Page 14 of Zero Hour

Pat got to his feet.He suddenly felt a million years old instead of his forty-three.

“Hey—” Raymond’s voice wavered. “You’re not going to mention this to anyone, are you?”

Pat didn’t answer.

What was the point? It was in the past. Digging it up now would only complicate things, and he didn’t want the local homicide department looking into Al-Jabiri. But he wasn’t about to give Raymond the satisfaction of knowing that.

Instead, he paused at the door, turning back. “Why? Why did you keep it quiet?”

“I was trying to protect her family.” His voice was rough. Worn down by guilt. “Richard was a friend. He had enough on his plate, left to raise a teenage girl alone. He didn’t need this on top of it.”

Pat’s jaw clenched.

“Did you tell Richard?” he asked. Raymond didn’t strike him as the kind of man who would keep something like this buried on his own.

The sergeant hesitated, then gave a small nod.

Bastard.

Richard had seen the note and realized it wasn’t an accident. But had he known it was aimed at Pat? Or had he assumed it was payback for something he had done?

Richard had stepped on plenty of toes building his mining empire—bribery, underhanded deals, golden handshakes. It was all part of doing business in Central America. Maybe he’d assumed this was one of those deals finally coming back to bite him.

Raymond shook his head. “Richard blamed himself. Said it was his fault she was dead.”

Pat pressed his lips together.

It was.

Just not for the reason he thought.

CHAPTER 6

Jasmine woke with a start. Was that screaming? She sat up, her heart pounding.

Amir.

He was having one of his nightmares again.

She slipped out of bed, unlocked the door, and peered down the hallway. Gasping, moaning sounds drifted from his room—followed by a raw, guttural howl like a wounded animal.

She knocked, firm enough to wake him.

The sounds stopped.

“Amir?” she called softly. “Are you all right?”

A choked sob.

She hesitated, then slowly pushed the door open.

The room was dark, but she spotted him crouched in the corner, knees pulled up to his chest. She flicked on the light.

“It’s me. Jasmine.”

His whole body was shaking.

Night terrors.

---