Midnight in Delhi by A.C. Frieden

Author:A.C. Frieden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Down & Out Books

Chapter 26

New Delhi International Airport

The humid morning air slammed into Amber like a wall as she stepped out of the terminal at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The dense, sticky heat immediately latched onto her skin, her blouse already clinging to her back, and within seconds, she could feel her hair beginning to frizz and curl in the oppressive humidity.

A symphony of blaring car horns and shouting vendors and the chaotic movement of passengers and locals assaulted her senses. The sheer intensity of it all made her heart race. Instinctively, her grip on her bag tightened, the weight of the $8,500 in cash, hidden deep in her purse with her firm’s corporate credit card, suddenly feeling heavier. Each step felt more precarious, a sign of how far out of her element she was.

But it wasn’t the cash that made her stomach knot. She couldn’t shake the unsettling sense that someone had been watching her ever since she cleared passport control—too easily, too smoothly. She hadn’t seen anyone out of place, yet the anxiety crawled up her spine.

She pushed her luggage cart forward, her eyes scanning the faces of the crowd. Each passing stranger seemed to linger just a bit too long, their gazes a little too curious. She kept her head down, heart pounding, forcing herself to appear calm. But beneath the surface, a storm brewed. Jonathan’s potential reaction to her unexpected arrival in Delhi spun relentlessly in her mind, a vortex of uncertainty and dread that had haunted her from the moment she left New Orleans. He might not like it, she thought for the hundredth time. Or maybe he’d be relieved. She had no way of knowing. She sighed deeply, shaking her head as if to rid herself of the doubt. She had come too far—flown across the world—and there was no turning back now. Second-guessing wasn’t an option.

Then, just ahead in the crowd, she spotted it—her last name printed on a sign. A man, dark-complected and dressed in a pristine white uniform, held it up over the barrier. The logo of the Hyatt Regency Delhi was emblazoned beneath it. A wave of relief washed over her, but it was tinged with a lingering unease she couldn’t shake. She approached him, her breath catching slightly, trying to maintain her composure as her thoughts still swirled in the back of her mind.

“Ms. Kaylan?” he asked with a slight bow as she approached him.

“Yes, that’s me,” Amber replied, forcing a smile as her eyes flicked over her shoulder, scanning the bustling crowd for any signs of suspicion.

“Welcome to New Delhi, Madam,” he said, smoothly folding the sign and slipping it into his pocket. “I will take you to your hotel.” Without hesitation, he took charge of the cart and led her through the front of the terminal, crossing a lane of erratic traffic to a sleek black sedan waiting at the curb.

The drive to the Hyatt was a blur of noise and movement. The streets pulsed with life—honking cars, autorickshaws, motorbikes

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