AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His eyes had flashed with hostility. As if she was the threat.
But then, wasn’t she? Her refusal to cooperate could have gotten him killed.
He could have taken out Bassam and Jamal if not for her.
She should have let him.
Would Fahd be alive now? Had he been tortured because Diana was still a captive, or would they have gone after him anyway once the site they’d planned to loot had been exposed and their camp taken over?
Or had they lied about the timing of Fahd’s murder from the start? Perhaps he’d been killed in the days before she’d been taken?
She told herself to stop with the painful questions and instead take in the beauty of the stars. She might never know a moment of peace again after this.
Again, the SEAL came to mind. What did he think of that night? Did he hate her?
If she survived this somehow, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to see a photo or video of a man in combat uniform without feeling a surge of thanks mixed with regret.
She focused on the thanks part now as she stared up at a billion shining stars in the night sky. She didn’t let herself think of Salim, not when she was trying to find a moment of happiness in this bleak situation, so instead, she focused on the SEAL, her imposing rescuer.
All she’d seen of him were his eyes and cheekbones. The bridge of his nose. Dark skin. Brown eyes.
A knight in shining body armor.
What would it be like to lie under this starry sky and hold hands with a man like that? Strong, bold, confident.
She remembered how he’d said her name, his voice firm, engaging. As if he knew her.
It was the last time anyone had used her first name. The last time anyone had seen her for the person she was and not just a means to an end. A tool to manipulate.
A woman to control.
She placed her hand flat on the sandy ground, burrowing her fingers into the still-warm grains, and imagined the comfort of a hand to hold. Someone with whom to share this magnificent sky.
If she got a second chance at rescue, a second chance at life, she’d embrace it and do everything she could to aid her rescuers.
She wouldn’t make him—or whoever was sent after her next time—regret trying to save her.
Chapter Fourteen
Four days after the packing materials were delivered, a cargo van was sent to the site access point. As she directed the loading of the boxes, Diana feared her plan to personally deliver them to Rafiq would be nixed. She again pointed out she was needed to clean them. Write up her appraisal.
Make sure they got top dollar.
While all this was true, in the end, she figured it was Bassam’s and Jamal’s eagerness to move up in the organization by making themselves useful in the terrorist leader’s lair that made the difference.
The three of them would travel with the artifacts, and when they reached their destination, they would be put to work prepping the artifacts for sale.
Once the van was packed, they abandoned the site and set out, passengers in the back of the cargo van. She guessed Jamal and Bassam planned to return to the site to continue the excavation at some point given that the tents, workers, and equipment remained.
For herself, Diana had no intention of returning.
She was blindfolded for the lengthy drive. They made no stops at gas stations. Instead, they stopped and refueled with gas cans that had been strapped to the roof. She estimated they drove for eight hours, but time was hard to estimate without light cues. They were likely avoiding main roads or even actual roads, which meant they could be anywhere.
They hadn’t made an official border crossing, but for all she knew, they could have slipped over the border into Saudi Arabia, Iraq, or Syria with bribes paid in advance or in an unmonitored section of desert.
She was alerted to their arrival when she heard clipped shouts for a gate to be unlocked so the van could enter the compound.
The sound of iron slamming closed behind the vehicle had an ominous ring.
