Thursday. Regional Airport, northern Lebanon.

Vara hobbled off the plane, the bag with Djinn’s package clutched to her chest. Vara’s limbs and muscles protested the movement after being tensed for so long as she held on for dear life. That flight would go down in history as one of the worst she could remember.

Alec was already at the passenger seat, helping Jules stretch her legs. If Vara was in bad shape Jules had to be in agony.

A hand grasped Vara’s sleeve.

She turned toward the woman she’d only known as Djinn.

The woman was so petite she swam in her clothes. Her hijab framed her face in a way that she seemed to be all eyes and frowns. But that appearance hid a sharp intellect and when she opened her mouth Vara knew Djinn wasn’t Syrian born even if that was her heritage. Djinn was American.

“Hey,” Vara said. Was she finally speaking to her?

“You got it out?” Djinn stared at the bag clutched to Vara’s side.

“Yes. It’s safe.” Vara patted the bag.

“Good. Their reach is farther than I realized. If you have to, destroy it. Do not let that fall into their hands.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t use a cell phone if you can help it. Nothing on WiFi either. Understand?”

“Why? Can you tell me something? Anything. Please?”

“The Russians have a new technology. It’s like what your NSA has. They can intercept and decrypt any phone call or digital message. They just have to have a satellite or a drone in place.” Djinn’s dark eyes glittered with fear.

“Shit.” Vara swallowed. “I’d heard rumors, but...”

“Your phones are not safe. Use a landline if you have to.”

“I got it.” Vara was going to pry her phone to pieces in a minute. “What does this part do?”

“This is it. The whole project, everything we were working on. Except the access codes. Your people should be able to use that to shut the Russians down, but they cannot use it.” Djinn stared at the bag, her gaze haunted.

“Shouldn’t we destroy it then? Why give it to me?”

“Someday I want my home to be safe. These are the decisions I make for my people. Because we cannot trust those who are in power.”

“I can understand that.” Vara hugged the bag to her side. “What about you? Where are you going? Do you have someone?”

“I’ll manage.”

“I know people. I can get you safe passage—”

“No. Thank you, but no.” Djinn shook her head.

“Will you be okay?” Vara didn’t know the woman well, but damn it, she cared.

“Yes.”

“Okay. If you ever need anything, I assume you’ll figure out how to contact me.” Vara smiled.

“You don’t want to be that easy to find. You’re going to be a target, too.”

“You two coming?” Alec called out.

Vara couldn’t help glancing at him, then said to Djinn, “I’ll be fine. Come on, let’s get out of the open.”

They followed the trio of Imad, Alec and Jules at a short distance.

The airport was nothing more than a long strip of pavement leading to a hangar with three outlying buildings. One small car sat in the parking lot. Imad waited for them at the side door to the hangar.

“You have ten minutes to use the facilities and the phone. After that you must wait in the bunk room and be gone by sunrise.”

Vara hurried into the dark, cavernous space toward the restrooms. Alec paced the hall, the phone pressed to his ear.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” he chanted.

“Who are you calling?” she stepped in close to him, forcing him to stop moving.

“My team.”

“Cell phones or—”

“Yeah.”

“Hang up.” She pressed the button on the cradle, ending the call.

“What the hell?” Alec scowled at her.

“Only call landlines. Can you?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain later.” She held up her hands and backed toward the door. She had to pee before they got into it.

“Okay. Fine. Whatever,” he groused.

Vara ducked into the bathroom but had to wait until Djinn emerged. Vara relieved her bladder and had her hands washed by the time Jules emerged, looking pale and exhausted.

“I forgot how much I don’t like flying,” she said as she leaned against the sink.

“But you flew everywhere,” Vara said. “I’ve seen some of your films.”

“A couple shots of tequila before a flight helps these old nerves.” Jules smiled an enchanting smile and washed her hands, her movements slow.

“How are you doing? Really?” Vara leaned her hip against the sink and studied Jules’ profile.

“I keep waiting to wake up and find I’m back in that little room.” Jules stared at a spot on the wall while she swiped her hands dry. “I could tell the time of day by if the children were playing, what I smelled. I learned to count the passage of time in other ways. By who was still alive. By how many bones they broke. This, being here? It doesn’t feel real yet.”

Vara struggled to breathe past the tightness in her chest. She couldn’t imagine how Jules could survive like that for ten years. “You’re going to keep waking up in safe places from now on.”

“I hope so.” Jules smiled at her.

“Here, take my hand. Let’s get some rest.” Vara needed to line up transportation to Beirut. Where they went from there depended on what her handler said.

Chad was pissed at her. Vara didn’t need to hear it or see him to know. He’d been very clear on wanting her to remain where she was, but he wasn’t the one risking his life daily. Sure, he was taking a chance as an American in Syria, but he had a safe house and a security team assigned to him where she couldn’t trust her own people.

“There’s my ladies,” Alec said when they emerged into the hall.

“Did you reach your people?” Vara asked.

“Yup. Everyone is alive. They made it out by the skin of their teeth and are currently cooling their heels at our Cairo location.”

“They really left you behind?” Vara frowned.

“They weren’t given an option. They had to flee the country then once in Lebanon they were told to leave there, too. They did the right thing.” Alec shrugged.

“If you say so.”

“Jules, you ready to sleep? Imad said there’s some food waiting for us.”

“I just want to lie down.”

“I’ll take her. You call who you need to,” Alec said over his shoulder.

“Okay.” Vara bit her lip and watched the two of them make their way slowly to the door where Imad still stood guard.

She was not looking forward to this call, but Chad clearly needed the intel. If all cellular phones were a security risk that would change things.

Vara dialed the secure number she had for Chad, but the line merely rang. No one picked up. So she tried another number, but this one was disconnected.

What other options did she have?

Her means of communication were limited. Two secure lines, a cell phone number she’d never used, and some email accounts.

An email then.

She pulled out her cell phone and cringed.

No.

She wasn’t willing to risk it.

Chad probably knew she’d been blown, and they were likely moving their operation or pulling out entirely. She could go to Washington and walk the package through the CIA doors herself if her handler couldn’t be found. Keeping the intel safe had to be her priority.

Vara turned and left the hall, heading out into the night.

“All done?” Imad asked.

“Yeah.”

“Safe travels.” He paused to shake her hand. “You’ve always sent me good business. God speed.”

“You’re one of the good guys, Imad.”

“Nah.” He waved his hands at her.

Vara didn’t doubt the man had skeletons in his closet and connections she was better off not knowing about. Right now she was thankful they’d gotten this far safely. Tomorrow would begin another leg of their journey.

She trekked over to the bunkhouse and found Alec and Vara digging into the food Imad had told them was waiting.

“Where’s Djinn?” Vara peered around the little room.

“I thought she was still inside.” Alec stopped chewing.

“No...”

Vara turned and watched Imad’s car pull away, the silhouette of two people inside.

She blew out a breath and lifted a hand, waving goodbye.

Wherever Djinn wound up, Vara hoped she’d be safe.

She closed the bunkhouse door and settled on the bed next to Jules. There were six mattresses three high on either wall. It would be a tight fit but for the next few hours they could rest in peace.

“What’s our next move?” Alec asked.

“There’s three different guys that make the route from here to the city. We wait until one of them shows up, pay our way and go. Then we get whatever flight we can. Do you have passports?”

“Nothing that will withstand a lot of scrutiny. You?”

“Same.” Vara sighed. “Then maybe our best bet is getting to the city tonight, make contact with someone to get us documents and go from there. I know a few places we could stay and if I get to a bank, we’d have enough money. There’s a chance my other team is still here. I told them to leave, but who knows what happened to them?”

“My people can help out with money and a place to stay,” Alec said.

“Then we have a plan.”

“Okay.” Alec dusted off his hands. “Jules, you ready to sleep?”

“For a month.” Jules chuckled.

“Then why don’t you lie down and I’m going to take a walk around, have a look at where we’re at.”

“Care for some company?” Vara wasn’t going to sleep and she could do with a walk to stretch her limbs.

Alec’s gaze locked with hers. She curled her toes in her boots unsure what his dark gaze boded for her.

“Sure,” he said after a moment.

Once they had Jules settled Alec led Vara out into the night.

The air was crisp and the wind blowing across the plateau chilly.

“Where are we? What’s the geography like?” Alec asked.

“We are about thirty miles from the border in the northern parts of Lebanon. We’re standing on a plateau. It’s beautiful in the morning. This is where the land transitions from dry and arid into the mountains, so there’s a stark contrast between looking north and south.” She shoved her hands in her pockets and turned her face toward the wind blowing out of the south.

“You think we’ll pull this off?” he asked.

“We will. We made it this far. I have to believe we can make it somewhere safe.” Vara glanced at Alec and found him watching her.

She wanted to ask what, why he was staring, but she wasn’t sure she could take his answer.

He still affected her after all these years because she let him. A part of her wanted him, had been thrilled by that kiss on the bus. But that was ill advised. She’d tried a relationship with him once and he’d given her up without a fight.

They continued their circuit of the grounds. She found herself drifting away from him then toward him as her insides warred.

So what if he’d been her first love? That didn’t mean he’d be the only man she cared for. She was still young and had never truly given a man besides him a chance at winning her heart.

“Vara? Hey, will you stop a second?” Alec paused on the north side of the hangar where the wind wasn’t as harsh.

“Hm?”

“When this is over do you think we could talk?”

“There isn’t anything to talk about.” The surge of panic was completely uncalled for, but there it was.

“I think there is.” Alec took a step closer to her. “You kissed me back.”

“Heat of the moment. Adrenaline. Don’t make it out to be anything other than what it was.” Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and sweat broke out along her spine and brow. Yeah she could taste the lie.

“Is that what you want it to be?” Alec stopped so close she thought she could smell the spices from their food on him.

“If it’s more than that, so what? What does that do for either of us? It’s too late to change things.”

“Are you sure?” He lifted his hand and tucked a bit of wayward hair behind her ear.

“What do you want me to say? What do you want to hear?”

“The truth.”

Vara swallowed. Her truth was so much more damning than she could ever fess up to because the reason no other man could take his place was because deep down she still loved him. It was her embarrassing truth. Breaking her heart hadn’t changed the way she wanted to twine her body with his, hold him, listen to his heart breathe, answer a dozen of his dumb questions. But she’d already given him that chance once.

“I don’t understand why you get to keep asking me questions when you’re the one who planned on slipping away in the middle of the night without saying goodbye. Why not break up with me? Be honest?”

A muscle at the corner of his jaw jumped.

Of course he wouldn’t like being the one questioned. He thought he should get information not give it.

Vara rolled her eyes and stepped around him. Alec grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“I didn’t do that because it wasn’t what I wanted. I hoped you’d understand when you found out we were being sent on a mission, that you’d wait. Then you were there and everyone told me it was the right thing to do.”

“Why not tell me everything from the beginning? Why not be honest about what Mom was doing? You kept things from me about my life because you thought you knew better than I did.”

“I was young and stupid, okay?” His thumb caressed her arm. “My sister, she’s got a special bond with our mom. The last thing I wanted to do was come between you and your mother. I knew if you found out what she’d been doing you’d be pissed and I’d still be gone.”

“Rightfully so, if I get a say in my life.”

“Looking back, I’d have done it all different if I could, but I can’t. All I can do now is apologize for being an idiot and hope you’ll let me make it up to you.”

Vara swallowed and glanced away.

“Or not.” Alec dropped his hand. “You don’t owe me anything. I’m the one who fucked up a good thing.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, the anger leaving her.

“We were young,” she muttered.

“And I was stupid about you.”

Did she care about rehashing the past?

She had scars no one could see. Her heart was still hung up on a man who’d left her. The only thing holding onto the past did for her was give her a shield against him.

But tomorrow or the next day their paths would likely part ways and they’d never run into each other again. She’d mourn losing him once more.

“Vara?” Alec was so close she could feel him brush against her whenever he inhaled.

“What?”

“I’m glad we ran into each other.”

“Me, too,” she whispered.

If for nothing else she had some answers.

He’d left because that was where his job took him. If they’d stayed together, their relationship would have been a few long weekends and a couple months here and there. Ending it when he had was likely the best thing for them even if her heart didn’t agree.

“Come on, let’s get some sleep.” He placed his hand on the small of her back, his warmth seeping into her. “You’re shivering.”

She hadn’t realized she was.

Alec slid his arm around her, lending his body heat. She leaned into him, her head on his shoulder.

“You’re confusing, you know that?” His other hand trailed down her back.

“Yeah, well, I’m confused, too. I thought it was my fault you left like you did because I wasn’t—”

“No. That’s not it.” He squeezed her.

She closed her eyes and accepted his comfort. He’d always given the best hugs, tight enough it felt as though he were holding onto her without crushing her.

“None of it was your fault,” he whispered into her ear.

Vara placed her hands on his sides where she could feel the man under the Kevlar. Without her anger and hurt, how was she supposed to resist him? Did she want to?

She lifted hear head and looked up at him. Most of his face was shrouded in shadow. The moon and security lights didn’t help back here. But she didn’t need to see him to know there was hunger in his eyes. It was in his voice and how when he hugged her he lifted her up on her tip-toes a bit. She’d memorized his ways and never forgotten them.

“Vara—”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

The arms around her tightened, but he didn’t move. Not at first.

Maybe this was a terrible idea, but it was one night. Maybe a day depending on how long they were stuck in the city, then they’d be separated again. Her pride didn’t matter and she would always wonder what if?

Taking the risk and knowing was better than another five plus years of questioning herself.

Alec dipped his head, his nose prodding hers. She tilted her head and strained toward him.

“You did that on the bus,” he whispered.

“What?”

“Just like that. That’s what gives me hope.” He ran his knuckles over her cheek.

Hope for what? This? Or something else?

Alec bent his head and brushed his lips across hers. She chased his mouth, but he didn’t kiss her. Instead he cupped her face, nuzzling her cheek, then her jaw. He pressed little kisses to her skin before she felt the soft skin of his lips on hers. She hooked her free arm around his neck, yanking him down closer to her.

He answered by jerking her up against his chest, then boosting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he walked them back until she was trapped between him and the wall. His mouth never left hers, and this time when his tongue teased her lips she had no reason to turn him away. She dug her hands in his hair and held on. He palmed her ass, and she groaned, shifting her hips.

They’d never crossed the line before Thailand, and she would never forget how explosive that first day and night together had been. This, the way he kissed her now, was exactly like that.

“Fuck.” Alec tore his lips from hers and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

“Yeah.” She gasped for air, need making her foggy headed.

“It’s never just a kiss, is it?” He pressed his lips to her neck, and she shuddered, her insides going warm and twisty.

Did the hair of the dog theory apply to sex and broken hearts? If she indulged in Alec once more would that cure her?

She wanted to test the theory. Right now.

“Stop.” He pried her hands off him and flattened them to the side of the building, holding her body hostage.

Goose flesh broke out on her chest and her stomach tightened. He was fun when he got all bossy.

Alec pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“I’m not doing anything else here. If you want more, we’ll do it in a bed. We’ll do it right. Understand?”

“Why do you get to set all the rules?”

“Because you don’t believe in rules.” He chuckled.

That was true. She liked to break them, just like the ones she’d made for herself about never seeing him again.

They’d be in Beirut tomorrow. Maybe for a whole day.

She was going to take him up on that offer.

THURSDAY. NOUR DELIVERY Service, Damascus, Syria.

Kolya Sokolov believed in handling problems with a personal touch. He hadn’t climbed his way to the top of the food chain by allowing others to carry out his commands while he sat behind a desk.

The car came to a stop in the yard for Nour Delivery Service. Ivan, one of Kolya’s more trusted enforcers, stepped forward and opened the car door for Kolya. He set his feet on the gravel and stood, breathing in the smell of dirt, grease and blood.

“How many do we have?” Kolya asked.

“Three dozen are inside, plus the team we told you about. We had to kill fifteen before they stopped fighting,” Ivan said.

“Take me to them.”

Kolya’s man nodded then gestured toward a distant door. Kolya followed, glancing over the trucks and facilities. Rafat Nour was a dinosaur. His way of business was dying out. Kolya had extended an offer to work together. With Rafat’s infrastructure and Kolya’s resources they could be the true power here, but Rafat wasn’t a team player. Kolya understood. Neither was he.

Before tonight his designs for business in Syria were small. He’d been acting on behalf of his friends still in the Russian government at every turn, which didn’t make for a very fruitful endeavor. Now a full scale operation had been dumped in his lap, along with that one massive problem.

They had to recover the hacker known as Djinn.

Kolya had only recently learned of the intel leak. His counterparts working for the government hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him that.

He grit his teeth and stepped through the doorway into a cavernous room. Men, if he could call them that, sat or stood in the open floor of the warehouse with a half dozen of Kolya’s men standing watch.

“This way, sir,” the one leading him said.

When Kolya had the best intelligence network in Europe, he’d be able to reenter the government and take his rightful place as one of the most senior officers. Everything he did now was about attaining that goal.

They entered an office at the end of a long hall. The smell of blood was thicker here, older.

A body lay up against the wall, its limbs bent at unnatural angles. Three men were chained to a ring secured into the floor.

Ivan gestures at their prisoners. “They work with the woman who helped the hacker get away.”

Kolya nodded and closed the distance between them, weighing the men. They were clearly American. Former military of some kind. He was surprised Rafat had allowed them to operate under his roof. This was an intel operation if Kolya ever saw one. But he doubted these me knew it.

Only one of the three met Kolya’s gaze. He stood straight, or as straight as he could. Someone had done a number on him, evident in the dried blood and how he wavered on his feet. He had a spine and courage at least. If any of them knew something worthwhile, it was him.

“Him.” He nodded at the defiant one. “Unchain him.”

Kolya crossed to the desk, checked the surface for blood and when he was satisfied it was reasonably clean, he leaned against it.

It was time to assume power here.

His men released the trio’s leader and brought him to stand in front of Kolya.

“What’s your name?” Kolya asked.

“Wyatt Boregard.”

“Well, Wyatt, your boss, where is she?” he asked.

“How badly do you want to know?” Wyatt had swagger even with a bloodied nose, a gash in his lip and a wound that wouldn’t stop oozing blood down his cheek.

Kolya shrugged. The man has balls to broker a deal in these circumstances.

“We’re smugglers.” Wyatt spread his hand. “Everything has a price.”

“I’ll let you and your friends leave.” Kolya braced his hands on the desk.

“We were about to leave, anyway.” Wyatt shrugged.

Kolya glanced at his man standing behind Wyatt. The man’s head jerked, and he took a step forward then kicked the back of Wyatt’s knees, sending the American to his knees.

“Your boss,” Kolya repeated.

“We don’t know, okay?” One of the other frightened men said. They stank with fear.

“Shut it,” Wyatt barked.

“What do you know?” Kolya continued to watch Wyatt.

He braced his hands on his thighs and stared up at Kolya. From the furrow in Wyatt’s brow he guessed the man was finding it hard to focus.

“She and a man rescued an American woman. The woman has been a prisoner of Al-Qaeda then ISIS for ten years. Rafat wanted the woman for some reason. I don’t know. He had us bring all three of them—Vara, the man and the old woman—here. That’s the last we saw of them.”

Kolya rolled those details around in his mind.

The old woman had to be Jules Neilson, the American Senator’s sister. The filmmaker who’d bitten off more than she could chew.

“You’ve never seen this man before today?” Kolya pulled out his phone and showed the image of the man to Wyatt.

“No.” Wyatt shook his head.

“Then you are of no use to me. Kill them.” Kolya pushed to his feet.

“Hey! We had a deal.” Wyatt pushed to his feet, but Kolya’s men were quicker. They shoved Wyatt to the floor again.

“I said I’d let you leave. I never said you’d be alive.” Kolya glanced at his men. “Take care of them.”

He tuned out the protests of the four men and strode out of the office.

What a waste.

His phone began to ring. He pulled it out and peered at the screen.

One of Kolya’s intelligence contacts within the Russian government.

Interesting.

“Yes?” Kolya pressed the phone to his ear.

“Do you have her?”

“Her? Which her?”

“Djinn.”

Kolya slowed to a stop. “I was led to believe that Djinn was a man.”

“No. Djinn is a woman. An American woman.”

Kolya whirled toward the office.

“Wait,” he bellowed.

“Sir?” His man leaned out the door.

“Wyatt, keep him. Kill the others.”

The hacker was a woman. An American woman running an intel op right under their noses.

Kolya would find this Vara Price and she would be his ticket back in.