Page 65 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

"We are not immortal yet," Arezoo said. "Are there other Dormants in the village?"

"Yes," Jasmine said. "Not many, though."

They hadn't told the girls how they would one day transition, and Fenella was glad it wasn't her job to educate them. These girls had led sheltered lives concerning anything and everything to do with sex, which was kind of paradoxical given how obsessed with it their male counterparts were and how entitled to it they felt.

Sexual assault victims could get executed in Iran if they reported the crime, while the violators got the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. In Iranian courts, it was always the woman's fault, no matter the circumstances. She wasn't even allowed to defend herself with something as small as a pocketknife because that, too, was an offense punishable by execution.

Talk about evil.

In the background, Fenella heard Jasmine selling the village to the girls. "We are going to eat lunch in the village café, visit the gym, the underground pool, and the movie theater, and then we are going to look at some houses. Or maybe we'll see the houses first and then check out the other stuff."

Jasmine was really good at this. She'd even convinced Fenella that life in the village would bewonderful and got her to voluntarily agree to join the merry band of immortals.

"When do we leave?" Laleh asked.

"In about half an hour," Jasmine said. "The big boss sent his butler to pick us up with a bus."

"A bus?" Donya wrinkled her nose.

"It's a very nice bus," Jasmine said. "It's like the kind they use for tours. Now, go put your shoes on, brush your hair, and whatever else you need to do to get ready."

Laleh chewed on her lower lip. "Can I wear the skirt you bought me in Universal Studios?"

Jasmine grinned. "Of course. You can wear whatever you want."

When the girls headed to their rooms, Jasmine walked over to the coffee carafe and poured three cups of coffee. "I should suggest a Harry Potter adventure for Perfect Match." She took the three cups and carried them to the living room, where Ell-rom was hunched over his laptop. "What do you think?" she asked as she put the cup in front of him.

"About what?"

"A Harry Potter Perfect Match adventure." She sat down next to Ell-rom.

"It's a good idea," he murmured while typing on the keyboard.

"How many kids do you have in the village?" Fenella asked.

"Not many, but adults also love Harry Potter." Jasmine took a sip of her coffee. "Besides, theadventures are designed for the general market, not just for those who live in the village. There is a whole generation of adults who grew up on those books and who are now in their prime earning years. I bet many would gladly part with their money to relive their childhood obsession."

33

MAX

When Max's phone vibrated in the pocket of his cargo pants, he had a good idea who was on the line. Yamanu was no doubt calling Kian to update him on the operation and wanted Max on the line.

"Max here," he answered quietly, moving to the cockpit where he wouldn't disturb the others. He could turn off his teardrop, but some of the kids seemed to know English, and there were things he couldn't say with them around.

Morris nodded his approval and gestured for him to take the copilot seat.

"Hello, Max," Kian said. "I'm here with Onegus, and I have Yamanu on the line. Which one of you wants to go first?"

"I don't mind going first," Max said. "Almost nothing worked according to our original plan, andwe kept improvising, but we got Kyra's sisters and the kids out."

"That's good to hear," Kian said. "So, what went wrong?"

Max stifled a chuckle. "What didn't go wrong would be a better question. The Doomers have a much heavier presence in Iran than we suspected, and they were majorly pissed off after we demolished two of their bases. We were compromised at multiple points, which suggests a security breach within the local network. This is something that Turner needs to address with whoever is in charge there."

"What do you mean by compromised?" Onegus asked.

"The Doomers were waiting for us at nearly all extraction points," Yamanu said. "They anticipated our moves with disturbing precision. We were forced to accelerate the timeline and change extraction routes multiple times."

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