“Is this a joke?” Range couldn’t believe his ears. I’m detaining her, not marrying her!” How did that even make sense to them? “She’s myprisoner—I’ll take her off your hands, out of your village.”
Butrus peered over the shoulder of his caliph. “That does nothing but condone what she has done, the lives she destroyed running that brothel.”
“You seem to know a lot about her,” Range said, trying to find a better line of sight. Could he just double-tap these men—Zaki included—then grab her and run?
Anger slid through the imam’s face. “Marry her or she dies.”
What the freakin’ fluff? This was the most ludicrous— “What’s the point of that? How would that change anything?” Range demanded, frustration tightening his grip on the M4. His gaze slid to Kasra whose expression was a mural of pain, fear, grief, and hopelessness.
“It does not change her at all. But it would appease me for Afghanistan to humiliate an American soldier—who should no longer be in my country—by forcing you to marry an adulteress!”
Head swinging back and forth mournfully, silent tears slipping down her swollen, bloodied face, Kasra seemed to be telling him not to do this.
Zaki was at his side. He lowered his chin, looking behind them to the door. “Butrus’s sister was abused by American soldiers years ago and he threw her out. She ended up at Roud… she reappeared here last year, broken. Very broken. He killed her.” His gaze held hers. “What I do is for Kasra. Because he willnotstop till you are humiliated and Kasra is dead. It is why they are videoing it.”
Range then noticed the camera in the corner and sneered at Zaki. “You’re a piece of—”
“I am sorry you think that, butthis”—he bobbed his head to where Butrus held Kasra—“is the only way she lives. The power is in your hands to save her life.”
Staring at the coward again, Range knew one thing without a doubt. “I’m not an idiot. You’ll kill us both.”
“Unlike you Americans, I am a man of my word,” Abdullah High and Mighty announced. “Marry her and she is your stain to live with.”
“Range, I am not worth it. Do not—” Kasra was hauled backward, hand clamped over her mouth by the caliph, but she struggled, doing her best to shake her head and tell him not to do this.
“What is your answer, American?”
Range tightened his jaw. This made no freakin’ sense. Did it matter as long as Kasra could walk out of here?
Fake it till you make it … out of the country.
Which was a problem. This imam wasn’t going to let them walk out of here, no matter what dance they performed for him. But it’d buy time to figure out their path to freedom. “Fine,” he finally said, motioning Kasra to come to him, hand bracing the M4. “We get married. Then walk.”
“Do you think us so weak and foolish, American?” Butrus stretched his chin at him. “Put down the weapon.”
“Not happening.”
Butrus stepped closer to his caliph, his arm again reaching toward Kasra’s head with that gun.
Ticked, Range bit back a curse—no clear line of sight. If he fired, he’d hit Kasra, too. No options here. “Okay!” Glowering at the imam, he removed the magazine from the rifle, then ejected the round from the chamber. Downloaded the magazine, removing the rounds and slipping them into his pocket. He then dropped the useless weapon on the ground. Kicked it to his nine, farthest from anyone here. If he couldn’t use it, no one would.
When one of the villagers rushed toward it, Range coldcocked him, appreciated the release of anger. Rolled his shoulders. “Now, are we doing this or not?”
* * *
“Where is your Walwar?” the imam asked.
At the ridiculous demand for a bride price, Kasra stilled, saw the confusion on Range’s face. Hated herself for this mess. It seemed no matter what she did, how hard she tried to extricate herself from this life, her terrible past haunted every step toward freedom and dragged her back into its dark depths.
“It means head-money,” Zaki whispered to Range. “You pay an agreed-upon price—”
“I didn’t agree on any money,” Range growled.
Butrus seemed far too pleased with himself. “You must pay for her.”
Hands out to his sides, Range arched an eyebrow. “I don’t have money.”
“Then your weapon.”
