Absolution (31 page)

Tehrazzi said something to the others in another language and they dragged her away, the guard’s awful gurgling ringing in her ears. She wanted to cry. That poor man was dying a hideous death because he’d tried to help her, and now no one would know what had happened to her.

Hard hands shoved her face first onto the back seat of the waiting Mercedes SUV. She yanked her head up and lunged for the door, but Tehrazzi slid in beside her and caught her wrists, yanking the scarf off her head and lashing her hands behind her back.

The doors slammed shut, the engine roared to life, and then the vehicle shot down the alley. He trapped her flailing legs with one knee and pushed her bound hands up. The sudden flare of pain wrenched a cry out of her.

“Let me
go
,” she screamed.

“Lie still.”

The hell she would. She wriggled and fought, an animal growl tearing from her throat. Was this really happening? Everyone thought he was in Afghanistan. Luke and the others were going there to get him. A sob of fear shook her.

“Be easy.” Tehrazzi’s low voice was without an accent, eerily soothing. Almost kind. She shivered.

“My fight is not with you.”

“Then let me go!”

“You’re going to bring my teacher to me.”

Luke? Because he’d trained him? “No,” she managed. “H-he’s gone to Afg-ghanistan for you.”

Tehrazzi grabbed her upper arms. He raised her off the seat and jerked her jaw around with one hand. “What?”

The rage burning in those green eyes withered her insides. “H-he’s going there—”

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“How do you know this?”

She flinched when he shook her once.

“He told you this? When?”

She didn’t dare tell him she’d heard the information from another source. “Th-this morning.”

His eyes flared. “Is he still here? In Beirut?”

Emily swallowed. She wasn’t going to tell him anything that might jeopardize Luke’s safety. Maybe she’d said too much already.

His hand tightened painfully on her jaw. “Is he?”

“I-I d-don’t know…”

He released her with a snap of his wrist and her cheek hit the leather, hard enough to make her flinch. Then he spoke rapidly in another language to the driver.

“Please let me go,” she begged, squirming against his hold.

“No. You are the key to this.”

What was he talking about? “I have nothing to do with this.”

One of his hands grabbed the chain around her neck. “If you’re wearing his medallion, you have everything to do with this.”

“It doesn’t mean anything,” she cried.

“It means
everything
. He would only give that to
you
. Because you matter to him more than anyone.”

Tears burned her eyes. “Don’t do this. Please, he’s been through enough.”

He said something else to the driver, completely ignoring her pleas. She wanted to scream from the pain clawing at her. If Luke came charging to her rescue, Tehrazzi would be waiting to kill him.

****

Luke’s call immediately went to an electronic message saying the owner was either out of range or unavailable. Was she still in the mosque maybe?

Instead of turning it to vibrate, she might have turned it off out of respect.

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Frowning, he hung up and dialed Sam back at the compound. “Her phone’s not on,” he said as soon as she answered.

“
Luke
.”

His blood chilled at the fear in her voice. Sam was always calm when she worked. Even when she’d been facing attack from an approaching enemy alone in a cave in Afghanistan, she’d held it together.

“What?”

“The signal went dead about two minutes ago.

Just stopped transmitting... Hold on.”

Shit. Luke’s hand tightened around the phone.

He made out an urgent male voice in the background speaking in rapid Arabic, but couldn’t hear what he was saying. Was Emily okay? Rhys strode over, his navy eyes locked on him.

Sam came back on the line. “Oh God, Luke, the guard that drove her reported in that three men were chasing her. He was pursuing on foot, but we can’t reach him.”

Luke’s blood congealed in his veins. Couldn’t be coincidence. No way.

Let us finish this where it all began…

The bottom of his stomach dropped out. Oh, fuck, he’d screwed it up.

Not Afghanistan. Beirut. Where Tehrazzi had first been recruited by a radical militia.

“I’m calling Ben,” he said, fighting the undiluted fear streaking through him. “Get Dec on the line for me.” Ben answered on the first ring. “Emily’s gone. I think Tehrazzi’s got her.” He could barely get the words out of his tight throat.

“Shit. The police just called me. One of my guys was found dead in an alley downtown beside a mosque.”

“Come get us. We’ll start there.”

“I’ll be there in five.”

Luke shoved the phone into its holster, 254

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struggling to get his heart rate under control. All he could think about was that Tehrazzi had Emily.

At one time he could have guaranteed Emily would be safe until he showed up, because Tehrazzi didn’t like to kill his victims himself. But no longer.

He was increasingly unstable, had killed at least one man himself in the past few months. Tehrazzi was paranoid and unpredictable now. He didn’t trust anyone and was finally taking matters into his own hands. He wanted Luke, and knew damn well Emily would guarantee him coming after her.

But until Luke got there, there was no telling what he’d do to her. Luke’s stomach lurched sickeningly, his eyes suddenly oversensitive to the weak sunlight breaking through the western clouds.

His weapons. He needed his weapons to kill that fucker.

Without a word Rhys came up and handed him his ruck, and together they ran back to the hangar to wait for Ben.

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Chapter Sixteen

Emily’s heart was in her throat when the SUV

finally stopped and the engine turned off. She couldn’t lift her head enough to see out the window.

Where were they? Was he going to hurt her? Torture her for information she didn’t have?

Tehrazzi said something to his men and then dragged her out of the vehicle, forcing her to walk in front of him as they approached a darkened industrial building. The air was heavy and damp, carrying the salty tang of the sea. They must be near the waterfront.

It was growing darker outside, and the oppressive shadows deepened as he pushed her inside the empty room. The metal door shut behind them with a bang, echoing off the concrete walls. She shivered and snuck a glance around. A single barred window in the far wall let in the fading light. No other doors. She had to get out the way she’d come.

Tehrazzi wasn’t looking at her. His back was to her, moving purposefully around the barren room while he gathered things and stuffed them into a backpack. The SUV was parked out on the street. If she could get outside and run in the opposite direction, maybe she could get enough of a head start to lose them and get help. Her heart thudded against her ribs. She had to try. She couldn’t stay here and let Tehrazzi use her as bait to trap Luke.

Luke might be gone already. Airborne, well on his way to Afghanistan. She didn’t know. Sooner or later, Sam and the others would realize she was missing and start looking for her. They’d find out 256

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about the guard who’d died trying to save her. The police would be alerted. Were they out looking for her now? Every major security agency in the world wanted Tehrazzi, yet he’d made it into Beirut without arrest. Did he have someone protecting him from the inside? As he’d manipulated the situation with Luke’s colleague? The idea made her sick with despair.

Careful not to glance over her shoulder, she watched Tehrazzi stuff clothes, money and some ammunition into his bag. Wincing inside, she slid one foot back and slowly transferred her weight from toes to heel. Then the other, while her fingers twisted in the scarf binding her wrists. He’d tied it tight enough that it cut off the circulation, and she couldn’t get a good enough grip on the velvet to loosen it any. She took another step backward, sensing the door at her back. She’d have to ram it with her shoulder and run for it. And pray she could find some kind of cover before they shot her in the back.

Another step. Beads of sweat broke out over her upper lip. Then Tehrazzi paused and looked back at her. She froze.

His forest green eyes pinned her like an insect.

“Don’t.”

The look on his face frightened her. The door was right behind her. Only a few feet away. Tehrazzi was on the other side of the room.

Now or never
.

She spun and lunged for the door, slamming her shoulder into the release bar with a heavy clang, but her head snapped back and she fell to the floor, one hip and elbow taking the brunt of the impact with the cold concrete. Cool air washed over her bald scalp. She scrambled onto her knees and faced Tehrazzi, preparing for the beating she feared was coming. He stood above her, her long wig dangling 257

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from his fist.

His expression transformed from buried rage to astonishment as he stared down at her. “You’re ill,”

he said softly.

Body tensed, she glared up at him and gritted her teeth. She would not let the bastard see how afraid she was.

She didn’t answer, though the evidence in his hand spoke for her.

He took a step toward her and she flinched despite herself, but he merely placed the wig back on her head and moved away. She would have sworn his eyes filled with sympathy, but that was impossible. He was a twisted, hate-filled terrorist and wouldn’t care about anything but his perceived duty to Allah.

“I’m sorry that you have suffered so much in this life.” His softly spoken words sent a chill rippling down her backbone. He spoke as though he planned to send her to the afterlife to ease her. And what did he know of her suffering? The look in his eyes was all wrong. It confused her. Why would he feel sorry for her? He must hate her because she was a non-believer, an American, and worse, Luke’s ex-wife.

Then he surprised her again by reaching out a broad, strong hand and she flinched. But he merely grasped her upper arm gently and helped her to her feet in an almost chivalrous gesture. He was shockingly gentle with her, even adjusting the wig before he moved away. She pulled back, almost more afraid of this oddly tender side of him. Was he clinically insane? That would explain his polar personality shifts.

The unexpected kindness in him tangled her up.

Jesus, what was going on with her? It was way too early for some stupid rendition of the Stockholm syndrome. “Please let me go.” Her voice was breathy 258

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and weak sounding, but she had to try to make him release her.

Tehrazzi shook his head, the faint light coming through the window behind him illuminating his rich brown hair. It formed a kind of halo around his head, transforming him into the angel of God he believed he was.

“I cannot. I’m sorry.” True regret colored his voice.

Her heart sank. What was she supposed to do?

She didn’t have a prayer against him physically, and no way could she outrun him.

“Now stay there and don’t move.”

The snap in his command jolted her, but still she edged toward the door when he became swallowed by the shadows. She turned to flee again when he emerged pulling the hem of a black knit sweater over the waistband of his dark jeans. He had something on beneath it. A bullet proof vest?

He picked up a pistol from the table and slung his pack over his shoulder before stalking toward her. “Let’s go.” His gentleness was gone, as if it had never happened. There was no trace of kindness in his face or his eyes. Just the hardened warrior, back in control of everything.

He grabbed her bound hands and shoved her out the door.

****

Luke closed his phone and braced himself as Rhys took a sharp right turn. The Suburban’s tires squealed when it did a controlled skid around the corner. “Dec and his boys are on the ground. They’ll move in from the south.” Through the most dangerous part of Beirut, the stronghold of Shiite Hezbollah. Was that where Tehrazzi was headed?

His gut said no. Tehrazzi would find people willing to hide him there, but it was too obvious a destination. Too predictable. Luke bet he had other 259

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plans in mind, and was working things out on the fly. No way could he have known Emily was in Beirut. The only person that had known besides him and his team was Jamie, and Luke was absolutely sure he’d ended the treachery with Miller’s arrest.

No, Emily running into Tehrazzi’s path was pure, shit luck. The question was where the hell to start looking for them. Every second mattered.

“No sightings at the airport or borders, but the alert’s been issued,” Ben said as he hung up his phone. “Police are out looking for them now.”

Rhys hit the brakes and muttered under his breath when he had to stop for the traffic, then laid on the horn.

Luke wasn’t wasting any time. “This is good enough,” he said. “Pull over and we’ll start here.”

He couldn’t believe Tehrazzi had gotten Emily.

Here. Where he’d forced her to come because he’d been sure she was at risk back in Charleston. If she’d stayed put at home, she would still be safe.

The damning knowledge tied his guts in knots. He wanted to kick his own ass. This was all his fault.

All of it.

Hang on, Em. Please hang on.

Wherever they were, Tehrazzi would be ready for him. Luke just prayed he wouldn’t hurt Emily before they had their final confrontation.

****

The alley was shadowed and quiet, exactly what he needed. He had to move, right now. If Emily was here, his teacher wouldn’t be far away. And he’d be coming for him. They had to know about the dead bodyguard by now.

Tehrazzi’s blood hummed. So close now. He could almost feel his teacher’s breath on the back of his neck, coming closer with each minute. The eerie sensation of being followed spurred him to move faster.

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Ignoring the woman’s protests, he propelled her along the silent alley in front of him, away from where the truck was parked. He’d destroyed the tracking device in her phone. She didn’t have any others, he’d checked her over when he’d hauled her into the vehicle. There wouldn’t be anyone following them with electronic eyes, and if either of his men tried to follow, he’d kill them. He’d learned the hard way never to trust anyone, and he wasn’t about to put his life in anyone’s hands but Allah’s.