“In this, we do not need to.” Rapping on the door, he grins. “Bulletproof. And look.” He reaches inside and flips a switch on the dashboard. The roof opens, and a very large, very lethal-looking machine gun rises from within.
“I’m convinced,” Griff says, opening one of the back doors. In the distance, dust swirls from the road where two black spots grow larger and larger.
Austin slides behind the wheel. “We’re going to have company soon. Everybody inside. Now. I don’t know how the hell we’re supposed to get this thing through the streets around the safe house, but—”
“You go right to the airport,” Shapur says. “Arash’s brother will get your bags and meet us there.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” Austin says and starts the engine.
Nomar settles me in the center of the front row of plush, leather seats, and Griff lifts Mateen up so he can climb in next to me. As soon as my son snuggles to my side, I start to cry.
“Maman? What’s wrong?” He reaches up to touch my cheek. “Nomar came like you said he would. We can go home now, right?”
Does he know that his uncle is dead? He must. He is a smart boy.
“We are,” Nomar says as he takes a seat on my other side. His voice is not steady, and when he wraps his arms around us, he starts to shake. I do not understand until the first tear hits my neck.
“Hang on,” Austin calls. “This is going to get bumpy.”
Darius climbs over the last row of seats, braces himself against the opening in the roof, and runs his hand over the weapon. “I have always wanted to fire one of these.”
Nomar straightens and drags the back of his hand over his cheeks. “Mateen, cover your ears, buddy. This is going to be loud.”
My son stares up at Darius in awe. “He’s going to shoot that big gun?”
“Not until you cover your ears,” Darius replies with a wink.
The SUV bounces over the uneven road, and soon, I slip away on endless waves of pain. I cannot feel Nomar’s arm around me. Darkness steals the sight of my son’s messy curls. Gunfire is all I can hear. And then suddenly, it is quiet. A welcome warmth spreads through my limbs.
I take a shuddering breath. The world lightens until I can see Mateen’s worried face peering up at me. “Better?” Nomar asks. “Griff gave you a shot of morphine.”
So that is why everything is softer now.
“You were crying for a long time,” Mateen says. “And Nomar could not get you to stop.”
“I am so sorry.” For the first time in two days, the sharp edge of pain lessens, and I wrap my arms around my son. “You have been very brave, Mateen. So much braver than me.”
“We’re ten minutes from the airfield,” Austin calls over his shoulder.
Ten minutes? I blink away the last of my tears and stare out the front windshield. We are back in Kabul. “How…we only just left…”
Nomar cups my jaw, his thumb skating over my cheek. “It’s been almost forty minutes, sweetheart. You wouldn’t answer me or Mateen. Wouldn’t even open your eyes. I thought—”
I cannot stand the pain in his eyes. Leaning closer, I brush my lips to his. It is barely a kiss. A single moment of connection. But it settles me in a way I did not know I needed. I think it settles him too.
But when Austin slows and pulls through a gate, I grab Nomar’s arm. “I am not covered. My face…my hair. We will be stopped!”
Across from us, Shapur chuckles. “You are with the great Shapur Khan. No one will dare.”
“And if they do,” Leo says, “they can have a nice little talk with my new friend Kalishnakov.” He pats the automatic rifle on the floor in front of him. “Kali can be very persuasive.”
“Younamedthe gun?” Nomar scoffs. “Does Domina know you’re cheating on her with an AK-47?”
“Domina knows she’s it for me. My relationship with Kali is purely platonic.”
“What does…platonic mean?” Mateen asks.
Nomar’s cheeks turn a dark red. “Shit. Uh…shoot. It’s when a man and a woman don’t hold hands or kiss, kiddo. When they’re just friends.”
