The Sheik's Lost Princess Read online

  In this case, he’d seemed to treat the whole idea as not a serious possibility. But why?

  She had never lied to Shakir before. One of the things they’d always had between them was honesty. Why would he suddenly, automatically, assume she’d lied to him?

  The whole thing seemed surreal. What was going on inside the man that she didn’t know?

  Nikki had to shake her head to stop the questions. This introspection wasn’t bringing her any closer to her son.

  After she and Shakir rescued the children and saw them out of Zabbarán to safety… After William was peacefully asleep in his own bed… Nikki swore she and Shakir would revisit this discussion. And she would get to the bottom of his problem.

  Taking another moment to gather her wits, she went back to her knees and crawled off into the maze of air ducts. She needed to find her son. He was real. No question. And she could feel his presence somewhere nearby.

  “I’m of two minds on this.” Tarik’s voice was coming in clear. “Either the Taj are supremely overconfident—or this is a trap.”

  This was no trap. Shakir felt positive the Taj weren’t smart enough to set up anything tricky. But he said nothing in response to his brother’s remarks.

  “We’ve had men watching the airstrip twenty miles outside of town,” Tarik went on. “The elder Umar has just arrived and boarded a jeep. He is riding in a caravan, coming this way fast. I can’t believe he would take that much risk in the face of a potential guerrilla attack on his pet projects. But maybe I underestimate him.”

  “It’s impossible to underestimate Umar.” But that didn’t mean that they could ignore Captain Baghel’s influence. “Have you worked out a different way to move these children to safety?”

  Their first plan had relied on sneaking the boys out the same way he and Nikki had come in—through the mine shaft. But now that they knew the kids were being held deep within the ground in the midst of a construction project, they needed to find another solution.

  “The only possibility involves a degree of risk I’m not sure you want to take.”

  “A diversion or decoys?” Shakir didn’t like the odds on either one. “I know that’s all we have left to use. What are you thinking?”

  “To start, my intention is to blow their airstrip and the parked aircraft. That should send many of their soldiers running toward the commotion. Then I plan to close access to both roads in and out of Kuh using dynamite we stole from them.”

  Shakir could see a couple of big holes in Tarik’s plan. He voiced the first one. “Not bad as far as diversions go. But that still doesn’t allow for moving the little boys out via the iron ore tunnel.”

  “That plan is definitely off. I’m also moving to blow the tunnel shortly after the first explosions at the airfield. After that, the whole area around that building will begin to implode. When everywhere the soldiers look is in chaos, we’ll set the choppers down right on the facility grounds and scoop up the kids before the Taj even come to their senses and realize what’s going on.”

  The Taj had little sense, Shakir knew, but this plan had some major drawbacks. “I’m sure I can protect the kids from the explosions, especially if you can send a couple of men into the building to help carry them out.”

  “Done. I already have you on GPS. I’m amazed, but it’s working even underground.” Tarik hesitated then asked, “I hear a big but in what you’re not saying, brother. What’s on your mind?”

  “The Taj could easily double the guard on the children at the first sign of trouble. Twice the guard means some of them will stick with the kids no matter what. How are we going to move them out of this building then?”

  Tarik blew out a breath. “That could be a hiccup in the plan. But I don’t believe it will be a problem as soon as the entire building begins imploding around them. I have two men setting charges deep within the earth under the mine tunnel as we speak. Judging by satellite photos, I’m hoping we can make a direct impact on the centrifuge.”

  Shakir wondered if Tarik had brought enough explosives with him. “What if the guards try to use the children as shields? Or if the soldiers execute the kids as they’re running away?”

  “That’s the part of the plan you aren’t going to like, Shakir. We need another distraction, closer in, and a guard of our own at the place where they’re holding the children. I was thinking Nikki—”

  “Not a chance in bloody hell. Think again.”

  “She’d be perfect. I can’t imagine a better distraction. Listen to what I have in mind, and then ask Nikki if she’d be willing.”

  “No. She’s desperate. She would agree to anything to save her son, even if it means dying. She’s already been trying to arrange for me to adopt her son in case anything happens to her.”

  “Would you? Adopt someone else’s son if she dies?”

  “When I learned of their meager circumstances a few days ago, I made the decision right then to pay for his upbringing and schooling. That much is settled. But to answer your real question, no, I can’t be his or anyone’s father figure. I would never want a boy to model his life on my example.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. You have a lot to offer as a father.”

  Shakir shook his head into the darkness, knowing his brother couldn’t see and couldn’t know the truth. “No, her boy would be better off with a nice, stable couple who could raise him as their own. If such a time comes, I will oversee his welfare from afar.”

  “It won’t come to that,” Tarik insisted. “But we have to bring all the children out safely soon. Very soon. Let me tell you my idea and then you can discuss it with Nikki. We don’t have much time left.”

  Nikki’s fingers were raw and bleeding from a thousand tiny cuts. The edges on the molded sheets of aluminum were sharp as razors.

  It seemed as if she’d been crawling inside these ducts for hours, making tons of right turns and finding next to nothing. Architectural offices with drafting boards and supplies. Offices made for paper shufflers with their cubbyholes and file cabinets. She’d seen all kinds through the vents. A few of them had been occupied with office or construction workers, but she hadn’t seen any soldiers yet.

  She reached up and marked another arrow, then turned right into the next duct. The act of setting down her hand on the metal below her caused yet another cut. Sitting back on her bottom, she sucked her finger into her mouth and swore silently.

  And then she heard something. What was that noise?

  The sound was so soft and distant, she could almost swear it was the wind sighing through the air vents. But it wasn’t. That was a child’s whimper, she just knew it.

  Excited to be finally nearing her goal, Nikki twisted around inside the duct and headed off to the left.

  The more vents she checked, the more careful she was. At last, through the vent directly ahead, she heard tiny whispered cries. She went flat on her stomach and peered through the vent.

  Below her was a room set up like a break room, with lockers and cots. A little boy was sleeping on a cot where she could see him clearly. He was not her son, but she wanted to reach out and touch this child. Shake him. Lift him up to the air duct and ask where the other children—where William was being held.

  But he slept soundly. Too soundly perhaps. Had they drugged the children like they’d drugged the women in Umar’s harem? The idea sickened her. Still, she couldn’t take her eyes off the child.

  He whimpered again and tried to roll over in his sleep. That’s when she noticed it. A chain attached to the boy’s arm and then wrapped around one of the lockers.

  She put her hand over her mouth to keep from crying out over the injustice. The horror.

  Oh, God. The Taj had drugged and chained the children!

  Chapter 13

  Where was she?

  He’d followed the red arrows through the maze of air ducts but all of a sudden they’d stopped. To his knowledge, she hadn’t been foolish enough to attempt a solitary rescue. No alarm bells had rung. No
loud orders were calling out.

  So where was she?

  All his searching had given him a better understanding of the geography of the offices. The air duct maze reminded him of the many isolated canyons and switchbacks he’d learned to navigate as a teen in the desert. But time was ticktocking away. Checking his watch, he knew it wouldn’t be long before Tarik’s explosions would begin. He needed to find Nikki now.

  Then he heard a slight rustling coming from the northwest quadrant where he had not yet searched. Moving fast, he went straight toward it.

  By the time Shakir reached her in the vast maze of air ducts, Nikki looked frantic. Her eyes were wild. Blood had seeped through the dress on her back again. And the scarf over her head had pulled loose and hung in disarray around her neck.

  She looked so beautiful to his eyes that it simply shocked his mind blank. An inopportune flash of sexual awareness stirred in his groin. Bloody bad timing.

  “You’ve been gone forever. I thought you’d left me.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “I said I would be back. You forgot the red marks. What happened?”

  “William. I can’t find William. I’ve located the room with three other boys about his age, but not my son.”

  “We’ll find him.” Shakir wanted to hug her close, to give her strength, but she jerked away from him. She didn’t want his sympathy. She needed his help.

  Shakir studied her a little closer in the dim light. Her eyes were puffy, with deep purple stains underneath. Her body was bruised and her hands and arms were bloodied by tiny cuts. She had been through too much. He wanted to carry her away from all this, but he knew she wouldn’t budge without her son.

  A hot possessive rush flooded over him, leaving him a little shell-shocked.

  The last thing he wanted was to tell her Tarik’s plan. But they had no time left to hesitate.

  “Before you show me where the boys are being held, I need to tell you what Tarik has planned.”

  Nikki looked up at him with such respect and hope, it tore him in two. The picture she made threatened to clog his throat.

  She’d asked him once why he’d never married. He hadn’t told her the whole truth, that he wanted marriage. Badly. But only with her. He wanted to give her more children and be there for her grandchildren. He wanted to share her life always.

  At this pivotal moment, when lives could be lost or changed forever, he wished he could tell her that. But it would be better for her if she never knew. He was no good for her or her son. That’s all she needed to know.

  For now, he just had to make sure they both lived through the next couple of hours.

  “Tarik’s men are sneaking into the facility now and should be entering this building within the next fifteen minutes.”

  Her eyes betrayed her relief, but it was short-lived.

  “It’s up to us to free the children and gather them in a safe place near the stairwell.”

  “How? I couldn’t even figure out how to come down out of these ducts to reach them without causing enough noise to bring the entire squad of soldiers running.”

  He’d known she would attempt a rescue on her own. Shakir was grateful she’d been stymied by the aluminum sheeting. Small favors of fate, but much appreciated.

  “I’ll show you how. For now we need to talk about the other part of Tarik’s plan. Are you willing to do what it takes to make sure all the boys live?”

  “Of course. Tell me.”

  “Tarik is planning on blowing up this building, maybe the whole mountain, starting from the bottom up.”

  Her eyes grew wide—terrified. To her credit she remained silent, though her hands began trembling again.

  “In a while,” he continued, “you will begin to hear bombs going off in the distance. We hope that alone will draw many of the soldiers away from the building. But I’m afraid that not every one of the Taj will leave their post and go.

  “We’ll need to provide another momentary distraction.” This was the part of the plan that he hated. “One of us needs to act as a decoy and give Tarik’s men enough time to spirit the children out of harm’s way.”

  She clasped her hands in front of her body as though in prayer. “What do you want me to do?”

  He laid out his brother’s plan, though it killed him to do so. And he wasn’t surprised when she agreed.

  She only had one request. “May I make sure William is safely with the other children before I begin my part?”

  “Certainly. I’ll need your help to round them up. You come with me first because we might have to carry any that are drugged too soundly. Will that do?”

  “One more thing.” She took his hand. “I want you to promise you’ll stay with the children. Do not come back for me. I’ll be fine. It won’t be that long. I’ll be right behind you when everything blows.”

  Shakir could see the truth all over her face. She didn’t believe she was going to live through this. And he couldn’t absolutely guarantee that she would. But he would die trying to see to her survival.

  “After Tarik’s men arrive, I’ll…”

  “No, Shakir.” She shook her head firmly. “Promise me you’ll stay with my…our…son. Protect him. Protect all the babies. You have to live to be your son’s father. Promise or I refuse to take part in your plan.”

  He opened his mouth to try again. She couldn’t believe he would actually agree to live while she died? But the expression on her face told him it was useless to argue.

  Hanging his head, he reluctantly nodded his acceptance. He had to hope that God would forgive his unspoken lie.

  “Fine. Now show me how we’re going to reach the children. We’re almost out of time.”

  Nikki didn’t believe Shakir’s idea to squeeze through one of the air vents to reach the children would work. But he’d pointed out a double wide vent located in the maintenance lobby next to the elevators and then had spent only minutes removing the grate and lowering himself through.

  Now, almost three minutes later, she still hadn’t found William and her nerves were shot as they backtracked through the maze of offices below the ducts. Shakir said he would have no trouble at all finding the rooms where the children were being held.

  Still, at any moment they might run into guards. She held her breath and hoped to find William soon.

  Suddenly a shout went out. She twisted around to see if they’d been spotted but found nothing but empty hall.

  Shakir grabbed her up and stepped inside one of the offices, turning off the overhead light and closing the door most of the way behind them. He watched around the partially closed door until the sound of running could be heard from down the hall. Closing the door completely, he shook his head to indicate she shouldn’t move or breathe. Then he waited until the noise of booted footsteps pounded down the hall past the door.

  “That should be the alarm alerting the soldiers to the first explosions at the airstrip and on the roads.” Shakir peeked out into the hall and then turned back to her. “We don’t have a lot of time left. But there’s one more thing.”

  Withdrawing his handgun, Shakir made sure it was loaded and then placed it in her hands. “Only use this in the worst circumstance. The noise will draw a crowd and you won’t have enough bullets to take them all out.”

  Nikki accepted his gun and stashed it in her belt, partially covering it with excess material from her shortened dress. She understood what he’d been saying between the lines. If she was caught and all was lost, one bullet would make sure she was never tortured. A hard, determined swallow was all she allowed herself before she turned to follow Shakir out into the hall.

  But he stopped again at the door, turned and lasered a quick kiss across her lips. His kiss was everything. Every unsaid sentiment. Every dream of a future.

  Pulling back, he gazed deep into her eyes. “I love you, Nik. Stay alive for my sake.”

  She couldn’t speak, emotion clogged her throat.

  He nodded, spun around and led them straight to the
break room where three of the boys were being held. Nikki was astounded when Shakir made short work of the chains imprisoning the boys. On two of them, he picked the locks. While on the third, he took something that looked like a tiny piece of pre-chewed gum from his pack and pasted it to the metal chain. Almost immediately, a quiet explosion of light flashed and then the chain just fell away. She let out a breath and made sure the little boy, whose expression seemed beyond rattled, was physically okay. He was crying but uninjured.

  She quieted him down; telling him his mummy was waiting for him. Meanwhile, she set to work waking the other children. One of them came awake calling for mamá. Nikki’s heart ripped a little at his words. But she shushed him and rubbed the two boys’ arms and legs so they could stand on their own. The third child was too groggy and could not be awoken.

  “Let’s go.” Shakir tenderly picked up the sleeping boy. “Can those two walk?”

  Both boys nodded as they stared up dumbfounded at the giant man holding their friend. Nikki reminded them that they were leaving this terrible place and to make no noise.

  “Hurry then.” Shakir went to the door and checked the hall. “It’s clear, but we have to go now. Quietly.”

  Nikki pulled both the boys to her sides, shielding them with her body as she followed Shakir into the hall. The sounds of men shouting could still be heard from elsewhere in the maze of rooms. Both of her little charges were frightened into silence.

  It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, but Nikki turned away from the direction where she thought William must be and hurried the little boys down the empty hallways, heading toward the stairwell. When they hit the maintenance lobby, Shakir picked up the other two boys and tucked all three under his arms as he pounded down the stairs.

  Nikki hated the idea of taking these innocents down instead up into the fresh air. But Shakir had been right when he said down was the only direction where the children would not be easily discovered as the guards searched for them. And while she went back up to find William.

  On the next floor down, they opened the lobby door to the big, unfinished space just as two of Tarik’s men dropped out of the air duct in the corner. Startled at first, she took Shakir’s silence for a sign that these men were friends. With no words, the two men took charge of the three boys as she and Shakir turned around to sneak back up to the office floor.