“Almost nothing. Faruk’s father cut him off from the rest of the family when he took me. Raziq was older by a few years. I think he was a doctor.”
Her hands shake as she reaches for the glass of water and takes a sip.
“A year before Mateen was born, Faruk went to Kabul for several days. When he returned, he told me his family had been killed, and he helped bury them. He never spoke of them again.”
“If Raziq grew up in Kabul, maybe he’s still there.” I pull my phone from my pocket and check flights. “If I have to fly commercial, it’s almost twenty-four hours to get to Kabul from here. I need to try Ford again. He can get me a private plane. You have Mateen’s passport, right? I might need it to get him out of the country. Hopefully Griff can get Amelie and Philippe’s passports from their hotel.”
Tears gather in Lisette’s eyes. “I do, but it will not help you. Mateen was born Muslim, and the dating profile Noele created for me said I was Catholic. Under Islamic law, I have no rights to the custody of my own son.”
“Then we’ll go through Uzbekistan.”
“And what of me? I am supposed to stay here while my son is in danger? No. I refuse. I am not helpless, Nomar. I fought before. I will do it again.” She stares at me with such fire in her swollen, red-rimmed eyes, I almost scoot back a few inches. “If you will not take me with you, I will go on my own.”
“The hell you will.” I push to my feet, but she follows me. “You don’t know what I did after I left Shapur. Who I became. This is the Viper’s world, Lisette. But it will eat you up and spit you out. If you even survive. I won’t let that happen.”
“Like you would not let anything happen to Mateen?”
Her words slice my heart into pieces. She’s right. I failed once. What makes me think I won’t fail again?
Because this time, I’ll succeed or die trying.
A text message rattles my phone, and I turn away before Lisette can see it.
Zephyr: Install this app. Secure messaging, file, and video transfer. Firefly.
“Nomar, do not ignore me. You said in thirty minutes, you would have a plan. This is no plan. You need to come up with one that does not involve leaving me behind.”
“No,” I snap, then cringe at my tone. “Dammit. I’m sorry. But…fuck it. I love you, Lisette. You can’t ask me to bring you somewhere Iknowyou won’t be safe. Griff spent more than ten years in the CIA and he couldn’t stop Raziq’s men. They’re not amateurs. If I have to worry about you, I’ll be distracted, and that could geteveryonekilled.”
Lisette flinches, and she presses her hand to her heart. “Please, Nomar. Amelie is my friend. Philippe is the smallest boy in the class. I think that is why he and Mateen became such fast friends. They must be so frightened.”
“Come here.” I open my arms, but she shakes her head.
“Please. I have to do something,” she whispers.
I stare up at thefleurs de lisadorning the gray molding. She’s right. Having a task will keep her calm—and maybe stop her from continuing this battle she’s going to lose. There’s no way in hell I’m taking her anywhere near Afghanistan.
“Call Joey. See if she can get in touch with Ford. It’s only a little after 2:00 p.m. in Boston. He’s got no fucking business not answering my call. He can get me a plane. I need to get in touch with Austin’s hacker.”
It takes a full five minutes for me to install the ZEO app. Facial scan, fingerprint, passcode, passphrase…hell, I’m surprised it didn’t want my mother’s maiden name and my social security number. But once I’m in, I find a video file with a short message.
Footage from the attack in Barcelona. It’s not pretty.
Lisette is crying as she tells Joey what happened tonight, so I put my earbud in and pressPlay.
The Barcelona street is quiet until a line of twenty kids comes into view. A woman leads the way, two more in the center, and a couple—a man and a woman—bringing up the rear. There’s no sound, but the kids look like they’re all talking at once.
A street light flickers. Then another. Everyone jumps as a third light explodes in a shower of sparks. The adults scramble to cover the children’s heads.
The couple in back grab Mateen and another boy. Five dark-clad men race into view. Flashes of light, and the kids start running in every direction. Muzzle flares.
The guy in back falls to his knees. Laurent. Mateen wriggles out from under him as a man wearing glasses heads for the kid. Shit. That has to be Griff. He sends a powerful cross to one of the attacker’s jaws, and the asshole goes down.
More flashes. One of the thugs throws Mateen over his shoulder, while another grabs Philippe and holds a gun to his head. Amelie pleads with the man, and he motions for her to follow them. Griff fires at a third, but the last man is up again. He wrenches one of Griff’s arms behind his back, sending him to his knees.
A van speeds in from a side street. Griff throws himself backwards, and the guy trying to tear his arm off stumbles. It’s chaos. Amelie screams. Laurent tries to get up, but his chest is soaked with blood. Another man dressed in black fires over the heads of the children, and Griff rolls to his feet.
But he’s too late. Mateen, Amelie, and Philippe are already in the van. With a final shot in Griff’s direction, the last man jumps into the vehicle, and it speeds away.
