Cover of Darkness (27 page)

"Move in," Tehrazzi transmitted to his bodyguard.

"With pleasure," Assoud responded.

Fahdi picked up his pace when footsteps sounded behind him, and Tehrazzi knew why. Sunni death squads prowled the area at night. Fahdi must know anyone could have followed him here. And sometimes, those you thought were friends were more dangerous than your known enemies.

On screen, Assoud closed in and laid a heavy hand on Fahdi's shoulder.

Fahdi whirled around. "Jesus and Allah," he breathed into the scarred face of his Mahdi army contact. He placed a trembling hand over his heart. "I am unarmed, as always." He handed over the paper bag containing the required money.

Assoud stared hard at him and then systematically frisked him, stepping back only when he found no weapons. "You're early."

Three more of Tehrazzi's men stepped out of the shadows, menacing with their silence and rifles. Fahdi swallowed and glanced between the newcomers and Assoud.

"The woman. Is she here?"

Fahdi nodded. "They brought her this morning."

253

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

Yes, right after they escaped me in Damascus.
Tehrazzi zoomed in.

Assoud grunted. The thin scar on his chin stretched as he smiled. "You know what happened to the Syrian and his informant last night?" His hand idly stroked the jeweled hilt of a dagger sheathed at his hip, reminding Fahdi that Masood had been assassinated, and his spy had returned without a tongue, courtesy of that very same knife.

"Y-yes."

"You would not do anything to deserve such a fate, would you?"

"No." He took a step back.

"Your family would be very glad to hear you say that."

Fahdi paled. "You swore," he croaked. "You swore you would not hurt them if I helped you."

Tehrazzi was unmoved by the fear in his voice.

With a jerk of his head, Assoud called the other three men forward, and gripped Fahdi's arms to propel him toward the steel door of the third building down the street. Another camera followed their progress. Fahdi struggled for a moment, but the attempt was useless. He was trapped, and had nowhere to run if he did escape.

"My employer is most anxious to meet you," Assoud said.

"T-Tehrazzi?"

"Keep your mouth shut."

On screen, Fahdi's Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to swallow his terror. Tehrazzi knew what he was seeing in front of him. The shadowed building he occupied lay ahead, its 254

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

beige concrete walls bleak. Most men who saw the inside of it never came out again.

Despite the informant's resistance, Assoud muscled him toward his fate.

"I-I only work with the Americans to provide money for my family."

Exactly. And thus he would do anything to save his loved ones. Anything Tehrazzi wanted.

Assoud shoved him. "If you walk out of here alive, know that you are being watched wherever you go. No place is safe for you to hide from us."

"Bring him to me now," Tehrazzi commanded, growing impatient with the way Assoud toyed with his victim. Timing here was critical, as he had an important meeting to attend in Najaf that evening. He had no doubt the interview with this Iraqi civilian would be quick. Within a few minutes of the bodyguard's questioning, they would know exactly where Fahdi's loyalties lay and how best to exploit them.

[Back to Table of Contents]

255

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

Day 11, Baghdad

When Luke came out of the office early next morning, Bryn was waiting for him, munching on a banana. The furrow in her brow told him she had something on her mind.

She tossed her hair back. "Does Tehrazzi know I'm here?"

Luke took a sip of his steaming coffee. They'd been so goddamn close to getting him in Damascus. He'd been stunned to see Tehrazzi in the club doorway with his bodyguard. The closest he'd come to him in six years, and Luke had failed to get him. It drove him nuts. "Yes, as of last night."

He couldn't tell her any more, though. Fahdi had made brief contact to say he'd delivered the message to Tehrazzi, then hung up. Odd, since he was usually a gregarious sort.

The plan was to clear up a thing or two about one of his team members. Davis and Ali were out there now, sniffing around for more information. In case Bryn was right and Tehrazzi had known she was going to be at the club in Damascus, he wasn't taking any chances. Davis and Rhys had both reported Sam acting suspiciously. Little things. Nervous behavior. And she was friends with Fahdi and his wife. Luke doubted it meant anything important, but he wasn't willing to risk not following up on it. Besides, he had one other person on his radar as well. Both of them were being watched carefully.

256

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

Bryn pitched the peel into the garbage and folded her arms. "And what does that mean for me?"

"Nothing, yet."

She blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm not a machine, you know. I have feelings, nerve endings. I do not want to sit around waiting like a staked goat for Tehrazzi to come and get me. So what am I supposed to do? Sit inside twiddling my thumbs? Is it safe for me to go outside at all?"

He shrugged, though secretly he was impressed by her grit. "As safe as you going anywhere in Baghdad." If someone as observant and paranoid as Davis could get caught up in a suicide bombing, then anyone could.

"I did agree to come along for the ride," she allowed. "And while I understand your need for secrecy, I would appreciate you letting me know where I stand in terms of your current plans for Tehrazzi."

He tried not to let his amusement show, admiring the way she stood up to him. Few people attempted it. "That was a polite way of asking me what the hell I'm doing."

He had her. He could tell she was fighting back a smile.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing's changed. As long as you're covered by one of us, you can come and go as you please. Stay with Sam if you want. Hell, go shopping.

Tehrazzi's not in the city, or we'd have found out about it. For now, we wait." Until they discovered whether they had a mole, or located Tehrazzi. Which might not be comforting, but at least he'd given her an honest answer. He didn't have any firm plans for her yet.

257

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

"Okay." She studied him. "By the way, I have a business proposition for you."

He cocked an eyebrow. "What kind of proposition?"

"I know you're thinking of starting your own contracting firm."

"I am."

"And you know I've inherited my father's estate."

His gaze sharpened. "Yeah."

"Thing is, I'm not sure what to do with it. I don't intend to live in Beirut, but I don't want to sell, or rent it out to someone I don't know and trust."

"So what are you telling me?"

"I wondered if you might be interested in renting the place from me to use it as your headquarters. I mean, Beirut is a pretty good place for a guy like you to set up, don't you think?"

"You've obviously given this some thought."

"Well, since you're Rayne's dad and Emily's ex and a friend of my father's, it feels right to ask you. I think he would have approved."

No wonder she got along so well with Rayne and Emily.

She had spunk in spades. He smiled, a genuine eye-crinkling, teeth-flashing smile. A rarity, these days.

That evening Bryn lay on her bunk staring up at the ceiling. Dec and Luke were in the next room going over some new intel, and the twins were with Sam and Fahdi somewhere in the city. Ali was out on an expedition, prowling for information. That Davis guy had come in for a private meeting with Luke. Everyone had a purpose here but her.

258

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

She'd spent most of the day with Sam, helping her out with mundane tasks. Bryn wondered if Ben had noticed Sam's sidelong glances. Probably. When it came to female interest, Ben was a human radar.

If she didn't find something to do soon, she was going to go crazy.

She found Dec and Luke in the nerve center, bent over some maps, three computer screens glowing. Dec straightened, and that damned flutter went off again in her belly.

"Hey."

She blew out a breath, silently scolding herself for mooning over him. "Can I help with anything?"

The two men looked at each other.

"Filing? Sorting?" She felt stupid. She'd done worse than intrude on them, she was an annoyance. She wanted to shrink into herself. She hated having nothing to contribute.

Resigning herself to an evening climbing the walls, she pivoted on her heel. A cell phone rang and after a short pause, Luke addressed Dec.

"Ali's got a lockdown on Tehrazzi."

Bryn froze. Her heart bumped hard. Would Luke use her now?

His face was relaxed, but his eyes were intense as he listened to whatever Ali said. "Roger that," he replied. "I'll contact you once we're airborne. Rendezvous at the insertion point."

Disconnecting, he said to Dec, "Chopper's meeting us at the airfield in twenty minutes. This intel is perishable, might 259

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

not last more than a couple of hours." Then he studied her thoughtfully.

Her stomach clenched.

"You up for a walk in the moonlight?"

Her eyes widened, shot to Dec. His jaw was clenched. "I—"

"If Tehrazzi's not in the village, he's somewhere close by,"

Luke said. "If he finds out you're there..."

He might come out of hiding. "You want me to go into the village with you?"

"If necessary, yes."

Her heart rate doubled. If she went into the village, how would she speak to anyone? "But I'm not fluent—"

"If you have to go in, I'll go with you."

She glanced at Dec.

"Up to you," he said. "No one's going to force you if you're not comfortable with it."

Meaning he wished she'd say no. She might have, but going along could mean finishing this off tonight. If it worked, she could be on her way home tomorrow. And her father's death would be avenged.

She was tempted.

"Think about it during the flight," Luke coaxed. "If you decide not to go, you can stay on the chopper after we insert, and then one of the guys can pick you up at the airfield. But right now we've got to move."

"Okay."

Dec pulled an armored vest over her and donned his web gear, then from the gun lockers collected two pistols, ammunition and a deadly-looking rifle. As her brain finally 260

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

figured out that they were going downrange, her whole system buzzed with nervous energy. In the Hummer she found herself speeding through the darkened streets, Dec on his radio to Sam and the twins. At the airfield a helicopter awaited them, rotors turning. Dec helped her aboard, strapping her into her seat and fixing her up with a helmet and earphones. Within seconds they were loaded and airborne, the ground falling away beneath them until the lights of Baghdad twinkled below.

Over the radio Luke and Dec planned the mission with the backup team at the TOC. Trained to be calm and capable under pressure, Dec smeared camo paint on his face and throat, the backs of his hands. "Want some?"

Uh...would she need it? She was staying on the helicopter for now, wasn't she?

"Just kidding."

Joking with her while they flew toward a deadly operation.

For the life of her, she couldn't smile back.

The men synchronized their watches, discussing things with too many abbreviations and acronyms for her to grasp more than the basics, which was probably a good thing. The helo banked to the left, the desert below a darkening landscape of shadows, a sea of sand illuminated by the thin crescent moon.

"Well," Luke said, "you coming or not?"

Bryn chewed her lip. Tehrazzi didn't know they were coming. They had the element of surprise on their side. Dec and Luke would protect her. Besides, if Tehrazzi was where 261

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

the intel said he was, she wouldn't even have to go to the village.

Do it, Bryn. Get the job done and you can go home.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes."

Through the earphones Dec started briefing her. "Luke can take point, and you can stay back with me. It won't take that long to hike in and out—way less than you did with me in Syria."

Oh yeah, she felt so much better about this. Where was an airsick bag when you needed one? She didn't know the first thing about the kind of mission they were supposed to execute. What if she did something wrong? Blew their cover, slowed them down? She twisted her chilled fingers together.

She flinched when Dec took her by the shoulder and pulled her toward him, his warm fingers smoothing something cool and moist on her face. Cammying her up, so her fair skin wouldn't give them away. She shivered, realized she'd clamped her hand around his hard forearm, and closed her eyes.

"You're going to have to touch down," Luke said to the pilot. "She won't be able to fast-rope in."

"Roger that."

Oh, God. She was already compromising their safety, wasn't she?

"Bryn, look at me."

Her eyes swung up to Dec's face, his golden eyes emphasized by the dark greasepaint.

"This'll be a piece of cake. You'll see."

262

Cover of Darkness

by Kaylea Cross

He always tried so hard to convince her she wasn't a burden. "Okay."

A few minutes later the rotors whined and the helo slowed for descent. Dec and Luke checked their gear one last time, and then Dec placed a different helmet on her head, secured the strap under her chin and pulled something over her eyes.

"Night-vision goggles. Wait 'til you tell your friends."

Yeah. If she lived through this, it would definitely be a cool story.

His hand landed on her shoulder again, his touch solid, lending her courage. "When we set down, keep your head low and jump out, then run until I stop you. Luke will be in front, and Ali will be waiting for us."