Irritated with him, Range noticed the guy had at least two meters, a scaled-down model of the village, and two operators between them.
Tycho had taken protective cover to avoid getting punched. Smart. “What’s your beef with this chick anyway?”
Range gritted his teeth and chose not to entertain the idiot. The answer was obvious, and if Tycho didn’t get that, he wasn’t worth the breath wasted trying to explain it.
“Hey.” Tycho closed a few feet. His pursed his lips, then closed a few more feet. “Pretty Boy …”
Keep coming, and I’ll show you the pretty side of my fist.
Tycho bobbed his head. “I want you to know I wouldn’t do that—you know, prostitutes.” His expression seemed sincere. “It was a joke—but I shouldn’t have said that. It was wrong.”
Jokes about trafficking weren’t jokes. They were indicators of bad mojo. “People who joke about the skin trade are the same ones buying favors.”
Tycho’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “You—serious—that?—” He patted Luther Landry’s shoulder. “D’you hear what he’s saying about me, man?”
Range stared at him, hard. “She’s selling her own people, innocent girls—children—and you said you wanted some.”
Palms up, Tycho lifted his eyebrows. “I was mouthing off. Got out of line.” He held out a hand. “My apologies. Peace?”
Not hardly. He couldn’t shake the one seven-year-old girl they’d found six months ago, one of Kasra Jazani’s victims. The trigger that made him vow to end this woman. Wishing he could get away from that sight burned into his mind’s eye, he turned to look out the window. Ran a hand over his face. Sick, dark … Horrific.
“Hey.” Tycho patted Range’s chest.
Range grabbed the guy’s wrist with his left hand and yanked him into his personal space, jabbing his elbow into his throat and pinning him. Glared at the bulging eyes. “Stay out of my way.”
“Hey!” Pike shoved them apart, hand landing on Range’s shoulder.
Instinct and anger had Range clamping onto his friend’s hand.
Pike’s gray eyes nailed him. Brow furrowed and mouth tightened in warning.
Cocking his head, Range did his best to shed the need to crack skulls. Huffed a breath. “I’m good.”
His buddy shoved in closer. “Are you?” he hissed, shouldering in. “Because this op can’t go wrong. Eyes are watching us. We screw up,weare screwed.”
Range balled his fists.
“You’re throwing attitude around like smoke from a frag. It’s blinding you to the fact we’re all on the same side.” Pike shouldered in. “Get it together or get on the next plane out.”
CHAPTERTWO
Roud Village, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
Her every move was monitored.From the second she drove back through the compound gate until this very moment as, arms piled with packages, she strode up into the main house. Every step tracked and logged. Every word recorded by some faceless entity miles from the compound. It was a wonder she had managed to put this together. Eighteen months of careful, meticulous planning, preparation, and maneuvering. Working around unexpected changes, like Taweel on an unscheduled visit and bringing in new girls.
And tonight, it would happen.
Tall, lanky Razam paced her down the long hall. “Did you get everything?”
“When did I last need your guidance in ensuring I shopped correctly?” She strode back to her office with the purchases.
“You know what the imam says.” Razam was always so good at the pretense, but today, he wiped his hand over his mouth. Then down his shirt. Through his black, unruly hair.
“Mm, indeed I do.” She thought of Alikhel in the market, who had dared to challenge her, only to have her set him straight.
Razam leaned against the credenza, then straightened and paced. His nerves were going to boil over onto hers if she did not refocus his energy.
“How are the new girls settling?” She set her packages on the table in her office, then removed her hijab, taking in the air conditioning she had convinced Taweel would go a long way in keeping customers comfortable. “Have they eaten?” With her back to the door and mirror, where she knew a camera had been installed, she lifted her eyebrows in emphasis. “I would not want them to go hungry tonight.”
