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“I was aware of that, sir, but—”
“You concluded that as long as you kept the princess out of the game, so to speak, her uncle could not formalize that alliance.”
“Yessir. But—”
“And you recognized the importance of finding ways to prevent the invasion of Suwaith so that we would not be drawn into an armed engagement.”
“I didn’t know anything about the Suwaith situation until—”
“Finally, you factored in Amjad’s intention to acquire the princess for himself. You hoped that if you disrupted his plan, he might lose face, even show himself and be vulnerable to capture.” Black’s words were unhurried. Deliberate. Spoken in the same unemotional way he might have delivered them to an investigative body. “All intelligent conclusions, Lieutenant. No one could fault you for acting on them, especially when you had to make your decisions in the heat of battle.”
“Sir. I understand what you’re doing and I’m very grateful. But getting me off the hook changes nothing for Annie.” A muscle knotted in Dec’s jaw. “She’s in grave danger, sir, perhaps even more than before, now that she—now that she spent time alone with me. Her uncle may see her as—as damaged according to the tenets of Qaram’s culture. She may have lost her value to him…”
Dec couldn’t go on. If Annie’s uncle assumed she’d had a lover, if he forced a physical exam on her, who knew where his rage might lead?
Black went to his desk, picked up a pen and rolled it between his fingers.
“You’ve unknowingly defined the current situation, Lieutenant.”
“The current situation?”
“Your princess is up shit’s creek,” the captain said bluntly. “Intel’s been coming in almost faster than we can process it. For starters, you are correct in your conclusion that the Tharsalonian king no longer wants Anoushka. Therefore, her uncle has decided she should be used in a different fashion.”
Dec’s heart thudded. “What does that mean?”
“The deal the bandits made with Amjad is now Cyrus’s deal. Apparently, Amjad doesn’t care if the princess spent time alone with you.” His face tightened. “In fact, the son of a bitch seems to think her possible involvement with an American Special Ops warrior adds to her desirability. Some sort of convoluted slap in our face, as it were.”
Dec dragged air into his lungs. “No. That can’t happen.”
“In return for the princess, Amjad will aid in the invasion of Suwaith. He and his men will then have a sovereign state as their base—and a steady supply of oil to fund their activities.”
Dec’s head was spinning. Amjad with an entire oil-rich nation in his back pocket was bad news, but all he could think about was Annie in the hands of the terrorist. His reputation for barbaric cruelty was unsurpassed.
“There is, however, one bright spot in all of this.”
The captain’s voice seemed far away. Whatever he was saying was unimportant. Annie was all that mattered. No way could he let her fall into Amjad’s hands. He would go to her. Free her.
No matter what it took.
He knew that part of the world. He had contacts there who could help him get him into Qaram. He would find a way into the palace and get Annie the hell out. It wouldn’t be easy, but he had an intricate skill set and he didn’t have to wear a uniform to utilize those skills.
He would do whatever it took to free her.
His actions would also mark him as a renegade.
The life he loved in STUD would be over, but what did that matter when he could save Annie?
Black was still talking. Dec decided there was no sense in letting him finish.
“Captain,” he said abruptly, “there’s no easy way to say this.” He paused, aware that his next words would be irrevocable. “Being a part of this division… It means everything to me, sir. I’m proud to serve with you and the men in the Units. I’m proud of what we do. But I’m going to have to tender my—”
“Dammit, Lieutenant,” Black said, tossing aside the pen, “have you heard a word I said? Cyrus’s plans for his country have leaked to the Qarami underground. It’s a group loyal to the former king and it’s been waiting in the wings for a long time. They’re organized. Ready to establish a democratic interim government. All they need is some help in removing Cyrus from the throne.”
“That’s good news, I’m sure, sir, but by the time that happens—”
“Amjad is coming for the princess in six days. That’s just one hundred and forty-four hours from now. Cyrus is playing it quietly—he knows there’s strong opposition to him and he didn’t want the populace to be aware of his plan to link forces with Amjad, but word got out anyway. The Qarami opposition is determined to stop him.”
Dec’s face had gone white. “Annie, handed over to the Deliverer? Never. Not while I’m still alive.”
