Nightingale

by Andrea Bramhall

  “Hello.”

  “Did you think about my proposal?”

  “I don’t recall you making one, Charlotte.”

  “Let me take them away for you. Put an end to your problems.”

  “You think that makes it all okay, Miss Porter?”

  Charlie froze. I never told him my surname.

  “Yes, that’s right,” he said. “You see, you aren’t the only one who can find information.”

  “Does my surname change the situation with your wife and your father, Mr. Siddiqi?”

  “The situation? No. Your part in it? Considerably. Don’t you think, Charlie?”

  Fuck. She looked up and saw Kenzie staring at her. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.” So many questions ran through her mind, she had problems picking which one to focus on. Was he simply letting her know that he could find out who she was? Or was he hinting that he knew more about her? And if so, how much more did he know? Did he have her history spread out in front of him? Was he reading her life story as she’d read his? Had he stared at pictures of her, read her dissertation from university? Fuck. The realization hit her hard. Did he know that she had been at university with Hazaar? Did he know that they knew each other? Did he know how they had known each other?

  He laughed, tearing her from the rollercoaster of unanswered questions clamouring for her voice. “Oh, you do. You know exactly what I mean. So let’s not play games. Not now. Time is of the essence, is it not?”

  The simple inquiry banished all others from Charlie’s mind, and the exodus left her with a single focal point. Save Hazaar. Nothing else mattered.

  “Agreed.” She wiped her palms on her jeans, but they still felt damp, clammy. “Time is short. Your father has seen to that. The question now is what you intend to do about it?”

  “I don’t have to do anything about it.”

  “You’ll go to jail if you do nothing.”

  “No. My father would. And considering his justification, I would be shocked if he was sentenced to more than a year.”

  “I can prove that you knew about his plan. That you’re an accomplice.”

  “No, I am a husband betrayed, in shock, and under the duress of my father, should I have to explain myself. But we both know how likely that is to happen, don’t we, Charlie?”

  She knew he was right. There wasn’t a court in the land that would try him as an accomplice in the murder of his wife, not in this situation. “So you’re just going to sit back and let your father do all the dirty work for you and then reap the rewards. Find another woman to raise your child and warm your bed, is that it?”

  He laughed at her. “Perhaps.”

  “What happened to the man I met earlier who said he was going to protect what was his?”

  “I am, so please don’t insult me and try your lying and scheming tactics at manipulation.”

  “I didn’t lie to you.”

  “No, but you were hardly honest either.”

  “Touché.”

  “So what is it that you want, Miss Porter? For me to open the door and let you come and take my wife?”

  “And her daughter.”

  “My daughter. She is mine.”

  “And what life will you offer her without Hazaar? What abuse will she suffer at your father’s hands because of who her mother is? How is that fair to her?”

  “She is my daughter and I will protect her.”

  “Like you protected Hazaar? She was yours to protect too, wasn’t she? You were supposed to protect her, and what state is she in now? How badly injured is she, Mr. Siddiqi? Can she walk? Can she move? Will she live long enough to make it to her execution?” Kenzie grabbed her arm and shook her head, eyes narrowed as she mouthed the word stop to Charlie.

  “Enough,” Yasar said.

  She shrugged off Kenzie’s hand. “No. No, it isn’t enough, Mr. Siddiqi. Is that what your protection amounts to? Is that what you’ll allow to happen to your daughter too? Where will you draw the line? When will you say stop for her? When you dig her grave too?”

  The line went dead and silence hung heavy in the small space of the van. Holy fuck, what did I just do?

  “So,” Luke said, “that should probably be considered a lesson in how not to carry out a negotiation, Kenzie.”

  “Yeah, I got that.” Kenzie covered Charlie’s hand with her own. “You okay?”

  “No.”

  “He isn’t going to change the plan. He’s happy to let his father take the fall for this. Who knows, maybe he plans for him to have an accident like Hatim did and take over the business while he has the opportunity.”

  “Maybe.”

  “He’s a chess player, Charlie. His end game is already in play.”

  Kenzie was right, and Charlie couldn’t believe her own foolishness. Why hadn’t she seen it? Why hadn’t she recognized the tactics? She had spent so many years reading, studying, and playing game after game, moving her pieces around the chequered board, winning and losing, but always learning. And the first thing she had learned was to leave emotion at the door, or logic was always her sacrifice. Now, when the game was at its most important, she had forgotten her most precious lesson. She had surrendered logic and reason to fear. She bent forward and rested her face in her hands. “The queen sacrifice. He’s playing the queen sacrifice.”

  “What are you to talking about?” Luke stared at her.

  “The queen sacrifice is a chess strategy where you let your opponent take your queen for a good position on the board. It’s a risky move because you’re giving up the most powerful piece on the board for a strategic position. You have to be absolutely sure of the advantage it will achieve, or it can cost you the game.”

  “So Yasar is going to let his dad do this to get rid of him?”

  “In essence, yes.” Charlie pictured the chess board, trying to figure out the next move.

  “Slimy bastard.”

  “Yup,” Kenzie said. “It’s a clever move and practically risk free for him.”

  Charlie didn’t know if Yasar cared for Hazaar, now or ever, but it didn’t matter. He hadn’t brought emotion to the board, and she had no doubt he was lining his pieces up for the final move, and she had to figure out what that move was going to be and how to counter it. She needed to align her pieces, organize her defences, and strategize her counterattack. If she didn’t, they were all in far greater danger than just ending up in a Pakistani prison.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Pakistan, today

  Charlie looked out the window as the sun dipped behind the buildings and the sky accumulated the pink, orange, and purple hues as it ushered out the day. She checked her watch and keyed the radio mic on the console.

  “Any movement?”

  “Nothing.” Al was sitting in a tea shop across the street from the Siddiqi house. Kenzie was shopping at one of the local bazaars, ready to play her part. Charlie fidgeted in her seat. She wanted to be out there. She wanted to be the one taking the risks, but Siddiqi knew her face, and they couldn’t risk compromising the operation to satisfy her desire to be involved in every aspect of the plan. There were people on the team with far more expertise in this kind of thing than she had.

  “Okay, keep me informed.”

  “I will.” She heard a page turn on the newspaper he was reading. “Just like I told you I would five minutes ago.”

  “Right. Sorry.” She chewed viciously on her gum and drummed on the steering wheel of the Jeep that Luke had outfitted with a huge array of toys. Kenzie had practically drooled when he had gone over it all with her. GPS, radios, satellite tracking. Charlie had asked if it would let them follow and keep up with the vehicle they planned on following. When he said yes, she stopped listening and went back to poring over the information on Yasar, looking for anything that would confirm or refute her suspicions about his motives and intentions.

  “We have a van approaching. Coming down the main street from the east.” She could hear Al folding his newspaper over the mic. �
�He’s slowing down and turning into the alleyway.”

  “Okay, everyone, you know what to do.” Charlie gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.

  “We have movement inside the house,” Luke said.

  “Are we still missing Yasar?” Charlie hadn’t liked the fact that he had left the house earlier in the afternoon and still hadn’t returned. Each time she had called, he had refused to answer, and it made her nervous.

  “Still no sign of him, C.”

  “Confirm it’s not Yasar getting out of the van. Repeat, it is not Yasar in the van.” She could hear Al’s breathing over the line as he walked. “The driver has exited the van and is now entering the building.”

  “Luke?”

  “Confirm new heat signature in the house. Two signatures are now moving around. Everyone else in the same positions as before.”

  “Al, can you hear any conversation between them?”

  “Negative. Door’s closed again.”

  “Shit.” She slapped the steering wheel. “Kenzie, how are you doing?”

  “Device is attached and on now.”

  “Christ, that was fast.” Charlie was a little surprised at how quickly Kenzie had gotten from the bazaar more than two hundred yards away to the back of the small alley at the side of the Siddiqi house. The wall on the eastern side was eight feet high and had to be scaled to enter the passageway unseen. Kenzie told them earlier that she would enter that way to attach the GPS tracker to the underside of the van. She also said that she only needed ten seconds to get the job done. It had only been seven.

  “I’ve got the van online. Nice work, Kenzie.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Yeah, yeah, now hurry up and get out of there before they come out.” Al grumbled. “I don’t wanna be stood out here all fucking day, you know.”

  “I’ve got movement inside the house,” Luke said.

  “Tell me.” Charlie visualized the layout of the house. The square courtyard in the centre with the cellar underneath it, the rooms of the two-story building wrapped around the central square and fitted together in smooth blocks.

  “Tazim and his new friend have just dropped in temp. They must have gone into the cellar, and it looks like they’re approaching the one we assume is Hazaar.”

  Oh God, please let her be okay.

  “The three signatures have converged. There looks to be some agitation upstairs.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The smallest signature ran for the door. If I had to guess I’d say that the kid heard Hazaar scream and bolted to her mum. Amira’s got her again. The signatures have converged there too.”

  Charlie wiped the sweat from her brow.

  “I can confirm screaming,” Al whispered. “I can only make out what sounds like a child’s voice, though.”

  “Understood,” Charlie said.

  “The three signatures from the cellar just got warmer, and a hell of a lot bigger. Looks like Daddio is carrying Hazaar out to the van, and Al just arrived, ready to follow. C, we’re good to go as soon as these bozos move out.”

  “Still waiting on Kenzie.”

  “You called.” Kenzie pulled open the passenger door and climbed inside.

  “Check that. She’s here.” She watched Kenzie check her weapon and tuck it into her shoulder holster, then quickly arrange the laptop in front of her. When she was satisfied, she nodded. “We’re good to go.”

  “Looks like Hazaar is now in the van and one of the two is in the back with her. The other one is going back into the house.”

  “Why?”

  “Don’t know. Maybe he forgot his lighter or something.”

  “Not even fucking funny, Odoze.”

  “Sorry, just trying to alleviate a little—fuck. No, no, no, no, no. Don’t even—”

  “Luke, talk to me.”

  “I…oh God, no.”

  “Luke?”

  “I’m pulling up the thermal imaging, Charlie,” Kenzie said next to her. “Let’s see what’s got him so—holy fuck. The bastard.”

  Charlie looked over her shoulder at the screen. There was one thermal signature lying still, completely unmoving on the floor of what they had presumed was the nursery. It was too large to be the two-year-old child. “Amira?”

  Kenzie nodded, but her eyes never left the screen as the largest figure moved through the house. It was clear to see that his temperature had risen from his exertions and the white, red, and orange hues were even visible down the length of his extended arm as he dragged a small, warm shape behind him.

  Charlie didn’t want to think about what it meant when the two heat signatures merged again and exited the house. She swallowed when she saw Tazim move away from the back of the van alone, and she imagined the terrified child now huddled beside her badly injured mother. She didn’t want to think about it, but she couldn’t stop herself either. She could only think of one reason why he would take the little girl with them. The van pulled out and she turned on the engine.

  There was no way she was letting him do this. None.

  “Al, can we get someone in there to tend to Amira?”

  “Al’s already heading in. You follow them and we’ll catch up.”

  “Got it, Luke. Thanks.”

  “No need. Be careful, and don’t do anything stupid. Just don’t let him out of your sight.”

  She pulled out of her parking spot and hit the gas. “Not a fucking chance.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Pakistan, today

  “This whole fucking place is nothing but rocks and dirt.”

  “We’re heading for the Khyber Pass, Kenzie. What did you expect?”

  “A water bungalow over a crystal blue sea, bikini-clad babes, and a coconut drink with a straw and one of those little umbrella thingies.”

  “You’re twisted.”

  “Yup. But not as twisted as that fucker.” She pointed to the van ahead of them.

  “Very true.”

  “C, make sure you keep at least eighty feet back, but within one hundred, okay?”

  “Okay. Why?” She glanced over and Kenzie wiggled a small black box. “What’s that?”

  “I didn’t tag them with just a GPS device earlier.”

  Charlie bounced in her seat as she hit a pothole in the road and did a double take on the gadget in Kenzie’s hand. “What the hell? You put a bomb on the van?”

  Kenzie grinned. “Just a small one. That way we can make sure they stop before we cross the border into Afghanistan. Dealing with the Pakistanis is a breeze compared to those guys.”

  “But she’s in there with her kid now.”

  “I know. The charge is only big enough to blow the rear axle. They won’t be able to drive, but it won’t do anything else.”

  “What if it catches the fuel tank or something and blows them all to kingdom come? What then, genius?”

  “Oh gee, I didn’t think of that.” She tucked the box in her pocket. “In case you missed it, that was sarcasm. I’ve done this before. I know what I’m doing, Charlie, and I wouldn’t put lives in danger for a little firework display. This will work. Trust me.”

  “Does Al know about this?”

  “His idea.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Not right now, thanks. But I’ll keep it in mind for later.”

  “Why do you always make a joke of everything? Can’t you ever be serious?”

  “This situation, and you, are plenty serious enough, C. A little levity will help keep me relaxed. That’s when I operate best. And today you want me at my best.”

  She glanced at Kenzie, and the resolute set to her face under the dim glow of the moonlight told her that Kenzie was deadly serious. “You do know that this is supposed to be a negotiation team, don’t you? It isn’t usually all this action stuff. Think you can handle that too?”

  “Sweetie, I have many skills.” Kenzie winked and turned back to her laptop. Charlie fought with the wheel as she hit another pothole. “Damn, w
oman, you need me to drive this thing too?”

  “Funny. Stop distracting me.”

  “Yeah, yeah, blame me. Two days into the job and it’s already all my fault.”

  Charlie kept her eyes locked on the back of the van, carefully maintaining her distance. “Any news from Al or Luke?”

  “Yeah. Amira had been knocked unconscious but was otherwise fine. They’ve got her in the Jeep with them. There wasn’t enough time to get her to the safe house. So she’s still with them.”

  “They’re sure she’s okay?”

  “Yeah. Split lip, shook up, probably more scared of being around those two than anything else right now. What’ll happen to her at this safe house?”

  “Depends on what kind of place Hillary managed to find. Some of them are really good. They help the woman find work, start a new life, that kind of thing.”

  “And the others?”

  “If there are no safe houses, the only way the authorities can keep the women safe is to put them in prison.”

  “Prison? Are you joking?”

  “No. I wish I was.” Charlie followed as the van turned right off the main Khyber road. “And then it gets worse. They can only be released into the custody of a male relative who signs to assure their safety.” She pointed ahead of her. “What the hell is this road?”

  Kenzie studied the topographical map on the laptop. “Shit, unmarked. Kill the lights and get closer to them. Try to follow close enough that we can see by their lights.”

  “Won’t they hear us then?”

  “Not over that ancient piece of crap they’re driving.”

  “That means you can’t use your bomb.” Charlie killed the lights and pushed harder on the accelerator.

  “Wanna bet?” She grinned, her even white teeth sparkling in the eerie light from the laptop on her knees. “We just have to make a few adjustments to the plan, C.”

  “Are you at any point going to tell me what this plan is now?”