were people who targeted him every day. He slept with one eye open, his senses always alert. He trusted no one. In the business he was, anyone could turn against him and at anytime. Now that he was married, he had become vulnerable. They would learn of his weakness. They would learn of Nora.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped back into his bedroom.
She jumped on seeing him and clutched onto a crystal candle holder.
“I’m only going to get my clothes,” he assured her. He opened the door to his wardrobe, muttering to himself. Surely she wouldn’t hit him with that blasted candle holder? Who the heck was smart enough to leave one there?
Shielding himself behind the door of the wardrobe, he quickly changed into a pair of chinos and a white shirt. Someone knocked on the door and he hastened over to it.
“Breakfast is here,” he announced, laying the tray of piping hot food on the table. “Let’s eat.”
She glanced at the food and then turned away to gaze at the sky again.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Wrong?” she asked back with disbelief. “Everything is wrong. This is wrong. Our marriage was wrong. And you having a meal here with me, pretending that everything is fucking right, is fucking wrong!”
He leaned back on his chair and sighed. “Eat and then we can talk.”
“Eat with you? A criminal, a warlord? A kidnapper? For godsakes, what in the fuck are you? What do you want from me? What in the fuck do you want from me?” she sobbed aloud. She covered her face into her knees, trembling from her sobs. “Let… me…go. Please… let… me… go.”
Something snapped inside him. His rage seared through his veins. He’d had enough of her pleadings and cries. He rose abruptly from his chair and pulled her roughly out of hers. He grabbed her elbow and dragged her out of their bedroom.
“No! No! What are you doing?!” she begged. “You’re hurting me! Stop! Stop!”
He dragged her all the way to the middle of the courtyard and threw her aside. She trembled, looking fearfully at the men gathering about them. They were garbed in their ethnic Pashtun shirts and pants. Her eyes widened in fear. She had seen terrorists dressed similarly on TV. Their guns were strung behind their backs and their beards made them even more menacing than they already were.
What is he going to do to me? Kill me? Gang rape…
Her legs quivered at the mere thought. Her body went limp as she fell to the ground, shivering with fear.
“Adam?” one asked.
But Adam growled at the men with an ire that paled even them. The men immediately dispersed, standing at a distance, watching them.
“You wanted me to let you go,” said Adam. “So, go.”
She looked up at him with disbelief. This can’t be happening. Was he really…?
“Go!” he roared.
Move, Nora. Move! Run!!
She scrambled immediately on all fours on the dust in the courtyard. She picked herself up, racing clumsily towards the entrance. Before he changed his mind! Please, God, don’t let him change his mind.
She tripped and fell, grazing her knee. She sobbed, quickly glancing behind her. But he hadn’t followed. He was still standing there, where she had left him, watching her silently.
She stood up and raced out the entrance. I am free. I am free. Free, free…
The mid-day desert heat bore down on her. Hot breeze scalded her skin. The dryness in the air parched her throat. Common sense told her to turn back. At least, they had food. They had water. At least, she could have survived until she was rescued.
Her eyes narrowed, squinting at the horizon. Desert sand blew into her face, cutting her skin, and she lifted the neckline of her dress up to her nose, holding it steady there as she stumbled further on. Her hair blew wildly about her and she brushed it away roughly with her other hand.
Her breaths grew short and quick. She saw nothing for miles. There was
He wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped back into his bedroom.
She jumped on seeing him and clutched onto a crystal candle holder.
“I’m only going to get my clothes,” he assured her. He opened the door to his wardrobe, muttering to himself. Surely she wouldn’t hit him with that blasted candle holder? Who the heck was smart enough to leave one there?
Shielding himself behind the door of the wardrobe, he quickly changed into a pair of chinos and a white shirt. Someone knocked on the door and he hastened over to it.
“Breakfast is here,” he announced, laying the tray of piping hot food on the table. “Let’s eat.”
She glanced at the food and then turned away to gaze at the sky again.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Wrong?” she asked back with disbelief. “Everything is wrong. This is wrong. Our marriage was wrong. And you having a meal here with me, pretending that everything is fucking right, is fucking wrong!”
He leaned back on his chair and sighed. “Eat and then we can talk.”
“Eat with you? A criminal, a warlord? A kidnapper? For godsakes, what in the fuck are you? What do you want from me? What in the fuck do you want from me?” she sobbed aloud. She covered her face into her knees, trembling from her sobs. “Let… me…go. Please… let… me… go.”
Something snapped inside him. His rage seared through his veins. He’d had enough of her pleadings and cries. He rose abruptly from his chair and pulled her roughly out of hers. He grabbed her elbow and dragged her out of their bedroom.
“No! No! What are you doing?!” she begged. “You’re hurting me! Stop! Stop!”
He dragged her all the way to the middle of the courtyard and threw her aside. She trembled, looking fearfully at the men gathering about them. They were garbed in their ethnic Pashtun shirts and pants. Her eyes widened in fear. She had seen terrorists dressed similarly on TV. Their guns were strung behind their backs and their beards made them even more menacing than they already were.
What is he going to do to me? Kill me? Gang rape…
Her legs quivered at the mere thought. Her body went limp as she fell to the ground, shivering with fear.
“Adam?” one asked.
But Adam growled at the men with an ire that paled even them. The men immediately dispersed, standing at a distance, watching them.
“You wanted me to let you go,” said Adam. “So, go.”
She looked up at him with disbelief. This can’t be happening. Was he really…?
“Go!” he roared.
Move, Nora. Move! Run!!
She scrambled immediately on all fours on the dust in the courtyard. She picked herself up, racing clumsily towards the entrance. Before he changed his mind! Please, God, don’t let him change his mind.
She tripped and fell, grazing her knee. She sobbed, quickly glancing behind her. But he hadn’t followed. He was still standing there, where she had left him, watching her silently.
She stood up and raced out the entrance. I am free. I am free. Free, free…
The mid-day desert heat bore down on her. Hot breeze scalded her skin. The dryness in the air parched her throat. Common sense told her to turn back. At least, they had food. They had water. At least, she could have survived until she was rescued.
Her eyes narrowed, squinting at the horizon. Desert sand blew into her face, cutting her skin, and she lifted the neckline of her dress up to her nose, holding it steady there as she stumbled further on. Her hair blew wildly about her and she brushed it away roughly with her other hand.
Her breaths grew short and quick. She saw nothing for miles. There was
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