by Kishan Paul
The woman typed into her computer. “You are right, the auditorium and connecting classrooms are free tomorrow afternoon. Would four hours be enough time to get this done?”
“Yes.”
She continued typing. “Then you have full use of those rooms from ten a.m. to four p.m., Friday. And…”
A tear slipped down Ally’s cheek.
“Get out of there. Hostile crossing the street. ETA ten minutes. Max.”
“There is so much left to discuss,” she said in response to the directive.
“You being dead won’t help the discussion.”
Sanaa glanced up from her typing. “And we will discuss them. Just let me finish sending out this alert to all the professors so they can tell their classes. I am also asking for student nurses to volunteer to help with the drive.”
Ally cleared her throat and gripped her purse. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“You’re welcome.” She slid the credit card back to her. “You said there was more to discuss. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Her muscles tightened. “There is one thing.”
“Nine minutes. Hostile entering the building. He. Is. Armed. And will kill you and anyone else in his way. Do you understand?”
Ally gave a slight nod but didn’t rise from her seat. “I need a few more minutes of your time.”
“No.”
“You have it.” Sanaa propped her elbows on the desk and leaned forward. “I am listening.”
“Fuck.”
“Aadam’s biological father is alive, and he would be the best match for my son. I need help finding him. If we can’t find an identical match, his father would be the second-best option.”
“I’m not sure how I can help.”
“Hostile is at the elevators waiting to go up. Get your ass out of that chair. Now.”
Ally’s fingers twitched at the anger in his words. She ignored the voice and focused on her mission. “His father is your brother.”
Sanaa went rigid, her face emotionless. Ally dug in her purse and pulled out the manila envelope of pictures. She laid the one of her and David in front of her. “Almost eight years ago, I was kidnapped and taken to Pakistan against my will.”
“Hostile entering the elevator.”
She slid the image of her with Sayeed beside the first. “For two years, Sayeed did things to me that no human should be allowed to do to another. He was a man of money and means and kept guards to make sure I wouldn’t leave.”
Sanaa’s face paled. “How does this have anything to do with my brother?”
“He was one of Sayeed’s trusted guards who kept me imprisoned.”
She shook her head, and when she tried to speak, Ally talked faster. “With the help of some very good people, some of whom died in the process, I and many others were able to get away.”
“And my brother?”
“Has hated me since the first moment he met me. He and Sayeed’s first wife escaped.” She slid a picture from Wassim and Alyah’s wedding day on to the table. “They were married shortly afterward.”
She cringed at the mumbled curses spewing through the earpiece and stayed focused on her mission.
Sanaa picked it up and stared at it, shock and disbelief evident in her face.
“I should have known it wouldn’t have ended there, but I was just so happy to be home with my husband.”
“Hostile one floor away.”
“Three years later, your brother came for me.”
Sanaa’s lips pursed and she didn’t appear to be breathing.
“He had my husband killed and threatened to kill others as well if I didn’t return. So, I met him in his new home in Karachi with his wife and child.” She slid the picture of Wassim with Alyah and Jayden on to the table. “They had a son together, the child I now call my own, Aadam.”
The woman’s face flushed a deeper red. She didn’t touch the picture, just stared at the image. “You are mistaken. I’ve not seen my brother in a very long time, but he is a good man, not a killer. I would have been aware if he’d gotten married, much less had a child.”
“I am not mistaken. He tried to kill me in Karachi, but things didn’t go as planned. Alyah was killed. I managed to get away and save his son. We tried to find him or relatives of his who would raise his child. Alyah once told me he had a sister,” she lied. “But she never shared your name or how to find you. After months of searching, we gave up, but I refused to leave Aadam in an orphanage. Instead, I adopted him and raised him as my own. But now he needs his father more than he needs me. Your nephew will die if we don’t find your brother. I am willing to risk my life to save his.”
“Exiting the elevator now. Hostile is five hundred yards from you. Get your ass out of there otherwise I’m sending someone in.”
She rose to her feet. “If you have any way of contacting him, please tell him Sara Irfani has returned and is willing to meet him. Show him the pictures and tell him his son needs him.”
The woman remained rooted to her chair and stared at the images spread over her papers.
“I’ve taken up enough of your time, so I will leave you now. My contact information is in the papers. And regardless if I meet him, thank you for all your help. I will be here for the drive tomorrow.”
The voice in her ear exhaled a sigh of relief at her announcement. “When you exit the room, turn left, and keep walking. The elevators are on the right.”
Ally made a beeline for the door.
“A group of students will be passing by you. Step in behind the one in the green skirt on my count.”
She opened the door and watched the group approach.
“In three.”
“Two.”
“One.”
As soon as the woman in a white tee and green skirt moved past, she fell in step behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at the man shadowing her. Bearded, with a cap and glasses, he stared at his cell, oblivious to her presence.
“Face forward. Head down.”
She complied.
“Twenty steps ahead on the left is a door to the stairs. Take it. The man behind you is one of mine. He’ll follow you out.”
Her hands shook while her heart slammed in her chest. Ally entered the stairwell with the individual on her heels. As soon as the door closed behind them, he grabbed her arm and rushed her down the stairs.
She pulled herself out of his grip.
“You don’t recognize me, do you?” He kept his focus on the steps and guided her down the flights. She alternated between descending the steps to scrutinizing him, trying to figure out why he looked familiar.
The corner of his mouth curved up. “Imagine no beard. Best cricket player, best-looking, smartest, and had no shame reminding you of how great I was every chance I could.”
She tripped over her feet as an image of the cocky young boy popped in her head. “Omar?”
He grabbed her elbow, steadying her. “The one and only.”
“You’re part of ALPS?”
“This is not the time for a fucking family reunion.”
Omar propelled her forward. “Boss is right. We’ll save our reunion for later.”
Questions consumed her. She bottled them for the later time he promised. Instead, she gripped his hand in hers and followed his descent. As soon as they arrived at the exit, he pulled her back from door. He reached over and pulled out her earpiece. “Slight change in plans.”
Omar scanned the area while slipping his and her pieces in a bag and stuffing them into a nearby trashcan. “We are going off grid for the rest of the night. No one on the team, not even Boss can know our location.”
Warning lights flashed in her head. She stared into his dark brown eyes as he searched hers before pulling away. Not all the boys were well intentioned. “Why can’t Eddie and the team be made aware of where we are going?”
“It’s what I’ve been directed to do.”
“By whom?”
Omar let out a breath.
“Boss…Eddie.”
“He didn’t tell me any of this.” She retreated another step. “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”
His brows rose and shot her a somber look. “You don’t.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
SECURING THE ASSET
It wasn’t until the CCTV showed her on the back of the bike and riding away from the nursing building that Eddie finally relaxed. Why did she have to be so fucking stubborn? He ground his teeth. Two words had been screaming on repeat in his head since she’d gotten away.
Twenty seconds.
The window of time by which Alisha had missed Adil. Twenty fucking seconds saved her ass. If she had been any slower, if he’d been any faster… He scratched through the stubble on his jaw. All the scenarios ran in his brain, and the outcome in each was she’d either have wound up dead or in Wassim’s hands. The fact that both options were avoided in a matter of seconds made every fucking muscle in his body taut. Eddie leaned his head to the side until it popped. Too much was going on. He tipped his head to the other side until he got the same response. “Twenty fucking seconds.”
She was safe, he reminded himself. Now, tomorrow was going to be a whole other version of hell. And what happened from this point until then was out of his hands—mostly. His fists clenched. She was out of his hands. The idea of Alisha out in the city and not under his personal protection didn’t sit well with him. But what fucking choice did he have? He had a leak, and her safety depended on him trusting the right people.
And outside of Raz, Om was the one other person he trusted with everything he considered valuable. The muscle along his jaw twitched. Once she realized she would not be returning to the nursing building for the drive she’d just set up, all hell would break loose, and then he’d probably be glad she couldn’t get to him.
The back of his neck continued to throb. He gritted his teeth and rubbed the tension area. Eddie sucked in a breath and tried to focus on the situation at hand. By this time tomorrow, a lot of things would be clearer. Om and Alisha would have boarded a train to New Delhi where he’d deposit her on a flight back to the States, and they would either be celebrating the completion of the biggest mission of the team’s career or…not.
“Focus on what you can control.” The words she said the other day floated into his head before he could finish his thought. He wasn’t sure if it was the advice or the sound of her voice speaking or both, but whatever it was, it eased him. Eddie nodded at the advice and focused on the monitor.
By all intents and purposes, today had gone well. If not already, very soon Wassim would have proof she’d arrived. He clicked on the footage of Adil and his men rushing through the halls and classrooms of the nursing building. The sick piece of shit screamed orders and searched for a woman long gone. Thanks to the team.
His boys were in the dark about a lot of things but followed orders and handled themselves exceptionally, even after they realized the life they protected was a mother they hadn’t seen in over six years. Their directions were to extract an asset and the specifics would be divulged when necessary. He had no intention of telling them. Not until he figured out who’d betrayed him. Instead, he gave them a description of her outfit and allowed them to figure the rest out when they had eyes on her. Granted he knew they’d question him, but thus far, none had.
He scanned the surveillance of Adil, taking in the angry man who paced Sanaa’s office. Rafi, the second man in the room Eddie was still trying to figure out, sat in the corner with Wassim’s upset sister. His arm around her, she rested her head on his shoulder and talked while he nodded and listened.
Eddie rose from his seat in the control room and headed to the bathroom. As soon as the door was locked, the fan turned on, and the water running, he made a call.
“Yeah,” a male voice answered before the second ring.
“You should have acquired the Go bag by now.”
“Affirmative.”
It was time to update Om on the next phase of the plan. “Somewhere in the bag should be a phone. Find it. Wait for a call. The contact will instruct you where to go and what to do next. We won’t talk again, and under no circumstances do you let anyone, myself included, know where she is.”
“I need answers.”
Eddie cut Om off before he could push further. “We have a leak, and until it’s identified and sealed, she needs to be kept hidden.” He disconnected and pocketed his device before using the facilities and heading back to the control room.
Their apartment was located on the eighth floor in a twenty-five-story complex not too far from the train station and a half-hour walk to the university. The four-bedroom, three-bath rental situated in the back of the complex had been their home base for over three months. The setup worked well. The brothers passed themselves off as college students sharing the rent while attending classes, and they’d done a good job of blending in. They fit the age and dressed the part, even carried backpacks and partied. Of course, most college roommates didn’t store ammunition in their closets, in the kitchen, and inside furniture, but the neighbors didn’t need to be made aware of those specifics. Nor did most tenants transform their dining rooms into makeshift control centers, complete with over a dozen computers and other electronics. Then there were the discreet security cameras they’d installed all over the area. Aside from all those extra additions, the place resembled a typical home with a well-stocked kitchen, where grown-ass men made messes and argued about whose turn it was to clean up.
Eddie entered the dining room and eyed Sai. “Give me an update,” he said as he slid back to his spot on the other side of the table. His command was met with the sound of fingers tapping the keypad. Only the tips of the black hair crowning the young man’s head and the thick black band of his headphones were visible over the multiple big screen monitors facing him.
“Subject made calls to five different numbers,” Sai announced. “Four were from lines we already monitor, but the initial call was a new one.”
“What do we know about it?”
“It was to a burner in Islamabad.”
Eddie’s brows rose. “Wassim.”
“Not sure. Trying to tap in to it now.”
The words eased his tension a bit. The thing he liked about Sai was that the kid knew what to do without having his hand held. “Good. Monitor all activities on all those lines.”
“On it.”
Eddie glanced at the kid’s ruffled appearance. His team consisted of him and six barely legal operatives. Compliments of Sayeed, they all had a working tactical knowledge on how to kill. After the separation, Eddie did his best to place them with military families who channeled their tactical knowledge in more effective ways. Things didn’t work out with all of them the way he’d hoped, but with these six, it did. They were tough and fearless, volunteering for assignments without a second thought and giving their everything when they were out on missions. Which was why he turned his head to their womanizing and drinking.
“Om shut off his body cam as soon as he entered the stairwell.”
Eddie feigned interest and braced himself. Sai paused mid-type, glancing at him before returning to his task. “The guys acquired his cell and their earpieces from the trashcan in the nursing building and, of course, both his and the asset’s comms are off. He abandoned his bike twenty miles away. They’re checking it for leads now.” He ran his hand through his already messy mop of hair and leaned back in his chair. “I’m scanning through traffic cams, dashboard cams, CCTVs, all the facial recognition imagery we have access to.” Sai rubbed the back of his neck. “I still haven’t located them, but I do have a theory.”
Eddie crossed his arms. “Which is?”
“That you knew how today would play out. That he’s doing exactly what you ordered him to do.” Sai raised his brows and stared him down. “And for the record, it would have been nice to be made aware my mother was the asset before she walked into the building today.”
It appeared the cyber-tech was
stepping into the role of interrogator. Eddie scrutinized him, wondering just how many other roles he might have stepped into. He let out a breath. “There are reasons for why I didn’t share that information.”
“And I’m sure there are reasons for why you had Om take her and go dark.” He returned his headphones to his ears and typed on the keyboard. “He’ll keep her safe. Just like I know he will be in contact with you once he gets where he’s going.”
He watched Sai work. “How can you be sure he won’t hurt her? He might be taking her to Wassim right now.”
Sai laughed. “Omar hates Wassim and worships the ground my mother walks on. He’d kill anyone who tried to hurt her, and considering he’s a damn good shot, I’d feel sorry for the person who tries.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
OMAR
Ally sat at the foot of the hotel bed and surveyed the tiny room. Four tired walls painted orange surrounded her. Years of dirt darkened certain areas of the partition to a darker orange than others, and peeling paint revealed the gray cement beneath. White tile, cracked and stained, covered the entire floor of the room. Aside from the bed, the only other pieces of furniture in the space were a small black plastic table beside the mattress and a dresser positioned against the farthest wall. Aside from a missing drawer and the corroded mirror on top of it, the dark wood piece appeared to be in decent shape. The exterior of the building was worse off than the interior, making it clear the hotel fell somewhere below a one-star facility.
After they’d abandoned the motorcycle, he handed her a scarf to wrap around her head and guided her through a small alley packed with fruit stalls and shoppers. Head lowered, they weaved through the crowds until they’d made their way to the other side of the street, to a car parked behind a large truck; a car for which he already possessed the keys. He guided her inside and went to the trunk and retrieved a duffel. From the bag, he pulled out a paper with an address and a phone. He made two calls on the phone and then tossed the device out the window as they drove off to their current spot.