The oldest woman shrugged. “We do what we must to survive. We raise our children and pray they have a better life. Is that not what you do, as well?”
“Indeed,” she murmured, feeling a deep human bond with these women, these mothers.
She rose to her feet and traded hugs with the women. When she ducked outside, Trevor rose from where he was playing cards with the men. After a round of laughter and back slapping, he met her at the Range Rover.
They drove north out of the village, waving farewell out the SUV’s windows.
They topped the ridge that marked the end of the valley, and the road in front of them switched back and forth down the slope in front of them.
“Bashan province, Zagistan,” she said. “Haddad is hanging out there.”
“So far north?” Trevor exclaimed. “That’s practically to Russia.”
“I believe that’s the point. Haddad thinks Americans won’t operate that close to Russia. Good place for a guy like him to hide.”
“How certain are the ladies that Haddad is up that way?”
“Positive. One said her son wrote her a letter from somewhere called Tarazan. She said he would get a message to her if he was heading back this way.”
Trevor frowned. “I don’t know much about that province. Do you?”
“Nope. Just that it’s mountainous. Ridiculously remote. I have no idea how we’re going to narrow down where to search for Haddad and Kenny. I guess we can start in Tarazan work our way outward…and hope to pick up a trail.”
“We could be out there for months,” Trevor said sourly. “As much as I hate to say it, I’m going to have to call in a favor.”
“From whom?”
“An old acquaintance. Very old.”
“You sound unhappy about it.”
“I don’t like owing him. I was really hoping to do this thing entirely on my own. But like it or not, I’m gonna need help.”
“You have help. Me.”
He glanced over at her and rolled his eyes.
“Seriously, Trevor. If you’re willing to accept help from me, why should it be a big deal to take help from someone else?”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles were white, but he declined to answer her. Hmm. Who was this contact and why was Trevor so reluctant to use him or her?
Cal climbedout of the cab and slung his duffel over his shoulder. He paid the driver and then headed into the house where the Reapers were gathering in the Indian city of Jammu, close to the Pakistani border.
“Hey, boss,” Jojo said, after opening the front door for him.
“Everyone else here?”
“Yup. You’re the last one to arrive.”
“Perfect. Has the contact been made?”
“Affirmative. Lily talked with Ronan’s Indian contact a few hours ago. They have a meet set up for dinner in an hour. The guys are wiring her up, now.”
Cal nodded and followed Jojo into the main room. Lily stood there in a bra and biking shorts while Leo taped wires along the bottom of the bra. After a year of working in close quarters with women, seeing one of the Valkyries in her skivvies didn’t raise a single eyebrow. Which he was damned proud of in his men.
Lily glanced up at him. “If they take a metal detector to me, they’ll hit the bra’s underwires.”
“Underwires. Right. Those are a thing, aren’t they?”