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colonel.  
    “I have an assignment for you, but I’m going to warn you this doesn’t come from the top. If anyone wants out, he or she can get up right now and walk out the door, no questions asked.”
    The colonel paused for a long moment, but no one made a move. He cleared his throat. “Good to know.” Mendez leaned forward, hands folded one on top of the other, and let his gaze rove across the room. “We’re going after Black and his team. I want to know who’s paying the bills over there, and I want to know what their end goal is. Most importantly, I want Victoria Royal. She’s the key to whatever’s going on—and I want to know what that is.”

CHAPTER FOUR

    After two weeks of back-and-forth, Ian had news for her—and she was finally going to see Emily after more than three long years of not seeing her sister at all.  
    Victoria smoothed her hair and pressed a hand to her belly. She was wearing a cotton dress and sandals, trying to look nice for her sister, and sitting at a cafe like a tourist. Now she was wondering if it had been a mistake not to wear her usual clothing and cover it with a burka. She’d have felt less conspicuous, that’s certain, but she’d hoped to put Emily at ease by not appearing to be the hardened soldier that two years in Qu’rim had made her into.
    It was almost laughable, but Victoria was trying to be ladylike, though she’d never had any training in how to be a lady. Not when she’d been raised by a crusty old man who’d died and left her and Emily to foster care—and to people who had no idea what to do with two teenage girls.
    The Andersons had been good people, but they hadn’t known the first thing about how to stop Emily from spiraling into drugs and alcohol. They’d finally given up and called Child Protective Services to come and take Victoria and her sister back to the group home.
    Her fingers drummed the tabletop nervously. She picked up the cup of sweet Arab coffee and took a sip, telling herself she had to act normal and be patient.
    The seaside resort town where she’d been instructed to meet Emily was largely untouched by the civil war, but there were signs it wasn’t the idyllic paradise it was purported to be. There were security barriers on the way into town as well as random checkpoints manned by tanks and Qu’rimi Army personnel in full battle gear.
    It was odd to be meeting Emily here, considering how this town was still firmly held by the Qu’rimi government. Emily wasn’t precisely associating with law-abiding citizens who wished the king’s government well, after all.
    Still, Victoria had been told to come to Akhira and to wait at this cafe on this day at this time. She checked the time on her phone and blew out a breath. Emily was fifteen minutes late.  
    Victoria had no idea what she might say to her sister, or how she would get Emily away from the man who’d poisoned her mind. She’d only ever wanted Emily to be safe and well, but she hadn’t known for the past several years if her sister truly was either of those things.
    When she’d called in the past, Emily had said everything was fine. But she’d also said that Zaran wasn’t a terrorist, either. He was a patriot, a man who cared deeply about his nation, his people, and his religion. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.  
    Blah, blah, blah .
    It made Victoria sick to think of everything she knew about Zaran bin Yusuf that was completely contrary to Emily’s picture of him. Still, there’d been hesitation in Emily’s voice the last time they’d spoken, and that had worried her.  
    “Miss Royal?”
    Victoria’s head snapped up even as her heart pounded. A man in a white thobe and dark headdress stood beside the table, his dark eyes gleaming as he looked her over.
    “Yes?”
    He bowed slightly. “You are to come with me.”
    Alarm prickled Victoria’s skin. “I don’t know you.”
    “I am to take you to see Noor bin Zaran.”
    Victoria’s heart tumbled. “I… I don’t know