Page 53 of Defenders of Jawhara

Erin tried to follow the suggestions the palace physician had given her by breathing in through her nose, holding her breath to a count of three, and then breathing slowly out, as she worried about what might happen if she did throw up. It wasn’t like her captors would take pity on her and release her. Would they?

No, somehow she didn’t think that religious extremists would have much sympathy for a pregnant woman with morning sickness. Taking more controlled breaths, she wondered how long it had been since she’d had anything to eat or drink.

Sheikh Kamal Mehalel El-Jawhara, her future husband, had been reluctant to allow her to keep coming out here, but with her increased security detail supplied by Slade Security and the additional palace guards, he had grudgingly given his approval.

When she got out of this, Erin knew that Kam was going to be more protective than ever, and she admitted to herself that she was looking forward to it. At least for a little while.

Taking another slow breath, she tried to find a more comfortable position. When she had first woken up, she’d already been bound with rough hemp, and her constant attempts to get comfortable meant her wrists were now abraded, and she worried about breaking the skin. Lifting her shoulders to shift again, the back of her head bumped against whatever she was leaning against, and she gasped at the stabbing pains slamming into her skull.

Erin couldn’t help feeling sorry for herself. She had only meant to help the refugees until they were allowed to return to their own country. She had never dreamed that she would be endangering her life or that of her unborn baby by trying to help. And that one of the palace guards was a traitor!

The young guard, Amir Hamrin, had been employed for only a few weeks at the palace, and Erin had been given no reason to suspect that he meant her harm. When he had informed her an older woman was asking to speak to Erin personally, she had trusted him to have her back.

Why didn’t I listen to Kam’s warnings?

Hearing footsteps approach, she looked up to see her kidnappers enter the tent. The pain from what she was sure was a concussion was making it difficult for her to control her breathing and keep the nausea down. Blinking, she tried to focus.

“We’re leaving,” Amir told her.

“Where are we going?” Erin asked, not liking the fact that he intended to remove her from the refugee camp. She knew the palace guards and the American contractors Kamal had hired were already looking for her. Leaving the camp would only hinder their ability to rescue her.

“That is not important. You will come with me quietly, or I will personally see to it that the future heir to the Jawharan throne dies this day,” Amir sneered at her, spitting the words out and leaving Erin with no doubt that he meant them.

He crouched down in front of her, and Erin flinched when she saw the knife in his hands. Grabbing her feet, he cut the hemp from her ankles and then pulled her roughly to her knees. Pushing her so her head touched the ground, he sawed at the bindings on her wrists.

Erin gasped at the sudden pins and needles shooting up her arms. Putting her hands flat on the ground, she tried to push herself up, but her body wasn’t ready to comply. She could feel Amir standing behind her, and he barked out, “Get up!”

Not wanting to anger him any further, she tried to get up, but she wasn’t fast enough. Grabbing her by the arm, he yanked her roughly to her feet. Erin cried out as a wave of dizziness rolled through her. Her legs shaking, she ended up on a chair and she dropped her head between her knees, trying to breathe. Dizziness and nausea threatened to take her back to the ground.

She heard the woman say something in Arabic, and then Amir grabbed Erin by her hair and jerked her upright. “My mother wants to know what is wrong with you?”

Erin kept her eyes closed while taking slow breaths as she decided how to respond. Opening her eyes, she chose to try for sympathy in the hopes that they would change their minds about taking her. “When I was still in the States, I became ill, which was why Sheikh Kamal brought me here, so I could be seen by the palace physician, and I’m fairly sure you gave me a concussion when you hit me on the back of the head.”

Closing her eyes at another wave of dizziness, Erin didn’t try to hide her discomfort as she groaned. She could hear the two of them talking, and one of them left the tent. She opened her eyes, hoping it was Amir who had left, but he stood there glaring down at her. The woman returned and handed him something, which he then thrust at her.

Erin took it with shaking hands and realized it was tea. “My mother says to drink it, it will help settle your stomach.”

Grateful for something to drink, she took a sip. When she knew that she’d keep it down, she took a couple more sips, but Amir snatched the cup away, telling her, “You’re taking too long. Now, get up.”

Amir pulled her to her feet with a tight grip on the back of her neck and her right arm and held her steady while his mother helped dress Erin in the black burqa many of the refugees wore.

The garment was stifling and covered her from head to toe. A mesh panel in front of her eyes allowed her to see out but prevented anyone from seeing in. She was glad Jawhara was less restrictive about women’s clothing. While many of the older women still wore the colorful gowns and veils of their ancestors, just as many people wore conservative western clothing. But Amir had told her that his family came from a very strict religious sect. And the burqa would also hide her identity from those searching for her.

The older woman spoke rapidly to Amir and seemed to be upset about something, and eventually he nodded before turning to her. Lifting the veil so he could meet her eyes, he said, “My mother is worried that you will draw attention to yourself. She says you must be gagged.”

Erin blanched at that and shook her head. He nodded and continued. “I have assured her that you will do no such thing. It is not my intent to harm you further; it is your sheikh who must be stopped from working with the infidels who have taken over my country.” He dropped the fabric back over her face, enclosing her in the material once more.

Erin bit her lip beneath the heavy veil, trying desperately to come up with anything that would help defuse the situation. Nothing came to mind. Her experience working with the Charity Foundation back in Washington, DC, had given her many opportunities to work with distraught people facing domestic or psychological problems. But dealing with someone who was motivated by a strong religious belief was new territory for her, and she was at a loss.

“I wish you could help me understand what the problems in your country are. Maybe I could speak to the sheikh and another solution could be—”

“The onlyproblem,” Amir spat, “is the influence your country has had upon us. Your western ideas go against everything we believe in and must be eradicated from our society. Only then will we be able to live our lives in peace once again.”

Eradicated?Erin was still mulling over his statement when he continued. “My country has lived in harmony with Jawhara for hundreds of years without incident. We’ve shared the border, each people respecting the beliefs and religious practices of the other. But since Sheikh Kamal came back from university in your country, Jawhara has become much more progressive and adopted many Western ideals.

“Our young people have become enamored of these new ideas. These things are an abomination to Islam and have no place in our society. Those that have forced their way into power in my country must be stopped before the entire nation becomes corrupt.”

“Not all change is bad,” Erin said, only to be cut off as Amir laughed without humor.

---