Salam
How's everyone?
Alhamdulilah I hope everyone's good.
Smile. Yes you.🤭😁😁
Enjoy.
******************************************
Dean covered the cars up with the last palm branch. They were leaving the cars behind because it would spark suspicions if they went around town where only rebels would probably own cars. They had reached the red zone and ahead of them was the worst scene most of them had ever seen.
It wasn't as bright as the base was. It was much darker because the air was thick with smog, which was blocking the sun's rays from doing it's job.
Everyone had their noses covered with the keffiyehs around their necks.
Karim could still smell the thick smog but it was better than nothing.
"Now what?" Zain asked the group.
"Let's split into groups of two. One man and a woman so we don't look like a gang. We'll stick close to each other though and walk through town to see if we can pick up anything to help us with finding the informant." Karim suggested.
Dean nodded.
"I'm sticking with Bella."
"No, thanks. I'm going with Zain." Bella walked closer to Zain.
Dean frowned.
"Sister?" Dean asked innocently.
"Karim, come on." Layla pulled Karim along without even asking his opinion.
"Girls, take care of my friends." She called out to them.
"I'm going with Jyra." Tawfiq said.
He remembered her name from last time. She nodded subtly at him.
Dean sighed.
"I guess it's just the four of us. I'll go with you. What's your name?" Dean said to one of the women and walked ahead with her followed by Michael with the other woman.
They were all wearing MOLLE (tactical backpacks) filled with their weapons since the case was too big to be carrying around without raising suspicion.
"So. Zaira." Layla started off.
"From the pieces of information I've heard, you're only married to her because she blackmailed you." She continued.
"I guess."
"And now we are here trying to save your blackmailer. What changed?"
"Change of heart. Even though she had a different goal she still tried to look out for me either way. And I guess my daughter too."
"Besides they were using her so I can't blame her." Karim answered.
He could see his Uncle Zain and Aunt Bella ahead of them.
"Don't you think they'll just give her another reason to betray you?" Layla questioned.
If they did it one time, they could definitely do it again.
"I believe in her. She wouldn't join forces with them."
"Let's hope you're right, Karim. Because if she has moved to the dark again and tries to hurt you... You are well aware I don't hesitate. She'll be on the floor before you can react."
Karim looked at her.
"No. Don't. Please. If she tries to attack me or something she might have her reasons. She shot Dad's arm to save him, remember. She might be forced to do something drastic."
"I don't go back on my words, Karim. I don't care her motives as long as it means she's hurting you or anyone." Layla said flatly.
Karim didn't reply. Apart from her, he knew all of them would shoot her down if she did something wrong. So one way or the other, he had to get to her first.
**
They had been walking around town and had witnessed three different bombings already. But they were all a bit far from them and apart from the debris and shock, they didn't witness a lot of problems.
The town was mostly empty and so far they had seen just a few people. None of them seemed like they were informants at least. Dean had asked them to gather again and get a new plan because walking around wasn't working anymore.
"So now what? The informant must have already left the town. I know any sensible person would leave this area." Dean stated.
"Dean's right. For all we know, he might have left the area. And we have to leave this building before we are crushed by it." Tawfiq looked up at the roofing of the already weak building.
They couldn't just gather anywhere and start making plans so they had to use this building and compared to the rest, this actually was a lot better. Still dangerous but better.
"We could ask someone. Indirectly though. Explain to them we are looking for a man who was previously an activist in the country. They ought to know him." Bella suggested.
"We could. But how do we know the person is not a rebel..." Layla stopped talking and placed a finger on her lips to signal them to keep quiet.
After a while she heard a can roll by them.
"Get down!" She screamed but it was too late.
The stun grenade and smoke bomb went off and everyone became disoriented.
Fortunately, stun grenades didn't have a big effect on the Calvary. They were trained to be able to withstand the harsh light and screeching sound. The result of harsh training and constant exposure to it. They could hold their breaths too for long so the smoke wasn't a problem.
Their vision was however a bit impaired by the smoke and they couldn't see clearly. And the night vision goggles were too deep inside their bags to fetch.
However, if a stun grenade was ever used by the enemy on them. They had to lie low and wait for the enemy to show up. The element of surprise was very powerful.
Layla could hear footsteps approaching quickly. They sounded less than six people from what she could hear. She knew her girls were waiting for her command to attack. And maybe Bella. She had to remember her training.
When the footsteps got close to them, Layla whistled lowly.
They used less than a second to get all five people on the ground. Bella was by her holding one person on the ground. They weren't expecting them to attack so it was easier to demobilize all of them.
After a while, the smoke started to clear and on the ground was not only their captors but the men of their group. They were all out of breath from all the smoke they had inhaled. Ergo they didn't know how to tune out the stun grenade and hold their breath long enough.
Layla looked at the person on the ground. A man. Three times her size. But the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Karim felt like his lungs were burning up from the amount of smoke he had inhaled. Everyone was on the ground trying to normalize their breathing and take in fresher air. He could see the women holding their attackers down. That was quick. If they weren't here, they would have be dead already.
Karim coughed and stood up whiles helping Michael on his feet.
He could see Layla talking to the person she had on the ground.
"Who the fuck are you? And why are you after us?" Layla twisted the man's hand further back causing him to groan in pain.
"I got a woman here." Jyra spoke.
This was the first time Karim had heard her voice. Somehow he was expecting a rough hard voice but it was soft, small even.
Jyra pulled the woman up. She hissed at her as Jyra moved her to Layla.
The other woman pulled their captors up and moved them towards the group.
Karim looked at the man on the ground. He looked vaguely familiar.
The woman had her mouth and nose covered. She was facing Layla so Karim couldn't clearly see her.
"Show me her face." Layla ordered.
Jyra removed the covering from her face.
Bella frowned.
"Who are you?" Layla glared.
"Marilyn?" Bella said.
Wait? What!?
Marilyn?
"Fantasma. It's good to see you again." Marilyn smiled.
"Marilyn as in Marilyn? Zaira's Marilyn?" Dean came by Karim and narrowed his gaze.
Jyra turned her to the men.
"Marilyn?" Karim frowned.
"You know her?" Tawfiq questioned.
"Remember when I told you we went on a mission with Karim? This was the woman who almost killed us if Karim didn't say he knew Zaira." Dean explained.
"Why do you want to kill us?" Karim frowned.
Marilyn laughed.
"Kill you? Now why would I kill you? We don't even have any weapons on us as you can see. Billy, I should have listened to you to bring weapons at least." She sighed.
"Then why attack us? What are you even doing in this country?" Karim questioned.
Was she here for Zaira as well? Why attack them then?
"It's a long story. And I'd be willing to share if this one wasn't about to break my hand. Do you mind?" Marilyn eyed Jyra.
Karim nodded at her and she let her go but a second later, she had a gun pointed at her.
"I'm unarmed." Marilyn exhaled dramatically.
"Just to be safe." Jyra replied.
"Why are you here, Marilyn? Did you follow us to find Zaira too?" Karim asked her.
"Follow you? I've been in this country longer than you have. Looking for Zaira too because she sent me an SOS from here." Marilyn said.
"You've been in contact with Zaira?" Karim said with wide eyes.
She was alive.
"She's alive?" Karim stepped forward to her.
"Umm of course she is. I wouldn't still be here if she was dead." Marilyn rolled her eyes.
"Then why did you attack us? We are also looking for her so why didn't you just come out straight forward to us?" Tawfiq questioned the woman.
"Funny story. So I'm in my base cracking my head to find a way to find Zaira's exact location and she sends me a Morse code with her last telegraph key. Here I was, thinking, finally I'm going to get that bitch out. But, surprise surprise, it was a message about you. Her sweet sweet husband." Marilyn gave Karim a fake smile.
"Me? What did she say?" Karim asked quickly.
"Somehow she found out you and dear daddy here were in the country and she being the lovesick puppy she is begged me to get you out. I figured you wouldn't listen to me so I thought I'd knock you out long enough to send you on an illegal plane back to your country. But now I see you brought the whole gang."
Karim frowned. How did she know they were in the country. And how could she use her last means of communication to get him out of the country.
"Has she lost her senses? Why would she do something so stupid?" Karim angrily voiced out.
"She's being doing a lot of stupid things since she realized she loved you. She's basically suicidal now because all she cares about is you."
"That makes two of them." Dean eyed Karim.
"You aren't Romeo and Juliet. Give a damn about your own lives first." Marilyn exclaimed.
She was very annoyed at Zaira.
"She thinks sending you to rescue me would stop me from looking for her? She's actually mad then." Karim chuckled with no hint of emotion.
She had used her last chance of survival to send a useless message.
"It would have worked if it were the two of you like she said."
"I would have come back either way."
"I guess by then I would have saved her like I was supposed to do before you interfered. You couldn't stay home quietly and do like she wanted, could you?" Marilyn arched a brow.
"You didn't expect me to leave her to die, did you? As you said we both clearly don't give a damn about our own lives. Besides she left the clue with the location. Which meant she needed my help." Karim retorted.
"Not to save her. To find the hideout and bomb the location, dumbass. Smoke your fugitives out. Get y'all's revenge. Isn't that what the government or monarchy or whatever do?Bomb bad people?" Marilyn rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"She expected us to kill her? Sacrifice her just to get prisoners?" Karim was fuming.
"I guess I was supposed to save her before that. And disappear." Marilyn shrugged.
"So all this time she didn't need my help? She wanted to put her life on chances? She wanted to leave me?" Karim muttered.
What happened to all her bouts of love and never letting him go? She was willing to disappear and leave him knowing exactly how he felt.
"I guess it was all for you. She thinks she's not good for you. She always had a plan to let you go. She just went to your house to protect you if anything happened which it did. But she was always going to leave after everything. She feels you're too good for her." Marilyn revealed.
"Who put that into her head? Did I tell her I didn't need her? Or she's not worthy of me!?" Karim's voice rose an octave.
Maybe he had been harsh to her in the beginning that's why. And well he hadn't exactly told her how he felt. But she had to know, right?
"You could have fought with her on that if I had proper information to save her but oh wait... I don't. And whose fault is it?"
"How were you going to save her in the first place? Knock house to house?" Marilyn sarcastically asked.
"We were supposed to find an informant here and get a map of the green zone. The informant was supposed to tell us which house to suspect. But unfortunately, we don't know who this informant is and he doesn't know us." Dean explained.
"I see."
"We work together then. I have a few people too. We can find out who this informant is." Marilyn suggested.
"How do we know you won't knock us out and send us away?" Karim questioned.
"I don't have the luxury of that. Besides, Fantasma here would use that as an opportunity to kill me since she wasn't able to do it before."
Bella gave her a dry look.
"You said Zaira told you only Karim and I were in the country. How did she find out?" Tawfiq was confused.
"I guess they must have told her that they were going to kill you since you were here. Somehow they got information about your arrival. Did you blow off any alarms? Anyone suspicious?" Marilyn questioned.
"No. We haven't had a direct encounter with anyone yet. We came with the Saudi troops and went through checking easily...Fuck." Tawfiq cursed.
"He recognized us. Manaf." Tawfiq concluded.
"And he saw just Karim and you." Zain added.
"Why didn't he do anything then?" Karim asked.
"Maybe he had his reasons. But whatever it is, now we don't have the element of surprise anymore. They'll definitely be expecting us." Layla put in.
"They will. But they'll be expecting just these two. Not an army. We have the element of shock now, I guess." Marilyn joked.
No one laughed except Dean.
"You're funny." Dean smiled.
"I'm glad we didn't kill you back at my house. You've got a sense of humor."
Marilyn smiled in return.
Bella glared.
"The informant was an activist right?" Jyra spoke.
She seemed to have a lot of words to say today.
"Yes. Why?"
"Activist are moved by issues that go against their beliefs, right? Let's give him something for him to argue against. It will pull him out of whatever hole is hiding in. That's only if he's a strong activist." Jyra brought forward her idea.
"I always knew you weren't just smart with bombs." Layla smiled at her.
She just nodded in appreciation.
"She's right. He's against the government of the country and their rule of law. So we will support the government and defend the rule of law. We will defend the war too." Tawfiq said.
"So we've got a plan. Do we go to your hideout or ours?" Marilyn asked genuinely.
Dean arched a brow.
"You have a hideout?"
"You don't?"
~
"How did you get this place?" Dean looked around the house they were in.
It was a bit far from where most of the random bombings were happening so it was safe. Even though technically it was in the red zone.
"Doesn't matter." Marilyn shrugged him off.
There were a few computers around and guns were lying around on the couches. The whole place was a mess but it was better than nothing.
"I didn't think we'd be getting any guests so forgive the mess." Marilyn paused. "It's getting late so you can rest anywhere you want. Tomorrow we're going straight back to get the informant. We are getting him before tomorrow ends." Marilyn ended.
No one said a word.
Karim was just angry. How could she decide to leave him? How low did she think of him that he'd leave her to die?
She was actually counting on him to not come and get her back. She was basically thinking like his father had. Karim just wanted to knock some sense into her head. How could she not care if she died or not as long as he lived? When would she let go of her savior phase for once and leave it to him? She had done everything for him and she wasn't willing to accept any help from him.
Karim dropped his MOLLE and walked outside. The air inside felt too heavy to him.
He watched the night sky for a while. For a country so immersed in war, they actually had one of the most beautiful night skies he'd ever seen. The stars were littered at every point in the sky. It was beautiful.
Like Zaira.
He sighed.
If she saw this she'd say something unnecessary and walk away even though she would think it was beautiful as well.
"Frustrating, right?" Tawfiq said as he stood by Karim.
Karim didn't say anything and kept on looking at the sky.
"She might be crazy and I might not like her but I guess she actually loves you." Tawfiq admitted.
Karim turned his attention to his father.
"You don't think it's fake?" Karim arched a brow.
"If she wanted us dead, she wouldn't have asked her friend to stop us. Basically, she's me." Tawfiq chuckled.
"You?"
"Yes. I tried to stop you from coming because I knew the dangers involved. I knew you could die or get hurt permanently. You're my son and I tried everything to stop you. But well you're stubborn as well and persistent to save her."
"She also knows the dangers involved that's why she used her last resources to stop you. She clearly doesn't want you to get hurt." Tawfiq ended.
"That's her problem. I'm getting her back either way." Karim stated firmly.
"I told you you had to let her go after saving her and funnily enough she wants to disappear too."
"I'll change her mind. I won't let her disappear."
"You said you'd let her go. End the marriage after everything. That was the condition I gave."
"I'm divorcing her but it doesn't mean I'll let her disappear off the face of the Earth. I'll be with her until everyone realizes that she's changed and then I'll marry her again." Karim revealed.
Tawfiq chuckled.
"I had a hunch you'd do that. You only took the condition so easily because you knew there was a way around it. You give me what I wanted because you knew you'd get what you wanted in the long run."
"You didn't expect me to let her go forever, Dad."
"I know. And I guess I'd have to accept it because well Dean keeps hinting she's saved my life more than enough and well she's saved yours everyday. I don't like her still but if she's able to show me that she's on your side fully then I guess it's okay with me. I do owe her."
Karim's eyes brightened.
"Really? Trust me, dad. When you understand her, you'll like her. She's...unique." Karim muttered.
He looked back at the night sky.
"If only she wasn't so against my saving her. If it were actually the two of us, Marilyn would have succeeded. And she could be killed at any moment." Karim exhaled.
"I don't know if you remember clearly when your mom and I separated the first time. After she found out I was a prince."
"I do." Karim chuckled.
"Yhh. Photographic memory. I forgot." Tawfiq said.
"Well, when we fixed stuff later on, I decided to leave and renounce my rights to the throne. God did I hate being a crown prince then."
"And now you're a king. Funny story." Karim rolled his eyes.
"I always wish we were simple people. I wouldn't have such huge responsibilities every time and no one would want to kill us." Tawfiq laughed.
"I know."
"Okay back to my story. I went back home to renounce my right to the throne. But well your grandmother wasn't going to allow that. And she wasn't going to allow me leave again. I didn't feel like I was in any danger so I didn't tell Dean anything about it. I was actually on the no-fly list. She went that far. You know how I am without your mother. I became angry and annoyed at everyone. Just because I didn't have her with me. But imagine my surprise when your mother arrives in my room with Dean to save me."
"So that's the trip she went to. She told me she was going on a trip with Uncle Dean and Bella but she went to save you."
"She thought I was in danger because she got a fake letter supposedly written by me. But clearly I wasn't. I got really angry and hell even scared when I saw her. What if she was caught and I didn't even know about it? She could have gotten hurt or killed just for trespassing. I was supposed to do the dangerous things not her." Tawfiq sighed.
"But she was already in my room. And I wanted to leave too so I decided to go with them even though I was angry at her and at Dean for allowing her come."
"Zaira's like you. She doesn't want me to get hurt. She'd rather take my pain than see me get hurt." Karim concluded.
"Yes. She's been hurt her whole life and you've lived a good life. A comfortable one. She's used to it so she doesn't mind getting hurt again for you."
"Well I'll make her understand that I'm going to do the protecting not her. She's mad if she thinks I'm going to let her risk her life for me."
"I see...wait...someone's coming."
Tawfiq could see a shadow coming towards them.
They both pulled out their handgun from their waistband in a second.
The house was isolated and surrounded by trees. So whoever was approaching had clearly followed them or knew the place already. In any case, they could be a threat.
"Come any closer and I'll put a bullet in you!" Tawfiq threatened.
It was dark so they still couldn't see the person.
Karim heard his uncle call out his father from inside.
"T? What's going on?"
Dean stepped out a few seconds later to see both Karim and Tawfiq pointing their guns at a figure some few meters from the house.
"Marilyn!" Dean called out.
Maybe she was expecting someone.
The person didn't seem phased and kept coming closer so Tawfiq fired right by the shadow. It was a warning shot.
"I swear if you come any closer, the next one will be in your chest." Tawfiq sneered.
Marilyn stepped outside followed by everyone else. They were all on the porch of the house struggling to see who was coming to them.
"Don't shoot. I'll stop moving." The person replied.
It sounded like a female.
"Who are you?" Marilyn narrowed her gaze.
"Billy, lights." She ordered.
They didn't turn on any lights so as to not attract attention.
Billy entered the house and switched on the lights.
It actually was a woman...girl?
She looked about 18 or less. She had no fear whatsoever. A bullet just passed right by her and she didn't even squeak.
"No fucking way!" Tawfiq exclaimed.
He was about to shoot a child. Anxiety never helped anyone. He dropped his gun but Karim and Dean still had theirs on her.
You never know who was a threat and who wasn't.
"What's your name, kid?" Marilyn asked.
"That's not important."
"I know what you're here for. You're looking for Yusuf."
"And who the fuck is Yusuf and why the heck would we look for him?" Marilyn frowned.
"You don't know his name. I apologize. You're looking for the informant." She smiled tightly.
Everyone's eyes became wide.
"How does a kid like you know who we're looking for?" Marilyn didn't trust the girl.
Well she didn't trust a lot of people so there was that too.
"I heard you people talking."
Marilyn pointed her gun at her.
She only smiled and raised her hands in surrender.
"You were spying on us?" She glared.
"Well, not exactly. You people found your way into a building with our cameras and we overheard your conversation."
"We? You're not alone?" Marilyn questioned.
"No. But I'm here alone." She answered.
"I honestly don't care who you are or what you want. But you've overstayed your welcome, now leave and if you tell anyone about this place I'll will find you and pull out your vocal chords from your mouth before peeling off all the skin on your body."
"Colorful threat." She smiled.
"I'm not the enemy. You want to find the informant, don't you? I know him." She questioned.
"And how does a kid like you know who the informant is?" Dean asked this time around.
"He's my father." She shrugged.
Tawfiq exhaled. They were literally about to kill a girl who's father was supposed to help them. Thank Allah they didn't.
"Why are we supposed to believe anything you say?" Marilyn arched a brow.
"You can believe me or you can decide not to. I don't really lose anything." She shrugged.
"I see. So where is this informant father of yours? He left a young girl like you to wander off in the dark to find some people with guns? That's very irresponsible." Marilyn sarcastically said.
As usual she just smiled.
"Oh he's dead."
Oh no.
"He's been dead a while now."
They were doomed.
Karim felt like the world was spinning faster.
How were they going to find Zaira now?
"If he's dead, who has been sending information to the Arabian troops? His ghost?" Dean joked.
"Of course not. I have."
She gave off her signature smile.
"I am the informant."
**
"Ameenah, you said?" Karim asked as he handed her a cup of water she had asked for.
"Yes. Thank you. Please take a sip first if you don't mind." She smiled.
Karim eyed her weirdly.
"I need to stay alive." She shrugged nonchalantly.
Karim however drank a bit of the water.
"See. Still alive."
"In case you have the antidote with you just know that my system is strong against any poison." She narrowed her eyes at Karim before drinking the water in one go.
She was sitting in one of the chairs in the house whiles everyone just stared at her weirdly.
"How old are you?" Tawfiq asked first.
"17, why?"
"No reason."
"You're the informant?" Dean spoke.
"Have been for about...eight months now since my father died." She answered simply.
"You said we? And cameras?" Layla asked her.
"My brother and I. And we have cameras in a lot of abandoned buildings where rebels and people like you turn to hideout and layout their plans. Or just reveal stuff. That's how we get most of our information."
"How old is your brother?" Tawfiq questioned.
How could kids be given such risky jobs.
"14. Age seems to be a problem for you."
"No. You just seem a bit...young."
"Naturally...yes. I am a bit young. But if you grew up in a country like this, your highness, you'd grow three times faster mentally. That was why I wasn't phased by your bullet. I've heard too many to be phased by one." She smiled.
Tawfiq was caught by surprise. She knew who he was.
"You know who I am?"
"Well yeah. Everyone in this country does. We the cockroaches respect you but the humans upstairs want your head. Unfortunately, cockroaches die out faster than humans. I'm sure you know you're not a fan favorite here. So that leads to my question, why do you need my help to find this Zaira person?"
From what she heard, she knew they were all looking for someone called Zaira. She seemed to be in some sort of danger.
"You know Zaira!?" Karim abruptly stood up.
Did she? How?
"Calm down. Cameras, remember. But I guess she's your family then? Sister? Lover?" Ameenah smirked.
Karim didn't answer.
"Lover then."
"We need your help to find her. She was taken by fugitives from my country and brought here. We don't know exactly where she is, that's why we were looking for your father or I guess you. Maybe you would be able to help us narrow down our search list." Tawfiq explained.
Ameenah looked thoughtful for a second.
"What do I gain from helping you?"
"What do you want?" Marilyn asked.
"You're definitely rich. So. I want you to get my brother out of this hell hole. Find him somewhere safe in your country." Ameenah looked at Tawfiq.
"What about you?" Tawfiq asked.
"I can't leave until my father's wish comes true." She shrugged.
"And that is?"
"Ending this war." She stated simply.
"You would be safe with your brother. Your father would want that. You'd live peacefully with no fear." Tawfiq assured.
"As you can see, fear is something I lack. I'm not afraid to die. I'm afraid to die without achieving my father's dream."
"What about your dream?" Karim questioned.
"My dream? To achieve my father's dream." She simply stated.
No one said anything further.
"I'll help you then." She took a pen from the table by her and wrote something down on a paper.
"Tomorrow, come to this address. Not all of you. Just a few. Tell the old lady you're looking for something fishy." She handed the paper to Karim.
"Is that like a code word?" Layla asked.
"Just tell her you're looking for something fishy and she'll ask how fishy? Then tell her 'with a little bit of spice'"
"What is this? Spy kids?" Dean laughed.
"We're actually called spy teens." Ameenah corrected.
"You're messing with me..." Dean's mouth dropped in surprise.
Ameenah looked serious for a while before smiling.
"Yeah...I am."
"You got me there for a second."
Ameenah chuckled.
"I'll be going then. It's late. And please bring water and food." She didn't wait for anyone to ask why but from the way she had drank the water Karim gave her they could all guess why.
She walked out of the house without another word, into the night.
"Should we be bothered that we've let a child walk alone in the night back to wherever she came from. A girl at that?" Bella questioned.
"Maybe." Tawfiq looked at the now closed door.
"She'll be fine." Marilyn brushed their thoughts away.
"I think." She muttered before walking away to another room.
Karim was glad they didn't have to waste more time with searching for the informant. They didn't need to smoke the informant out after all. Everything seemed to be given to them on a silver platter.
They would be able to get Zaira soon. Everything was now going smoothly.
Too smoothly.
_______________________________
I'm so sorry for the late update y'all but writer's block got me badddddd🌝🌝‼️😪😪💀
Well I owe you a double update for updating so late so yaayyy
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