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He accessed the servers, which kept a video feed of the satellite images for the last twelve-hour period. He brought the most recent feed up on his laptop and proceeded to scan through each image, carefully watching for any sign of the border being crossed.
Several hours later, he rubbed his neck and scowled at the screen in frustration. Nothing! No one had crossed the border since Erin had gone missing. She was still in Jawhara, but where?
Talib looked up when he saw Mr. Malone standing in the open door. He worried that he would begin peppering him with questions like his wife had, and he wasn’t sure he could remain polite. Nor did he want to be the one to tell them that their daughter was missing. Their pregnant daughter.
When he still didn’t leave the doorway, Talib finally asked, “Is there something that you need, Mr. Malone?”
Rubbing his head, Erin’s father yawned. “Yes, sorry. Would it be possible to get some coffee?”
Talib summoned the flight attendant and asked her to bring coffee to the bedroom, along with anything else the couple might want. When Mr. Malone still didn’t leave, Talib shut the lid on his laptop.
“Was there anything else?”
The older man laughed. “I’m definitely not awake yet. Um, when will we be landing?”
Talib checked the time, then told Erin’s father, “Our anticipated arrival into Jawhara airspace is in ninety minutes. You have time to freshen up before we land.”
Nodding, the older man thanked him and returned to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Talib blew out a breath, thankful that it was he who came out and not his wife, who he was sure would once again pepper him with questions he definitely didn’t want to answer.
He looked at his watch again, then he lifted the lid on his laptop. He had about an hour to come up with a plan to save the future sheikha.
21
ERIN
Erin awoke with the sensation of choking, gasping for air. She could barely breathe. The air was so heavy and filled with a horrible smell. To make matters worse, a heavy cloth covered her face. When she went to move it, she found her arms were secured behind her back.
As panic began to set in, she struggled to free herself, pulling against her bonds and kicking out with her feet, trying desperately to get any sense of where she was. When she heard someone approach, she stopped squirming, hoping that whoever had joined her was there to explain themselves and untie the ropes that secured her feet and hands.
A woman spoke harshly to her in Arabic and nudged her in the back. She attempted to move away and was hauled roughly to a sitting position. She felt groggy and wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep. What had happened?
Her head throbbed at the back of her skull, and her hair felt tight and knotted, as if matted together. She wondered if she was bleeding from a head wound. She must have been hit from behind, but by who? Her guard had been the only one behind her.Oh no, is Amir okay?
When the heavy cloth was removed from her face, she blinked, trying to adjust to the dim light and make out the features of her captor.
Swallowing, she hoarsely asked, “What have you done?” Calling upon the royal air of command she had heard Kamal use many times, she tried again. “Untie me at once. Where is my guard?”
The woman standing in front of her either didn’t understand or had decided not to respond. Erin was frustrated and ready to start screaming when the young guard appeared.
“Help me!” she called out to him, surprised to see him ignore her and begin conversing with the women in a language that sounded different from the Arabic other Jawharans spoke.
“What is going on here?” Erin demanded, growing more alarmed by the second. Kamal would send the entire kingdom to find her once word of her disappearance got back to him.
Amir approached her, squatting down to look her in the eyes. Gone was the friendly young man. “You are going to help us with a little problem.”
“The Sheikh will kill you for what you’ve done. Release me, before it’s too late.”
Amir shook his head, unconcerned with her threat. “He will try. Even now, he has people scouring the tents to find you. Don’t bother screaming, they have already been here and thoroughly searched this tent.” Amir stood up and seemed to transform. His body appeared feeble as his arms bent unnaturally, and he moved with a heavy limp toward the other woman. Turning, he held his hands up awkwardly and his speech became slurred. “They… foun…d no one bu…ttt my mo…ther and her dis…a…bled son. Me.”
Erin stared at him in surprise and opened her mouth to scream. He dropped down in front of her again, grabbed her around the throat, and squeezed. When he spoke, his voice was silky smooth, and he barely spoke above a whisper.
“I would recommend you don’t do that. I do not want to harm you, but your sheikh has made a grave mistake. His negotiations for the refugees to return is a fool’s dream. He was warned to stay out of Sumari politics and to let the refugees stay here in Jawhara. He didn’t listen. The trucks are to arrive next week to begin carrying these people back across the border. Unless the Sheikh cancels those trucks and tells the Sumari government that these people will remain here, he will not be getting you back.”
“Why does it matter to you? Doesn’t your mother want to return to her home?” Erin was confused and trying to understand why the refugees were not wanted back.
“You are an American, so try to understand. My country is a proud people with a great history, one that includes a strong Islamic faith and practice. These people”—he gestured with his arms, indicating the refugees—“They do not practice Islam in the old ways. They want to bring in Western heresies and contaminate the minds of our young people.”
“But I thought they were simply refugees who sought safety when the war broke out.”
