Page 10 of Rescuing You

Her grip was loose, her fingers slipping. Her heart jumped into her throat.

She grabbed with her other hand and held on. And didn’t plummet to her death.

Not yet, anyway.

She shuffled to her left, her progress painstakingly slow. The stone was rough, scraping her fingers and toes, but she didn’t stop. Wouldn’t stop. She had to get to the empty room.

At least she hoped it was empty.

There’d been zero noises coming from the room next door, nor had she noticed any light in the window. In fact, she didn’t think anybody else was staying on the third floor at all. She hadn’t heard footsteps in the hallway that didn’t stop at her door.

She was certain the next room was empty. Mostly certain, anyway.

She’d find out soon enough.

Hopefully, she’d get into the empty room, creep out the door and down the stairs. With luck, she’d find a set of car keys. There might be a guard near the garage, but once she found a car, as long as she gunned it, she could get out before the alarm was sounded.

Maybe.

And then head south to Baghdad. Assuming they didn’t catch up with her. Or call ahead for someone to head her off. Assuming she didn’t get lost or need gasoline. Or get stopped by the authorities.

“Do you see that?”

At the sound of the voice, she startled, her foot slipping. She managed to keep herself from falling and hugged the rough rocky wall, breathing through panic.

Waiting for the men to sound the alarm.

“What?” another man answered.

“It’s a UFO.” His Arabic was rough and uneducated. “They’re everywhere now, haven’t you heard?”

They were looking into the sky. Not at her.

She tried to make herself as small as possible. Thank God for the dark T-shirt and sweatpants she’d been given. A little shift, a tiny noise, and they’d see her. Please, God. Please…

“That’s a satellite, not aliens.” The other chuckled. “Go in. I’ll take over.”

Leila dared not move. She stayed put, fingers so tense they ached, for another minute, two minutes. Then, praying the latest guard had lost interest in the night sky, she continued her slow journey along the wall.

Finally, she reached the open window and transferred her hand from the ledge to the sill. She shifted her second hand, hoisted herself up onto her belly, and got a look inside.

It was dark, not a bedroom but an office.

She lowered herself to the floor silently.

She sat there a long moment, listening to the house. It was quiet. No shouts. No pounding footsteps. Nobody knew she’d escaped.

She didn’t know what would happen next, but at least she wouldn’t have to do that again.

Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked around. A desk had a number of chairs surrounding it. She opened drawers and searched in the darkness, feeling around for a weapon or a set of keys.

She found neither.

She hadn’t expected there to be, but it seemed wise to search. Mama had always kept a basket near the garage door for Baba to put his things in when he came home. Maybe these people did the same. Maybe, if she could find the garage, she could find keys.

She had been here before. Her best friend, Heba, had lived about thirty miles south of Tikrit, not far from the country compound Leila’s family owned. Was this Heba’s father’s office? If so, what was she doing there?

What was Baba doing here?