Page 10 of Reclaimed (Hostage Rescue Team)

He turned as Akram hustled inside carrying a briefcase and some ID tags and set them on the table before him. His beard had begun to fill in during the last few months, another sign that he was maturing. At only twenty-two, Akram had lived a hard life and seen so many of his friends and family suffer or be killed. As they all had. It only galvanized them in their righteous fight.

Tarek eyed the first badge, eager to learn more about his prisoners and what he stood to gain from them. Jim Barnes, the name read. He was middle-aged, had to be around fifty. Probably the one in charge of the other two, and the way the woman had called out to him seemed to confirm that. Tarek would use that to his advantage.

The second man was Mark Grimes. Early thirties maybe. Glasses. He looked like a computer guy, but Tarek could be wrong.

He turned his attention to the woman’s badge last, and his heart began to beat faster as he stared at her picture. Summer Blackwell. Pretty name for an attractive woman in her late twenties or early thirties, but he couldn’t get past the fact that she was an American infidel.

And oh, did he have special plans for her. A rush of excitement flooded him at the thought.

“It belongs to her,” Akram said excitedly as he opened the briefcase. “There’s a laptop. It’s still working.”

“Perfect.” He took it and eyed the home screen. Of course it was password protected. He wasn’t good with computers and such and to his knowledge none of his men were either, but no matter. He’d get it out of her easily enough. “What’s in the paperwork?”

Akram handed him several files. “Maps, files on different people.” He frowned as he read them. “Mostly members in the Army of True Believers, looks like from Jordan and Syria. One from Algeria.”

“Let me see.” He took the file Akram was holding, perused it. His English wasn’t perfect but he could read and speak it well enough to get by.

The file contained information on the fighter’s vital statistics and service record in the Syrian Army. Tarek didn’t recognize him, but a lot of his fellow Syrian brothers-in-arms had deserted at the start of this war to fight with the side that should rightfully rule the country.

Theirs.

There were maps as well, and information on suspected movements, unit strengths and positions. He didn’t understand enough of it to get the whole picture, but it was clear anyway. “I’ll read it later.” He pushed it aside along with the laptop, already planning what he would do with the information the woman named Summer would give him.

Torture, either of her or a fellow prisoner if that’s what it took, was an extremely strong motivator, he’d learned.

“What do we do now?” Akram asked.

“We wait.”

“Wait?” he asked, looking troubled by the prospect. Everyone knew they were on a tight timeline. With three American intelligence employees in their grasp, they were now hunted men.

Tarek knew he had to be more careful than ever. “The prisoners need time for the full effect to set in. The longer they’re isolated and afraid, the easier it will be to get what we want from them.”

Akram nodded, his expression brightening at the words. “You want me to get the trucks prepared then, so we’re ready to move?”

“Yes.” When he gave the word they’d head to the final stop close to the border. The Jordanians would be out hunting them in force after this. He had to time their crossing carefully, after he’d disposed of the captives.

The captives’ final stop.

“All right.” Appearing relieved at having something to do, Akram left to do his bidding.

Alone, Tarek perused the contents of more files from the briefcase, his resolve hardening with each fact he read. These captives were the enemy.

They’d come here to Jordan, a traitorous so-called Islamic nation that instead supported America in this conflict, to eradicate him and all others like him. To kill anyone who dared to follow the true path of Islam in the fight for the birth of their fledgling nation.

One that would eventually take over the world and crush America, God willing.

As for him, he now finally had the chance to get even. To make a name for himself.

Soon he would leave his mark in a spectacular way and become a rising star within the ATB, a marked man who his enemy loathed and feared in equal measure.

He set the documents aside and gripped the edge of the table. He’d waited for this opportunity for so long. All the risks, all the worry of exposure or betrayal by someone he trusted was worth it now.

The three captives currently locked in their cells didn’t know it yet, but they represented his chance to avenge his dead family.

A life for a life, he thought with savage satisfaction, staring at the three badges in front of him. And he would make their deaths as excruciating as possible.

Chapter Four

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