Free Personal Assistance (Entangled Ignite) by Louise Rose-Innes Page B

stared through the front window. His gaze roamed over the driver and then Tom. His eyes narrowed slightly.
    “Family?” he asked the driver, in Arabic.
    “My son-in-law,” the driver replied. Tom nodded but didn’t speak.
    Would the soldier know they were lying?
    Moving to the back of the car, the soldier tapped on the window and signaled for Hannah to roll it down. The window was old and dirty, and squeaked as she opened it. The soldier stared inside.
    The teenager whimpered next to her. The girl was quivering uncontrollably. Alarmed, Hannah met Tom’s eyes in the side mirror. It wouldn’t do to have the girl erupt in hysterics and create a scene. As if reading her mind, he gave an imperceptible nod. She put an arm around the girl’s shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. The old woman and the driver’s wife sat as if turned to stone. Hannah felt the soldier’s gaze pass over them. Hopefully he’d think the hug was a sisterly gesture.
    After what seemed an eternity, he gave a satisfied snort and stepped back from the vehicle. He waved them on, his eyes already on the next car in line.
    They were through.

Chapter Five
    The driver of the sedan dropped them off on a straight stretch of highway about twenty minutes after the checkpoint. He switched off the engine while Tom retrieved his weapon from underneath the car. Once Tom was in the clear, the driver wasted no time in accelerating back onto the road, his tires kicking up dusty stones behind him.
    Hannah looked around her. The landscape was barren and gravelly, with hardly any vegetation to speak of. What was worse was it seemed to extend for miles in every direction, with no buildings or cover in sight. “How far from the base are we?”
    “I’d estimate about three or four miles.” Tom glanced at his watch and up at the skyline. “We have less than three hours to get there before the sandstorm hits.”
    That ought to be enough time. She couldn’t see any sign of a sandstorm, just lots of pale blue sky. Not that she’d know what to look for. In her few short months in Syman, she’d only ever left the compound with Prince Hakeem or his entourage, and they’d always been transported from one hotel to another in armored cars, usually along the exotic coastline. The interior of the island kingdom was a mystery to her.
    “Which way?”
    “East.”
    The noon sun shone directly down on them. Tom set off, angling toward the right, his boots crunching on the gravelly sand as he walked. Hannah marched along next to him, boiling in her full-length garments. Black was the most inappropriate color to use for clothing in this climate.
    With every mile, she felt more and more hopeful. They hadn’t come across anyone since they’d set off an hour ago. Straining her eyes, she thought she could see something shimmering up ahead. “Is that it?” she asked, jubilantly.
    “That’s it,” he confirmed, squinting into the sun.
    They picked up the pace. One of Tom’s long strides equaled two of hers, but she hardly noticed her aching feet or the sweat pouring off her face. All she could think about was getting on that plane out of Syman and back to England where she’d be safe.
    As they got closer, she realized it wasn’t glass, but a long, flat hangar made of corrugated iron shimmering in the sunlight. A short runway stretched out in front, the tarmac an oily black against the relentlessly beige surroundings. The perimeter was marked by a high electric fence, designed to look as unapproachable as possible.
    Now the end was in sight, she could scarcely contain her excitement. She glanced at Tom’s face. “Why so serious? We made it with time to spare.”
    “We’re not in the clear yet,” he muttered, his eyes following the perimeter around to the entrance on the far side of the base. A guard tower, presumably manned by soldiers with guns, overlooked heavy-duty wrought iron gates. Two flags flew from poles on either side.
    “As good as,” replied Hannah, a wide