Page 33 of Stand Fast

Zaid hit the accelerator again, rocketing them backward down the darkened side street. It was narrow, with a crap ton of obstacles in their path. The back bumper smashed into a garbage bin, knocking it flying. He veered left to avoid another vehicle, just as the bright beam of a headlight cut down the alleyway in front of him.

“He’s gonna fire again,” Prentiss said.

Two more bullets struck the windshield.

Jaliya popped her head up, staying out of Zaid’s line of sight as she peered forward between the front seats. “Any other vehicles with them?” Her voice was surprisingly calm.

“Negative,” Prentiss answered, his hands steady on his weapon, no doubt itching to roll down his window and shoot back.

The alleyway opened up into a street. Zaid floored it, hoping to gain some distance on the pickup.

“He’s falling back a little now,” Prentiss said.

Zaid didn’t let up on the gas, kept going until a car pulled out behind them. He slammed on the brakes and veered left, narrowly missing it, and careened up onto the sidewalk. Something else crashed off the back bumper, but now he could see an upcoming street.

As soon as he reached it he swerved backward into it, shifted into Drive and slammed his foot down on the accelerator, hunkering in his seat to see between the cracks in the windshield. The SUV lurched forward in a powerful surge that shot them into the darkness.

Prentiss slung around to look behind them but Jaliya beat him to it. “I got him,” she said, peering out the rear window. “He’s still coming, but you’ve got almost a block on him now.”

Time for some slick evasive maneuvers.

Zaid took a hard right at the next street, the back end sliding on the pavement as he made the turn, then a sharp left two streets after that.

“He missed the turn,” Prentiss said.

Not trusting that the threat was over, Zaid sped through the darkened warren of streets, zig-zagging back and forth in an effort to lose their tail.

“No sign of him now,” Jaliya said thirty seconds later, her voice full of relief.

Zaid wasn’t counting on their hostile welcoming committee giving up so easily. “I’m getting us the hell out of here.”

“Good plan,” Prentiss muttered as Jaliya let out a sigh of relief.

In the rearview mirror Zaid glimpsed Barakat finally sitting up. Jaliya was glaring a hole through the kid, and when she spoke her normally sexy voice was like ice. “We’ll take him with us back to base,” she said to him and Prentiss in English, “and find out whether that welcoming party was meant for him, or for us.”

Chapter Eight

Jaliya’s insides were still buzzing with the aftereffects of adrenaline from that car chase back in Kabul when she finally got Barakat settled in an interrogation room at Bagram seventy minutes later. He claimed he was innocent of any wrongdoing and had nothing to do with the attack, that he’d told no one about their meeting, for fear of reprisal for colluding with the enemy.

She didn’t trust him, but her gut told her he was telling the truth about that at least. He’d been visibly terrified when the shooter had opened up on the SUV, flinching every time a bullet hit it, cowering flat on the seat with his arms over his head while muttering prayers to himself.

Not exactly the actions of someone who had expected the attack. So someone had either followed him to the meeting, or they’d followed her, Zaid and Prentiss there.

On the hour-long drive here, Barakat had given her another tip her team was investigating right now. Another possible suspect in the frustrating game ofFind The Jackal. And another possible location for a large shipment, headed through Kandahar this time.

If, and onlyifher team could back up the intel about Kandahar, they had to get teams down there to check it out tonight.

When she was a few steps from the main door, David came through it with Colonel Shah and one of his men. “Jaliya.” He seemed to sag a little in relief, then raked a worried gaze over her. “You really okay?”

“We’re all fine.” Thanks to Zaid and his expert driving. She hadn’t had a chance to thank him for it. “I’ve got our young friend waiting for you in the usual room.” She nodded behind her.

His expression hardened. “Good. I’ll see you in the briefing room when we’re done. Everyone’s on the way there.”

“Perfect.” Her blood was up. So much so she barely felt the cold as she exited the building and headed back to her temporary quarters.

She wanted answers. If tonight’s attack was linked to the hotel bombing, then it meant someone wanted her dead. She was going to disappoint them.

“Jaliya.”

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