Page 4

4

Niki

I could never live out here in this sand trap.

I scanned the endless stretch of desert, my thoughts running wild. Jeez, there’s nothing out here—just sand.

Or maybe we were just in the hills where it was like this. Surely, it wasn’t all the same. There had to be cities and neighborhoods where kids played, where grass grew, and where trees offered shade.

It couldn’t all be like this.

And these poor women… Do they have to ask their husbands before doing everything?

After an hour of work, the Jeep finally started. Relief flooded me, and I had to resist the urge to clap my hands.

“Maybe we can find a cold soda somewhere,” I said, climbing into the back seat. “Maybe even a taco stand—get something to eat.”

Lyon turned to me with an incredulous look.

“You’ve gotta be kidding,” he said. “There are no taco stands around here. You’d have to go a long way just to find a Pepsi. And if you step into the wrong city, the Taliban will catch you and lock you up.” He handed me a bottle of water and a strip of beef jerky. “Just stay low and do what we say, and everything will work out. Here, eat this.”

I took the jerky, eyeing it warily. “Does this mean jerky is all we have to eat?”

“No,” he said, pulling something out of his bag. “I also have granola bars.”

I took the bar he handed me. “Thanks.”

Reaching into my own bag, I pulled out some trail mix I had grabbed from Costco last week. “Here,” I said, passing out small bags to each of them. “Looks like the M&Ms melted, but if you mix the nuts around, the chocolate coats them.”

“Thanks,” they all murmured.

Just as I was about to take a sip of water, Lyon spoke again.

“Nick, if anyone comes around, don’t lick your lips. They would know instantly that you were a woman.”

I turned to him, glaring. So much for being his friend. Without responding, I took out my baby wipes and cleaned my hands.

I might be a kickass FBI agent, but I never traveled without my baby wipes.

My uncle Michael always said, Never leave home without them.

I handed each of the guys a wipe. They took them without complaint.

We were getting close to where people actually lived, which meant we had to be careful. The Taliban would love to get their hands on former Army Special Forces. If we were caught, I had no doubt we’d all be tortured.

We drove through the night until we needed to refuel.

I watched as Lyon pulled off a tarp and filled the gas tank from two reserve cans. The area around us was changing—buildings were beginning to appear, scattered at first, then closer together.

“My friend lives down this road,” Lyon said, turning left.

The house was tucked in among dozens of others, all packed tightly together.

The moment we stopped, a man stepped out. He studied us for a long moment, then recognition dawned in his eyes.

“What the hell are you guys doing back here?” he demanded. “You know how dangerous this is.”

“We heard there are still a few hundred Americans stranded here,” River said. “Have you heard anything?”

The man, Mack, nodded. “Yeah. We’ve found some of them. We split them into small groups—twenty-five max. You can’t gather three hundred people in one spot without drawing attention. I was actually about to call you guys to see if you could help move them out.”

“Where are they?” I blurted, forgetting I wasn’t supposed to speak.

I heard Lyon growl beside me.

“I told you not to talk,” he hissed. “What if this wasn’t Mack? You can’t just go around asking questions.”

I ignored him.

“Hello,” I said, stepping forward and offering my hand. “I’m Niki. I’m looking for my brother. His name is—”

Mack held up a hand, cutting me off. “It’s too dangerous for me to know your full name. Just tell me your brother’s first name.”

“Max.”

His expression didn’t change. “I know a few Max’s. They’re all in the groups. If you keep looking, you might find him.”

My stomach twisted. God, please let him be one of them.

“Where’s the first group?” River asked, his voice tight.

“They’re in an underground tunnel,” Mack said. “Leo’s in that first group. Let’s go there now. I was going to call you about Leo being alive. Are you going to be able to move them?”

River didn’t answer. He just turned and walked away, rubbing his eyes.

I glanced around. The other guys were doing the same.

“Yes,” Gage finally said. “We’ll take the first group and come back for the others. Take us to them.”

We followed Mack down a quiet street to another house. It looked abandoned, but he led us inside anyway.

In the bedroom, he pulled back the carpet, revealing a trapdoor.

If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never see it.

River was the first one down. I followed, my heart racing as I scanned the room filled with Americans sitting in chairs, waiting.

I swallowed hard, then called out, “Max?”

River had already found his brother. He wrapped him in a tight hug, their resemblance unmistakable. Leo was younger, but they shared the same features, the same sharp intensity in their eyes.

“Let’s go,” River said, his voice thick with emotion.

Mack nodded. “I’ll get the van. The sun is almost down. It’ll be safer if we wait a few more minutes.”

I walked at the back of the group, my heart pounding. I will return with them—but only if I could find my brother.

As the others climbed into the van, I stepped back.

“Nick, what are you doing? Get in,” Lyon said.

“I’m staying,” I said firmly. “I have to find my brother.”

His jaw tensed. “We’ll look together when we get back. It’s too dangerous for you to be here alone.”

“Mack is taking me to another group tomorrow morning,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

“No! I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

“Lyon, come on , ” River said impatiently. “You can finish your argument when we get back.”

Lyon’s eyes burned into mine. “You better stay hidden,” he muttered. “And don’t talk when people are around.”

“I know,” I said. “I won’t talk.”

He shook his head, clearly pissed, then climbed into the van. As it pulled away, I saw him say something to River.

I knew he was angry with me.

But I didn’t care. I wasn’t leaving until I found Max.

That night, I was able to shower and wash my hair. It felt incredible.

Before leaving the bathroom, I put my contacts and wig back on, then washed my clothes in the sink and hung them up to dry.

The second my head hit the pillow, I was out.

I dreamed of Max.

His voice called to me, leading me to him. I saw him lying on the floor of a dimly lit room, blood staining his clothes. His eyes locked onto mine.

And then he whispered, “Run.”

I woke up gasping, my heart hammering against my ribs.

At dawn, I dressed in my men’s robe and covered my head. At least my clothes were clean.

When I walked into the kitchen, Mack and his wife greeted me with warm smiles. They handed me a plate of food and a cup of coffee.

I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. I tried to eat slowly, but it was so good, it didn’t last long.

“Are you ready?” Mack asked.

“Yes,” I said, standing. I turned to his wife. “Thank you for breakfast. And for letting me stay here.”

She smiled. “I hope you find your brother.”

“Me too,” I whispered.

I hugged her, then followed Mack outside.

“We’re going straight to the next tunnel,” he said. “I didn’t have time to meet all of them, but I know there’s a Navy SEAL there. He was shot. I just pray he’s still alive.”