LOST II

Chapter 42: "Who's the Target?"

A lengthy chapter. Comment your reactions as you read. Pretty please?👉👈

April 22, 2021

The air in the room was tense. The deafening silence was only punctuated by the occasional sniff from her mother. Salma snuggled close to her, trying to find peace in the comfort of her mother's embrace. Poor Aliya. She had suffered yet another freak attack to know she had almost lost her daughter to a rain of bullets.

Salma figured it was not just the scare of the murderous attack but also, the horrible memories it must have triggered for her; those of her brother walking out of their father's funeral and straight into a storm of bullets. Aliya was reliving her horrible past, the sole difference being her only brother was now replaced by her only daughter as the target of the Tor Gul's cold-blooded plots.

Her mother drew in a shaky breath, hugging Salma closer to her heart. Salma just stared into the air. Her mind was completely blank. The slight tremble that was raking through her had let up and now she was just tired and devoid of any feelings or emotions. She saw Anne folding the prayer mat and taking a seat on the couch across. Asim quietly sat beside the two, worried. He had one of his hands resting on his mother's back and the other massaging his aching temples. They were all waiting for her father to show up and provide some explanation to the madness that had just happened. It was getting late, but none of them could sleep.

A knock on the door made them all jump. Salma and her mother had both gripped the other tightly.

"Someone's at the door," Asim said, getting up.

"Wait!" Salma stopped him.

Anne's ringing interrupted Salma's warning. She attended the call.

"It's Dawood," she said. Asim left to let him in. "Yeah, Asim's coming to get you."

"Uncle Dawood is back?!" Salma asked surprised. When did that happened.

"He arrived around noon but had to go straight to work after the attack happened," Anne replied.

Salma was about to ask why did no one tell her he would be coming today when the man himself walked in, looking exhausted and worn out.

"Sally!" he cried, making a beeline towards her.

"Dawood kaka!" Salma shot to her feet and crashed in his bear hug. She felt a sudden storm built up inside her. The trauma of the attack, the familiar security of his embrace and the fact that she had missed him very, very much all started bubbling to the surface.

"It's alright, Sally." He kissed her hair. "Alhumdulillah, you're safe, and that's what matters."

Salma sniffed, nodding in agree as she begrudgingly let go.

"Assalamo alaikom," Anne and her mother greeted him.

"Wa alaikom Assalam." Uncle Dawood replied, nodding at Aliya and kissing Anne's forehead.

"Can I get you anything?" Anne asked her tired husband. "Dinner? A cup of tea?"

"A cup of tea would be great, please."

Anne hastened to the kitchen while Asim helped Uncle Dawood out of his jacket.

"How's it out there?" Aliya asked, unable to stop herself.

"The usual," he replied, undoing the buttons of his sleeves and rolling them up halfway. "You never get straight answers for anything. Atif lala has his table loaded with information. We're trying to follow as many threads as we can."

Aliya nodded.

"No one told me you'd be here," Salma said quietly.

"I thought I'd surprise you." He smiled wearily.