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“That is the problem with you Westerners. You think that change is necessary. Islam has been our guide for centuries and will continue to do so long after your so-called democracy is destroyed.”
Spoken like a true extremist!“What about tolerance?” Erin asked. “Doesn’t the Qur’an teach tolerance and peace…”
“Enough! Do not think to lecture me about the Qur’an! I will not debate my actions with you. Now, do I have your promise that you will come quietly with me, or do I kill you and your unborn baby right now?”
Erin looked at the wicked-looking knife Amir still had by his side and tried not to shiver in fear. “I’ll come with you, but know this—Kamal will send people after me, and they won’t stop until I’m found. Why not just let me go and I’ll arrange for you to meet with him and discuss your concerns…”
“Talking is useless! Now is the time for action! Come,” Amir grabbed her arm and pulled her through the flap at the back of the tent. He paused briefly before leading her to a donkey and almost throwing her on its back, then tying her to its harness. Taking the reins, he carefully made his way through the tents, keeping an eye out for the guards that had begun searching them once again.
As soon as the coast was clear, he urged the donkey to a faster walk and quickly led them over the small rise of a nearby sand dune and down the other side.
Erin turned and looked back just before they reached the top, alarmed when she realized that within a few moments, there would be no chance of their escape being seen.
Kamal, please—come find me.
As Amir continued to lead the donkey farther and farther away from the refugee camp, Erin let her thoughts turn from ones of hope to ones of despair. Her parents should have arrived at the palace by now, courtesy of Talib, and Shira would be returning with Khalil any day.
She was to have been married in three days’ time, but the chances of that happening were starting to look impossible now.
Please, let someone find me. What I wouldn’t give to feel Kamal’s arms around me right now!
2
PJ
PJ Williams pushed her hands through her shoulder length, blonde hair in frustration.
“What are we missing here?” She stood on top of the Humvee, looking out over the refugee camp, feeling completely useless and inadequate—neither feeling was something she was used to dealing with.
While her statement had been addressed to no one in particular, the handsome man in charge of security in Jawhara answered her. “We will find her.”
She knew he believed that because in the short time she’d known him, to do otherwise would be to fail, and that was something he never did. Neither did she.
Gesturing to her com unit, PJ looked at him and replied, “They just finished searching the last tent, and they found absolutely no sign of Miss Malone in any of them.”
Talib nodded. “I received the same report. I’m pulling up the satellite feeds from the last two hours.” He turned back to the small laptop he had braced on his lap. “If Miss Malone’s not in the camp, they must be trying to take her across the border. There’s no other place for them to hide her.”
PJ turned and looked at the expanse of desert sand that stretched towards the neighboring country. “How far is the border?”
“About twenty miles.”
“Is it all level like this?” PJ asked, indicating the current landscape, which was flat with only a few small dunes. Her mind was already beginning to spin with renewed hope.
If they had taken her from the camp on foot, they could easily be overtaken in vehicles.
Talib shook his head and set his computer down before walking towards the vehicle. Climbing up, he joined her on the vehicle’s hood before physically turning her ninety degrees to the right. Pointing towards the north, he said, “There are mountains that way, filled with caves and used most often by the nomadic peoples. They could easily hide there until it was safe for them to cross into Sumari. To the west, there is nothing but sand and sun. Only a fool would venture off in that direction without adequate protection.”
PJ quickly put the pieces together. “So, whoever took her is heading to the mountains.”
“More than likely,” Talib replied.
“So, why are we still standing around here? Why not go after them?” PJ turned, surprised at how close Talib was to her. Close enough that she caught a whiff of his spicy cologne and could feel the heat coming off his side.
Swallowing, she tipped her head back and met his eyes through her sunglasses. “If we know where they’re going, why not head them off?”
Talib met her gaze. “It’s not that simple, and you know it.” He jumped down from the vehicle before reaching up to assist her.
PJ considered him and then nodded. “Yeah, I know it isn’t. I just wish it were. So, you’re the one with all the answers. What do we do now?” PJ allowed him to place his hands on her waist and help her down from the hood of the Humvee, ignoring the way her body came to life at the mere touch of his hands.
