by Linda Conrad
Chapter 9
Pure shock captured Nikki in a moment of deep regret. She’d asked for that remark, but now she wished she’d kept her mouth closed. How stupid of her to force the issue.
She’d known—should’ve known—how badly she had hurt him by sending him away all those years ago. But somehow she’d thought that if she didn’t ever have to face the truth, it couldn’t wound her in return.
She. Had. Hurt. Him. Seeing that was killing her, but it was a pain she would have to live with from now on. After all, he had hurt her, too.
Staring at Shakir as he ducked around the room, in and out of the cabin’s shadows, her heart ached for the young man he’d been at twenty-four. She remembered feeling sure at the time that obeying her father’s wishes was the best thing for everyone. How wrong she had been. How wrong they all were.
She’d grown up fast. Her childhood lie of a life had dashed before her very eyes. She’d gone from being a naïve and dutiful daughter to a cynical and practical single mother in a blink. When her supposed intended laughed at the idea of marriage to a pregnant pretender to the throne, her parents turned their backs on her plight.
She should have been smart enough to predict that outcome, but she’d been raised to trust. Trust in both her parents and the other advisors surrounding them to know what was best. That trusting nature had unfortunately remained with her, even after her father’s downfall and death. She’d been so naïvely trusting that she’d lost her son to a complete stranger.
Now she trusted no one. Not even Shakir. Perhaps especially Shakir.
Nikki wondered again where he had disappeared to after she’d sent him away. He hadn’t fought for her, and when she’d found out she needed him, he was gone. All these years later the memory of searching for him to no avail still haunted her and made her bitter. Why would a man who was about to graduate from university suddenly vanish like a puff of smoke into the night? To this day she could never completely trust him again.
She didn’t dare ask him about it now. Asking would certainly lead to his inquiring why she’d bothered to come looking for him after declaring she never wanted to see him again. Her questions would wait for another time.
“What…” Her voice sounded rusty, hesitant. Just like she felt. “What are you doing?”
“I’m searching for a couple of decent bridles for us to use. Ones that might hold up for our trip.”
She peered into the musty darkness. “I don’t see any saddles in storage. Where do you suppose they keep them?”
Out of the room’s farthest, darkest corner, he said, “It doesn’t matter. We can’t take the time to saddle the horses.”
“Bareback? I’ve never been on a horse and you want me to ride bareback?” Her past temporarily forgotten with the intensity of her immediate future, she planted her hands on her hips. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. We could’ve been hours closer to William now by walking.”
“Nikki…” He sounded hard but hollow, as though he were slowly becoming a shell of himself.
She hadn’t meant to imply that she’d disliked the way they’d spent their rest period. She had liked it, even though it was wrong of her to forget her mission, her baby, for even a moment. But it was his sullen attitude now that irritated her and made her angry.
“Don’t ‘Nikki’ me. I want to lea—” The rest of her words were lost to a total blackout as the light coming in through the window was suddenly extinguished.
“Shh.” Shakir’s voice came out of the darkness. “Let your eyes get used to the light.”
What light? Hugging herself around the middle, she froze, peering into nothingness.
In a blink she felt him right beside her. “You’re about to get your wish. The soldiers are gone. We’re leaving. Are you ready?”
He didn’t give her a chance to answer, because before she knew what he intended, they were standing outside in the dry, fresh air. She was surprised at how well she could see in the light of the nearly full moon.
Shakir handed her a couple of small horse blankets then took her by the hand as they eased around the side of the storage building, heading for the paddock. She glanced in every direction, but they seemed to be alone, with only horses for company.
When they reached the fence, he stopped to whisper instructions in her ear. “I don’t want to spook the animals. Too much noise and one of the soldiers might come out to check. Stand by the gate and try to make yourself seem small.”
Nikki didn’t want to “spook” the horses, either. Their dark outlines loomed like huge spectres against the night sky. She stood stock-still and tried shallow breathing.
Shakir bent between two fence rails and entered the paddock without so much as a rustle. He moved among the mighty steeds as if he was one of them. She could hear him murmuring something, but he was too far away for her to catch the words.
Sweat broke out on her upper lip. Her mouth turned to cotton. How would she ever manage to get on the back of one of these giants—let alone stay on?
Soon Shakir was by her side with two horses in tow. Too late to worry now. She must do this for her son. She bit down on the inside of her cheek and waited for him to show her what to do.
Taking the blankets, he threw one over the back of the largest horse and folded the other into his pack. “I’ll give you a boost up. Hang on to the horse’s mane until I join you.”
“What?”
While she waited in vain for an answer, Shakir lifted her, easing her bottom onto the blanket on the back of the bigger horse. Oh, great. She got the big one. The other horse looked much smaller from this angle. Maybe she could’ve handled that one.
Shakir helped gather her skirt under her and around her legs. She expected him to mount the other horse. But before she could even catch her breath, he threw a leg up and over the same horse where she was already seated and then slid behind her on the animal’s back. Shakir slipped his wide arms around her waist and she noticed one of his hands held a long rope tied to the other horse.
“Balance lightly,” he said softly. “Keep your legs relaxed and your back straight. That will help steady you.”
How could she feel steady with him sitting this close? She could sense his heat. His warm breath on the back of her neck. His heartbeat pulsing through her back.
But the raging guilt about what they’d done ate at her gut. Kept her from sinking into all that temptation. She was a mother first. Not a woman with needs and desires. How could she have succumbed to that old devil lust while her baby was still in trouble?
“Stay quiet until we’re off the mesa. Your lessons will come later.”
Fine by her. She leaned back and let his body surround her. Protect her. For a while. For now.
As they slowly paraded into the wild night, Nikki couldn’t help but think again of what they’d done together tonight. How physically close and intimate they’d become.
She wondered what it would be like if she’d married Shakir all those years ago. They would be a family now. William would have a father to protect him and she and her child wouldn’t be in danger.
Suddenly wishing she could talk to Shakir about her growing fears for her—their—son’s safety, she decided she didn’t like keeping the truth from him. Besides, the minute he saw William, Shakir would probably guess he was the boy’s father. They looked so much alike. And what would William have to say? He had never asked about a father. Would he adjust?
Closing her eyes, she thought about telling both the men in her life the truth about each other. In her mind, she made it into a pretty picture. With everyone happy and smiling and eager to start a new life.
As the horse rocked gently under her, and Shakir cocooned her in his warm embrace, Nikki dreamed about someone else’s life. A happy life, filled with her illusive ideal of love and family.
As dawn broke in a rainbow of pastels over the mountain peaks, Shakir looked toward Nikki sitting astride the second Taj pony. After all her worry and fear, he had ne
ver seen a woman take so quickly to riding bareback.
The rapid learning had probably come courtesy of her fierce determination to reach her son. As the miles went by, he’d sensed an angry energy building in the woman he loved. Her features were tight and there was an edge of violence in the way she held her shoulders.
She was different from who she’d been as a girl of nineteen when they’d first fallen in love. Not better or worse, but different. It was more than her changeover to motherhood. Many of the things he had once loved about her were still in evidence. She still had that aura of destiny about her. The beauty. The softness and the attitude of duty to others.
And…unfortunately for him, the overpowering sensual pull that made his heart slam into his rib cage every time she looked his way.
He should not have taken advantage of her back there in that primitive storage building with the enemy working only yards away from their heads. But when she’d kissed him and he’d touched her velvet skin, he’d fallen into such wild abandon that nothing mattered but the exhilaration of the two of them moving in tune—as one glorious being.
What he’d encountered was a bigger connection than just something remembered. This instinctual feeling was much more basic. His mouth had gone dry. His skin had burned. His mind had gone blank. He’d lost every bit of his good sense and took possession of her like a savage.
That could not ever happen again. She was too good and too urbane. He was—too violent and untamed. His best course of action from now on would be to use the connection between them to help her save her son. Then he would do the best thing for everyone—and let her go.
But from that day forward, he would keep watch over her from a distance. Never again would she be forced into a menial job and find herself taking chances with strangers to care for her child. He would devote his own life, and whatever fortune he’d accumulated, to affording her the kind of life she deserved. From a distance.
Somewhere in her future, Nikki would save people. Even if she couldn’t be a royal, he foresaw her life as a leader and a public servant the way she’d been trained.
Shakir had no place in that destiny.
A ray of sunlight shot between two peaks and glowed across her face. That creamy skin of hers would burn too easily. Already her nose and cheeks were pink with the blush of sun.
He pulled their horses up in the shade of a basalt ledge. “We need a rest break here.”
Frowning, she narrowed her eyes and tightened her lips. “Why? I’m all right. Let’s keep moving.”
Shakir dismounted and dropped the reins, allowing his horse to feed on tuffs of grass. “The horses need rest and water. They’re bred for endurance, but one must never forget their needs, too. They’ve saved us a full day. We’re only a few hours away from Kuh now.”
“The horses. Of course. I hadn’t thought of them.” She slid off her mount and her knees promptly buckled under her.
He grinned like a drunken sod as he reached down to help her up. “You’ve been riding for a long time. It takes a while to get your ground legs back.”
“I’ll be fine. Just give me a moment.”
Keeping his lips sealed, he held her close as she kicked out the kinks in her legs. The scent of her filled his nostrils. He would never forget it, or how she made him feel. His life was dedicated to her memory from now on.
“When you can stand alone, please drink some water and eat,” he pleaded. “We still have a few packs of food that the Bedouin women made for us.”
Nikki wrinkled up her nose but nodded her agreement. “I’m okay now. I’ll drink as I walk around a little.” She pulled away from him, took the canteen and marched down the canyon, backtracking the way they’d come.
He swung around to give water to the horses but spoke to her as he worked. “Don’t go too far. You need to apply that SPF cream from the first aid kit since the sun is up.”
She turned back but had to shield her eyes from the rising sun to look at him. “Yes, sir.”
“Look, I know it’s hard for you to accept help. But the only way you have any possibility of saving your son is for you to arrive safely. No falls. No infections. And no sunburns.”
“What do you mean about it being hard for me to take help? I can accept help as well as anyone.”
Shakir reached into his pack for the kit. “Uh-huh.” Handing her the SPF cream, he gave her one of his best grins.
She sniffed but took the cream all the same.
“I’m going to call Tarik while the horses rest. We’re close enough now and he should’ve had time to devise a plan.”
Nikki didn’t respond, but went to sit on a flat rock shelf in the shade as she applied cream to her face.
In minutes, Shakir had reached his brother on the solar-powered satellite phone. “What have you found?”
Tarik inhaled. “Trouble. You remember that there was an old iron ore plant in Kuh Friez?”
“Yes. Built originally by the Kasht but abandoned by the Taj years ago. When I was living with the Bedouin, the male teens used the old facility for war games. What about it?”
“Something’s going on there. The town is busting with people and commerce all of a sudden.” Tarik cleared his throat. “I pulled a few strings with my former bosses at the American Department of Defense, and they checked the area out via satellite. It appears the Taj are excavating under that old site. In fact, they’re doing a lot of heavy digging in the whole area.”
“What for?”
“I’ve shown the satellite photos around and the consensus is it looks like the beginnings of an underground nuclear centrifuge facility. The scientists were surprised.”
Nuclear? “Impossible. The Taj don’t have that kind of scientific expertise.”
“Enough money can buy almost anything, brother. And the Taj now have more than enough money.”
For the first time since Shakir had entered Zabbarán, he experienced a moment of self-doubt. “Have you located the whereabouts of Nikki’s son? Do we know where they’re keeping him? And can we reach him there?”
“Prepare for more bad news, Shakir. The Taj elder Umar has been kidnapping young boys the same way he was kidnapping women. We know of at least six missing kids, all boys, but no one seems to know what he wants with them. Umar’s sister and her husband are keeping the children in an abandoned house right on the grounds of the old plant.”
Tarik paused, giving Shakir time to absorb the information. “I don’t have to tell you that security is tight around that plant right now.”
“But you do have a plan. A way in?”
“That depends. Do you remember the layout of the plant? Can you still find your way inside the fences?”
“I’m sure I can. What do you have in mind?”
“If you trust her to keep her head, you and Nikki will have a much better chance of sneaking inside the fences than would an entire squad. And the children won’t fuss as much if a woman comes to their rescue. I’m sure they’re all traumatized by now.”
It took Shakir a second before he saw his brother’s intentions. “Are you thinking you want to try for a rescue of all the children?”
“We must, brother.” Tarik’s determination oozed through the phone and reached Shakir’s ear. “There really is no choice. We cannot leave them. It would be barbaric. But I would also like to give their captives a little surprise on the way out. Are you willing to help me?” Tarik added.
“I can’t speak for Nikki, but I will do whatever is necessary.” Shakir just had one small nonnegotiable demand. “As long as Nikki and her son make it out of Zabbarán none the worse for whatever you have in mind. If you can’t guarantee that, then it’s no-go.”
“Listen to the plan and then talk to her. Let her decide.”
Shakir agreed to listen and to put the question to Nikki, but he already knew the result. She would do anything, agree to anything, in order to reach her son. And the kind of person he knew her to be would never think of leaving behind other people’s chi
ldren. It simply wasn’t in her DNA.
“What can you see?” Standing on a high, barren ridge, Nikki couldn’t make out much in the dusty valley below.
Shakir let the binoculars drop and handed them to her. “Lots of action. See for yourself.”
She held her breath and put the lens to her eyes. She wanted to see children—her child, but she knew it was too far away and the children would probably not be out in the hot afternoon sun anyway.
What came into her view was a town straight out of an American Western. Clapboard houses, tents set up to act as retail establishments, boards laid over sand and used as temporary sidewalks. If she hadn’t known where they were, she would’ve guessed this place to be a movie set of a gold rush town.
Until—she spied Taj soldiers with assault rifles on every street corner. And jeeps filled with uniformed men with machine guns patrolling the perimeter fences of the ancient looking iron ore plant.
The plant itself had long ago been built in levels up against the side of mountain. A rusted hulk of metal and conveyor belts, it looked out of place located right next to a few newer concrete block buildings. Modern glass and stainless steel, the squat structures seemed to be office buildings. Or perhaps research facilities of some sort.
Their construction made them blend in with the cliffs behind them. Looking at them from this angle made her wonder if they could be spotted from above. Probably not.
Shakir had told her about the plant being converted over to something high tech. If he knew what kind of high tech business was going on there, he’d been careful not to mention it. Which gave her a bad case of nerves.
It was hard enough when he’d told her about Umar kidnapping half a dozen boys along with William. The mental pictures of what her son had been going through became nearly unbearable now. But if she knew for certain what kind of terrible experiments the Taj were conducting at that plant, she was sure it would be far worse.
Shakir touched her arm. “Do you see the old plant manager’s house on the grounds?”
