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Jamal glanced back over his shoulder. “You had the same look on your face in Kabul.”
Kabul.
The word hung heavily in the air.
Tom’s jaw tightened. “We’re not talking about that.”
Jamal turned and nodded. “No. We’re not. But it’s about time you moved on, don’t you think?”
Tom shut it down. “How are things here?” he asked, changing the subject.
Jamal smirked but returned to the table. Behind the stoic exterior, Tom could see the lines of fatigue.
“Not good, my friend. Mortar attacks, sniper fire, civilians caught in the middle. The army pulled out a few days ago, but we know it’s temporary. They’ll be back, and this time they won’t bother with warnings.”
Tom’s expression hardened. “How’s morale?”
“As expected. Supplies are running thin, but we’re regrouping. We’ve got some fighters returning from the south, and more people are stepping up. We’re holding on.”
Tom nodded. He’d fought beside Jamal long enough to know it wasn’t in the man’s nature to give up. He’d die before he surrendered.
“I wish there was something I could do.”
“The U.S. Government is threatening military action,” Jamal said, perking up. “I’ve got a contact who says they’re mobilizing in the Gulf.”
“They won’t condone the atrocities,” Tom agreed. He’d heard the same thing. “Hakeem crossed the line with the chemical warfare.”
Jamal’s expression darkened. “He crossed the line a long time ago.”
Jamal’s mother was American, so he’d trained and fought alongside Tom’s unit in Afghanistan. That’s how they’d met. But now, with Syman on the brink of war, he’d flown back to fight for his country.
Tom looked him square in the eye. “That’s why I need your help. We’ve got to get Hannah out. The situation is going to get worse, before it gets better.”
Jamal was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, “I might know a way. But it’s risky.”
Tom leaned forward. “I’m all ears.”
CHAPTER 20
“Where’s Jamal?” she asked, coming back into the room. Damn, it felt good to be clean. She’d showered and washed her hair, and now tendrils sprung up around her face as it dried.
“Gone out,” came Tom’s reply, but his appreciative gaze lingered, making her flush. “He’s agreed to help us.”
“Oh, that’s great.” She managed a smile as she crossed the room and took a seat on one of the low cushions opposite him. A tray of tea and some flatbreads lay on a low table, and he gestured for her to eat. Starving, she reached for one. “How?”
“He’s arranged for us to get a lift to Jemah with some friends.”
“Isn’t there fighting in Jemah?” she asked, between bites. Having seen how this town had been destroyed by the bombing, she had no desire to walk into a town where it was actually happening.
“Apparently there’s a cease-fire,” he told her. He hesitated, then added, “But it could kick off at any time again.”
Hannah gulped over the bread. “Oh, great. So we’re heading into a potential warzone.”
“We’ve got little choice,” Tom said. “We can’t stay here, it’s too dangerous. Jemmah is on the way to the coast, so we’ll be closer to our destination. It’s worth the risk if it helps us get you out.”
She washed down the food with a cup of sweet tea. “There’s no other way?”
He shook his head. “Not if we want to get out of here in two days.”