Page 82 of Cooper

Something about this bugs me.

“What’s on your mind?” Marcus asks.

“They’re speaking Arabic, and that doesn’t track with most of the king’s enemies. I was just taken prisoner in Iraq. Could this have something to do with…me?”

He seems thoughtful. “I guess it could, but why? I mean, weren’t there other guys with you when you were captured? Have they had any trouble?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “But I’m going to reach out when we get back to Hiskale.”

“How would your captors even know where you are?” he asks.

“I don’t know that either.”

I’m probably imagining things.

It’s just this damn gut of mine.

The same one that never steers me wrong.

It might be time to mention my concerns to Joe.

That way, at the very least, they can look into other avenues.

I can’t imagine being right, but I also don’t want to risk it.

I’m starting to care for my new Protectors family, and I’m falling hard for Natalia.

Whether I stay or not, the last thing I ever want to do is put any of them in danger.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Natalia

It’s been a verylong day, and I can’t wait to stand under a hot shower and then lie down. Except that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Sandor and I spend hours interrogating the new prisoner, and he refuses to tell us anything. However, his picture pops up on an Interpol database and we discover his name is Farouk Alzani. He’s a known Taliban supporter who comes from Afghanistan, but that’s about all we know so far. He’s in pain and apparently willing to die for his secrets, which pisses us off.

Sandor backhands him for the tenth time.

“I can do this all night,” he says. “Can you?”

The man grunts. “Fuck. Off.”

“So you speak English.”

“I speak English, but I will not tell you anything.”

“Just tell us who the target is, and we’ll get you to a hospital.”

He spits in Sandor’s direction, earning another backhand.

I’m not overly squeamish, but I’m not sure I could do what Sandor is doing.

“You’re never going to walk again.” Sandor changes tactics.

“I will walk again in Heaven.”

“You really believe you’re going to heaven? And all the nonsense about the seventy-two virgins? Because even if it’s true, that’s not where you’re going. Only good people go to heaven, and there’s nothing good about what you’re doing.”

It goes on like that for hours until finally, Sandor shrugs.

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