“Keep going, Zahra!” Ali yelled.
“What about Rabia?” Zahra countered. It was probably a stupid thing to do, but Zahra bit her lip and ran…back into the fire. She barely knew the local, but Zahra needed to help Rabia out, however she could. The sniper was willing to sacrifice herself to see that the others survived. Zahra owed her the same.
“Zahra, no!” It was Cork shouting this time.
Zahra covered her head and ran as fast as she could. Debris rained down from above. The gantry crane blotted out the sun, its shadow looming dangerously overhead.
And Zahra was directly beneath it.
She was clipped by something sharp as it fell past her. The unknown object cut her head — her right temple — opening a gash beneath her hairline. Blood ran down the side of her face, making it to her neck and chest in no time flat. Her shirt was already drenched. The billowing dust and dirt latched onto the crimson, stinging sharply as it snuck its way through her matted hair and into the fresh wound.
A silver SUV came squealing around the corner. It fishtailed before straightening itself out and continued toward Zahra. At the last second, and on wobbly legs, Zahra rolled right and dodged the SUV. It zipped past her, leaving her in the dust.
Gritting her teeth, she got up and pushed forward, pouring on the speed until she couldn’t run anymore. Zahra dove forward and tucked her feet into her chest and rolled. The massive crane landed with a boom, crushing the row of barrels she had just used as cover. The truck, likewise, met the same flattening fate. It was crushed beyond recognition, and so was its driver.
Good riddance, she thought, climbing to her feet. The guy had been so hellbent on running Zahra down that he had lost sight of the crane.
Zahra backed away from the flaming heap. She spotted Ali and Cork through the entanglement of steel, fire, and smoke, and waved them off. “Go! Get the plane ready! We’ll meet you at the airfield!”
Ali seemed satisfied, but the pilot obviously wasn’t. Still, Cork waved back and allowed the local to guide her away from the wreckage. Zahra bent over and groaned, picking up her rifle. She checked it over. Everything was in working order. She then turned and shouldered the weapon, and began the search for her missing comrade.
Dammit, Rabia, where are you?
The telltale report of a large caliber rifle gave Zahra the answer she was looking for. She headed left and listened intently. A second, echoing gunshot got her moving faster. Rabia was somewhere nearby. The second shot had been louder than the first. It meant Zahra was getting closer.
A sound, like a giant bee, buzzed by her right ear. Zahra flinched and dropped to one knee and looked over her shoulder. Fifty feet behind her, a previously unseen assailant had climbed atop a rusted, blue container before he got knocked off his feet in a spray of blood. Zahra traced the bullet back to its origin and discovered where it had come from.
She discovered her.
Rabia was lying prone beneath a dusty, red, four-door truck. She was still two hundred feet away. Even at this distance, Zahra was pretty sure she could see the woman smiling from ear to ear. Rabia had enjoyed that shot.
The sniper’s cover got turned to Swiss cheese right before Zahra’s eyes. Luckily, the shooters were so focused on Rabia that they didn’t see Zahra approaching. The archaeologist unloaded her magazine into a duo of gunmen, giving Rabia enough time to gather herself and join in. The sniper slid out from beneath the truck and drew a pistol. Rabia displayed the same steady aim and sent a pair of nine-millimeter bullets into the third and final attacker’s chest before finishing him off with a headshot.
Both women were breathing hard. Rabia silently thanked Zahra for her efforts with a curt nod of her head. While Zahra reloaded her AK-103 and watched the immediate area, the sniper ducked beneath the truck to retrieve her prized firearm.
“Bleeding already?” Rabia asked, motioning to Zahra’s flowing blood. The precision shooter had avoided injury thus far. The only sign of any kind of exertion was the beads of sweat rolling down her face and the smear of dirt and grime on her clothes from crawling around beneath the truck.
Zahra shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, it’s not a contest… We need to find the others.”
“Yes,” Rabia agreed. Her face morphed back into that of an emotionless assassin. “Follow me.”
Chapter 71
Cork
Ali Badawi grabbed Cork’s right bicep and attempted to haul her away. She resisted him, applying the brakes, and refusing to move until Zahra was gone from her sight. Her friend was about to risk her life to save someone she hardly knew, just because it was the right thing to do. Zahra was as selfless a human being as Cork had ever met. She secretly wanted a sliver of that mindset for herself. As per usual, people in Cork’s line of work tended to exclusively look out for numero uno. It’s what kept you alive the longest.
But it was also a lonely way to exist.
Alright, alright… Cut out the pity party shit.
She stepped away from the downed gantry crane and yanked free from Ali’s grip. Cork was a few inches taller than him and was nearly the same weight as him. If she had to, she knew she could take him in a fight.
Cork sighed. Really, girl?
Ali had proven himself to be an ally, and yet, her mind immediately went to the possibility of having to harm him. Losing sight of Zahra just now had knocked something loose. For Zahra’s sake, Cork needed to push aside her typical survival instincts and try to be more like her remarkable friend, though Cork really was a fish out of water here. These were Zahra and George’s people, not hers. Waleed and Ali held no allegiance to her.
Cork was led away from the action. For now, the gunfire was wholly near the water, on the eastern side of the compound. It meant that she, Ali, and his two men — whatever their names — were in the clear. Still, they moved fast, jogging to a foursome of identical automobiles. Ali’s people continued past Cork and him, claiming the forwardmost white SUV for themselves.
Cork headed for the vehicle behind that one, specifically the SUV’s driver’s side door.
But so did Ali.
“What are you doing?” Ali asked.
Cork jammed a thumb into her own chest. “Duh, I’m driving.”
“But I usually drive.”
Cork snorted out a laugh. “No chance. I always do the driving when I’m with Zahra.”
Ali crossed his arms in front of his chest. “But you aren’t with Zahra, are you?”
“Semantics.” The muscular Brit waved him off. “You don’t have to come then.”
Another explosion rocked the SSC.
“We do not have time for this!” Ali shouted. Cork didn’t budge. Finally, he gave in and threw up his hands in frustration. “Fine, you win! I will navigate. We better get moving.” He rounded the front of the SUV and popped open the front passenger side door. “Also, I thought you were a pilot, not a driver?”
“I am.” She grinned. “I drive the plane.” Cork reached for the ignition but stopped. “What about Zahra and Rabia?”
“I suspect they won’t be too far behind us.”
Cork was curious. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because, if Zahra is as good as I think she is, then she and Rabia will make short work of these Scales of Anubis pigs.”
Cork smiled. “Oh, you better believe she is. Zahra is a special kind of something, for sure. She’s the most determined person I’ve ever met. I’m even starting to think she’s bulletproof!”
Ali turned and looked deeper into the SUV, gazing through the rear window. “Yes, well, for everyone’s sake, I hope she is.”