26

KYRA

K yra descended first, with Parisa following at a much slower pace, the metal structure creaking under their combined weight but holding steady. Once they were at the bottom, Kyra led her sister into a narrow alley that would eventually connect to the street on which the van was parked.

"My sons," Parisa said as they moved, her calm facade finally showing cracks. "How will your people be able to get them out safely? What about their guards?"

Kyra wasn't sure what to tell her because she had no idea how Jade was going to pull that off on her own. The female had limited shrouding and thralling ability that was nothing compared to what Yamanu could do, but maybe it would be enough to get the boys out without having to eliminate their guards.

"My partner Jade is extremely capable, and she'll protect them with her life," Kyra assured her with more confidence than she felt, given the fractured communications coming from the other teams.

For all they knew, the boys had already been taken by Doomers.

Parisa nodded, though uncertainty lingered in her eyes. "The boys will be frightened. I wish I could be there to get them."

She shouldn't have sent them to school after what had happened to Yasmin and her family, but Kyra would never say that to her and add to the guilt her sister was most likely already feeling.

Parisa must have assumed that it was safe during the day and that the guards would protect them, which was a reasonable assumption for someone who didn't know the Doomers existed and what they could do.

"They'll be fine," she said instead. "Jade has a teenage daughter of her own, and she's also a very capable fighter. I trust her with my life."

Every word she'd said was true, but it still didn't guarantee successful extractions of the boys.

They emerged from the alley onto a busier street, and Kyra adjusted their pace to blend with the pedestrian traffic. Walking too fast would draw attention, but the sooner they got to the van, the better.

The café with a back exit to a parking garage where the van was parked was less than a block ahead.

Kyra's pendant remained warm against her skin, not the burning heat of immediate danger but a steady reminder to remain vigilant. Her hand stayed close to her concealed weapon as they walked, her senses extended to their limits.

"Almost there," she murmured to Parisa, who was doing an admirable job of appearing casual despite the tension radiating from her body.

They were halfway to the café when Kyra spotted two men moving against the flow of pedestrian traffic, their eyes scanning the crowd with a predatory focus.

Doomers, without question.

"Don't look," Kyra instructed Parisa quietly. "But we have company at ten o'clock. Keep walking naturally."

To her credit, Parisa didn't so much as flinch, continuing her steady pace beside Kyra.

"Are they the ones from my building?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"Possibly," Kyra replied.

The Doomers hadn't spotted them yet, but it was only a matter of time in the relatively sparse midday crowd.

Making a quick decision, Kyra guided Parisa toward a clothing store shop. "A quick change of appearance is in order."

Inside, she quickly selected two headscarves in different styles and colors than what they were currently wearing and two loose caftans to pull over her and Parisa's clothing. The shopkeeper seemed delighted by the quick sale that hadn't involved any haggling for the price, something that was uncommon for Persians.

"Put it on," Kyra instructed as they moved toward the back of the shop, using the racks of clothing as cover.

They donned the caftans and new headscarves. Kyra arranged hers to partially obscure her face and stuffed her other one inside her shirt to make her belly look more rounded. Parisa did the same, giggling as she stuffed her old scarf inside her bra, making her breasts look huge.

Kyra wasn't sure that it was a particularly good tactic for attracting less attention, but they didn't have time for anything more elaborate or less conspicuous.

"Through the back," Kyra said, nodding to a curtained doorway that likely led to storage or an employee area. "There should be an exit to the alley from there."

The shopkeeper called out in protest as they moved toward the restricted area, but Kyra ignored her, pulling Parisa through the curtain and into a cluttered storage room. As expected, a door at the back led to an alley.

"We can go through the restaurant next door," Kyra said as they emerged into the narrow passage.

They moved quickly now, no longer concerned with appearing casual since they were out of public view. The back door of the restaurant was propped open, kitchen staff moving in and out with supplies and trash.

Kyra guided Parisa through, ignoring the startled looks from the kitchen workers, who clearly weren't accustomed to customers entering this way. They passed through to the main dining area, then exited through the front door, rejoining the pedestrian flow on the street.

Kyra's comm unit activated again, Jade's voice coming through with unexpected urgency. "Situation at the school has evolved. Targets secured but facing pursuit. Diverting to fallback position."

"Copy that," Kyra replied. "We'll meet you there."

The fallback point was a small mosque three blocks east—chosen specifically because it offered multiple exits and the cultural protections that might give pursuers momentary pause.

"Change of plans," she told Parisa. "We're meeting your sons at a different location."

"Are they safe?" Parisa's voice was tight with worry.

"They're with Jade," Kyra replied, which wasn't quite an answer but was the best reassurance she could offer.

As they altered their route, Kyra's pendant suddenly flared with intense heat—a warning so urgent she instinctively pushed Parisa into the recessed doorway of a closed shop, her body shielding her sister as she scanned for the threat.

She spotted them almost immediately—four men approaching from different directions, converging on their position.

"We're boxed in," Kyra murmured, her mind racing through diminishing options. "They must have anticipated our route."

The Doomers going to all that effort to catch them didn't make sense, even for the potential in their genes. It was probably revenge for last night and maybe for the Tahav operation as well. The Doomers must have connected the dots and realized that the same people had been involved in both.

They should have come to Tehran with a much larger team.

"What do we do?" Parisa whispered behind her.

Kyra assessed their surroundings, looking for any potential advantage or escape route. The doorway they stood in belonged to a shop that was closed for renovation, its windows covered with paper. Behind them, a construction tarp covered the entrance.

Making a split-second decision, Kyra pushed aside the tarp, finding the door beyond, which was locked as she'd expected. One strong shove and the lock splintered, the door swung inwards, and they slipped in quickly, the tarp falling back into place behind them.

The interior was dark, dusty, and filled with construction equipment and broken displays. It was perfect as a temporary hiding place but a potential trap if they didn't find another way out.

Kyra activated her comm unit. "Jade, we're compromised. Four hostiles converging on our position. Currently concealed but pinned down at—" she checked their location quickly "—Ferdowsi Street, north side, vacant shop mid-block."

"Copy," Jade replied, her voice surprisingly calm. "Holding position with the boys at fallback point. Can you break contact and rendezvous?"

Kyra moved through the darkened shop, Parisa following close behind until they reached the rear, where a back door would likely lead to service corridors or an alley.

"Negative," she responded after trying to push it open like she'd done at the front, only to realize that it was cemented in place. "We're trapped. Need assistance."

There was a pause, and then Yamanu's voice came through. "Kyra, hold position. Diversion team inbound to your location, ETA less than five minutes."

"Acknowledged," Kyra replied, turning to Parisa, who was watching her with worry in her eyes. "Help is coming," she assured her. "We just need to stay hidden for a few more minutes."

"My sons?" Parisa asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Secured with Jade," Kyra confirmed. "They're safe for now."

Parisa nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "Then we wait." She looked around. "Should we find a place to hide? "

Outside, Kyra could hear the Doomers communicating, their voices just audible through the papered windows. They were checking each storefront, working their way toward their hiding place.

Five minutes suddenly seemed like an eternity.

"Over there." She pointed to a pile of construction debris. "We can get behind it."

It wasn't much, but at least it would keep them hidden from a cursory view.

They huddled on the floor for a couple of minutes before Parisa turned to her. "I need to know something," she whispered, "in case we don't make it out of here."

Kyra put a hand on her sister's bent knee. "We're going to make it."

"But if we don't," Parisa persisted. "I need to know the truth. You're not really Kyra's daughter, are you? You look the right age but that doesn't match your story about your years in the resistance."

Kyra opened her mouth, then closed it again, the mixture of hope and dread in Parisa's expression making the lie stick in her throat.

A noise at the front of the store saved her from having to answer.

Kyra turned around, crouching behind the pile of debris with her weapon drawn. Parisa remained where she was, her gaze still fixed on Kyra.

"We are related differently," Kyra whispered, the truth spilling out despite the dire situation—or perhaps because of it .

Parisa's breath caught. "Then who?—"

The tarp covering the entrance rustled, and both women froze. A shadow moved across the papered window—someone peering inside, trying to see through the covering.

Kyra ducked lower behind the debris, keeping her weapon drawn.

Her pendant burned against her skin, the heat now almost painful. The broken door was pushed open, but then the sound of screeching tires and shouting erupted from the street outside. The shadow at the window disappeared as the Doomer turned toward the commotion.

"Diversion team has engaged," Yamanu's voice reported through the comm. "Kyra, now is your chance. Slip out and head to the service alley."

"Copy that," Kyra confirmed.

As they squeezed out through the door and used the tarp to inch toward the next store over, the commotion on the street continued with people yelling at each other and things getting thrown at cars by the sound of it.

Was the diversion team Nadim's?

It made sense since their team didn't have anyone to spare.

She and Parisa found a gap between stores that led to a narrow service alley, where a nondescript van idled, its side door open.

Dima sat in the driver's seat. "Get in," he called. "Quickly. "

Kyra hurried Parisa into the van, then jumped in behind her, scanning the alley one last time before sliding the door closed.

"My sons?" Parisa asked immediately as Dima pulled away.

"Already secured," the Kra-ell warrior said. "Jade has them."

Kyra felt the tension drain from her body, but she remained alert, weapon ready, as Dima navigated through back streets and alleys, making sure that they weren't followed.

Her pendant had cooled somewhat, suggesting that the immediate danger had passed, but the lingering warmth indicated they weren't completely safe yet.

"What about my sisters?" Parisa asked. "Soraya and Rana?"

Dima's eyes remained fixed on the road as he made a series of rapid turns. "Soraya and Rana are secure."