by HJ Lawson
“He’s sixteen. Tilly is nine. I am eleven.”
“I’m fourteen. It’s my birthday next week, I think in a couple days. I’ve lost track of time.” Jada takes a key from the tin. “Do you know this address?” She shows me a key ring with some writing on it.
“No, but my mother will. We can ask her when she gets up. Try to get some sleep. Zak will have us walking a long way tomorrow.”
“What about you? Do you not need sleep?” she asks.
“Don’t worry about me, I have the first shift. Then he has the second.” I point over to the boy lying on the floor.
“We take turns.” With that, I head back to where I was sitting before and pick up the mirror. I reflect the sun over to Zak three times to let him know everything is okay.
I watch as Jada places her belongings carefully in her backpack, and Liquorice curls up next to her. She settles down... and I bet this is the first time she’s had a chance to sleep in days. She’s pretty; the kind of girl that doesn’t know she’s pretty. She wouldn’t be interested in me. I’m too young!
*****
“Jada, Jada. It’s time to wake up. There are people here to meet you,” my mother whispers. Jada jumps up in surprise and ready to attack.
“It’s okay Jada; it’s just us, and we mean you no harm,” my mother says softly. Jada shakes her head as if she is trying to compose herself.
She rubs her eyes and lets out a little yawn. “Good morning,” she says, with a wary smile, to my mother.
“Good morning,” Mother says. Then she wakes the rest of the children. She woke us at the perfect time… just as the sun is setting over the abandoned city. I quickly snap a few photos.
“Jada, this is my daughter Waliyah. She’s four years old.” Mother found a white dress with ruffles for Waliyah, and she loves it. Girls love that sort of stuff. Tilly gives me a smile as my sister twirls around.
“Hello, everyone. Pleased to meet you,” Jada says. They’re all excited, especially the older boys.
“Jada, you’re welcome to get yourself ready — pack some food for the day and extra for tomorrow, just in case. And don’t forget water. Zak keeps us walking till the sun rises.”
“Thank you, Sahar,” she says. Then she pauses. “May I ask you something?”
I pretend that I’m not listening, but of course I am.
“Yes, of course, child,” Mother says.
“Do you know this address?” Jada asks.
I turn around for a quick look; Jada is showing her the key ring.
“It’s the address for the airport. It’s on our way to the refugee camp. Is it something important?” Mother asks.
“I think so,” Jada replies. “My mother left it for me.”
Mother passes back the key back to Jada.
“Keep it safe.”
Chapter 24
Mia.
GERARD
15 years ago
“Sergeant Gérard Mynatt and Sergeant León Coupe, welcome back,” Captain Marshall says to us. León and I haven't been back to the Mossad headquarters since we graduated two years ago.
We were put on a plane the day after graduation to begin our first mission. Since that time, we’ve taken down loads of terrorists. Too many to count.
León and I are good together. Captain Marshall was right; we both have different skill sets, each with our own strengths and weaknesses. We balance each other perfectly and together we're unstoppable. León can speak any language and fits in like a local. He’s a genius… it’s like his brain never stops, and he can work out what the terrorist is going to do before the terrorist himself even knows. And I, with my perfect shooting skills, complete this great team.
“Sergeant Gérard Mynatt, Sergeant León Coupe, congratulations on your last assignment.”
“Thank you, Captain Marshall,” León and I say in unison.
“You’ve had a very successful two years as members of Mossad. Your next assignment will be your most difficult to date. You’ll be working with another agent, Mia Andréa.”
What the fuck did he say? We’re working with Mia Andréa? I haven't seen my girlfriend for over three months, since she left for her last mission.
Mia and I met at the first day of training at Mossad. Mia is a petite lady; you’d never guess that she was a spy — a definite advantage in her favor! Just like in the movies, it was love at first sight. At least for me. But I’d never tell anyone that.
León was pissed off as soon as he realized what was going on between Mia and me. He thought it was a bad idea from the start. As a member of Mossad, it’s recommended that I have no personal ties or commitments. No one is married. It’s much safer that way.
I know León won’t be happy about this, Mia joining our team. To be honest, I’m not sure I’m happy about it either.
“Mia Andréa has been working undercover in Nairobi, Kenya, and has infiltrated a terrorist group and begun a relationship with Kagan Abulafia.”
Fuck, what kind of relationship? With Abulafia of all people! Abulafia is the founder and supreme leader of one of the largest terrorist groups known to us. He currently stands accused of crimes involving the harming or killing of some 30,000 people.
“Abulafia was expelled from Syria. He fled to Moscow, Russia, and then a few other European countries, but was not granted asylum. You’ll be working with Mia and Turkish Special Security to capture Abulafia alive. Do not kill this man… we need him to stand trial. Do you understand?”
I understand I will kill him if he has harmed Mia!
Chapter 25
Born in Hell.
JADA
“Jada, are you nearly finished? I need to go to the bathroom.” Sahar knocks on the door.
Jesus, give me a minute!
“Sorry, the baby is crushing my bladder,” she adds.
I hurry and step out of the bathroom. When I do, I notice that Sahar looks different.
Oh no, the baby is coming!
“Sahar, may I speak with you in private?” I ask her.
Sahar shamefully nods, and we walk into the bathroom.
Once inside, I turn and close the door. “Are you having contractions? Is the baby coming?”
She nods again. She looks so vulnerable, not like the lady who woke me up thirty minutes ago. How quickly our roles have changed. I have become the mother caring for the woman about to give birth. Please, Lord, do not let her have a baby now. I’m not a doctor… I didn’t even finish high school!
“How far apart are the contractions?” I ask, as if I know what the hell I’m talking about. Yeah, right.
“About ten minutes.”
Is that good? Is that bad? Does it mean the baby is going to be here in ten minutes?
“What does that mean?” I ask. “How long do we have before the baby comes?”
Sahar looks up at me. “I guess about two hours, if this baby is the same as the others. But it may be sooner.”
Two bloody hours — we are in the middle of nothing but war!
Sahar begins to panic. “I need to get to the hospital. You children cannot deliver the baby. We’ll both die out here.” She begins to moan.
I’m not delivering the baby!
Another contraction is here; Sahar pants frantically. I join in, breathing in and out.
“Stay calm, stress is not good for you or the baby,” I tell her. “I’ll get Haytham to stay with you. Zak and I will find some transport.”
“Jada, it’s too dangerous.”
“No offence, but the idea of delivering a baby is scarier than getting some transport.”
“Good point — be careful.”
I smile at her. I don’t want to add stress to a pregnant woman… even I know that’s a bad idea!
Sprinting into action, I run over to Haytham and inform him about his mother and about my plan. The boy that’s on lookout duty hears me and nods with approval. The smaller children understand something is going on, so they sit quietly in their beds and let the older children do wha
t they need to. I leap over to my backpack and grab the cap, sweeping my hair up into it. So much for the quiet day I was hoping for.
I take the gun out of my backpack. The whole room gasps, shocked that I have the weapon. A few of the smaller kids near me scoot away in fear. “Don’t worry; I’m on your side,” I say, smiling at them.
They give me nervous smiles back, and one of them begins to cry silently. Her friend places a comforting arm around her shoulder. These children have seen so much; I wonder which of have seen their families killed. There is nothing I can do to wipe away their memories… the horrific images of Mother and Lucas are frozen in my own mind.
I stick the gun into the back of my pants, placing my jacket over the top to hide it.
“Waliyah, can you watch over my dog for me?” I ask.
“Yes, I can take care of him,” she says, excited. She runs over to Liquorice and rubs his back. “Who’s a good boy?” she says. Liquorice happily wags his tail.
As we climb down from the apartment, we know we don’t have much time before sunlight fades. Darkness will be here soon.
Zak stands at the side of the building. “Come down, come down.” It’s the first time I’m speaking to him, and I’m yelling! Luckily he understands that something is wrong.
“Watch Tilly. Don’t let her out of your sight, do you understand?” Zak says sternly to a boy standing next to him.
“I understand, Zak,” says the boy. It’s clear that Zak is the leader of the group. The other kids come to the edge of the room to see what is happening.
Zak jumps down the mountain of rubble so fast, I think he will fall. He stops running as he comes near, and then he takes one slow step towards me.
Getting a little closer, he lifts up my hat so he can see my face.
Cheeky sod! Checking me out for a better look.
He puts his hand out for me to shake. I take his hand… he has a firm grip. He’s stronger than he looks; I like that.
They will underestimate our strength. Zak turns my hand over; I’d forgotten that it was full of scratches. My hands look so old and beaten up.
He looks down and says, “Sorry.”
I know he is saying more than that. He is saying sorry for all that I have been through. I take my hand out of his. I can feel the heat of embarrassment rising up to my cheeks.
“It is okay, long story,” I say with a reassuring smile. “I guess it’s the same as everyone else here.”
He nods; it seems like these boys nod a lot. They’re not big talkers. I smile again.
“I’m Zak, and my sister is Tilly. Welcome to the 3F. Everyone here is an equal. We all have different skills which will help us get the hell out of here alive, but I’ll go into all that later. What’s wrong?”
I explain to him that Sahar is going into labor.
The strong boy standing in front of me turns white. His shoulders drop, and he looks like he is shrinking right before my eyes. He is just as worried as I am, and for some odd reason, I feel a little reassured by that.
“She cannot have the baby here. We have to get her to the hospital, and Haytham said there was one at tent town. We have to get a ride there somehow!” I say quickly.
Zak nods.
“How are we going to get her there?” he asks, concerned.
I take a deep breath. “We only have one choice, and you know what it is.”
Zak looks to the ground at his dusty shoe. He kicks the rubble, trying to pretend that he isn’t here.
“We have to go to the main road and flag a truck or car down,” I tell him. “We don’t have much time. The daylight is fading fast. If we wait any longer, darkness will be here, and no one will see us. One of us will need to go back and get Sahar and her family.” The idea makes sense in my head, but I’m concerned about how it will unfold in reality.
“Okay,” Zak agrees. “I don’t like the plan, but you’re right – this is the only thing we can do. She cannot have the baby here. It will die.”
Thank God, he’s coming with me!
“Tilly, I have to go get help for Sahar,” Zak yells. “The baby is coming. She’s fine, but we need to get her out of here. Have everything ready to go and remember where your hiding place is. I’ll be back as quickly as I can, don’t worry.” He turns to Dani. “Dani, can you watch over Tilly and the other children for us?”
“Of course, Zak. Do you want me to come with you so Jada can stay here?” Dani asks.
“No thank you, Dani. We will be fine,” Zak replies.
Great, because I’m going!
“Zak, I love you,” Tilly calls back. “Be careful and hurry back, or we’ll be late for the next check point.”
“I love you too, Tilly,” Zak says. I look at his face, and his cheeks turn pink. He shakes his head when he sees me. I smile at him.
He starts running to the main road. “Wait for me!” I yell.
“I thought we had to rush! Catch me if you can!”
He continues to sprint ahead. How can he be so playful at a time like this? I’m fast, but not as fast as he is. But he’s a boy, after all. Girls are usually a bit slower.
He looks back every few minutes. I’m not sure if it’s to see whether I’m catching up to him, or if he's just making sure I am okay — or maybe a bit of both. As he gets to the side street before the main road, he stops and places his hands on his hips to catch his breath. It only takes me a couple minutes to stand next to him. I also stop and gasp for air.
“Not bad for a girl,” Zak says to me. I jab him hard in the ribs. “Ouch!”
“I thought we were all equals!”
He laughs.
“You’re right, I deserved that. Next time warn me. Remember, we’re on the same side.”
“Don’t do it again, and I won’t have to warn you,” I say with a silly grin on my face. It’s kind of funny. It’s like we’re in a school race, and I came in second.
“What does 3F stand for?” I ask him a moment later.
“It stands for Fearless Freedom Fighters... 3F for short,” he says with a smug grin on his face.
“Makes sense, really. I like 3F,” I say happily. It is nice to feel I’m a part of something, part of a group.
“So, Jada, how are we going to get someone to stop for us?” Zak asks. To be honest, I’m not sure. All this time, I’ve been avoiding people. Not actively seeking them out.
“I think we need to hide off to the side, behind one of the burnt-out cars.” The streets are lined with them, so that will be easy enough. “Then, when we see a car or truck that looks safe, we flag it down.” I’m nervous as I say it, but I have no other ideas. And seeing the look on Zak’s face, I realize he doesn't have any bright ideas either.
“Okay, sounds like a plan to me,” he says, very positively. I know it’s because he’s trying to make me feel better.
We walk closely together down the main road. The street is blown to pieces, with big tank trails running through it. “This car will do,” Zak says, pointing to a black and red metal shell.
It still has the doors on it, so we are covered. We both kneel down by the car, just at the right time. The first truck starts to come up the road, sending dust flying up from the ground. It’s hard to tell if it’s an army truck. We both stare, not moving from the ground, not wanting to be seen.
The vehicle moves closer to us, and it becomes clear that it belongs to the army. We can see the soldiers hanging off the side with guns in their hands. Their bodies change the silhouette of the truck; this will be a key detail which I will now look out for.
We both crouch down, squeezing our bodies together to make us as inconspicuous as possible. Zak places his arms around me like he is protecting me. I have been alone for so long, it feels kind of nice.
The truck moves closer, bouncing up the dirt road, making the air thick with dust as it continues past us at top speed.
Zak still has a pretty good grip on me. He really is strong. For a moment I just stay there, happy that I'm no longer on my own
, and happy that we haven't been found by the soldiers.
Focus, Jada. Focus, I remind myself. I have a mission. Lives are at stake!
Reluctantly, I pull myself away from Zak’s warm arms. I loosen his grip, and he lifts his head.
Our eyes lock. His are large and brown… so deep you can see his soul in there. He is caring and brave.
After a few seconds, we both realize what we’re doing and let out a nervous laugh. We quickly look away, embarrassed.
Luckily the awkward moment doesn’t last for long.
This new type of silence is broken by another truck on the horizon.
“Can you see any soldiers?” I ask Zak.
“No…. It doesn’t look like an army truck, and it’s a different color. Maybe it’s a supply truck.”
I look down the road and squint. He’s right – I can see a red sign on it.
“This is the one. You ready?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say, although my voice betrays my nervousness.
Without thinking, I run into the middle of the road waving my arms, right in the path of the truck. I’m not going to stop it any other way, and we are the Fearless gang, so it is only right.
“What are you doing?!” Zak yells.
“I’m getting the truck to stop, stupid!” I wave my arms frantically and jump up and down as the truck gets closer. Its headlights are on, almost blinding me, so I have to look away.
The truck is so close, I can see inside…. Thankfully, they aren’t soldiers! The people in the front seats are screaming at each other… are they trying to decide whether to stop or run me over? One more second, and I’ll have to move out of the way or get flattened.
Just as I prepare to jump, a loud screech echoes through the empty town as the driver slams on the breaks. I dive to the side of the road just in time, landing right next to Zak.
My body falls hard to the ground, cracking my elbow and knee. Great! More scars and bruises. My cheek bone slams down, taking my full body weight.
SCREECH.
The truck stops, covering us in a large dust cloud.
