Page 22 of Zain

He’d need to act fast. He’d hit the two men in front of him first, then the guard at the next lane; the one behind the bulletproof glass would be trickier. Not the best odds, but not the worst either.

He stretched his lips into a grimace. Let them think he was begrudgingly compliant. “Sure. One sec.”

The guards bent their heads together and spoke rapidly while Zain leaned inside. Rather than hit the trunk button, he grabbed his rifle. The smooth, heavy metal like home in his hands as he dragged it into the driver’s seat.

“What’s going on?” Another guard approached, his tone authoritative. Zain straightened, leaving his rifle inches from his grasp and out of view.

“This man’s suspicious and noncompliant.”Bullshit.“We need to search his vehicle.”

The new, heavyset guard reached for Zain’s passport and held it close to his face to study the shiny paper. Lowering it, he took a step forward, his gaze watchful.

“What are you doing, Abdullah?” asked one of the other guards. “We need to search.”

Abdullah cocked his head. “Are you a friend of Ali?” he asked quietly.

The tension gripping Zain’s chest eased a fraction. “I am,” he said with a slight nod, remembering the name Brick had mentioned.

His dark eyes sparked with warning. “Get in your vehicle.”

Zain took back his passport and slid into his seat, pushing his weapon out of the way. Had Abdullah not shown up, every man at the checkpoint would be dead right now. He shifted into drive and sped away from the men arguing behind him. The first guard shouted at Zain, but he kept going.

***

Dana’s breath camein and out in sharp gasps. She hated this. Terror screeched in her ears. And with all her panting, the air only grew thicker. Sweat clung to her skin.

The warm, musty smell made the nausea in her gut heavier. Carpet fibers irritated her nose, threatening to make her sneeze. She covered her nose with her hand and pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth.

Great. With her luck they’d want to search the vehicle.

The men’s voices grew agitated. Zain spoke, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. She took tiny breaths through her nose, but it wasn’tenough to settle the anxiety pressing against her chest. Her eyes watered with the need to break free from the confines of the vehicle. But she couldn’t do a damn thing but lie there and fight the rising hysteria.

The car door shut with an abrupt slam, and the engine started. Anxiety ripped through her muscles as she anticipated a blast of bullets. She covered her head with her arms, but no shots were fired. Only men yelling. Was Zain fleeing?

There was no way to tell. Not a fragment of light reached inside of the trunk. She might as well be at the bottom of the ocean for how dark it was.

She kicked the blanket away and greedily dragged in one breath after another. The inside of the trunk began to spin.

The tires whirred beneath her. Every bump over the uneven earth made breathing more difficult. She had to get out of here. Using all of her strength, she banged on the trunk lid. Her arms burned with the effort it took to use the last of her energy.

The car turned and slowed.

Her breath ran shallow, and the need to get outside into the cool, fresh air was almost too much to bear.

Click

Light flooded the dark space. Oxygen rushed in, and she choked on the fullness that hit her lungs. Hands seized her beneath her arms andhauled her out of the trunk.

“Dana.” Zain’s sharp, distinct voice calmed her slightly.

He held her perched on the edge of the trunk, one arm wrapped around her back, the other bracing the base of her neck. “Look at me, dammit.”

She struggled to bring in more air. One deep, shuddering breath after another. The cool night breeze caressed her sweaty skin, quickly dropping her body temperature. Bringing her gaze to Zain’s took a painful amount of effort.

His dark beard shadowed his jaw. Angst locked his mouth in a firm line and his brow in deep channels of worry. The gold flecks in his eyes anchored her, pushing away the possessive arms of terror.

“You’re okay.” His expression said otherwise. His thumb swept over the flesh where her jaw met her ear. “Sorry I kept you in there so long.”

She swallowed and shook her head. “It’s fine. I just... panicked, I guess.”

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