Destruction - The Oasis Project Book 2 (Complete)

Thirty-One - Linkin

I woke up on a plane. People were arguing in Arabic, a language I knew in theory but with the throbbing in my head, I couldn't make heads or tails of it. I slowly attempted to sit up and the yelling got louder and I was pushed back down into the bench I was lying on. "What?" I mumbled weakly.

The yelling continued, more rushed as I tried to move again. "He said don't move," a voice translated in English for me. "You have four bruised ribs and he's currently stitching your hand." I frowned and remained still and watched as the man speaking paced up and down the aisle of the private jet. "What happened to you Linkin, we were told you were dead?"

Millions of questions ran through my head, but I forced them all down and focused on the major problem at hand - how did I get back to the Oasis Project? Part of me knew Emma was dead, but there was no time to mourn her. As the new One, I owed it to get myself out of the situation. "It seems you've had bad information." I sighed as I continued to watch him walk back and forward. "But it seems you have me at a disadvantage, you know who I am, but who are you? What do you want with me?"

The man stopped walking and looked down at me with a sigh, "I'm sorry, of course. I'm Asmar and that is Ishmael. You've helped out our boss a few times with different situations in Egypt." My memory started to come back to me, the deals I made to advance their cause. "One of our men saw you land in Cairo, from there it was a simple extraction mission. My boss is trying to meet with your handler to negotiate a trade."

"A trade?" I asked almost amused. There was no way the Oasis Project would trade for me, they were walking into a trap, one I was all too excited for. "What do you, your boss get out of this situation?"

"You do not need to worry about that now. Rest. Ishmael will finish stitching you up and the less you move, the less you talk, the less it'll hurt."

As if on cue, I found myself sitting up. There was a slight discomfort in my chest, but it quickly faded. Ishmael cursed and grabbed my hand and forced it back down onto the bench, steadying it so he could finish his work. "Did you boss tell you nothing about me?" I asked, watching Asmar go as white as a ghost. "I don't feel pain, Asmar, and I don't make shotgun deals."

"Well-" He started, stuttering and tried again, "Yes, but-" I raised a brow, "You know-"

I couldn't stop from laughing as I rolled my eyes. "Come on, out with it. I don't have all day," I objected, and Asmar went quiet. "That's better. You kidnapped me and killed my friend, Asmar. When I demand someone's head for that, do you think your boss is going to protect you?" Though Asmar appeared to be nearly forty, he suddenly looked like a scared boy. "I don't, so why don't we make our own deal and we see who has the better offer?"

Asmar was a coward who gave up all the information he knew with the mere thought that he would be spared. I didn't plan on letting him live, I knew for sure the Oasis Project didn't either, but what he said made me slightly concerned. We weren't heading to China, Russia, or Alaska to make a deal, we were going to Spain. I didn't know what was in Spain, but it didn't bring me any extra comfort.

My mind raced as Ishmael moved to a large gash on my arm and started to stitch it up as well. From what I gathered, I looked like shit. It was a miracle I was awake and not hunched over or drugged out in pain. I guess no feeling did have its advantages. I had one cut that needed stitches above my left eye, four on my chest, two on my left arm, one on my left hand, and on top of that, a sprained wrist, a potentially fractured clavicle. I knew I should be taking it easy, not pushing my luck, but once I was back with the Oasis Project, then I'd be safe, then I could rest.

Asmar told me he was getting information on where the deal was taking place, that he was trying to reach out to my handler who I only could assume was General Hewett, the irony that she was the one now saving me after I tried to take her job from her. After this, I would have to be nicer. "Is your boss going to be there?" That was the one part of my plan which could go sideways.

"No, he is still back in Egypt. I am trusted to deal with the situation. I have the contract written up for what his demands for you are." He admitted, patting his chest and there was a soft wrinkle of paper under his suit jacket. "There are others meeting us, to ensure your safety."

That helped even less. "How many?"

"Five."

"Guns?"

"Lots," Asmar nodded and finally took a seat. "Why are you so anxious about all of this, Miss Linkin? You are safe now, they cannot hurt you anymore."

I frowned at that, the words came tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. "They do not need to be close to hurt me. My thoughts are not mine and if I-" the throbbing in my head cut me off and I cringed, placing a hand to my temple. "They never hurt me," I was quick to correct myself, the headache slowly dissipating with the change of mindset. The Oasis Project would save me, they were all that mattered. That's what I had to focus on.