“Lexi...” Colton grabbed her arm and pushed her behind him in a desperate attempt to keep her from being injured, then disengaged his gun’s safety and aimed the barrel at the men. He’d lost his brother-in-law somewhere out there in the desert. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to Lexi, as well.
There were three men, dressed alike in fatigues and berets to block the sun. The tallest, took a step forward directing his own weapon back at Colton.
“If you hadn’t noticed there are three of us, each with a loaded weapon, and only two of you and one weapon,” he said in a thick accent. “So I’d advise you to not even attempt to play hero.”
The man was clearly the leader, but the other two had the same look of arrogance in their eyes. They were in control and they knew it.
“What do you want?” Colton asked.
“We’ve have orders to bring you to see Salif. He’s not happy about what happened at the camp yesterday.”
Losing out on both two million dollars and a number of his men had to have been quite a blow to Salif. But nothing was going to change this time. Even if they kidnapped the two of them, coming up with two million dollars wasn’t going to happen. And he had the feeling Lexi’s brother wasn’t going to be able to resolve the situation either, even if they did found him.
“And if we’d rather stay here?” Colton asked.
“This isn’t a negotiation. It’s an order.”
Colton hesitated as he tried to weigh his options. But at the moment they didn’t have any. They were outnumbered and outgunned. And if Lexi’s theory was correct, then Issa wasn’t going to show up and rescue them.
Unless Issa really was the friend he believed him to be.
Colton stared out at the rolling desert beyond the men. Issa was the only backup they had at the moment. Which meant there was only one way out of this. He needed to stall and pray that Issa showed up.
“Where are you planning to take us?” he asked, squeezing Lexi’s fingers gently with his free hand.
“Salif’s waiting at his compound. He didn’t take kindly to the ambush on his men.”
“You give them too much information, Hamid. We need to leave.”
Hamid laughed. “It’s not as if they’re going anywhere.”
Colton frowned. He’d been told by the army that they were dealing with a small group of “work-for-hire fighters.” Which meant that not only had the army’s assessment of who they were dealing with been way off, they had also failed to carry out their job in taking down the group of insurgents. There had been no win-win situation. And they were now on their own.
Where are you, Issa?
He had to keep stalling.
“How much does Salif pay you to do his dirty work?” Colton asked.
“His dirty work?” The shorter of the men kicked at the sand in front of him. “What business is that of yours?”
“The military is underpaid,” Colton continued, “so I’m assuming you make more than they do. And the average worker’s annual salary in this country is fifteen hundred American dollars a year, which is enough to scrape by. So I’m curious. Two million dollars goes a long way, but I have a feeling most of that doesn’t go into your pockets.”
The men stared at him.
“How many kidnappings has Salif been involved in this year? Five? Ten? When those families pay, that would be what...a minimum of ten million dollars? And yet it’s likely that none of you ever see that money.”
“That is not your business.” Hamid took a step forward, the tension in his jaw evident. “Though he might pay us extra to shoot both of you, which I’d be happy to do if you don’t shut up.”
Colton ignored the threat as he scanned the desert for any sign of Issa. He wasn’t going to be able to stall much longer. But Lexi couldn’t be right. Issa wouldn’t betray him. Not for money. His team had saved both Issa’s wife and his son, and since then, they’d continued rely on Issa to be a bridge between the mission organization and the villages scattered across the region.
But if he was wrong...
“Enough talk.” The leader took a step forward, his gun steady. “Put your weapon down, or I’ll shoot the girl.”
Colton hesitated for another couple seconds, then laid the gun on the sand in front of him.
Show me what to do, God.
The men nodded for them to walk toward their Land Rover. There would be no more stalling. He grabbed Lexi’s hand to ensure she stayed right beside him.
After two months of captivity, Bret hadn’t been killed by the insurgents. Which meant their hostages were worth more alive than dead. But how long could he and Lexi expect to keep their lives when the US wouldn’t pay the ransom? Their families couldn’t pay the ransom. There was a possibility that his mission organization would try to raise the funds, but that money wasn’t going to be easy to come up with.
Colton stopped his progress toward the vehicle. There were still no signs of Issa and Bret, but they had to be out there. Waiting for an opportunity.
“Let me just ask you one more question before we leave,” he said.
Hamid stepped up to Colton. Close enough that he could smell the other man’s foul breath. “What are you doing? Waiting for your guide to show up and rescue you again? Because it’s not going to happen.”
Colton felt a wave of anger surge inside his gut. “What did you do with him?”
“Colton, don’t—”
But Lexi’s warning came too late. Colton felt the butt of the gun smash against his head. And then nothing.
* * *
Colton felt a stab of pain shoot across the side of his head. He forced himself to open his eyes, then tried focusing on a sliver of light in the darkness. He was lying down. Temples throbbing. Jaw tight. Small snippets of memories slowly began to surface. Someone had been chasing them. Their car had flipped. Bret and Issa had vanished. Salif’s men had shown up. And Lexi—
Spots dotted his vision. His chest tightened as a wave of dizziness swept over him. Where was Lexi?
“Colton?”
He shifted his head at the sound of her voice, this time ignoring the throbbing pain. Relief swept through him as he found her sitting cross-legged beside him.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
He glanced around the dark space. He was lying on a mat inside a tent. He had no idea where, but at least they were together. “I feel like I’ve been hit over the head with a brick.”
“Try the butt of a riffle.” Her voice was soft. On edge. “You were out the whole way here. I’ve been worried.”
“I’ll live.” He pressed his hand against his temple and discovered the painful lump. “You didn’t happen to grab that backpack, did you?”
“I did actually,” she said, pulling out the water and a couple of painkillers. “They took the knife, but surprisingly let us keep the rest.”
“My throbbing head is forever grateful,” he said, downing the pills. “What about you? Are you okay? Or at least as okay as possible after being kidnapped by a bunch of insurgents for the second time in two days.”
She shot him a half smile, but it quickly faded. “I’m scared. I don’t see a way out this time, and I’m pretty sure you have a mild concussion.”
“But they want us alive, remember. At least that’s still in our favor.” He glanced at the streak of light coming through the tent flap. “So where exactly are we?”
“As promised, they brought us to their compound to see Salif.”
“How long have we been here?”
“Not long.”
He caught the fear in her eyes and felt a twinge of regret over his decision. He’d pushed the men too hard and in turn had put her life in danger. And yet what else could he have done? If Issa had been out there...
But Hamid had been right. Issa wasn’t coming to his rescue. Not this time.
“I was trying to stall them,” he said, catching her gaze. “I was counting on Issa to show up. Three against two didn’t seem like bad odds, but this...”
“I know and I’m sorry,” she whispered.
So was he. What was Becca going to do when they didn’t show up in Morocco? Or if she received another ransom call?
I don’t know what to do, God. You called me here to protect and serve, but I’m out of options.
He glanced at Lexi. There was something reassuring about her presence. But he also knew how scared she was. He needed to find a way to end this.
“Do you still believe Issa’s in on this?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Have you seen him?”
Lexi shook her head.
“They had to have been out there somewhere.”
“What do we do now?” she asked. “If I can’t find Trent, they won’t need me anymore. And even if I did know where he was, no matter what he’s done, I don’t know... I don’t know if I can betray him.”
* * *
Lexi watched Colton in the dimly lit space. Frustration over her brother’s behavior—and the subsequent consequences—had continued to trouble her. She had no idea where he was. No idea what exactly he’d done. All she knew for sure was that the nightmare had begun again. Another makeshift compound with nothing more than a few tents and a cooking hut all surrounded by the vast desert.
Sweat beaded across her neck and ran down her back in the sweltering heat. But no matter how angry she might feel, her brother’s actions were the least of her worries right now. Colton needed medical attention, especially if he had a concussion. And on top of that, they had to find out what had happened to Bret and Issa.
She had no way to contact Colton’s mission, and even if they did, what could they do? If the army had been unable to take out the insurgents, a group of aid workers certainly weren’t going to be able to.
“We have to find a way out of here,” she said, keeping her voice at a whisper.
“I agree,” he said, “but the last time I had the aid of the army and that didn’t exactly end the way I’d planned.”
Colton shifted on the mat. She knew what he was thinking. Salif’s men had weapons capable of taking down his Cessna. How in the world were they supposed to fight against them?
He turned onto his side and started to push himself up.
“Colton?” She reached out to steady him. “You’re not fine.”
“I’m just a little dizzy.”
She frowned. “Lie back down, then. You need to rest.”
He waived her off, then pressed his hands against the sides of the mat for balance. “I’m okay, and you’re right. We need an escape strategy to get out of here. Can you guess at how many men are in the camp?”
She caught the determination in his eyes along with the bruise that was forming on his forehead. She couldn’t help wonder what plan they could come up with that would actually work. But if nothing else, this would help make her feel more in control.
“They brought us straight from the Land Rover to here,” she said. “The camp is small, and I saw about a dozen men. Most of them were carrying AK-47s.”
“What about vehicles and other weapons?”
“I saw three vehicles including the one they brought us here in. And as for weapons? Like I said most of the men are armed, but there’s no way to know what might be inside in the other tents.”
“Okay...” He pressed his hand against the back of his neck, clearly in pain. “I’m assuming they move around frequently, in order to avoid detection, so they would want to travel light when they do. Salif might have a permanent base somewhere, but if he knows the government is looking for him, lying low for a while would make sense.”
“Somehow I don’t think they’re going to offer us a tour.”
Colton let out a low chuckle. “Unfortunately I think you’re right.”
She heard two men arguing outside, their voices getting louder as they approached the tent.
“Someone’s coming,” she whispered, grasping Colton’s forearm.
They hadn’t spoken to anyone since they’d arrived, but she knew that eventually Salif was going to want to talk to them and tell them exactly what he wanted. A shadow crossed in front of the flap of their tent. At the same time she heard someone call out. It must have been to the men who were approaching because their voices faded in the afternoon air and the shadow receded as they walked away.
“So do you think our best way out of here is one of the vehicles?” she asked, letting out a breath of relief at the delay.
“It’s risky, but it seems like that’s our only option. The only problem is even if we did manage to steal one of the vehicles, then what? We don’t have any idea where we are.”
Lexi bit the edge of her lip. He was right. They had no maps, and barely any supplies. Even if they did make it out, where were they going to go? They were miles away from the nearest town.
“You know what I want right now?” Colton asked.
Her eyes narrowed as she caught his gaze. “What?”
“Becca makes this s’mores cheesecake. It’s this amazing dessert with layers of chocolate and marshmallows and hot fudge sauce. It’s sickeningly sweet and absolutely delicious.”
Lexi chuckled at his craving. “I’m hungry, but even that’s sounds way too sweet to me. Personally, I’d settle for some lemonade with ice and one of my dad’s burgers straight off the grill. I haven’t had a decent hamburger for months.”
“I wouldn’t mind that with a side order of onion rings and a thick chocolate shake—”
“Stop.” She scooted over a few inches in order to lean back against the wooden pole holding up the center of the tent. “What made you think of your sister’s dessert?”
“Besides the fact that I’m hungry?” He shook his head. “I keep thinking about Becca and what she’s going to do when I don’t call her.”
She could hear the frustration in his voice.
“My stepfather’s expecting me to come home and now...I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Or when he was going to hear from her.
A stab of pain shot through her. Her stepfather had already lost her mother. Which was why her decision to leave the US and work in Africa had already come at a cost to her family. They’d understood, or at least had tried to understand, but she knew they worried about her living in an unstable region no matter how many precautions she’d promised them she was taking.
Colton reached out and brushed his fingers against the back of her hand. “I’m so sorry you’re having to go through all of this again.”
His touch sent shivers through her. In another place and time, she could see herself falling for someone like him. She’d seen firsthand his integrity. His willingness to risk his life for others. His strength. She pushed away any thoughts of romance. All she needed to be thinking about right now was surviving. And finding a way out of here.
“Lexi?”
“I’m okay. It’s just hard not to wonder if we’re ever going to see our families. Or if we’re going to have the chance to do something...normal. I’d do anything for a boring trip to the grocery store. But what about your head?” she said, changing the subject. “Any better yet?”
“The pain’s a bit less.”
The shadow of a man appeared in the open flap of the tent again, blocking their only source of light. Hamid, one of the men who’d grabbed them earlier, stepped inside, then ordered her to come with him.
Colton reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers. “Lexi—”
“I’ll be fine.”
She swallowed hard, hoping her words sounded more confident than she felt. But Colton was right—they needed her alive.
Outside the tent, she walked across the hot sand ahead of the insurgent who held his AK-57 pointed at her back. Not that he needed it...she wasn’t going anywhere. The heat of the late morning sun beat across her head and shoulders. Forget an ice-cold lemonade. She’d be happy with anything wet to drink at this point.
Wiping the sweat off back of her neck, Lexi drew in a deep breath and took in as many details around her as she could. Four men lounged in the shade of one of the tents. Another four stood around the perimeter guarding the camp against any threat that might arise behind the waves of sand in the distance. To her right there was a narrow row of solar panels—an attempt to modernize the compound—and beyond them, she noted that one of the vehicles was gone from where it had been parked when they’d arrived. She’d heard an engine running before Colton had woken up, and couldn’t help but wonder where it had gone. There was still no sign of Issa or Bret. Would they have taken the men to another camp?
They stopped in front of a bearded man sitting on a wooden chair and eating an almost-empty plate of stew and bread.
“You and your friend have caused me a lot of grief,” he said, not stopping to look at her as he sopped up the last bite of stew with the bread. “But I learned a long time ago that things don’t always go as planned.”
“You must be Salif,” she said, trying not to sound as if she was about to pass out.
“I believe the last time you were in my custody, my men asked you where your brother was. I’m asking you again.” He dropped the empty plate onto the ground next to him and looked up at her. “And this time I want an answer.”
Help me know what I should say, God. Please...
Lexi drew in a slow breath as she fought the panic threatening to overwhelm her. “And I told them what I knew. He came to visit me and then he left. He didn’t tell me where he was going, and I haven’t heard from him since.”
“So I’ve been told. But surely you have some idea where he might be, because helping me is by far your better option.”
She reached up unconsciously and felt the place where Amar had slapped her face. They believed she was hiding something, that she knew where her brother was. It was probably the only reason she was alive. But what would happen when they realized she was telling the truth and had no idea where Trent was or where to find him? Then what?
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
“We’re going to send him a video. He won’t reply to me or my messages, but perhaps he will respond to his sister if he knows her life is on the line.”
She caught the man’s gaze and saw the spite in his eyes. He was telling the truth. She had to get through to Trent. Because as soon as she lost her value to them, they would kill her.