Page 31 of Her Fearless Warrior

“Jase,” he whispered softly into his mic.

“Yeah?”

“Around the corner to your right, then down the alley, take another right. You’ll see an oil drum with a small fire. Plant the C-4 there. Just a little, but enough to keep them occupied and enough to drown out the engine while we drive away. Once you do and you’re clear, I’ll shoot it. That should make a fine distraction.”

Jase chuckled. “Well, that’s clear as mud. Any chickens or dogs nearby?” Jase asked.

“Nope.”

“On it.”

Linc set up his rifle, using the ledge of the building to steady it. He took aim at the barrel and waited.

Six minutes later, he saw the walking sausage slip up to the oil can. Jase bent down as if to tie his shoe. Made sense in case he was spotted. From this angle Linc couldn’t see Jase planting the C-4, but he knew he’d succeeded, because he stood back up. Then, like mist on water, he moved back to the alley.

Linc spotted the C-4. It looked like a lot.

Dammit.

He took the shot, and the oil can flew into to the sky as an explosion burst in a twenty-foot diameter.

Dammit.

He heard yelling. He turned his rifle to the car and saw the men running toward the explosion. Now was their chance.

He shimmied down the side of the building til it was safe to jump. He ran full out to the Buick, not caring if he was seen. He’d just be one more man in a kaftan running around because of the explosion.

Jase was in the driver’s seat.

“No keys.”

“Fuck,” Linc responded.

Jase had his multi-tool knife out. “I’m on it,” Jase assured him. Linc watched as he pulled out the flathead screwdriver and jammed it into the ignition and turned. The car roared to life. Jase grinned.

“Nice job. Now get us the fuck out of here,” Linc said.

“It was luck,” Jase said. “Nothing but luck.”

“Let’s hope it lasts.”

* * *

“They can track us,” Leila said as she hung up the phone with Captain Evers and shoved the phone back at Katherine. Leila prayed that the power on the phone would last long enough for them to pinpoint their whereabouts. She heard the rustling of clothing but couldn’t see anything. Then the back of the truck doors were flung open and the moonlit sky illuminated the back.

“Get out of the truck,” a man yelled in Arabic.

As soon as they stumbled to the back of the truck, someone grabbed each of them by one of their arms and yanked them out so that they fell to the ground. Leila didn’t make a sound, and neither did Katherine.

Leila remained exactly where she was. On the ground was good, on the ground was great. Fresh air and nobody was hitting her.

She heard footsteps coming toward them. Then she saw wingtip shoes in front of her. “On your knees,” he said in Arabic.

Leila didn’t move.

“Do you really want me to let my guards hurt you? They will. As a matter of fact, they would be happy to.”

Why did he have to sound so pleasant?