Unable to see, Shariff held her arm and guided her through the space. Like the day before, they changed cars, but this time he kept her uncuffed. A door opened and shoes squeaked against the hard floor. No one spoke. He propelled her inside the building; somewhere nearby a door slammed shut. A few minutes later, Shariff pulled the burqa and the mask off her. Ally blinked and stared around the room. A sink sat in the corner of the bedroom and a glass mirror hung above it. A pile of clothes lay on the floor against the wall and on the top of it a pair of men’s briefs. She glanced at the closed door across from her before looking at the rest of the space.
He waved around the room. “You were clearly not expected but it will do. So make yourself comfortable. You will be in here for a while.”
A baby’s hungry cries filled the air. Ally looked at Shariff, knowing exactly where he’d taken her. “Let me stay with them.”
He laughed and headed for the closed door. “I would need to trust you for that. Seeing as how I don’t, hidden metal rods and beating men to death and all, here is where you’ll stay.”
“Please, let me…” The door slammed in her face. Before she could reach for the knob, metal slid into place and keys jiggled, locking it. A few minutes later, the front door closed as well. The engine of a car in the driveway revved, and soon he was gone.
Ally sat on the bed, fiddling with the ring and gazing at the door. In the past half hour since he left, Amirah’s cries had grown louder and more hysterical. When it became unbearable, she ran to the door and banged against it. “Anyone out there?” The only response came from the screaming infant. She slammed her knuckles against the surface and pressed her ear against the smooth wood. “Is there something wrong with the baby?”
Although no one answered, something squeaked against the floor. “I want to know if Farah and Amirah are okay.”
Razaa didn’t respond, but from his footsteps, she assumed he paced the area outside her door. She rested her forehead against the door. “Please. I might be able to help.”
The baby continued to wail, pausing to take a breath and start again.
His footsteps disappeared, leaving only the child’s laments as company. Ally grasped the handle and jiggled, but it didn’t budge. A few minutes later, the footsteps returned and along with it, the metal clashing of keys.
“I am going to open the door. You will walk with me to the other room, and I will let you in. If you try anything, I will shoot you. Understood?” Razaa commanded.
His words chilled her but not because she believed he’d hurt her. The fact he allowed it meant something was very wrong. “Yes.”
“Step far away from the door.”
Ally rushed to the other end of the room, her chest tight as tension coursed through her. When it opened, the young masked man stood at the threshold, a gun protruded from the waistband of his jeans.
“What’s wrong with Amirah?”
He shook his head. “It’s not the baby. It’s her mother.” He rested a hand on the gun’s handle and stepped to the side, granting her exit.
She hurried to him and paused at the doorway, in front of him. Razaa stared ahead, not acknowledging her. Ally opened her mouth, trying to find the right words.
“Go!” he snapped.
She nodded and moved on with Razaa close behind. The cries grew louder as she neared the locked bedroom.
His hands shook while he unfastened the lock. As soon as it clicked, he pulled the door open and waved her in.
She stepped into the room, the door shut and locked behind her.
Ally’s attention went straight to the bed. In a diaper and nothing else, Amirah lay in the middle of the mattress. Her face bright red as she screamed, and her arms and legs flailed. She scooped up the baby and pressed her cheek to her own as she swayed and hummed to her. While she tried to calm the child, she scanned the room for the mother.
She sat in the corner on the floor, rocking herself. Her body shook as she sobbed.
“Farah?”
She looked up at Ally, emotion glistening against her cheeks. “I fed her, cleaned her, everything. She won’t stop crying.”
From the looks of it, it wasn’t just the baby who couldn’t stop crying. Ally held Amirah tight and continued to bounce until finally, after a long while, Amirah fell asleep. Afraid to wake her, she walked over to Farah and smiled down at her. “It’s okay, Farah.”
Her vacant gaze stared out across the room. “Nothing’s okay, Didi. Because of my mistakes, we will all die. I’ve destroyed everything.”
She sat beside her, careful not to jostle the exhausted child. “She is going to be okay. Both of you will go home.”
“Home? What home? There is no home without him. And he won’t be there.” She fixed her gaze on Ally. “He’s dead.”
Her throat tightened. It hurt too much to confirm her fears. Ally grabbed her hand and stared at the floor.
Farah rested her chin on her knees. “It’s okay, Didi. I know,” she whispered. “He’s dead because of me.” Her words trailed off as the sobs took over.
“I think I’m cursed,” Farah said. The tears had long subsided, but the women were still on the floor. Farah’s head rested on Ally’s shoulder; a towel covered her chest, hiding the nursing child.
A sad smile tugged at Ally’s lips. Those were thoughts she understood all too well. “It feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it?”
Farah’s hair rubbed against her cheek when she nodded.
Ally stared at the cotton hanging over the nursing mother’s body. The edge of it fell over her lap, covering most of it from view. She tucked her hand under the cloth and rested it on Farah’s knee. “Whenever you feel that way, look at this beautiful gift Amir left for you.” With her thumb, she worked on slipping the silver band off her finger. “You can’t see him, but he is here watching over the two girls he loved more than his own life. And as hard as it is to stay hopeful, you have to for him. Don’t let his death be in vain, Farah.”
The woman stiffened as soon as the ring dropped into her lap. “You can’t give up. You have to live. To fight for her. The way he fought for you so many times before. Protect his daughter at all costs.”
Farah’s fingers brushed against hers from under the towel, and Ally knew she was slipping the ring on to her own hand. She smiled and patted her head. “You will continue being the strong, proud woman your husband believed you to be, and by doing so, you will raise his Amirah to be the same.”
Ally pressed her cheek into Farah’s cheek, and whispered into her ear. “A gift from your brother. We will get you both out of here. I promise.” She climbed to her feet, reaching her hand out to her. “Now, you need to go to bed and get some rest.”