Page 66 of Sweet Betrayal

Stung, she released his arm.

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Hannah, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry. I don’t regret last night, it’s just that...”

“Don’t worry, I get it,” she snapped. “There are more important things to do than frolic with me.”

He didn’t reply.

Heart wrenching, she stomped downstairs and into the kitchen. He could make his own way down. There was certainly nothing wrong with his brain if he’d come to that conclusion already.

A second explosion shook the whole building. It was another mortar, aimed at the rebel-held suburb.

“Let’s go!” Jamal called, his hand on the back door.

Tom marched in. “Ready.”

Without another word, they left the safehouse and slipped out into the night.

The air was laced with cordite. Hannah could smell it as they hid in the shadows behind Jamal. Both he and Tom held their rifles in front of them, locked and loaded.

“Stay together,” barked the rebel leader, half running, half crouching as he moved down the road.

Tom nodded at her. “After you.”

Hannah took off after Jamal, while he brought up the rear. He was protecting her, making sure there were no nasty surprises from behind. She liked to think it was because he cared about her, but she knew he was just doing his job.

She could tell the two men had worked together before. It was the way they moved, in symmetry. Jamal would run to the end of the street, pause, wait for them to catch up, then they’d swap positions. Tom would take the lead, with Jamal looking out behind them. At the next block, they’d swap again.

“We need a plan of action,” Jamal said, as they paused beside a burned-out garage to catch their breath. “Obviously the car-smuggling plan has gone out the window.”

Hannah stared at him. “You were going to smuggle me out of here in the trunk of a car? That doesn’t sound like a very good plan to me.”

Tom glanced at Jamal who said, “It was a good idea. I have agents in the military who would have taken you out in their army vehicle. No inspections. You would have been home free—or at least gotten most of the way to Hamesh on the coast.”

She blinked, feeling stupid. “I’ve changed my mind. That does sound like a good plan. Can’t we still do that?”

“Possibly. I need to get to my men and regroup. Everything has—what’s the phrase?—gone to hell in a handbasket now that the army has attacked. I thought we’d have more time, but I was wrong. I have no idea where my agents are. We’ve lost contact.”

“Where’s your rendezvous point?” Tom asked as they set off again.

“Northern suburbs, al-Hazra.” Jamal dropped his voice. “That’s where we’re going to launch our defensive. Al-Rashid is mobilizing troops as we speak.”

“This attack might play in our favor,” Tom said thoughtfully. “If we can get out during the chaos, they won’t notice she’s gone. They’ll will be too busy fighting to worry about searching vehicles.”

“True. If I can locate my men, we may still be able to work out a plan.”

“Let’s hope your guys put up a good fight,” murmured Tom. “The more firepower you have, the more distracted the army will be.”

“And the more likely we’ll be hit by something,” she added, unable to help herself. It seemed madness to be heading into the midst of the fighting.

Both Jamal and Tom turned to stare at her.

“Sorry, but it’s true.”

Tom adjusted his rifle, then looked up at Jamal. “We’ll come with you to the rendezvous point and try to get out in the thick of the army assault.”

Hannah stared at him. Maybe the explosion had affected his brain. “You want to head straight towards the front line?”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

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