Page 38 of Sweet Betrayal

“Which way?” she asked.

“East.”

The midday sun scorched overhead. A trickle of sweat slid between her breasts. She realized she had no idea which way east was.

Tom set off, angling to the right. His boots crunched across the gravelly sand.

Okay, then. She quickened her pace to catch up and fell into step beside him, boiling in her full-length black robe.

“You can take it off.” Tom motioned toward it without looking. His eyes stayed locked on the horizon.

“Are you sure?” She glanced around, uneasy.

“Yeah. We’ll see anyone coming miles off.”

There was nothing here but wide-open space—and a lot of sand.

She pulled the robe over her head, sighing in relief. The light tunic and trousers underneath, in cream and beige, were far cooler. Unsure what to do with the robe, she tied it around her waist.

They walked for an hour, and with each step Hannah grew more hopeful. They had to be getting close.

Squinting into the distance, she spotted a shimmer on the horizon. “Is that it?” she asked, hopeful.

“Yep,” he confirmed, shielding his eyes from the sun.

They picked up speed. One of Tom’s long strides matched two of hers, but she hardly noticed her aching feet or the sweaton her skin. All she could think about was getting out of Syman and back to England, where she’d be safe.

Then a terrible thought struck her.

“You don’t think they’ll come after me in the U.S., do you?”

“I doubt it. Not with this going on,” he said, but his tone gave him away.

Oh, God. Hannah felt like crying. Would she ever be free of this?

The hard truth was, probably not. Not until she handed over the intel—and Hakeem and Anwar were behind bars. Or dead.

As they neared, she realized the shimmer was actually a long, low hangar made of corrugated metal, gleaming under the mid-morning sun. A short runway stretched out in front of it, black tarmac stark against the sea of beige. The perimeter was marked by a tall electric fence.

“We made it,” she breathed, clutching his arm. “We’re here!”

Tom didn’t respond.

She let go, glancing up at him. “What’s wrong? We made it with time to spare.”

“We’re not clear yet.” His eyes tracked the fence to the entrance on the far side. A guard tower loomed over heavy-duty wrought iron gates. Two flags drooped from poles on either side.

“What do you mean?” She was so desperate to get inside. “Come on, let’s go introduce ourselves.”

Tom held up a hand. “Wait. I need to check it out first. We can’t just waltz in unannounced. You see all that security?”

“Yes, but we’re the good guys, remember?”

“I’m not so sure.” He scanned the area. “Wait behind those dunes. They’ll give you a little cover. I’ll be right back.”

“But why? I don’t see?—”

She sighed as he waved her off and stalked toward a cluster of outbuildings a few hundred yards from the base, just outside the fencing. His rifle was slung low, in a ready position.

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