Betrayed: Prequel to Unhinged

by Natasha Knight

“Right on time,” he says with a smile. His eyes slide over the phone before meeting mine. “Let’s take a look at what you found.”

  Zack picks up the phone and quickly scrolls through the photographs. He smiles, nods to me, then opens the laptop and attaches the phone to it with a cable. Several minutes pass before he speaks.

  “These are difficult to read, but good,” he says.

  I know they’re not what he’s looking for. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want. What was important.”

  He closes the laptop and gives me his full attention. “Anything you find, even if you’re not sure how or what it is, could be important. These men use secret codes of communication—”

  “These men? My brother isn’t—”

  “The men your brother is currently working with, well, you said yourself they’re…not good.”

  I just sit there not knowing what to say.

  “I’m going to send these to our specialist. He’ll look through them carefully and hopefully, there’s something useful in them. Now, were you careful?”

  “Yes.”

  “Armen doesn’t know you took these?”

  “No.”

  “Good.”

  He rises to his feet. I do the same, feeling embarrassed. Disappointed. “We’ll meet again next week.” He reaches into his pocket, withdraws a folded sheet of paper that he reads over once before handing it to me. “We’ll meet at this address. It’s a public place. Do you know where it is?”

  “Yes.” It’s a coffee shop on the other side of the city.

  “Same day and time.”

  “Okay.” I take a step to the door but he strides over before I reach it. His hand closes around my arm to stop me. The touch is gentle, but deliberate. I look down to where he’s holding me and when I look up, his head is bowed and I meet his gaze through his thick lashes.

  “You did good, Eve.”

  I study his eyes, the smile inside them. The reassurance. I know the information is useless, but I find myself smiling.

  “I’ll get something better next time. I’ll look harder.”

  “Most importantly, be safe.”

  “I will.”

  4

  Zach

  One week later, I’m waiting at the café. I’m early, but I’m always early. I’m sitting in civilian clothing looking like any other tourist in this busy place. That’s why I chose it, the fact that there’s a high amount of foot traffic here. We’ll go unnoticed. I have a man stationed along the path she’ll walk. I want to be sure she’s not followed. That Armen doesn’t have a tail on her. She’s not experienced enough to know herself and I’m not about to let her get caught in his web. Not about to let her get hurt.

  The information Eve provided last week wasn’t very useful, but it was her first time and it’s what I expected. Today, it’ll be better. And the time after that, better still. She wants to save her brother. I don’t need to give her any more motivation than that.

  But she’s different than other informants. Maybe because of who she is. Or maybe it’s that there’s something about her that draws me to her. Something innocent and sweet and vulnerable. It’s the reason I’m meeting her today. I should give her more time, this could be a waste of mine. It’s what my commander thought. It’s not often I’m questioned in regards to my work, but today, he questioned.

  She walks in at that moment and my brain switches into protector mode. I watch her from my seat in the corner. She’s wearing a short skirt and a T-shirt. Her hair is pulled into a ponytail and if she’s got any makeup on, it’s minimal.

  She doesn’t see me right away and I force my gaze from her and look around the room to see if anyone is watching more closely than is normal. She’s an attractive girl. She’ll draw attention. I know that, but I find I don’t like the way gazes linger, the way men sneak sideways glances at her, and I have to remind myself that I’m not here for those men. I’m looking for others. The dangerous kind. The kind with intent to harm. I clear my throat and make a small movement. She sees me and smiles, almost waves, but drops her hand and fixes a serious expression on her face as she makes her way to me.

  I wonder if she noticed the soldier who would have followed her. I don’t plan on mentioning it but am curious if she will.

  “Hi,” she says, sliding into the seat across from me so her back is to the room. Mine is to the wall where I can see everything.

  Jared, the soldier who tailed her, walks into the café, newspaper folded under his arm, and orders a coffee. From the corner of my eye, I watch him take a seat at the bar and open the paper. I know he’s not reading a word of it though. It’s an Arabic language paper. He couldn’t if he wanted to, and his mission isn’t the news. It’s to make sure she’s safe.

  “You found the café all right?” I ask, raising my hand to get the waitress’ attention.

  “Yes. I know the city well.”

  “Good.” The waitress arrives. “What would you like?”

  “Oh, just a cup of tea please.”

  I order another coffee and when the waitress walks away, Eve tucks a hand into her bag and withdraws her phone. She sets it on the table and smiles nervously. “There’s more this time. I hope it’s useful.”

  Placing my newspaper over top of the phone, I smile. “Were you safe? Does Armen know?”

  “You keep asking that. I told you no. And he won’t find out.”

  But Armen’s a smart guy. I know she’s banking on her innocence to keep her safe while she does what she’s doing, but she doesn’t know men like Armen El-Amin. He’s not the brother she thinks he is.

  “Don’t take any risks, understand?”

  “Yes.” The waitress comes with her tea and my coffee. I take the opportunity to drag the newspaper toward me, pocketing the phone and setting the other one I’d brought for her on the table.

  “Here you go.”

  She takes it, glancing around nervously before she slides it into her purse. When she meets my eyes again, there’s a long moment of silence. I know it disarms her. I can see it on her face, in the blush that creeps up her slender neck to color her cheeks. She clears her throat a moment later and makes to stand. I don’t know why, but I place my hand over hers.

  “Sit.”

  I see her throat work as she swallows. She’s nervous. Anxious. Why do I like her like this? I’m abusing my power over her. She’s inexperienced. A girl—barely a woman. She’s intimidated, but curious. The pulse at her throat is working frantically, giving away her pounding heart, and she licks her lips as she settles back down. She doesn’t pull her hand away and her eyes are glued to mine. One corner of my mouth curves upward as I release her and sit back, picking up my small cup of Turkish coffee. I sip the thick black liquid while watching her and maybe it’s the fact I haven’t been with a woman in a few weeks, but my mind races with images of Eve that would make her face burn crimson.

  I clear my throat, but my voice sounds hoarse when I speak.

  “Drink your tea, Eve.”

  She’s unsure what to do, what’s expected. I wonder if she’s ever even been on a date. I doubt she has. But I know she likes this. Likes sitting across from me. Looking at me. Likes me looking at her.

  She picks up her tea and sips.

  “Good.” I’m not looking at her when I say it. Instead, I finish my coffee and reach into my pocket for my wallet, extract some bills and set them on the table. “Stay and finish your drink. Order something to eat if you like. Don’t leave until ten minutes have passed. I’ll be in touch about our next meeting.”

  I rise to my feet and make my way out of the cafe, knowing I’ve confused her, but thing is, I’m confused myself. She’s an informant. She’s the sister of a wanted man. There’s nothing I should be doing apart from gathering information. Keeping her safe is part of my mission, but data gathering is number one. Too much at stake for this to become anything else.

  A little over an hour later, Jared walks into my office at headquarters. He’s casual about it, barely
rapping his knuckles against the door to alert me to his arrival. I’ve known Jared for four years and although we’re not friends, I trust him with my life.

  “Was she followed?” I ask when he closes the door and sits down across my desk.

  Jared shakes his head. “No. And she did just like you said. Sat there for ten minutes before walking out. Looked a little disappointed you left so quickly. Didn’t even finish her tea.”

  I know from the look on his face that he’s digging. I don’t give him a verbal response.

  “You think she’s trustworthy? I mean, she’s El-Amin’s sister,” he says. That’s what he was getting at.

  I feel my jaw tighten. “Are you questioning my judgement?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Good.”

  “She’s a nice-looking piece though, isn’t she? Nice—”

  “She’s an informant, not a ‘piece’. You’ll respect her. Am I clear?” My voice is harder than I intend.

  One side of Jared’s mouth curves upward. I just confirmed what he was thinking.

  “Relax. She’s a little too clean for my taste.”

  I don’t know if he intended to piss me off, but he just did. I rise to my feet, notice that my hands have fisted. “I asked you a question, soldier.”

  The chair he was sitting on scrapes the floor as he gets to his feet.

  “Yes, sir. Understood.”

  I slowly sit. He remains standing. I focus my attention on the sheets of paper in front of me, flipping through them. “Is there anything else?”

  “Just that her brother’s vehicle was parked in the driveway when she arrived.”

  I glance up. “Did you see him?”

  “No.”

  I hate leaving her in that house with him.

  “Any useable intelligence?” Jared asks, changing the subject.

  I tap a key on my laptop and the screen comes to life. “Take a look at this.”

  Jared comes around the corner to look at one of the photos Eve had taken. A picture of a picture. It’s the street sign in the corner I’m curious about.

  5

  Zach

  I’m waiting at a stall near our meeting point. Eve is late, which is unusual. It worries me. She’s worried me since day one. The more I get to know her, the more protective I feel of her. The more anxious I am every time she walks into her house while I watch, unobserved. I follow her home after each of our meetings. We’ve been at this for two months now. I don’t like the idea of her walking alone. The moment she enters her house and closes the door, she shuts me out. And I can’t stop thinking about what Armen would do if he found out, sister or not.

  I check my watch for the hundredth time when I catch a glimpse of her. The moment she turns the corner, I breathe a sigh of relief. I didn’t realize how tense I’d grown while waiting. She sees me and gives me a wide smile, and something twists in my gut. That’s guilt. That’s knowing I’m going to take whatever she’s got on her brother and use it to capture both him and Malik. To kill one and put the other away—and that’s the best-case scenario.

  “Sorry I’m late,” she says when she reaches me.

  “I was worried.” With my hand at her lower back, I guide her between two stalls so we’re draped by carpets on one side, and silks on the other. Sunlight is filtered red through the fine cloth and she looks even softer, even prettier for it.

  I memorize her eyes, layers of caramel, the shade unusual, entrancing. She’s watching me, too, studying me. And my conscience tugs at me. She’s not even twenty. Barely a woman if I look at her face, at the trust there. The innocence. I should have sent her away the first day she showed up at headquarters. She’s too young, too inexperienced, and we’re taking advantage of that. I’m taking advantage. And here we are and all I can think about is her face, her eyes, the way they look at me. Her lips. How they would feel against mine. How they would taste.

  She blinks, lowering her lashes to the bag she’s holding. Fumbling inside it. When she looks up, her face is burning red. It’s like she’s just read my mind and maybe the thoughts inside hers weren’t too far off.

  I clear my throat. “What’s that?”

  She’s drawing out an envelope along with the cell phone.

  The moment I ask the question, her expression changes. Becomes serious. Almost afraid. “An arms sale happening soon. In two days if I’m reading it right. This is a list of the men who will be there. Malik is on that list.”

  I take it, open the envelope. Pull out the sheet of paper. It’s a list of names and I recognize about half the attendees. I look up at her. “How did you get this?” This is gold.

  “It was lying on the floor of Armen’s study.”

  My gaze snaps up to hers. “Lying on the floor? Just like that?”

  She nods. “He was in a rush. He must have dropped it.”

  “And he won’t know you took it?”

  She studies me. “He told me he’d be gone for four days.”

  I understand. The sale will take place within those days and she’s thinking it’ll be done. That this will be over and that it won’t matter. Because we’ll have killed Malik and freed her brother of him.

  “Eve, things can change.” I tuck the sheet back into the envelope and hand it to her. “You have to take it back, leave it where you found it. If this sale doesn’t happen and he realizes this list is missing, he’ll ask questions.”

  She doesn’t take the envelope. She’s shaking her head and I see her anxiety. Realize it’s been wearing on her all this time. “It can’t change. I can’t do this much longer,” she says, and her eyes are suddenly flooded with tears. “It’s too much.”

  I touch her arms, hold them, and when a tear slides down her face, I draw her to me. It’s the first time I’ve done it. Held her like this. And it feels good. She feels good. Like she belongs right here, in my arms. Her body is trembling as she cries and I know it’s stress. How had I not thought about this? How did I not realize how much stress she’d be under doing this on her own? All while living under the same roof as the enemy?

  “It’s going to be all right, Eve. It will be over soon.” It’s a promise I’m not sure I can keep. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

  She melts into me, molding her body to mine. I don’t know if she’s aware of the tiny movement, but I’m so aware of her, of how she’s curled into me. Her breath feels warm against my neck and she feels so small. So vulnerable.

  Shouting has me whirl around, and I tuck her behind me as I reach for my weapon. It’s hidden beneath my jacket, but my hand easily closes around the pistol, keeping one hand on her as the sound of men running sends women and children screaming as they scramble out of the way. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but before I have time to draw my weapon, the sound of bullets flying has me ducking for cover, has me taking Eve with me. I hear her scream and push her to the ground, covering her with my own body as men run past, a dozen of them in fatigues, faces covered.

  “Stay down!” I’m about to get up, to chase them, but she’s got my arm and makes a strange sound.

  I turn to her, my heart struggling to regain its rhythm after that sound.

  “Eve!” There’s blood. A lot of it.

  I drop my weapon and take her arm, touch the source of the bleeding.

  “Zach?”

  In the background, I realize the sounds of running have receded. The men are gone. I don’t know who they were or what they wanted, but one of their bullets grazed Eve’s arm and this is too close for my comfort.

  I meet her frightened eyes. “It hurts,” she says through tears.

  Ripping a strip from my shirt, I tie it over the wound and lift her in my arms as I stand. I already hear the sirens of police and ambulances, but I’m spiriting her away from the market, away from the stalls. Away from everything.

  I don’t stop until we’re at headquarters. Until the doctor is cleaning the wound, bandaging it. I just stand there, b
ack against the wall, arms folded over my chest. Eyes locked on her, knowing she got lucky. If I hadn’t pushed her to the ground when I did, where would that bullet have struck? How much worse could it have been?

  She looks so small sitting there. Small and scared. Even as she’s trying to smile I see the effort it’s taking her not to cry.

  This was wrong. What if her brother’s known all along? What if that whole thing had been set up just to do what they did? Scare her? Or maybe worse? How in hell could I let this girl get involved in something so dangerous? Christ, I know better.

  “You’ll have a scar, but it’s a flesh wound. You’ll be fine in no time,” the doctor says.

  I watch Eve slide off the table and stand. I don’t miss the wobbling of her knees.

  “Thank you,” I say. I open the door and wait. Eve is watching me.

  She nods, thanks the doctor and walks ahead of me. She stops once we’re alone in the hallway.

  “Zach? Are you okay?”

  I laugh, but it’s not a laugh at all. “You just got shot and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”

  “It’s a flesh wound. You heard the doctor. Wrong place, wrong time.”

  “I put you in the wrong place. I should have protected you better.”

  She touches my hand and the contact of her fingers on my flesh sparks a charge of pure electricity. “It was an accident,” she says finally.

  I drag my eyes from our hands to her face. I shake my head. “You’re finished today. No more of this. You need to forget this. It’s too dangerous.”

  “What?”

  I take her arm and turn her to walk down the corridor. “You’ll stay here until this is over. I don’t want you going home until we have your brother and Malik.”

  “Stay here?”

  I nod. “Then we’ll get you out of here. Out of Beirut. Somewhere safe.”

  “I don’t want that.” She stops, pulls away. “That’s not the agreement.”

  It takes me a moment to swallow back my anger, which is at myself, not her. I don’t want to frighten her any more than she already is. “Eve, what happened today, what if it wasn’t an accident?”