She glanced back over her shoulder once more and didn’t notice the man who’d stepped right in her path. Alex slammed hard into the man.
“Well, what do we have here? A nice little lady like you in a place like this?”
Alex tried to sidestep the man, but he slid in front of her.
“Excuse me,” Alex said as she tried to push past him.
Meanwhile, the first man who’d been speaking to her was now just a few feet behind. Alex looked at him again and realized he wasn’t so drunk as she initially thought—it was all an act.
“I don’t want any trouble,” she said, attempting to get past the man once more.
“Neither do we,” the man in front of her said.
“What’s in the bag?” the other man asked.
Alex pursed her lips and darted to the left and then back right, eluding the man’s grasp. She pumped her arms and ran as fast as she could, knowing her best chance was to make it to the street before they caught her.
She thought her plan would work—right up until the moment one of the men caught her from behind, tackling her onto the ground.
Alex hit her head hard but didn’t lose consciousness. However, she did lose her grip on her bag, which was quickly snatched up by one of the thieves.
“Don’t be so stingy next time,” the other man said. “A little bit of kindness goes a long way.”
The two men hustled off as Alex was left to deal with the scrapes and bruises she’d sustained. She felt fortunate they didn’t harm her any more physically. But the laptop was gone—and with it, her chances of helping Hawk dwindled.
CHAPTER 16
Iraq, undisclosed location
THE SECOND ROUND of beatings Hawk took weren’t quite as vicious as the first, but the comparison would’ve been meaningless to most people. Hawk had been tortured before, even by Al Hasib goons, yet this time felt different. As he remained tied to a chair, he wondered how the body had so many pain receptors. He didn’t want to pass out again, but he felt that was inevitable.
Hawk awoke some time later, unsure of whether it had been minutes or hours. But it was just in time to receive yet another beating. Two men loomed over Hawk and traded turns walloping him. Body blows, kicks, roundhouse punches—fists and feet collided with Hawk at a torrid pace. He finally fell backward in his chair as the men mercifully decided they were done. Hawk’s face was drenched, though he couldn’t tell whether it was sweat or blood before concluding it was likely a healthy mixture of both.
I just might die this time.
Hawk resisted the urge to accept his fate. He understood his limitations and realized he couldn’t survive another attack. If he didn’t escape before the tag team torturers returned, his fight against Al Hasib would end at their hands.
A half hour passed before the door opened again.
Hawk moaned. “Can’t you just wait a little longer this time?”
“Excuse me, Mr. Hawk,” the man said in English. “I’m just here to bring you some food and water.”
There was something about the man’s voice that sounded familiar, though Hawk was unable to identify anyone with any certainty due to the dim lighting and his swollen eye. Hawk craned his neck toward the direction of the door, wincing with pain as he did.
“I’m gonna have a helluva time trying to eat with my hands tied up like this.”
The man eased across the floor and set a tray down at Hawk’s feet. “Relax, Mr. Hawk. I’m here to help you.”
Hawk squinted, searching his memory banks for the name of the man. “Do I know you?”
“Indeed. It was quite some time ago, but given your state, it’s understandable you don’t remember me.”
Hawk’s memory kicked in. “Kejal? Is that you?”
“I apologize for underestimating you, Mr. Hawk.”
“You’ve learned English?”
“Uncle Jaziri taught it to me before I joined Al Hasib.”
Hawk smiled and sat upright in his chair as Kejal began untying the bindings.
“Your uncle is a good man.”
“Allah rest his soul,” Kejal said.
“He’s dead?”
“Someone in Al Hasib killed him.”
“Then why are you . . .” Hawk’s voice trailed off, answering his own question before he finished asking it.
“Revenge, of course,” Kejal said. “I was more or less forced to join, but I decided to find out who pulled the trigger and killed Jaziri. He was such a good man, especially to me. I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to herd my goats and be left alone.”
“Yet, here you are.”
“As are you—but not for long.”
Hawk felt the rope fall from his wrists. He rubbed them and turned around in his chair to face Kejal. “Are you going to help me get out?”
Kejal nodded.
“They’ll kill you, you know.”
“That’s why you’re going to beat me up before you leave,” Kejal said.
“I can’t do that.”
“You must or, like you said, they will kill me.”
“Kejal, come on.”
“I won’t take no for an answer, but before we do that, I need to tell you a few things.”
Hawk stood. “Go on.”
“First, I want to thank you for returning my bike in one piece. I was very angry, but I know why you did what you did. As a result of being with you on the mountain that day, I began to see the world in a new light. That’s when Uncle Jaziri began not only teaching me English but also educating me on the evils of Al Hasib and other groups like them. I’m not sure what would’ve happened to me if you hadn’t gone with me to tend my herd.”
“That’s kind of you to say, but your uncle is the one who deserves all the credit,” Hawk said. “He was a good man and I’m saddened to hear of his passing.”
“He was a very good man. He would also want me to help you, which is why I’m here. Al Hasib has stolen a weapon, which is why I imagine you’re
