Page 25 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

Hope flared in Max's chest.

"Send the coordinates to everyone's phone," Yamanu instructed.

Kyra shook her head vehemently. "We don't have time for that. We need to follow them now."

"We rushed in here with minimal preparation, and they still escaped with your sister and her children," Yamanu countered, keeping his voice steady. "If we go after them ill-prepared as we are, we'll just get ourselves killed and help no one."

"Every minute we delay?—"

"I know," Max jumped in, cutting her off. "But I am with Yamanu on this. We need to regroup and rearm. We also need to find more details about that facility, or at least its layout."

"What if they don't go to the facility?" Kyra said. "What if they are heading to the airport? We will never find them."

"That's not likely," Yamanu said. "Possible, but I bet Nadim is right. The enhanced soldiers are physically powerful, but they are not great independent thinkers. They do what they are told, and it makes sense that they were told to bring your sister to a nearby facility before she and her children were to be sent someplace else."

11

KYRA

Kyra struggled to reconcile her warrior side, which was calculating their odds of success, with that of the worried sister who was desperate to rescue her family.

Finally, she nodded.

"You are right about making a plan instead of rushing in unprepared, but we need to secure Parisa. They might go after her next."

Yamanu looked conflicted. "I can ask Nadim to send more people to watch her house, but there isn't much they can do against enhanced soldiers."

His comm was closed, so he didn't need to talk in code, but it was better to keep doing that than let things slip within Nadim's hearing.

"I can call her and pretend to be a government official, telling her that Yasmin was taken and to go to Soraya's house. It might slow down the enemy."

"Good thinking," Yamanu said. "But I'll get Nadim to do that. He knows all the official lingo."

When Kyra nodded, Yamanu activated the comm and gave Nadim the instructions.

"We should move out," Max said. "The authorities will be here any moment now."

"Right." Yamanu strode out of the house.

Kyra looked one last time at the brother-in-law she'd never gotten to know and prayed again for his soul to ascend to heaven.

He'd been a good, loving husband to her sister and a good, loving father to her nephews and nieces. He'd died protecting his family. He deserved the highest honor heaven could give a man.

Max took her hand. "The Kra-ell believe that warriors who fall in battle get to spend eternity in the Fields of the Brave, which is their concept of heaven. They are not afraid to die."

"I pray it is true, but since no one returns to tell us what's on the other side, this is just wishful thinking for people who are afraid of death."

As they got in the van and Nadim pulled out into the street, Kyra wondered why the police hadn't shown up yet. Had the Doomers arranged for that?

It was possible.

"Chief," Yamanu said, talking into his comm. "The enemy took Yasmin and her kids. Jade followed them and lost them, but Nadim thinks he knows where they are taking them, and we are going back to thesafe house to regroup and rearm. It would be extremely helpful if you could get us satellite imaging of the facility and its area. I'll have Nadim send you the coordinates."

"I'll get on it right away," Onegus said. "Did they take her husband as well?"

Yamanu cast a sad look at Kyra. "The husband fought bravely to protect them and fell in battle."

"That's sad news," Onegus said. "Send me the coordinates as soon as you can."

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