Tunics, loose pants, and knit caps for us, and a full burka for Lisette. Complete with mesh to cover her eyes. I thrust the pale blue material at Austin.
“You do it. She’s made it pretty damn clear she wants nothing to do with me.”
“What the hell is that all about? I thought the two of you were…a thing,” Griff says as he laces up his boots. He put his prosthetic on a few minutes ago and explained the science behind rewiring nerves that once controlled flesh and bone to work with titanium. Now we’re staring at him tie his shoes like he’s performing brain surgery.
“Wewere. Until she found out why Pritchard sent me to Afghanistan three years ago. Human trafficking is a hard no for her. Go figure.”
“For fuck’s sake. You didn’t have a choice,” Austin mutters. “And you made up for it in spades after you sent that ‘fuck you’ to POTUS. Did you tell her who you’ve been for the past two years?”
“No. And I’m not going to. She’s made it clear we’re not ‘together.’ Once we get Mateen back and the two of them are safe, I’ll disappear again. For good, this time.”
Leo grabs my arm before I can walk away. “Not so fast. ‘Who you’ve been for the past two years’? Gonna need an explanation for that one.”
I shake off his hold and barely resist shoving him back. “Touch me again, Basher, and I’ll knock you on your ass faster than you can say ‘arthritis.’”
“You’re only a year younger than I am, asshole,” Leo snaps.
“Stand down. Both of you.” Austin steps between us, one hand to Leo’s chest, the other an inch from mine. “Tell them, Nomar. They’re going to find out pretty damn quick once we meet up with your contact.”
Pritchard owes me. But Griff and Leo are risking everything for a man whose entire life is nothing but secrets and lies.
I sigh and lean against the galley wall. “After McCabe and his team took out Amir Abdul Faruk, the CIA and POTUS sent me to Shapur Khan. They wantedhimto fill the void Faruk left behind. For eleven months, I ran his whole operation. Guns. Drugs. Girls. Until I couldn’t stand it any more. So I faked my own death and went rogue. Every single one of those girls has a new life now. A better one.”
“Shit.” Leo sinks down into one of the plush leather seats. “You’re the goddamn Viper.”
Griff whistles. “Holy fuck, Nomar. You have to tell her.”
“No. The past few days…they were the best of my life. But last night, when she found out what I’d done, it almost killed me. She needs to focus on Mateen. On getting through the next twenty-four hours alive. And so do we. I won’t lose her again. I can’t. We go in, we kill this motherfucker, and we get everyone home safe. Then, I’m out. For good. Lose my number. Forget my name. Let the Viper die.”
“Who is the Viper?” Lisette asks as she staggers toward us. Her eyes are bruised from crying, her hair mussed, and the knot on her temple is a deep, dark purple.
“Just a code name I used in the field a long time ago,” I say and head to the galley for another cup of coffee. “We’re landing in half an hour. Get changed.”
Even with the sound of the engines, I hear everything. Her gasp when Austin hands her the burka. The hitch in her voice when she asks if there is any other way. The soft sobs as she pulls the nearly opaque cloth over her head.
I’d give anything to be able to comfort her. To wrap my arms around her and tell her I’ll die before that bastard lays another finger on Mateen. But for the next twenty-four hours, she needs to focus on her son. On the plan none of us are sure will work. On staying alive.
* * *
Lisette sits stifflyin the back seat of the Land Rover. The powder blue burka covers her from head to toe. I can’t even see her eyes through the mesh panel. We landed under the cover of darkness, but I wouldn’t put it past Raziq to be monitoring air traffic control. Or have spies at the airfield.
“Zephyr had better be as good as you say she is.” Sliding into the seat next to Lisette, I watch her for any reaction. But she’s shut down again. “If Raziq finds out we landed more than twelve hours before his deadline, we’re fucked.”
In my ear, the hacker huffs. “You, Lisette, and Griff have seats booked on the 5:00 a.m. AirEast flight out of Istanbul. The airport cameras will record you checking in, boarding the plane,andsitting in your seats.”
Lisette jerks and lets out a little gasp. “How can you do all that?”
“Deep fakes are one of my specialties. Along with surveillance, IDs, blackmail…”
Austin chuckles as he starts the car. “Modesty isnotone of those specialties.”
“Hey!”
“Did I say you should change? I’d be dead at least five times over by now without you,” he says. “And Leo would still be in that Panamanian black site.”
“So now would be a good time for me to ask for a couple new CPUs?“
Lisette turns to stare out the window. Her shoulders heave, and she brings her hand up to swipe at her cheeks. Until she finds the burka. Fuck.
