Chapter 8
Heart pounding, he pulled up the scarf he’d used to block the dust, so it covered most of his face. It wouldn’t last as a disguise for long, but hopefully long enough to get the drop on Kamran.
“Change of plan. Get the kids to the back of the boat,” he murmured to Zoe, passing her his backpack. “I’m a mercenary you hired to help rescue the children. Nisha put you in touch with me. You don’t know anything else.”
“What—”
“I know the scarred man,” Heath said, moving towards the door.
“He can’t know I’m Australian military.” Heath still had his handgun, but shooting naval officials wouldn’t end well for anyone.
He waited a beat until Zoe started gesturing to the children and then called out in Arabic, “We’re unarmed. ”
He held his hands high so they could see them. “I have twelve children and a woman on board with me.”
The first guard, a stocky man, called in Farsi, “Step back from the door.”
Heath didn’t move. He needed to pretend he didn’t understand the language. And give Zoe time to get the children as far away as she could.
“Step back,” the man called again in Arabic.
Options ran through his mind, but all of them posed too great a risk to Zoe and the children. If the guards opened fire, it would be a bloodbath.
Heath stepped back and the door opened, both guards rushing in, weapons up, ready to shoot.
A couple of girls shrieked, and two of the boys, who were still confused, shrank away from them.
Zoe stood between the children and Heath, her legs wide, hands slightly out as if she could shield them from what was about to come.
A protector.
His admiration for her grew.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” the same man demanded.
Heath kept his hands raised and resisted the urge to look at Kamran, who would shoot with the slightest provocation. “These children were being trafficked aboard the container ship.”
The man frowned as if he didn’t quite understand, but Kamran repeated it in Farsi and the man nodded. “Who are you?”
“I was hired by this woman to rescue them.” He gestured to Zoe. “Zoe Yelton is part of the Australian embassy staff.”
A flash of concern crossed the man’s face as he realised the political implications. “Why did you steal the lifeboat?” The man kept his distance, pointing his gun at Heath, while Kamran moved to the other end of the lifeboat to watch the children.
Heath shifted so he could keep Kamran in his peripheral vision. “Zoe discovered the children had been loaded onto the ship. I hoped we would get them off before the ship departed, but we weren’t able to as they had all been drugged.” He gestured to the two groggiest boys.
“Why not ask the captain to help?”
“We didn’t know who was involved. I thought it would be easier to take the lifeboat and return the children to their parents in Qatar.” He gestured in that direction. “Which is why we are heading that way. We didn’t mean to enter Iranian waters.”
The man kept his guard up, and on the other side of the boat, Kamran was relaying Zoe’s name to the crew on the boat. It might take some time to corroborate their story, even if Dobby had contacted Arash.
“Full name,” Kamran demanded.
“Darius Darvish,” Heath replied. At least Kamran was on the boat with him and wouldn’t see the associated photo.
“They rescued us,” Mohammad yelled. “We want to go home.”
Kamran glanced at him but repeated the name into the radio.
“Running it now,” came the voice in Farsi.
The hairs stood up on Heath’s arms. Fuck. He knew that voice. Another man who should be in prison, but due to his contacts had merely been demoted. He should have suspected Ali would be around if Kamran was here. Ali had never gone anywhere without his chief enforcer.
What were the chances?
Pretty fucking small.
He’d definitely jinxed the mission by saying it was going to be simple.
The second Ali saw Heath’s ID photo, the shit was going to hit the fan.
The guard nearest to him had lowered his gun enough that Heath could disarm him, but Kamran was a shoot first, ask questions later kind of man, and if Heath was injured, he couldn’t protect Zoe.
He was running out of time.
“Excuse me.”
Heath’s gaze whipped to Zoe as she touched Kamran’s arm. What the hell was she doing? Kamran turned to her and away from Heath.
“The children are scared…”
Heath tuned out the rest of her words as he attacked the guard closest to him, disarming him and knocking him unconscious.
Heath brought up the gun and pointed it at Kamran as Kamran grabbed Zoe and hauled her against him as a shield.
He itched to shoot the man who had caused devastation and fear to so many people, but to do so would cause an even greater international incident.
“Drop it,” Kamran barked. Over the radio came Ali’s voice. “Darius is Navid Ismail!”
Kamran grinned and tightened his hold on Zoe. She winced, staring at Heath with a healthy dose of fear, but also so much trust in her eyes.
He didn’t deserve it.
“You want me to put a bullet into her?” Kamran asked in Farsi. “You know I’m untouchable.”
Heath’s gut roiled. He kept the gun steady on Kamran as options came to him and were discarded.
The problem was Kamran was right. No matter what he and Ali did, they weren’t punished for it. He would shoot Zoe, and then Heath, and then sink the lifeboat with all the children so there were no witnesses.
But if it was revenge he wanted, he would keep Heath alive long enough to torture him, and the longer he lived, the more time he had to escape.
There was always a slim possibility one or more of the other men on the vessel weren’t completely in Ali’s pockets or had a conscience.
“You’ve got five seconds, Navid.”
Which was more like three the way Kamran worked. Heath slowly lowered the gun. “I see you’re still Ali’s guard dog, Kamran.”
Anger crossed Kamran’s face. “Drop it,” he snarled.
The other guard was coming around, and the children were staring at him wide-eyed with fear.
He placed the weapon on the seat next to him, away from the guard.
Outside, Ali rushed to the side of the naval vessel, weapon in hand. Time hadn’t made him any less angry.
“Darius?” Zoe asked.
She’d remembered his cover name. “Everything will be fine,” he told her.
The guard he hit got to his feet a little unsteadily. “Hold out your hands.”
Heath did as he was asked and the guard slapped handcuffs onto him and then searched him, finding and removing the handgun. Maybe he could convince Kamran and Ali to let the others go. They were innocent.
“They should let you go with the kids. Contact Dobby. Tell him I’m with Ali.”
Zoe’s hand clenched, hiding the phone number, and she nodded.
“Out,” Kamran demanded and gestured with his gun. He still held Zoe, but any demands Heath tried to make would backfire. Kamran always loved to make things difficult for him.
Heath stepped into the doorway and up the stairs. The waves rocked the boat and the wind buffeted him. In the far distance, the dust storm coloured the horizon, but the smell didn’t carry on the wind.
Ali’s angry glare morphed into triumph.
Behind him, the guard he’d disarmed picked up his weapon. “What about the others?”
“Bring them all onto the boat,” Ali responded.
***
Zoe couldn’t follow the barked commands in Farsi, but what she did understand was things weren’t going well. Heath was in handcuffs and being removed from the boat, and she still had a gun pressed against her side.
“Please!” Zoe begged, and Kamran focused on her. “Let us go. These children have been through enough trauma.”
The man ignored her, watching until Heath was on the other boat, and then spoke into his radio and released his hold on her.
He received a response and glanced at them. “On your feet. Follow him.”
Zoe hesitated. While she didn’t want to leave Heath on his own, she also had to consider the safety of the children she’d rescued.
“Now!”
“They need help,” she said in Arabic. “They were drugged. They’re still unsteady.”
“Help them, then.”
No. She couldn’t let them get on the other boat.
There was no way the Iranians would drop the children in Qatar before returning home.
Tensions were already strained in the area, and an Iranian vessel entering Qatari waters without permission, particularly with the uprising going on, wouldn’t be taken lightly.
She glanced outside to where a gleeful Iranian commander was shoving Heath to the ground.
He must be Ali, and from the patches on the uniform he looked like he was in charge.
He could do what he liked.
But perhaps he was the type who would want the easy route.
She took a few steps to the open door and called, “None of these children have identification.”
Ali glanced at her.
“Do you want to be stuck with the nightmare of dealing with a dozen children who were born in Pakistan but are living in Qatar and have no way of contacting their families because communications are down in the country?”
The man frowned.
“Will your government appreciate the cost of accommodation, food and then flights to get them home again?”
Real concern crossed his face. The boats rocked, and Zoe braced herself against the door frame as she waited for his response.
Finally he barked an order in Farsi. Zoe glanced at Heath for a translation.
“They’re letting you and the children go. They only want me.”
Fear filled her. What would they do to him? Heath had risked his life because of her. She couldn’t leave him to be arrested.
“It’s OK, Zoe. Dobby will get you out of Qatar. Stay with Nisha.”
She shook her head. He thought she was worried about herself. “I don’t care about that. I care about what happens to you.” It was her fault they were in this mess. “I’m so sorry. I keep thinking I know what’s best, keep defying orders.”
“Don’t doubt your instincts,” Heath said. “They’re spot on.”
A little relief filled her but it didn’t help their situation.
Ali grinned and spoke in English. “You two seem close. I’d better not separate you.” He shouted an order to Kamran.