Desert Secrets

by Lisa Harris

  Issa’s frown deepened. “I understand your concerns, Sara, and the three of you are welcome to stay as long as you need, but if Salif or his men were to try and search here…I’m not sure we could keep you safe.”

  “Which is why we need to leave the country.” Colton turned to Lexi. “What do you think?”

  She bit her lip, mulling over their limited options. “I agree that it doesn’t seem wise to stay here. Not when we know they are still looking for us. If your team could pick us up tomorrow, we could wait in Morocco a few days for him to recover.”

  Issa nodded. “It’s a good option and probably less of a risk than staying here.”

  “And while we’re there, I can try to track down Trent.”

  Lexi hesitated at the comment. She’d purposely avoided dwelling on what her brother had supposedly done. Maybe it was partly because she still didn’t want to believe he’d knowingly put her in danger by coming to stay with her—causing her capture. But in her heart, she knew it was true. Which was why she needed to find him and make sure he made things right with the men after him. Surely someone at the embassy would have contacts and could check to see where he’d flown out of in the last forty-eight hours. Of course if he was running, he was going to be doing everything possible not to be found.

  *

  Colton caught the flicker of pain in Lexi’s expression. Bret had been abducted by strangers, but she’d been betrayed by her own brother. If a reunion with Trent did take place, it was going to be anything but happy.

  “Lexi?” he said. “I know this is a different situation you’re facing with your brother—”

  “I’m okay.” She nodded her head and lifted her chin slightly. “I’d rather not think about Trent right now. We just need to concentrate on making sure Bret gets well, and that we all get to safety. I’ll deal with what my brother did as soon as I can find him.”

  “She’s right, Colton.” Issa clasped Colton’s forearm. “There’s really nothing more any of us can do here. Sara will stay with him while my wife has dinner prepared for us. So come with me. I’ll take you up to our apartment now.”

  Colton and Lexi followed Issa through the darkened maze of tiny medieval passageways. With only a few lanterns and the light of the moon to guide their way along the uneven ground, they passed by whitewashed walls that were painted halfway up in a deep blue.

  “A person could get lost in here,” Colton said as they took yet another turn.

  “Kasbahs were originally built to be fortified cities. An enemy, even if he could breach the walls or perhaps one of the heavy wooden doors, would quickly get confused.”

  “How long has your family lived here?” Lexi asked.

  “I am the fourth generation. My great-grandfather lived here with his wives—

  “Wives?” Lexi asked. “How many did he have?”

  “I’m not even sure how many there were, but the long, narrow passages and dozens of rooms were built to do more than just keep out an adversary. It was also to keep all the wives separated,” Issa said. “I’m sure you can imagine what it was like for a man to have numerous families. Apparently it caused less problems if they didn’t have to see each other.”

  Colton chuckled at the thought. As far as he was concerned, one wife was plenty. In fact, he found it hard to imagine how any man would even want to deal with more than one woman.

  Not that he was interested in finding a wife.

  He glanced at Lexi, who was keeping up beside him, clearly trying to take in everything around her. He ducked as Isaa led them up a windy, steep staircase that led to a flat roof and the smell of simmering vegetables and meat.

  “This is where I live with my family. In the daytime, you can watch the desert for miles. Tonight it’s the stars that seem to go on forever,” Issa said.

  “Wow.” Lexi walked to the half wall surrounding the space. He watched the wind blowing through her hair as she looked up at the sky and the brilliance of God’s masterpiece. “This is beautiful.”

  “The meal is almost ready, but first I have something for you.” He picked up a small black box sitting in a cushioned alcove. “I thought you might want to call your family.”

  “A satellite phone?” Lexi turned around.

  “Surprised?” Issa asked.

  “I admit I assumed we were too remote for things like this. Even in the city where I’ve been living, cell phone service is spotty at best in some of the places where I work.”

  “It’s solar powered,” Issa said, “which means you can use it just about anywhere. And while there have been a few times when the atmosphere interferes with the reception, I’ve never been without service for long. You’d be amazed at how we are able to keep up with technology out here. Satellite television, phones. Last year I even joined Facebook.”

  “I can’t tell you how grateful we are for your help,” Colton said, taking the phone and turning to Lexi. “Why don’t you call your father first? Even assuming he doesn’t know what has happened, you can let him know you’re well.”

  She smiled at him as she took the phone, but he didn’t miss the shadow that crossed her face. Telling her father what had happened, along with the fact that her stepbrother was missing, wasn’t going to be easy.

  “Dad…” she said, once the call had gone through. “It’s Lexi.”

  Colton moved to the other side of the roof with Issa to give her some privacy.

  “She’s a beautiful woman, though I’m assuming you already noticed?”

  Colton looked up at the stars that seemed close enough to reach out and grab, surprised at Issa’s forwardness. “Yes.”

  “You do know that a good woman is worth more than a hundred camels, don’t you?” Issa asked.

  “Is that one of your tribe’s proverbs?” Colton asked, resting his elbows against the ledge and smiling at the comparison.

  “No. Just what I’ve learned from experience. A wife who can cook a mouthwatering stew, keep her tongue from speaking lies and survive hardships by your side is worth her weight in gold, as I believe the English expression goes. Either way, I think for you, it would be hard to find a woman better than Lexi.”

  “I barely know her,” Colton said, still grinning.

  “That is true, but a woman who leaves her home and travels in order to help others must have an extraordinary heart. Besides that, it would seem that the two of you have quite a few things in common.”

  He couldn’t argue, except he wasn’t looking for a relationship. He glanced across the rooftop to where she was talking animatedly. Of course if he were looking, he’d definitely want someone like Lexi.

  “Colton?”

  Lexi walked toward him. He shook off the attraction he admittedly felt. Hadn’t he learned his lesson with Maggie?

  “Did your father know?” he asked.

  She nodded. “One of my coworkers who saw me taken called him a few hours ago and told him what had happened. But of course the details were sketchy and no one really knew what had happened. To say that he was relieved to hear my voice is an understatement.”

  Her hands shook as she gave him the phone.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, catching her gaze.

  She clenched her fingers tight and pulled her hands against her sides. “Yeah, I guess… It’s just that when I told him what happened it seemed so real. And on top of that, I suppose, it made me realize how fortunate I am that I’m here and alive.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about that, as well. Despite all the continuing issues.”

  He felt again the urge to pull her into his arms and tell her that she was okay. That he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that the men who took her never had a chance to come near her again. Instead he took a step back and drew in a deep breath.

  “He promised to get in touch with my coworkers and let them know I’m okay,” she said.

  “And your brother?” Colton asked, wondering if he should broach the subject. “Has he heard from him?”

&n
bsp; She shook her head. “Not in several days. He has no idea where he might be.”

  “Okay. Then I’ll call Becca and let her know what’s going on.”

  Colton dialed his sister’s number, then waited for the call to go through. He glanced out across the endless sea of desert beneath the moonlight. It was remarkable he was able to even make this phone call. Especially since this was the moment he’d been praying for the past few weeks. The chance to call Becca and tell her that the nightmare was almost over.

  “Hello?”

  “Becca, it’s Colton. I’m still in Africa…” There was static on the line. “Can you hear me?”

  “Yes… Colton…but Bret—”

  “I’m with him now,” Colton said, debating how much information to give Becca.

  “He’s with you?”

  “The plan worked. He’s safe.”

  All she really needed to know was that Bret was alive and going to be all right. Everything else—the plane crash, the scorpion sting and the fact that the men who took him were still out there looking for him—would only make her worry more. “Long story short, we’re at a Kasbah in the middle of the desert, planning to fly out in the morning.”

  “I thought you were flying straight to Morocco today?” she asked.

  “There have been a few…complications, which means it might take us a day or two longer to get home, but we’re on our way.”

  Even with the static he could tell she was crying. “Becca, what’s wrong?”

  There was a long pause on the line.

  “What if he’s still not safe? What if Noah and I aren’t safe?”

  “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

  “I received a phone call a couple hours ago from the same men who first demanded the ransom. The two million dollars they asked for…they still want it. And if they don’t get it in the next forty-eight hours they threatened to come after Noah and I here in the States.”

  SEVEN

  Becca’s words slammed into Colton’s gut. Salif was threatening to come after her and Noah? How was that even possible? His call had to be nothing more than empty threats. There was no way they could reach Becca in the United States.

  Or was there?

  “Where are you now?” he asked, his mind still trying to work through the consequences of what she’d just told him.

  “We’re both at my parents’ home, along with Bret’s mom and dad, but I’m not sure we’re safe here, and I can’t put our parents’ lives at risk. I’m thinking about disappearing for a few days with Noah.”

  Colton started pacing again. He’d obviously considered the current risk to Bret while they were still in North Africa, but this…

  “Have you gone to the police?” he asked.

  “They said they still had Bret and told me not to go to the authorities—”

  “You need to get the authorities involved.”

  “I know. That’s what I decided. I called Agent Salem.”

  “And?”

  “He pretty much said there was nothing he could do. He said he’d look into the situation, but didn’t see how a threat like that could be credible. Maybe he’s right, but they knew my cell phone number, where I work, where Noah goes to school…”

  “Most of these things they could have found out on Facebook. It could be nothing more than empty threats—”

  “Empty threats?” She was crying again. “They held Bret hostage for almost two months. That’s not an empty threat. You might have pulled him out of there, but what if this isn’t over?”

  “We have a plan, Becca. My team is going to fly in and pick us up in the morning. We’ll go straight to Morocco, then catch a flight out from there. I’ll let you know as soon as I can when we’ll be back home.”

  He’d planned to have her fly to Morocco to meet them, but with threats against her and Noah, he wanted to keep them as far away from here as possible.

  “Okay, but in the meantime, how is Bret doing physically? I know he needs to see a doctor. His immune system had to have been compromised. And he’s likely malnourished and dehydrated after all these weeks in captivity.”

  “He’s weak,” Colton said, deciding not to mention the scorpion sting, “but he’s going to be okay. We’re somewhere safe right now, and tomorrow my team will pick us up. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll be in Morocco by nightfall tomorrow, then I’ll get Bret on a flight to the States. I promise, Becca. He’s going to be okay. Trust me. I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure his safety and bring him home to you.”

  But in the meantime he now had to worry about his sister and Noah, as well.

  He cleared his throat. “Maybe you’re right about finding a place off the grid. I don’t think they can reach you where you are, but if there is even a chance that they can make good on their threats we don’t want to take it.”

  “I agree. I took a bunch of cash out of the ATM. I can head up the coast and find us a place to stay in some little seaside town where no one can find us.”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” he said. “But I’m going to need a way to contact you.”

  “I’m one step ahead of you. I’m ditching this phone now that I’ve heard from you, but I bought one of those burn phones that can’t be traced.”

  “You’ve been watching way too many episodes of NCIS.”

  Becca let out a low chuckle, but he could still hear the fear in her voice. “Just write down the number.”

  “Just a sec…” He signaled at Issa for something to write with, then wrote the number on the back of his hand until he could find some paper.

  “I’m not taking any more chances, Colton. Not with my son. Call me as soon as you’re in Morocco and as soon as you know when you’ll be back in the States.”

  “I will, and, little sis, be careful.”

  Seconds later the line went dead.

  Lexi walked up to him and brushed her fingers against his arm. “What’s going on? That didn’t sound like the phone call you expected.”

  “It wasn’t.” Colton took a deep breath, still trying to wrap his mind around what his sister had just told him. And whether or not the threats were worth taking seriously. “Becca received a call from someone a few hours ago and the person on the other line threatened her and Noah’s life if he didn’t get the two million dollars they were supposed to get as Bret’s ransom. Said they would come after them next if they didn’t pay it in the next forty-eight hours.”

  “Wait a minute…” Lexi turned to Isaa. “Do you think there is any validity to their threat?”

  Issa shook his head. “It’s hard to imagine that their arm reaches all the way to the United States, but on the other hand we can’t just assume they are bluffing.”

  “What about the police?” Lexi asked. “Aren’t they involved?”

  “They threatened to kill her and my nephew if they went to the police. But my sister has contacted the agent who was helping us with the case before. He’s promised to look into the situation, I’m just not sure there’s much he can do.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I need to get Bret home. I need to be there with my sister and make sure she’s okay.” Colton turned to Issa. “And I need to know more about the man you mentioned. Salif. What exactly are we dealing with?”

  “He was born and raised in Mali. Joined the army at some point, then decided that kidnapping would be more lucrative. There are men who hire Salif to do their dirty work as I told you earlier. Salif, in turn, has men who work under him, but no one knows exactly how many.”

  “So how far does this man’s arm reach?”

  “I can’t be certain. I thought getting you to Morocco would be far enough. It’s possible he has support in the United States, but I doubt it. I just have no way to know,” Issa said, motioning them toward a small table. “In the meantime, the two of you need to eat. My wife has prepared a meal for you.”

  Issa’s wife, a beautiful woman with dark skin and
white teeth, carried out a large silver tray covered with an assortment of dishes.

  “Colton, you remember my wife, Maysa?”

  “Of course. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Maysa,” he said, then quickly introduced Lexi.

  Issa’s wife place the tray in front of them, then began pulling off the lids, intensifying the scents of cumin, garlic and onions. But any appetite he’d had was gone.

  “You must eat, my friend,” Issa said after blessing the food. He seemed to sense Colton’s hesitation.

  “He’s right,” Lexi said. “And it looks delicious. What is it?”

  “We call this tagine,” Issa said, pointing to one of the dishes beside a pile of flat bread. “It has fish, spices, olives and potatoes with couscous. There are also figs and grapes.”

  Colton picked up a piece of the flat bread, scooped up some of the sauce and took a bite. His mouth watered. Perhaps he was hungry after all. “I haven’t had a chance to ask your husband about your son,” he said, addressing Maysa.

  Her face beamed with joy. “He is sleeping now, but he is…perfect.”

  “They almost lost the baby during the delivery,” Colton said. “I was able to transport him to one of our clinics.”

  “If you will excuse me for a few minutes,” Maysa said, standing up, “I will return with some tea and almond cakes.”

  “Thank you.” Colton scooped up another bite of the sauce. “I didn’t think I was hungry, but now that I’ve taken a bite I’m suddenly famished.”

  A star shot across the night sky above them. But even the warmth of the food wasn’t enough to lessen the cold fear circulating through his heart.

  *

  An hour later, Colton tried unsuccessfully to sleep. The breeze coming in from the open window helped keep the room from being hot and stuffy. With dreams eluding him, he decided to talk to God.

  How did the escape plan work only to lead us here, God? With threats now against Becca and Noah I don’t know what to do. I need You to show me what to do.

  He was worried about his sister and nephew. About Bret. And then there was Lexi. He’d been surprised at her strength throughout this entire ordeal. She was so different from Maggie. Maggie would never have taken a year off and come to Africa to serve others. It made him wonder now why he’d been attracted to her in the first place. Or maybe he was the one who had changed. He hadn’t expected his decision to come to Africa to have made such a profound effect on his life. But it had. Of course, on the other hand, his brother-in-law never would have been captured by a group if militants if he’d never come in the first place.