden pole. With the last strand loosened he slumped over and fell to the ground with a gasp as fractured as broken bones mixed with cuts and healing wounds reopening with the harsh impact. Ashah took hold of Jason's naked form and eased him up to a sitting position before helping him up to walk back to his cell. She brought her materialized rifle form out from thin air as she had done countless times and prompted him forward.

	She walked behind him slowly as he hobbled through the camp and down the tunnels as on lookers jeered and spat at him. It didn't bother him anymore. It was routine at this point and he paid them no mind as he shambled on while his legs would carry him. Ashah looked on him with remorse and confusion. Here was a man who, for the first time in her life, had treated her with some respect and kindness as no other had done. And yet she was helping those who wished his death.

	These thoughts poured over her consciousness day and night, robbing her of any peace she had. She was the rifle of the jihadi, though he did not want her in anyway it was her duty as a rifle to obey his orders. That is what a good rifle did, obey and not think of the right or wrong of it; that was for the humans to decide. Yet here was someone who had told her she was more than a pile of metal, wood, and Bakelite and she had a choice in what she did with her life. It was enough to drive her mad and she didn't know what to make of it. As they neared the small room with Jason's makeshift cell Ashah spoke up when she was confident they were out of earshot.

	"American, just tell them the information they seek. It is not worth suffering the fate that awaits you just to uphold what shred of dignity you have left. Give the leader what he wants and have a quick death." she pleaded with him as he moved forward into his prison of stone and iron. "It will be better this way."

	Jason simply eased himself down onto the cold stone floor, relishing in the cool slabs of rock as they kissed his worn and aching body. Ashah moved near him and took medical supplies out of a kit that Almasi's brother had given her. She moved to put ointment on his open wounds and bandage up his torso to staunch the bleeding. This they had done everyday after the sessions of torture. They hadn't wanted to let him die of blood loss or infection. Too good a death they had told him. They wanted him to suffer for his and his country's transgressions against the people of Islam and they had extracted their revenge on him thoroughly. Ashah watched as Jason let out a long ragged breath and then to her astonishment, for the first time in over two weeks, he spoke.

	"Jason...my name...is Jason," he replied through harsh breaths. Ashah was certain he had a couple broken ribs. "And I will die...before I give these low life fucks a single scrap of intel." Ashah continued to lightly rub ointment on his back where the whip had torn his skin apart. She looked on with deepening guilt at his current state and her vision blurred with the beginning of tears.

	Her fault she thought to herself. This was completely because of her own doing. His death would be on her hands for all eternity and for the first time in her existence she pondered if a rifle could do wrong even if their wielder thought it was right. Could a rifle seek forgiveness for their wrong doing; did she even deserve to try? This young man in front of her was the only one she had ever come across to treat her like a decent person and she had delivered him to the very people who wanted to erase him from this Earth. It was too much for her to bear.

	"Please...Jason," she began as racking sobs shook her frame. "Please just tell them what they want to know. I can't stand to see you like this. You're the first person in my existence to ever show me any shred of humanity." She wiped some of the sorrowful tears from her eyes before she spoke again. "Tell them please. It is easier on you this way; it will be better for you."

	Jason let out a long slow sigh before he spoke as he gathered his thoughts and concentrated through the pain that made his mind hazy.

	"Ashah... in life, we face a lot of difficulty. You don't have a choice in when it happens, but you do have a choice in how you face it . I will face my end like a man, not a coward. I owe my friends that much."

	Ashah muffled her cries as tried to control her voice. "I don't understand, I never had free will. I was always just a rifle with the goal to obey and serve someone's will. I don't know how to choose for myself.

	Jason surprised Ashah by rolling on his side to look up at her deep blue eyes which were now slightly red and puffy from crying. He reached up and took her hand into his own. "You are Ashah. You say you're just a rifle but you have thoughts and emotions like any other living being. You have choices to make in life just as I do. They may be difficult to make, or even go against everything you thought you believed in but you will have to choose eventually." He gave her hand a light squeeze to reassure her. "Just follow your heart; you'll know what is right."

	Ashah pulled her hand away slowly while casting her eyes aside being unable to meet his gaze any longer. Jason rolled back over to his stomach as she began to pack up her med kit and stand to leave.

	"I...need to go now. Goodbye Jason." With that Ashah turned and left the carved out room. Jason watched as she went, a deep sadness in his chest. This was the last time he would see her yet he had so many questions left that he had wanted to ask. So many mysteries surrounding her and her kind and her wouldn't live long enough to solve them. He tried to get as comfortable as his state would allow before drifting to sleep. If he was to die tomorrow, might as well be well rested.

	Ashah emerged from the cave as the last light of the sun was fading, giving way to the pale white light of the moon peeking through the sparse clouds. With no sun and little cloud cover the temperature began to drop noticeably and she shivered slightly against the nights chill. Making her way back to Almasi and his brother's tent she forfeited the medical kit and stood at their side while they spoke about what to do with the prisoner in the morning. Almasi's brother spoke up with his opinion on the matter as other men gathered around to hear of the fate that awaited the infidel.

	"I say we get it over with and just sever his head. Allah commands that we cut the head from those who do not believe in Islam and he is an infidel." Almasi's brother made his intentions clear to the others.

	"Well brother you are right, we cannot stray from our teachings Allah forbid it! But I think that would be too good an end for him. I say stone him first then cut off his head and send it back to his commanders as a warning." Almasi looked around at the approving expressions on the men's faces before turning to his brother. "What do you say brother?"

	"Very well, if that is what you wish. But I would be so bold as to ask the honor of being his executioner." Almasi considered it for a moment before relenting.

	"I think that would be fine brother. It is settled then. Let us not speak more of it and enjoy some dinner, but I have grown wary of dried meets." Almasi looked to one of his underlings. "Slaughter a couple of the sheep in the camp, lets have something better for our food tonight." With a cheer from the crowd a few men left to kill and clean the animals while the others busied themselves starting small fires and setting up spit roasts for the meat.

	Ashah had stood in silence watching the council take place with a blank expression, though her mind was reeling from what Jason had said earlier. She looked at her superiors with apprehension but decided to speak up.

	"Master...don't you think it a waste to kill him? Maybe just a few more days and he will-" Ashah was cut short by glares from Almasi and his brother.

	"I have made my decision abomination, and it is final. Don't you dare think to give me council." He turned to his brother as he began to feel his temper boil over. "You need to teach that rifle abomination to know its place brother. Get it out of my sight!"

	Hurriedly the brother grabbed her roughly by the throat shaking her violently while choking the air from her. She morphed back to her rifle form and the man left the tent and walked to one side of the camp where he placed her in a rack with other ordinary rifles. He spat on the ground at her as he took his leave and made back to his brother's tent for dinner. In a short time the smell of fire roasted meat and bread wafted through the air and a moment later a man carrying two plates of food for the brothers. As they ate in silence Ashah thought long about everything in her existence that had led to this moment and what she could have done to change it.

	And then Jason's words came back to her once again. I have a choice in how I face my difficulties. She repeated his words in her mind as the moon grew higher in the sky and the men finished the dinner. With many hours to think, she had formed her plan. With Jason's condition and her apprehension, it would take a miracle for it to work. At least if they failed, they would do so as free beings.

	Ashah waited as the last few men settled down into their tents for the nights before she made her move. With the less than pleasant sounds of their snoring signaling that they were fast asleep, Ashah changed to her geist form and moved stealthily to the tent where the leader and his brother slept. They had the keys to Jason's makeshift cell and she would need them to unlock it.

	Carefully she crept through the camp like a specter. As she neared the tent her body trembled with nervousness. If she failed here there would be no rescue for either of them. She peeled back the tent flap a millimeter at a time easing it to the side as she slowly made her way over to the two sleeping figures. With a little moonlight trickling in through the slit, she could make out the key ring on the ground next to the men's packs.

	With all the speed of a slug she sneaked over to the opposite side of the tent, careful not to trip or step on the sleeping figures. Sweat beaded on her face in large drops and she wiped if with the back of her sleeve delicately. With a grasp like iron she picked up the ring by the keys to keep them from jingling and turned to go back the way she had came.

	The older brother Almasi stirred in his sleep and Ashah's hearth leapt to her throat. But just as quickly as he had moved he lay still again and fell back into a slumber. With no more delay she flew from the tent and  made her way to another where they kept some of the loot from their skirmishes.

	Captured weapons, ammo, radios, clothing, packs and rations were held in a small tent in the middle of the camp. The men just piled things inside and took them as they needed them. Ashah tip toed through the throng of tents and snoring fighters over to her destination. She crouched outside the tent door, listening intently with her keen ears for any hint of danger. Satisfied there was no one inside, she slipped through the flap and began to stuff supplies into a large tan colored military bag. MREs, a radio, water canteens, a map and compass, clothing, and small supply loaded STANAG 5.56 magazines filled the pack. She swiped a couple of frag grenades, though she hoped they wouldn't have to use them. Stealth and swiftness was the goal here. Lastly she took hold of a standard M4A1 rifle looking it over in her hands.

	"What an ugly looking rifle, no passion in it's design, but he would be more familiar with this," she thought to herself. She noted the Aimpoint red dot on its picatinny and felt a twinge of jealousy because she couldn't mount optics to herself like her younger sisters could due to the lack of an optics rail on her receiver. She lifted the pack onto her shoulders. Easing out of the tent Ashah made a conscious effort to stay hidden in the shadows of the tents and mountain walls as best she could while moving with the foot fall of a whisper.

	She had neared the entrance to the cave when her heart stopped. A man had exited his tent just yards from where she was. She froze in place, partially hidden by shadow and hoped that the man didn't turn his gaze her way. And with what could only be described as a miracle the man turned in the opposite direction and walked over to the edge of the camp to relieve himself.

	Ashah breathed deeply to steel her nerves and headed into the inky black dark of the cave to find Jason. Had it not been for the numerous times she had made the routes in and out of the cave to retrieve Jason, she wouldn't know where to go. The dark enveloped everything, but she relied on her memory of the twists and turns to find her way.

	Unaware of Ashah's rescue attempt in progress, Jason lay on the freezing cold floor of the cave shivering. Though the tremors were not all from the nights frigid chill. Another nightmare clawed at him in the veil of sleep. He was being pulled from his cell by armed guards. He knew what was about to happen. He spat insults at them and tried to muster up courage but with them leveling their AKs at him and a butt stroke to the head he faltered slightly.

	They dragged him through the tunnels feet trailing behind him. Past the cave entrance. Past all the men looking at him with sneers right up to the square. They kicked his feet out from under him and forced his head down onto a wooden block. He turned his head and peered upward as a man took post beside him hoisting a large curved blade. He raised it above his head as the men began to cheer. Tilting his head away to the opposite side he saw a line of men next to him.

	They were his fellow soldiers. All lined up and kneeling on he block as he was. Jones, Mark, Hawkins and the rest of his friends from the ambush were all there, all staring back at him. As the man began to bring the sword down on Jason's neck, they spoke to him almost in a whisper.

	"Wake up..."

	Jason bolted upright at the hand shaking him awake much to his injuries protest. His heart beating a hundred miles per minute and sweat pouring down his face made it clear he was in a panic.

	"Jason! It's Ashah calm yourself. Everything is alright." Ashah whispered to him as she took the pack off her back and unbuckled the top to take out the clothes she had brought him. "Put these on, quickly."

	Jason blinked his eyes pointlessly trying to get them to focus on the form in front of him. The dark of his prison only allowing him to faintly make out the shape of the geist.

	"Ashah, what are you doing here...is it time already?" Jason questioned as his body tensed for the reply.

	"I'm rescuing you, or at least trying to. We don't have time to sit around and talk about it though. I've brought you supplies for the trip, now hurry and get dressed," Ashah replied as she shoved the clothes in his hands.

	The familiar feel of the cloth told him it was some of the standard issue ACUs of the U.S. Army. He stood and steadied himself against the wall of the cave as he dressed himself. Pulling on the pants first, then the jacket and boots. He hissed as the fabric rubbed against the wounds on his back.

	"Whats wrong Jason?" Ashah asked timidly as she she paused from unpacking some of the supplies.

	"Nothing, shirt just stings against the cuts. I'm fine."

	"Will you be able to shoulder the pack?" Ashah inquired worriedly.

	"I...think I can manage. I'll just try to tough it out," Jason answered and he finished lacing up the boots. He took a short breath as he lifted the bag from the ground and placed it on his shoulders while gritting his teeth at the discomfort.

	"Here, take this too, you can put the magazines in your pockets." Ashah placed the M4A1 into his hands and handed him four magazines which he stuffed into his pants front pockets save for one that he loaded into the rifle. Feeling around for the controls in the gloomy dark, he found the charging handle and racked it with a loud metallic clank which made Ashah's heart skip a beat.

	"Try to be more quiet, if we get caught they'll kill us on the spot," Ashah spat with growing anxiety in her voice.

	"Ashah...thank you for this. I'll never forget what you did for me today," Jason replied solemnly as he prepared himself for what was to come.

	"Don't thank me just yet, we still have to sneak out of the camp, through the mountains and find our way back to your command post," she remarked. "Are you ready?"

	"Yeah, but how are we going to get out of the cave? I can barely make you out." Jason reached out to feel for Ashah, accentuating his near blind visibility. Thinking quickly Ashah unwrapped her head scarf and tied it around her waist, leaving a short length free which she handed to Jason.

	"Take hold of this with your free hand and follow behind me, I'll take the lead. Once we get out of the cave network there should be enough moonlight to navigate with," Ashah explained as she turned and began to move out.

	Jason breathed deeply to calm himself and took hold of the cloth with his left hand while his right shouldered the American rifle to keep it steady as best he could.

	After a short while they saw light at the end of the tunnel and made for the mouth of the cave. At the cusp of the entrance they paused in the shadows and scanned for anyone who might have been up for a midnight piss. With no one in sight they eased out of the shadows and made a low quick hustle to the shadow cast by the tall mountain walls. They moved like this from shadows to the vulnerable open back again, darting around the camp.

	All was going well and they had made it to the camps entrance and were looking down the path to freedom when a man emerged from his tent. No doubt to take an ill timed leak. They wouldn't have worried had it not been for the fact that he had his rifle with him slung across his shoulder on its sling. He took two steps from his tent before looking right in their direction.

	In almost slow motion the man comprehended what was going on and moved to unsling his rifle to open fire on the group and alert the others. But Jason had beat him to the trigger. He jerked his rifle up and thumbed the selector to semi and fired two rounds into the man's center mass causing him to jerk with the impact and topple over backwards. The rounds cracked loudly in the cool night air alerting the whole camp to the goings on.

	"Jason run!" Ashah screamed as she turned and bolted alongside him down the path. They ran as fast as they could down the treacherous slope, Jason's adrenaline forcing his mind to forget his pain and exhaustion for the time being.

	They could hear screams and shouts of the men from the camp as they awoke to find their brother in arms dead and a missing prisoner. A few ran to the top of the path and spotted Jason and Ashah below running for their lives. The distinctive chatter of the AK sounded as rounds kicked up dirt around Jason and his companion. He stopped and turned momentarily to pop off a few rounds at the men to make them seek cover before turning to run again.

	Almasi and his brother strode through the camp barking orders at the men to pursue them and bring them both back for execution. His wrinkled weathered face was strained with boiling anger and hatred at the American for making him look like a fool. The camp armed themselves and ran down the path in pursuit of the two infidels stopping only momentarily to return fire.

	Jason and Ashah rounded a corner in the path, putting solid rock between them and the jihadists.

	"Ashah, are you ok!?" Jason screamed in-between bursts of fire from his own rifle and ducking behind the bend in the path to shield himself from incoming rounds.

	"I'm fine, let's go Jason! We don't have enough ammo to fight them off." Ashah grabbed hold of his sleeve and jerked him away from the engagement. Luckily she did, as a round barely missed Jason and smacked into his Aimpoint.

	"Shit, how am I supposed to aim now?" The rifle had no back up irons on it and looking through the scope Jason saw large distorting cracks in the glass where the round had fractured them on it's way through the side of the optics body.

	"Here, use one of these! It'll make them hesitate for a minute," Ashah yelled as she tossed him one the frags she had swiped in the tents stockpile.

	Jason caught the grenade with his free hand while he propped the rifle against the mountain face. Pulling the pin out he counted to two, stepped out behind covered and threw the grenade hard as he got to three and ducked back behind the bend. He picked up his rifle and they turned to sprint as they heard a deep thundering boom and screams of men behind them.

	As they ran down the trail the spray of gun fire slacked up somewhat as the men at the front of the charge were cut down by the shrapnel and the ones behind them were hesitant to take their place.

	"Jason, we're never going to make it if we just keep running down the path. We need to take a short cut down the mountain if you want to live," Ashah shouted as she pumped her shapely legs. Jason fired a short burst up the trail to keep the men at bay when his gun ran dry. Dropping the empty mag and turning to run he withdrew a fresh one from his pants pocket he slapped it into the mag well and pressed the bolt release to chamber a round as he ran alongside Ashah.

	"What do you mean shortcut?" Jason asked impatiently. His lungs were on fire and even through the massive adrenaline dump he was starting to feel the pain from his wounds. he was sure he had torn open some of the cuts on his back again as he felt damp, more so than sweat would feel.

	"We have to get down the side of the mountain to where the path lies further down. It will cut a lot of the path out...save us a lot of running," she answered in-between breaths.

	"How do you plan on doing that!" Jason yelled.

	Ashah gripped the last grenade tightly as she spoke to Jason, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

	"We have to jump and roll down the side of the mountain! It's the only way." responded Ashah. "I'll throw this last grenade and then we'll both jump!"

	Jason let a long burst from his M4A1 and as they rounded another bend in the path and came down a long slope.

	"You're crazy! What if we break our legs, then what?" he fired back at her.

	"Do you have a better plan?" she spat back as she pulled then pin on the grenade and lobbed it back up the path.

	"No, not really. I -"

	"Good because I just threw the grenade, now jump!" Ashah screamed as she cut him off. They braced themselves and jump down the side of the mountain as the grenade went off with a loud blast, scattering its body in all directions and cutting down a few of the combatants.

	They landed with a hard impact and rolled for what seemed like hours but it was only a few minutes. The drop down was only fifteen feet before they hit the side of the mountain and began their tumble, but it was jarring no less. In the chaos of the sprawling rumble down the steep rock wall Jason lost his grip on the M4A1 as he smacked into a small rock jutting out from the landscape.

	As they came to a stop a couple hundred yards below where they had leapt from they jumped up and took cover behind a large boulder to catch their breath and take count of the situation. Jason looked himself over quickly. Just scrapes and bruises and a few small cuts on his face. Jason looked over at Ashah to assess her next. A few tiny cuts and scrapes on her face and hands but nothing serious. He noted how durable AKs were seeing as how that's all she suffered in the tumble down.

	No rifle, no grenades, and more steep rock wall to get down before they made in to flat land. It was only a short drop down, less than forty feet. But there was no cover, and Jason had nothing to lay down suppressing fire with. But hey, they didn't break their legs he thought he let out a short chuckle.

	"Move now and live to laugh later Jason," Ashah said as she winced as the bits of rock and dirt being kicked around by enemy fire. "What's the plan now? We have to make it down the slope before we can be out of their range. I've been with them long enough to know most of them can't a barn door beyond two hundred meters."

	"I need to keep their heads down while we run for it. But I dropped my rifle back up there." Jason peeked his head out around the boulder to peer up at the insurgents. Most were standing at the ridge where they had jumped from but a few were slowly making their way down the steep face toward them.

	Ashah looked at him for a moment before reaching out her hand and grabbing his. He turned to look at her with a questioning look in his sapphire blue eyes. She blushed slightly as she spoke up with her idea.

	"Me...shoot me Jason, I'm a rifle remember?" Ashah spake quickly as she scooted closer to him. She squeezed his hand tightly as she prepared herself. "I've only got the one magazine though so make it count alright?"

	Jason nodded quickly as he moved to pick her up but paused not knowing what to do exactly.

	"So do I just..." Jason asked as the gun fire pelted there position.

	"Like this," replied Ashah as she embraced Jason and morphed into her rifle form. Jason looked over the Polish AKM in almost disbelief that a woman had been there before he blinked. Getting his head back in the game he flicked the selector down to the C setting for full auto.

	"Here goes something," he said aloud to no one in particular. He stood up and bolted from cover raking the ridge line with a continuous burst from Ashah. The kick from her heavier .30 caliber rounds pushed into his shoulder; he felt the concussion in his chest from the report of the rifle. The 7.62x39mm slugs rocketed toward the jihadists in haphazard patterns as the steel casings jingled as they hit the ground hard from the strong ejection. Jason let loose another short burst before turning and running down the steep incline to the ground.

	Down to the flat ground at last he turned and emptied her magazine at the silhouettes far above them before turning and running off into the night. He could hear the rifle fire tapering off as they cleared the fighters effective range. But he dared not stop until they were behind solid cover. Thank God for boulders Jason said to himself.

	Ashah appeared beside him in geist form breathing heavily and red in the face. Sweat poured down her tan skin and her ample chest heaved up and down with each deep breath she inhaled. Her entire form trembling like she had been electrocuted. And try as he might Jason couldn't help but notice the small points poking out from her robe on her chest.

	She looked over at Jason with a sly smile and wiped some of the sweat from her face before speaking, her pupils heavily dilated.

	"Was it good for you too?" she smirked and she lay her head back against the rock.

	Jason just looked at her with confusion and bewilderment. They had just narrowly escaped capture and death and she was acting like she was in ecstasy. What gives he thought to himself. Shaking the thoughts from his mind he picked him self up and winced. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and he was feeling the effect of the rough transit down the mountain.

	"Come on Ashah, we need to get out of here before the guys regroup and swarm us. I'll try the radio, see if I can get anyone on our frequency," Jason said hopefully as he pulled out the handheld from the pack and started messing with the controls. "Maybe I can get a helo to pick us up.

	"Um...can you carry me? I don't think I can walk right now," replied Ashah shyly. She stood up but was so wobbly in the knees she looked like she would fall over.

	"Yeah...that's fine, give me a minute to get some sort of communication going." he replied. Messing with the radio it buzzed to life with chatter. He actuated the push to talk button on the radio and spake into the mic.

	"This is Private Jason Winters of the 3rd Infantry division, serial 14158793. I am outside of the Sinjar mountains and wounded." Jason took a second to dig the map out of the pack and look it over. "Exact coordinates to follow, over."

	"Jason..." Ashah spoke up as he fiddled with the radio.

	"Yeah what is it?" he spake back to her, not taking his eyes off the comm equipment.

	"What will happen to me once we get back to your base. I'm a weapon of the enemy, they'll discard me or worse." Ashah asked slowly. Jason looked up from their life line.

	"You risked everything to rescue someone you barely knew and hated only a few weeks ago. I'll not let you go without a fight, that I promise."

	Ashah blushed again, smiling slightly as she cast her eyes to the ground in embarrassment. The radio crackled to life as someone from the other side answered Jason's S.O.S.

	"We read you lima charlie Private. Send us coordinates and we'll try to get a bird to pick you up, over."

	With a smile a country mile wide Jason stood up and wrapped Ashah up in a bear hug. She embraced him as well, curling her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest.

	"C'mon Ashah, let's get outta here."