Hud found a group of cypress trees to hide in. It was the only cover in the area, so he climbed up high and watched the scene unfold. The bee sting victim ran away from the clearing while the other two men stayed with the guard. They did nothing to help him, of course. Hud figured he was already dead. There was a black SUV on the opposite side of the parking lot. They loaded the guard into it and headed down a dirt road to a barn.
Al-Bayat would be there. In a barn like an animal.
Hud waited a minute to make sure they stayed inside the structure. He heard the faint pop of gunfire from the building. His gut clenched at the sound. Layah was in there with them. He could imagine what Al-Bayat would do to her, or wanted to do to her. Hud had to get there and stop him.
Once again, he didn’t really have a plan. He couldn’t count on another swarm of bees, or any more freak accidents. He’d have to enter a confined space, where he’d be outnumbered and outgunned. He was risking his life. Worse, he was risking recapture. He could be tortured for weeks before his public beheading.
It wasn’t the way he wanted to go out, but he’d do anything for Layah. He’d take on the whole world for her. He’d die for her.
That was love.
He’d loved before, on a different scale. He loved his mother, and his teammates. He’d even loved Michelle, though he wouldn’t compare her to Layah. What he felt for Layah was on another level. It was mountainous, majestic, epic. It was like climbing to the summit and touching the sky. It was everything.
Of course he would die for her. He couldn’t live without her.
He dropped down from the cypress tree and returned to the parking lot. The government vehicle he’d driven here still had the keys in the ignition. Hud moved it closer to the squad cars and got out. He transferred the smaller of the two policemen from the squad car to the Jeep. He put the body behind the wheel, with one dead foot on the gas pedal and the other on the brake. Then he shifted into a low gear and fired up the engine. The Jeep lurched forward. Hud walked along beside the open door.
The road leading to the barn started on a gentle downhill slope. Hud paused there, shifting the Jeep into Park. He wondered if Al-Bayat knew his men had shot the wrong person. Al-Bayat would want to see Hud’s dead face. Maybe the pop of gunfire indicated that Al-Bayat had discovered the mistake.
Hud assumed they’d be ready for him. The barn would be well guarded, with at least three men in addition to Al-Bayat. He couldn’t just stroll up to it and rescue Layah. He had to create a diversion first. If he tried to drive the Jeep into the barn himself, he’d get taken out by gunfire before he arrived. This body was the perfect driver, immune to more bullets. A corpse wouldn’t take his foot off the gas. Hud decided to add a surprise twist just in case the Jeep failed to catch their attention.
He walked around to the passenger side and searched the glove compartment for an old rag and a lighter. He stuck the end of the rag in the gas tank. Then he shifted into Drive. As the Jeep rolled forward, Hud lit the rag.
Now it was sure to cause a scene.
He started running at full speed, putting distance between himself and the moving vehicle. He sprinted through the trees and made a wide circle toward the back of the barn, where he could stage an attack from the rear.
His diversion worked a little too well. The Jeep rolled straight to the front of the barn, drawing gunfire from multiple assailants. Then it kept right on going. It crashed through the entrance and exploded on impact. Everything went up in flames.
Holy hell.
Hud ducked his head low as he crept along the side of the barn. There was a rear exit, so he stood next to it with his gun drawn. The first man out was unlucky. Hud took him down with a single shot.
The next man didn’t make the same mistake. He stopped at the sight of his fallen comrade and retreated into the recesses of the burning building. Hud pursued, because the element of surprise was gone. The man lifted his weapon a split second too late. Hud eliminated him with two to the chest.
His eyes adjusted to the dark space, which was rapidly filling with smoke. He crept forward, staying low. There were two more men on the ground. Both were dead. Hud followed a blur of movement into the corner of the barn. Al-Bayat stood with Layah. He had a gun pressed to her temple. His face was sweaty, his eyes crazed.
“We meet again,” Al-Bayat said in heavily accented English.
Hud gestured with his weapon. “Let her go.”
“Why would I do that? I want to watch her bleed.”
“Let her go, and you can have me.”
“No,” Layah protested, struggling to break free.
“You sacrifice yourself for a woman?”
He nodded. “I’ll put my weapon down. You release her. As soon as she’s out the door, I’m all yours.”
“You are a fool.”
“Do you want to return to Rahim a success or die here a failure?”
Al-Bayat considered this question. He was sweating profusely. The interior of the barn was blazing hot and airless. Hud was impervious to the discomfort; he’d suffered far worse in the torture chamber.
“Don’t do it,” Layah said.
“Think of my beheading,” Hud suggested, ignoring her. “It will be your best show. So many views. So many converts.”
“You aren’t that important, American.”
“Sure I am,” Hud said. “That’s why Rahim sent you after me. You’re far away from the battle zones, aren’t you? Rahim must not need you on the front lines. Maybe he found a
