“Who are all these people?”
“They’re going home or visiting family. The normal reasons people get on a plane. The only travelers you aren’t seeing are tourists.”
Hers was the only white face on the entire plane. Kat brought out the scarf she’d been advised to wear and put it on, conscious of her blond hair in the sea of black and brown. “That’s probably a good idea,” Alex whispered.
There were no drinks or food offered on the flight. For the most part, the passengers sat in silence, though several people prayed. Tension crackled in the air and Kat couldn’t understand why.
As if reading her mind, Alex said in her ear, “They’re nervous. Baghdad is still unpredictable. They don’t know what to expect at the airport. It’s likely they’ll be harassed about who they are and whether they are legitimately entering or reentering. Their belongings will be searched and items that the customs officials find interesting will be confiscated without reason.”
“Why?”
“Because they can. A perfume bought in Qatar can fetch a nice price on the black market in Iraq. People are used to it—they consider it the price of travel.”
When they landed, it was early afternoon. Alex placed a hand on her arm and directed her to stay in her seat until the rest of the passengers had deplaned. When they exited, it was the dust that hit Kat first. She sneezed and put her scarf over her mouth as they walked to the main customs area. The smell of perspiration clung to the air that was being ineffectively circulated by floor fans.
A woman they’d seen earlier began sobbing loudly. A customs officer hit her viciously with a stick. Kat put a hand on her mouth to suppress a scream.
Alex placed an arm around her. “Don’t say anything, don’t do anything. Someone will come get us.”
Sure enough, a man in western clothes waved a badge and was let through the glass doors that separated them from the rest of the airport. He introduced himself as Roger Koralis then escorted them to the gate, where he handed a padded envelope to the customs official standing guard. No one bothered to check Kat’s passport or the visa they had painstakingly obtained.
Roger led them to a dusty black car. He sat in the front seat while Kat and Alex got in the back. As they swung into traffic, Kat noticed there was another car in front and one keeping close behind them. Extra security, she guessed. They made their way through traffic-snarled streets, sharing the road with cyclists, wagons, even stray animals. Half-dressed children, dirt streaked across their faces, came to the windows as soon as the car stopped even for a second. Kat’s first instinct was to roll down the window, but Alex firmly shook his head. They passed by streets that were littered with trash, and others that were immaculately clean and desolate.
“I thought we restored order here,” she said.
“This is order,” Alex said grimly. No one mentioned where they were going. Alex’s gaze darted from side to side as they sat in silence and she wondered whether any of the sights were familiar to him. Was he thinking about his last time here? Her mouth soured as she remembered the story he’d told her of his friend getting blown up.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
She didn’t push it. The firm set of his jaw and his clenched fists told her all she needed to know about how he was feeling. What could she say to comfort him? It occurred to her that she’d never had to soothe Colin. He always seemed happy and without a care in the world. Had they ever shared anything real?
Everyone in the car was silent while the driver negotiated traffic, never breaking out of formation with the other two vehicles. Every time a beggar came up to the window, Alex tensed, and both the driver and their escort discreetly placed hands on the guns holstered at their hips. Kat’s eyes were glued to the sight before her. The city was a juxtaposition of normal life and an obvious war zone. Men in battle dress uniform carrying rifles were on patrol. Women wearing long, dark veils walked purposefully and children hurried along in school uniforms. Other men stood on street corners smoking or talking. Some wore the long, tunic-shaped thobes but most wore western clothing, untucked shirts and pants. Boys pushed carts laden with all kinds of goods, yelling out prices. People were going about their daily lives, ignoring the chaos around them.
The scenery changed as they left the city, and so did the tension in the car. Fewer people and buildings dotted the streets. The potholed road could charitably be called a one-lane thoroughfare. If possible, Alex, Roger and the driver were even more on edge.
“The city’s secure, but out here in the country, we can’t control insurgents with a rocket-propelled grenade or an IED hidden in the road,” Roger remarked.
Kat’s eyes widened.
“Don’t worry—the car’s bulletproof,” Alex said. She was sure he meant to relay confidence, but she didn’t hear it in his voice.
She tried to sit back and memorize the countryside. She might never have another opportunity like this. Suddenly, a loud pop reverberated through the car and Kat was pushed against the door. Hot pain screamed through her shoulder and arm. Barely a second passed before she felt Alex’s weight on top of her. His arms went around her and she could feel him shift so he wouldn’t crush her.
“I got her. Get us out of here!” he yelled. She tried to move but was encased in his arms.
“Alex, what’s going on?”
“We don’t know. Keep your head down.”
Every inch of her body was covered with his. His heart thumped wildly. Or was that pounding coming from her own chest? He smelled of dust and sweat and his hard muscles twitched, like he was ready to spring into action. “It’s okay—we just blew a tire. We’ll form a perimeter and move you to another car,” Roger reassured her.
Alex exhaled then moved off her. Her skin cooled, but his scent lingered and she took a deep breath. She tried to catch his eye but he didn’t meet her gaze; he was looking outside.
“You were willing to take a bullet for me?”
He shrugged. “The senator will kill me if something happens to you.”
The driver and their escort left the car. Alex leaned forward, peering out of each window. “Whatever you do, don’t move from this seat. You’re safest inside the car.”
He put his hand on the door handle, and she grabbed his arm. “You’re leaving?”
“I need to see what’s going on. Insurgents often lay shrapnel to puncture tires then kidnap the occupants. I don’t believe in sheer bad luck. If something happens, hop in the driver’s seat and go.”
She held on to his arm, her blood thundering through her body. “Alex, no.”
He reached into the front seat and handed her a walkie-talkie. “Press this button and you’ll be connected to our security company. They’ll come get you.”
“You just said the car had a flat.”
“It’ll run for a few miles.” He pressed the walkie-talkie into her hand. “Can’t believe these guys didn’t bring run-flat tires,” he muttered.
She gripped his arm even harder. “No, don’t leave. I don’t want you in danger.”
“Kat, I can’t keep either of us safe if I’m sitting here. I need to know what’s going on out there.”
Her mouth was so dry, she could barely open it to get the words out. “What if you get shot? You told me yourself—the car is the safest place to be.”
He turned toward her and put a hand on her face. The gesture was absurdly comforting. She leaned into his hand, her eyes stinging with tears. “Please, let’s just wait until the security guys come back.” Her voice was small and whiny.
A loud knock on Alex’s window had them both jumping in their seats. Kat looked out to see a car pull up beside her door. Alex unrolled his window an inch so he could hear what Roger was saying.
“Open the back door on the driver’s side. We’ll open
the other car’s door so you can get across. We’ll form a barricade. Keep your heads down.”
They both nodded. Kat waited until the other car door was open then released her own. She crawled into the other car, sliding across the seat quickly to make room for Alex. He was beside her in a flash. The car was moving before the door had fully closed behind him, and Roger dived into the passenger seat at the last second. Alex had brought her purse with him and handed it to her. “They’ll bring our luggage if they can, but you’ll need your passport.”
They both let out a breath then turned to each other. She wasn’t sure if it was her pulse or the bumps on the road that pounded in her ears. They’d increased their speed and were racing across the rough terrain. There were a million things she wanted to say to him. Thank him for wanting to save her life, berate him for thinking her life was more important than his, ask him to pull her into his arms so she could stop shaking. She’d never known anyone who was willing to die for her.
On her ski trip, she’d gotten stuck on a slope and couldn’t navigate her way out. Colin had called the ski patrol rather than spoil his own run by walking back up the hill to help her.
“I should never have asked you to come. It’s too dangerous here.” He broke eye contact. She touched his arm, but he kept his face turned away from hers, so she tried punching him lightly instead.
“Ouch!” No way was he hurt. If anything, her fist would probably bruise from connecting with his hard biceps.
“I’m not an idiot,” she said. “Iraq is a war zone. I read the security briefing, so I know going between the airport and military installations is the most dangerous part of the trip. And I know what happens to American women who get kidnapped. This isn’t Tahiti.”
Roger turned around. “Ma’am, we’ve never lost any of our visitors. We know how to be careful. Bad luck back there—the roads are full of debris. We may have picked up a nail in the city.”
“Why don’t you have run-flat tires?” Kat could almost see the steam coming from Alex’s ears as he asked the question. “I’m not of any value, but she’s the daughter of the ranking senate member on the Appropriations Committee.”
Kat flinched at the rudeness in his voice. He sat stick straight, his fists clenched.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we only have so many cars. The tires are in short supply here. We lose at least a couple a week.” He turned to Kat, probably looking for a more friendly face. “If a run-flat tire gets punctured, we can drive for several miles more at speed, but we still have to replace it. We haven’t gotten a new shipment in over a month. The last cargo was confiscated by the Iraqi government.”
Kat raised her eyebrows. “So now they’re overtly taking things instead of asking for kickbacks?”
She could feel Alex’s eyes on her as the man nodded. Alex thought she was a naive professor, and she had to admit she was. Experiencing “security concerns” was nowhere near the same as reading about them in a paper.
The man nodded. “You got it. Despite all our time here, the ongoing civil war makes it dangerous in many areas.”
The dust became thicker as they drove along, covering the windows of the car in a sheet.
“Kat, there’s something else I need to ask you.”
She turned to Alex. She knew he’d been holding back.
“The senator would like you to give a pep talk to the troops on base. They’ve been here months past when their tour of duty was supposed to end, and they’ve had no visitors.”
She bit her lip. “I’m not the right person to do something like that.”
“You’re the senator’s representative.”
“No, you’re his representative. You know his policies.”
“So do you—I saw the lecture you gave in class.”
“But you believe in his philosophy.”
“Kat, as his daughter, it’ll mean more coming from you than from me.”
“That’s hardly fair. You’re better qualified.”
He muttered something that sounded like “fair doesn’t matter in politics.” “There won’t be any media. It’ll be just like lecturing to a class. We’ve even written talking points for you.”
He pointed to her purse, and she noticed that he’d tucked his tablet inside. She handed it to him and he clicked on it. “I just sent it to you.”
“You have Wi-Fi here?”
He nodded. “The car has Wi-Fi. It works on a satellite system.”
“Guess the Iraqis can’t confiscate the satellites in space.” Her voice was light and the guys in the front laughed.
“Yes, but they have been known to take the receiver dish off the top of the car.”
She shook her head in disbelief. How did these guys get anything done? Turning her attention back to Alex, she said, “I’ll do it. Not for you, or for the senator, but for the troops.” She clicked on her tablet and read through the points. “But there is no way I’m saying these things.”
He sighed, as if he’d been expecting a fight. “Kat, we’re two miles out. With luck, we’ll be there in ten minutes. I’m not sure when they put you on the schedule, but I doubt we have time to come up with another speech. Can you just this once get with the program and stop fighting me on every little thing?”
She shook her head. “I’m not a puppet whose strings you can pull whenever you want.”
He muttered something that sounded a lot like “don’t I know it.”
“Out with it, Alex.”
“Why can’t you be a team player?”
“My integrity is not for sale.”
His eyes bored into hers. “The troops are here risking their lives because they believe in the mission. They’re sitting here missing milestone events with their families. Many of them go back to broken homes and a country that can’t appreciate the sacrifices they’ve made. This is about thanking them for their service. It’s not the time to push your own agenda.”
“I’ll be respectful, but I’m not using those talking points.”
* * *
THEY ARRIVED AT the forward operating base without further incident. Alex thanked the security team. He had overreacted to the situation on the road. So overcome with an insane need to protect Kat, he had lost his mind. If it had been a real threat, he would’ve put her life in even more danger if he got himself shot. But he’d been driven by an insane urge to stand between her and any flying bullets. In truth, if the security team had gotten shot down, his best move to protect her would have been to drive them away. Why hadn’t he let his training kick in? Because he’d lost control, something that seemed to be happening a lot around Kat.
An army sergeant met them at the drop-off point and gave them a tour of the base. The sergeant explained that from the height of the war, the encampment had been reduced from having a full battalion to just one company of about a hundred US soldiers and support personnel, and an equal number of Iraqi forces that were there for training.
The general was scheduled to arrive early the next day. Kat was asked by the base commander to address the troops during the evening meal, which was coming up in an hour. Alex rubbed his temples.
Why did Kat have to be so difficult? The talking points his staff had prepared were relatively benign. He’d even taken out the part about the IED bill, figuring it’d be a nonstarter. Crista’s comment that Kat was exactly the type of woman he’d been looking for came back to him. She couldn’t have been more wrong. He needed to run as far away from Kat as he could. The woman frustrated him to the point that he lost all rational thought. Life with Kat would be a constant battle, everything from speeches to policy to what to make for dinner. Who needed that kind of stress? He had enough of it trying to break into the good-ol’-boy network that was Washington, DC.
As it was, the RNC was now breathing down his neck asking for more data on the IED bill. If the
general didn’t get on board during this trip, they would lose the support he’d spent months building. The bill had to come to vote in the next month, before the budget was finalized. Being a ranking member on Senate Appropriations gave Senator Roberts, and by extension Alex, a lot of chits to trade. The senator from Hawaii wanted a hundred thousand dollars to fund a study on improving the safety of hydrofoil ferries between islands. Alex could put that in the budget in exchange for a vote for the IED bill.
The budget was supposed to go to conference by July. If Alex didn’t get the IED bill passed in the next month, he’d lose most of the votes he’d gotten by making budget promises. This was no time to get distracted by Kat.
The quartermaster handed them olive drab T-shirts and camo pants. Alex knew they’d never see their luggage. In the time it had taken the security personnel to change the tire, anyone from local villagers to hidden insurgents could’ve shown up. The security company would trade the bags for their own safety.
They headed to their quarters to shower and change out of their clothes, which were now dusty and a little ripe from nearly twenty-four hours of travel. On the way, Alex greeted the soldiers who were already back from patrol, surprised at how familiar everything felt. He’d signed up for the reserves in order to pay off his college loans. He was called up in the early years of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and had gone in thinking the experience might look good one day when he ran for office.
He’d shown up with a superior attitude and a law degree under his belt. It took less than a day to be humbled by the men in his unit. They’d taught him what it meant to fight for freedom, how to put his own needs aside. Nick was serving his second tour and had shown him the ropes. Alex started out by counting the days until he was out, but when his time was up, he tried to fight it. It was his mother who’d talked him out of returning to active duty after his relatively minor injuries healed.
The shower was cold, and Alex was grateful for the sting against his skin. What was wrong with him? He’d dealt with difficult staffers before; it was inevitable when spoiled rich kids realized they’d be expected to do real work. He’d stared down powerful members of the US Congress, negotiated with tough lobbyists and industry officials. Why couldn’t he get one woman to toe the party line? Because she’s not just any woman. She was the one woman who threatened to undo everything he’d worked for in his life, including what was most precious to him—his self-control.
The Senator's Daughter Page 13
