Page 21 of Rescuing You

This plan would have been perfect, if not for the sister.

He’d never met the woman, but he was already cursing her. No wonder she’d sounded off on the phone. No wonder her English hadn’t been good.

He should have known it wasn’t Leila. He’d been so grateful and relieved to hear from her that he hadn’t asked enough questions.

Stupid. It was that kind of stupid mistake that proved he deserved his call sign. A mistake that could get one of the sisters killed.

It was entirely possible that it’d already gotten him killed.

One obstacle at a time.

At the bottom of the second flight of stairs, he crept through a dark room that he assumed backed to the courtyard, the opposite direction he’d planned to go. A living area, based on the sofas and chairs. He reached a door, hoping it led outside.

Leila gripped his arm, hard, and he turned, eyebrows lifted.

She tipped her head to another door.

Okay.

They moved that direction, and he leaned down to speak in her ear. “This opens into the courtyard?”

She nodded, the silky strands of her hair brushing against his cheek.

“Where is your sister from here?”

“This opens near the wall, so we’ll be in shadows. We’ll go straight across, then turn at the far edge and pass the first building. The second is the guest-house. Jasmine will be there.”

He took a breath, then pulled Leila into his arms. She felt so good there, so perfect. He wanted to relish the moment, knowing it might be his last opportunity to hold her.

She held onto him as if she feared he’d walk away. Or disappear. Or maybe just to remind herself this was real, he was real.

He knew exactly how she felt.

Whatever risks he’d already faced, whatever threats remained, he’d do this again. He’d risk everything to keep Leila safe, no matter the cost.

They’d been growing closer since they started dating. They’d seen each other whenever he was in town. They’d talked on the phone every day, texted multiple times a day.

How had he not realized his feelings for her had expanded? How had he not realized before she disappeared how important she’d become to him?

Her body was too thin, her face, in the greenish glow of the NVGs, nearly gaunt. She didn’t smell like perfume and flowers and shampoo like she had back in Germany. She needed a shower, and a good meal, and to be told how very loved she was. She needed to be cherished and pampered.

Protect Leila and her sister, Lord. Help me get them out of here.

He added a prayer for himself but wouldn’t dwell on that.

Reluctantly, he let her go, turned the knob, and stepped into the courtyard. His gaze went straight to the guard.

He wasn’t in the chair.

He was on the ground, wiggling. Trying to get free of his ropes. In the silence, Michael could hear the man’s grunts around the gag.

Staying near the stone wall that lined this end of the compound, Michael led the way across the dirt-covered yard, considering his options.

He could run into the open, risk being seen, to knock the guard out again.

Or grab the sister and hope to get away before the man could raise an alarm.

Michael had dumped the chloroform rag, not wanting the poison anywhere near himself or Leila. To silence the guard now, he’d have to put him in a chokehold and render him unconscious. And he’d have to do it without the man making any noise. Which he could probably do.