Page 12 of Zain

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Dana fought theurge to get out of the uncomfortable position. They weren’t out of the woods yet, and until he gave her the go-ahead, she’d keep down as instructed. She even held the blanket just below her chin in case she had to duck underneath again. The knife sat nestled on the seat at her side.

He’d taken two lives because of her. The lives of two men who would’ve killed her without batting an eye. Two men who could be behind past and future terrorist attacks in the US. But lives nonetheless. Was he upset with her? Had they been his friends?

And the biggest question: was he one of them? Because he sure seemed pretty chummy with everyone but Rakesh.

He’d rescued her and for that she was grateful, but there was no way to know what side he stood on.

“Shit,” Zain mumbled. He whipped around to glance behind them then brought his gaze to the road. The vehicle accelerated.

“What’s wrong?” She fought the urge to sit andlook out the window. She was alive now and wanted to keep it that way.

“We’re being followed.”

She inhaled sharply. Oh god. Of course escaping couldn’t have been so easy. Not that killing two men was a walk in the park, but there hadn’t been any gunshots or bombs, which she’d anticipated.

“There’s two vehicles that I can see,” he said loudly.

Hopelessness flooded her. All this because of her. She sniffed back the pressure building in her sinuses. Crying would do absolutely nothing right now except make them both uncomfortable. But the fact was, neither of them were getting out of this. She hadn’t come here to get Zain killed, and that might be all she’d succeeded in doing. “Just let me out here,” she said, her voice sounding far braver than she was. “With any luck they won’t come after you and will never know your involvement.”

He cast a quick glance at her. “Not happening.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he took a sharp turn down a gravel road squashed by forest. Her body rolled, and she grabbed the front seat for support.

“I know these mountains. I’ve spent a lot of time learning every road and cave. We’ve got a shot at losing them, but we’ve gotta be quick.”

He drove wildly on the uneven terrain, whipping the truck around corners and bumping down low-grade hills. Nausea sloshed against her stomach lining, and she swallowed the urge to throw up. She didn’t have a gun, but she could at least be the eyes in the back. Creeping onto her knees, she hung tightly to the back seat and poked up her head.

“I said stay down.”

“You can’t see behind you and drive,” she shot back. The flash of headlights came around the bend and cut through the trees. “They’re behind us.” If losing them on the gravel road had been his only hope, then they were sunk.

She clung to the seat, unable to tear her gaze away from the menacing trucks closing in on their tail. Panic buzzed in her ears like an angry swarm of wasps. Zain growled something at her, but she couldn’t focus on a word he said.

A rough hand seized her arm, jerking her away from the back window. “Get down, for fuck’s sake!”

Crack! Crack!

Bullets pinged off the truck. Dana screamed and covered her head. Zain’s hand ruthlessly held her down between her shoulder blades. She didn’t bother telling him that nothing short of freedom would entice her to pop up again.

The smack of another bullet hitting the glass pulled a scream from her lungs. Her pulse beatferociously against her skull, and fear sat hot and stagnant in her chest.

An engine roared behind them, and Dana fought the whimper escaping her lips. More gunfire spewed. A jarringpopsounded, and the truck careened to the side. “The tire!” she cried. Dana grabbed the seat in front of her and lifted her head. Zain’s chiseled jaw held tension, and his shoulders and biceps rippled.

“Hang on.” He spoke through gritted teeth. The truck started to slow, and ice spread through her limbs. He lifted his gaze to the rearview mirror. “Fuck!”

Crash!

A vehicle slammed into them from behind. Dana’s head bounced into the front seat. The impact blotted out her vision. Zain’s voice sounded far away; his words barely punched through the thick fog dulling her senses. Keeping her hands glued to the seat for support, she found his concerned expression. Blood trickled from above his brow.

They’d stopped. Dear god, no.

A man appeared at Zain’s window. “Look out!” she cried.

Zain turned to shove open the door. The crack of punches reached her ears.The knife.She had to find it. Forcing down the violent nausea pressing against her palate, she swept her hands along the floor of the truck.

Her fingers brushed the metal handle.Yes!

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