Page 38 of Her Fearless Warrior

This time, he was wearing a tan suit with a blue tie. Someone was holding an umbrella over him. Once again, Leila had the feeling his clothes were tailor-made for him.

“I want to make very clear what I require from you. There is somebody in al-Assad’s organization who is a traitor. I want to meet this person and do business with him. You were going to, and I just want his information so that I might do a little business with him as well. Is that so bad?”

Again, Leila and Katherine didn’t make a sound.

He turned around and spoke in Arabic. Leila could not make it out, because he was turned away from her. When he turned back with a flashlight, she figured that was what he had asked for.

“Ahh, I see the rain has been both a blessing and a curse. You’ve been able to drink some water, but if my nose doesn’t deceive me, Katherine is now sitting in a brew of rainwater and piss. That must be delightful, dear.”

Leila looked down at her friend and saw that she was gritting her teeth so tight that she might break her back molars.

“I also see that the rain and rainwater have done wonders for your nipples, Leila. They are very enticing. Perhaps I will not just kill you after you provide me with the information. Perhaps I will keep you in my bed. For a while, at least. It is so fun to break a woman.

“Well, it’s time for your next twenty-four hours. There’s no rain in the forecast. So pretty soon you’re going to have to start drinking that swirl of rainwater, piss, and Allah only knows what else is down on that floor, so you can stay alive.”

He told his men to put the grate back over the hole.

Leila could hear his laughter as he walked away.

“How can I feel despair and fury at the same time, Katherine?”

“Hold on to the fury, Leila. You’re going to need it.”

8

It was the second throat he’d slit that night. For a brief second Linc knew that this might haunt him—as would all the others—but right now, he was a SEAL and he had a job to do.

“Number two down,” he whispered into his mic. “I’m continuing around the perimeter clockwise.”

“Mine are dead. I’m going counterclockwise,” Jase said.

“Jase, I have one right inside the gate, checking the perimeter.”

“Me too.”

“No noise, children.” Gideon reminded them.

“Yes, Dad,” Jase whined.

“Knives,” Linc said into his mic.

“Agreed.”

“We’re going to need to synchronize. I’ll count down.”

“Five.

“Four.

“Three.

“Two.

“Now!”

Linc let go of his knife and it hit his target perfectly. With that much force, not only did he hit the man’s jugular, but he also damn near cut off his head. He was dead by the time he hit the ground. Another silent kill. He heard nothing from Jase’s side, but he was aways away. How big was this damned house, anyway? Just how much space did one man need?

“Got him,” Jase whispered.