State of Terror by Louise Penny & Hillary Rodham Clinton

Author:Louise Penny & Hillary Rodham Clinton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/St. Martin's Press
Published: 2021-10-12T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 26

Gil Bahar gripped the door handle and placed his other hand on the roof of the battered old taxi to steady himself as the car heaved along trails that could no longer really be called roads.

After more than an hour of that, Akbar pulled off.

“We walk the rest of the way. Can you make it?”

It was clear Gil was in pain.

“Let me rest, just a moment.”

Akbar gave him a bottle of water and some bread, which Gil took gratefully. He looked at his stash of painkillers. Two left.

Then he looked at the rugged terrain ahead. He knew where they were heading, and that the steep slope and jagged rocks were the least of his worries.

He took a pill, then removed his slacks to change the now bloody dressing over his leg wound.

“Here,” said Akbar. “Let me.”

He took the roll of bandages from Gil’s shaking hands and very carefully, exceptionally skillfully, cleaned the wound, putting antiseptic powder on it before winding the new bandage around the leg.

“Nasty.”

“I’m the lucky one,” said Gil, not able to hide his agony even if he wanted to. Besides, he and Akbar had been through too much to need to disguise pain, of any sort.

Within minutes, the medication had kicked in and Gil got to his feet. He was pale but had recovered his strength.

Looking ahead, he said to Akbar, “You can wait here if you like.”

“No, I’ll come. Otherwise, how will I know if he kills you?”

“And if he kills you too for bringing me?”

“Then it is the will of Allah.”

“Alhamdulillah,” said Gil. Thanks be to Allah.

The two men set off. Along the way up the rocky path, Akbar found a tree limb that could serve as a cane for Gil, who limped along behind, reciting Muslim prayers for strength. And courage.

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