Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Rescuing Pandora (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Free Page A

was running out of time. “I’m not leaving my son, Cam. If something goes wrong and you can’t get us, he’d be alone, and they’ll kill him. I won’t do that.” She watched her words hit him like physical blows. The micro expressions on his face showed anger, regret, and then morphed into determination.
    With nothing more to say, she turned away from him and headed for the door. “I have to be back before Isha,” she paused and looked around at all the men, “that’s evening prayer. Everyone will be asleep a couple of hours after that. Be safe.” Then she slipped out before she could do something stupid like throw herself into Cam’s arms and kiss him again.
    It was the strangest feeling. To the world, she was long dead. Mourned and forgotten by old friends. Her parents would still think of her, and she’d thought about contacting them time and again, but her life was complicated now. More complicated than anyone knew, and having her resurface but not be able to come home would have caused more grief as well as emotional torture. Better to stay dead for the time being. The only thing that gave her joy in this life was her son. He was her world, and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to protect him.
    If that included giving up the man she loved, for the second time, then she was prepared to do that. She just prayed to God that it wouldn’t come to that. And the fact that she had two husbands would be sorted out—if they lived through this. As she scurried like a terrified mouse through the city, she couldn’t help but feel eyes on her again. She was being followed, probably by one of the guys or even Cam. She revised her prayer. Pandora knew God had a special place in his heart for heroes. So, as she slipped into the place she had called home for the last five years, she prayed for Delta. Because if anyone could get them out of this alive, it was them.
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    A ziz Kufi watched Pandora slip into the house. Now where had she gone all by herself? Mohammed allowed the woman too much freedom, even allowing her head to remain uncovered in the home. It was blasphemous and, Aziz reasoned, why he couldn’t stop from thinking of her.
    He’d wanted her from the first time he’d been introduced by his cousin. Those eyes of hers were so different than what he was used to. And that hair—like flames dancing when she let it loose from the braid. Only a husband should ever see a woman like that. But he’d known his cousin was soft, unfit for the new world that was coming. Aziz had no qualms about killing him when the time was right, and then he’d have the woman. Over and over again, until he’d exorcised her out of his system.
    The child would be given to one of the barren wives at one of the camps. She could raise him to be a proper soldier for the holy war, instead of the spoiled, meek child he was now. Aziz shook his head. He’d told Mohammed over and over that Pandora should be beaten for her unsolicited opinions and immoral ways. But his older cousin refused, seemingly delighted by anything the woman did.
    It was good that he’d come to live for a short time with his cousin. When he took over Mohammed’s position, he’d have access to more sensitive information to pass along to his brothers in war. And that time was now. He was tired of waiting.
    Heading down the second staircase, he saw the child run into the kitchen. “Come here, child. Come sit with me for a moment.”

3
    P andora went straight to the room she shared with Mohammed. He stood at the window looking out into the evening. Taking the cover off her head, she laid it carefully on the bed.
    “Will he help us?” he asked, back still turned.
    “Yes.”
    He finally turned from the window, a small smile playing around his still handsome face. Mohammed was older than she was, by almost twenty years. His black hair grayed at the temples, but he was lean and fit from staying active. Fine lines had appeared around his eyes and mouth from the