The Oceanic Princess by David DeLee

Author:David DeLee [DeLee, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dark Road Publishing
Published: 2018-10-13T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

AZIZA FAAID WAITED IN the large open room for Bridget Barnes to emerge from her talk with Tarakesh Sardana. He smiled, having listened to Tara get the better of the American woman, even though the she-devil remained chained up, before allowing Reza to go in and rescue her. Should bring the little alkaliba down a peg or two, he thought. Seeing the deep bloody scratches raked down her cheek, he barely contained his smile of satisfaction.

“Please, tell me what you learned for our prisoner, Ms. Barnes.”

“Screw you, Faaid.”

“I warned you. Ms. Sardana is quite formidable.”

Bridget glared at him, wiping blood from her cheek. “All the more reason to kill her now and be done with it.”

“As things stand, you might be correct.”

She eyed him with suspicion. “I thought she was our only lead to Zayd?”

“She was. But circumstances have…shifted.”

“Shifted, how?”

Faaid explained. “We know Ms. Zayd was taken by federal authorities. The Coast Guard being part of America’s exalted Department of Homeland Security, it makes sense they would be involved with her abduction prior to arriving on these shores. But from there, what?”

“She’d either be designated an enemy combatant and turned over to the military,” Bridget said, “or law enforcement would take custody of her. Local cops, maybe, but more likely the FBI.”

“Exactly. Which left me to ponder, what would they do with her?”

“Question her.”

“Ah, but where?”

“There’s a large FBI field office in Boston. I’m not sure if they’d have the proper facilities to hold and interrogate prisoners there, though.” Bridget rubbed her bloody fingers down the thigh of her jeans. She turned back toward the room where Tara was held. Hatred filled her green eyes. Reza had dutifully returned to his chair beside the door. “You can be sure she knows. I’ll take another crack at her.”

“As amusing as that might prove to be, it will not be necessary. I have need of you in one piece, Ms. Barnes. A condition I fear you might not be in after a second encounter with Ms. Sardana.”

“Up yours, Faaid. Why won’t it be necessary?” she asked mimicking his condescending tone.

“Because I know exactly where Safiyyah Zayd is.”

“What? You knew and you sent me in there—with her—anyway?”

He smiled. “While that is something I might consider doing, but alas, no. As I said, things have changed. This is new information that has come to my attention.”

“From where?”

“The televised evening news. There was an incident last night,” Faaid said. “In Portsmouth, New Hampshire.”

“What’s Portsmouth got to do with anything?”

“Follow along, if you can, Ms. Barnes.”

“Careful, Faaid.” She waved her cell phone in his face. “We both work for the same person. And he likes me better. A single call from me and I end you. Remember that.”

He bowed slightly. “Threats are unnecessary, Ms. Barnes. We are, as they say, on the same team. The Naeem was boarded by the Coast Guard while on route to Boston,” he explained. “If it were you, where would you divert the vessel to buy yourself the time you needed to substitute Ms.

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