Chapter 15
It was still dark when the little plane landed at a tiny airstrip in Pakistan. Nasir provided their passports with a stamp of arrival—remnants from the days when his father was a less than legitimate businessman—and there was a car waiting for them just as Dobby had promised.
As the plane taxied to a stop, Heath scanned the surrounding area for any sign someone was waiting to arrest them.
All was still.
Nasir pulled the plane to a stop near the car park and turned off the engine. Silence filled the cabin.
“Thank you, Nasir,” Zoe said as she unstrapped.
“You’re welcome, Zoe,” the boy replied.
Heath let the boy open the doors and climbed out before hugging him. “I really appreciate this, Nasir.” He pushed a wad of cash into the boy’s hands. It would be enough to cover the fuel and extra for his time.
“No, no. You saved my family,” Nasir said, pushing the money away. “You owe us nothing.”
“I insist. You saved Zoe and me tonight, and we’re both grateful.” He patted him on the shoulder. “Take care.”
Though he would have liked to stay to help Nasir load his freight, he didn’t want to attract unwanted attention.
Heath took Zoe’s hand in his and they strode over to where the car was waiting.
It was a white late-model sedan, which wouldn’t win any races, but would blend in nicely and get them to where they needed to go.
The keys were above the sun visor, and the engine started with a purr.
He opened his maps app and navigated to Gwadar, plugging the phone into the USB port in the car.
“So we’ve got an eight-hour road trip ahead of us?” Zoe asked, the fatigue clear in her voice.
“Nope, just an hour and a half.” He’d spent the first part of their flight figuring out their options.
“There’s a flight from Gwadar to Karachi at nine.
We should make it with plenty of time and be in Karachi by eleven.
” He glanced around the area. It didn’t look as if any officials were going to stop them.
“Thank goodness. How are we getting to Australia?”
“There’s a flight to Bangkok at eleven p.m., and then a connecting one to Perth. We should be home by tomorrow afternoon.”
Her sigh was long and heartfelt. He squeezed her leg. “Almost there.”
It didn’t take long to get onto the motorway and in almost no time they had arrived in Gwadar. Zoe was breathing heavily, having fallen asleep almost immediately after they’d hit the road. She really was exhausted.
Fatigue settled over him like a well-worn cloak, familiar and comfortable.
He parked at the far side of the car park where there were a few cars. Zoe woke up and looked around in a daze.
“We’re at the airport,” Heath told her.
“Already? Did I fall asleep?”
“Yeah.” They were a little early for their flight, so hopefully that would give them time to find a change of clothes and a shower. The airport here was brand new, however he couldn’t find much about its facilities online.
Zoe brushed her hair back and adjusted her scarf. “Do we just leave the car here?”
“Yeah. I’ll let Dobby know where we left it and he’ll contact the guy to pick it up.”
It was lighter now, and people were arriving for early morning flights. It felt like days ago that they’d showered on the boat, instead of only last night.
“Come on. Let’s get some food.”
They walked into the brand-new modern building to find a lot of empty shops, but the check-in was modern.
“Hopefully there are more facilities past security,” Heath said.
He’d bought them tickets online and since they had no checked baggage, they went straight to the security line.
The officers there looked bored. Thankfully because it was an internal flight, there was no need for a passport check.
Still, he traced their exit route should something go wrong.
He slipped his hand into Zoe’s and she glanced at him, brief concern on her face.
The security guard yawned and waved them through, and the tension released from Heath’s shoulders.
He nodded his thanks and continued into the restricted area of the airport. Here there was one restaurant open this early. They joined the line and bought some paratha and chai, and Heath chose a table in the corner where he could see people coming and going.
Zoe sighed as she sat. “How long did you say we had in Karachi?”
“About twelve hours, which will give us both time to rest.”
The hopeful look in her eyes made him add, “I booked us a room at the airport hotel. We should be safe there.”
Tears welled, and she brushed them away. “Thank you. Sorry. I’m overly tired.”
He squeezed her hand. “You have every right to be emotional. Now, get some food into you and then we’ll go find our gate.”
Heath ate quickly, a habit he’d learned when on a mission. If he didn’t eat fast, he might not get to eat.
Zoe, on the other hand, savoured every bite as if she’d never tasted anything so good. When had they last eaten?
Maybe at the souq in Doha.
No wonder she was starving.
He’d forgotten about the snacks he’d bought at Dubai airport when they’d purchased the chargers.
He kept half of his attention on the people walking past or dining nearby. No one looked twice at them. With Zoe’s head wrapped in the scarf and her facing away from people, no one noticed she was of European descent, and Heath blended right in.
He’d spent a long time in Pakistan as a child in the migrant camps.
The food and the smell of chai took him back there.
He’d lost his innocence and become a protector there, sticking up for those who were being bullied or teased.
He’d returned home in the evenings with a bloody nose, or extra bruises, but his mother only asked him to be careful.
She was still recovering from her own trauma.
Pakistan was a place of in-between, where they were safer than they had been, but not as safe as they could be.
Kind of like now.
A few officials walked past, and various flight attendants and pilots strode to or away from their planes. The departures board showed their gate was boarding as Zoe finished her meal.
She leaned back, satisfied. “That was the best food I’ve ever had.”
He smiled. “Sorry, I should have fed you more.”
She shook her head. “You were busy keeping us safe.” She glanced around. “I could use a bathroom now.”
“There’s one over there.” He nodded. The thought of being separated from her didn’t sit well with him, but he could use the facilities as well.
As they walked over he said, “When you’re done, if I’m not out here, wait for me right here.
” He pointed to a chair. “I don’t want to freak out and worry that something’s happened to you. ”
She looked around with concern. “Do you think something will?”
“No, but I didn’t expect a lot of what happened on this mission.” He smiled to show he didn’t mind.
“All right. And if something happens to you?”
He handed over her ticket. “You get on the plane to Karachi.”
She stared at him, incredulity on her face. “I’m not leaving you behind after everything you’ve done.” She refused to take the ticket. “So make sure nothing happens to you.” Her expression was pure defiance as she strode into the female toilets.
Heath stared after her, a smile on his lips and a strange discomfort on his heart. Zoe was everything he could want in a woman; smart, courageous, loyal, and beautiful.
For the first time, he wasn’t looking forward to reaching Australia.
It would put an end to their association, and he wasn’t certain she would want to see him again, despite the few kisses they’d shared. He represented the period when Zoe had seen the truth of the world, and it might not be something she wanted to remember.
But he wouldn’t let her go without at least trying.
***
Zoe felt as if she had finally returned to some semblance of normal as she stepped off the plane in Karachi. The airport was bustling, no one questioned them being there or even looked twice at them.
“Let’s get something else to wear,” Heath said as he pulled her into a shop which sold Western clothing.
Fatigue made her brain a little foggy as she stared at the clothes, trying to figure out what she needed.
Heath turned her towards him. “Get something to sleep in now, and something comfortable for the rest of the flight home.”
Shopping was a normal activity, but it all felt a little surreal after everything they’d been through.
Still she nodded and grabbed a T-shirt and loose shorts for sleeping in, and then a tracksuit for the flight home. She spotted some underwear as well but glanced at Heath. “Can I use my credit card here?”
He shook his head. “Better not. I’ve got plenty of cash, so buy whatever you need.”
She added the underwear, socks, and a pair of shoes to her collection. She wanted to get out of everything she was wearing and leave all of it behind.
Shedding her skin of the memories they contained.
Heath paid and then took her into a nearby shop to get some toothbrushes and other toiletries before taking her hand. “The hotel is this way.”
Her feet felt like there were giant weights on them as she trudged after Heath towards a short line for a bus shuttle service. She shuffled up the steps and took her seat, and only a few minutes later they were disembarking, and checking in to a very nice-looking hotel.
Heath spoke Urdu to the check-in person and Zoe stared into space, the exhaustion finally catching up with her.
All she wanted was a shower and a bed.
She blinked when Heath took her hand and led her to a nearby elevator bank where he navigated them to the right floor and room.
Thank goodness he was still functioning efficiently. Zoe wasn’t sure she’d be able to get her phone number right if someone questioned her.
Inside was a nicer than average hotel room with a large king-sized bed. Zoe just blinked as Heath cursed. “I asked for a twin room. Let me call them.”
Zoe stared longingly at the bed. Right now she didn’t care, all she wanted was sleep.
Heath was arguing with the reception, but it wasn’t until he hung up that she understood why.
“They only have this room available.”
It took a second for the implication to sink in. There was only one bed. Zoe forced herself to smile at him. “Heath, that bed could fit four people and no one would know the others were in there. We can share.”
“I can sleep on the floor.”
She shook her head, a little irritation seeping past her fatigue. “Don’t be ridiculous. You need to rest as well.”
He hesitated, his concern clear in the intensity on his face. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m going to be comatose the second my head hits the pillow.” She waved towards the bathroom. “Can I have a shower?”
“Of course.”
She took her shopping into the room with her and closed the door before turning on the shower. She glanced at the lock but didn’t bother with it. If something occurred, Heath would need to get to her quickly, and she trusted him.
She placed her new clothes on the bench and stepped under the shower, the warm spray running over her.
Pure bliss.
A moment of serenity in an otherwise horrible day.
She turned her head to the spray and closed her eyes. They still weren’t in the clear. They had to get through security again when they boarded the flight to Bangkok, and someone might notice a problem with their passport stamps, or they may have been flagged in relation to the Dubai bombing.
She wouldn’t truly relax until they were in the air again.
Though it was tempting to soak in the shower, the bed called her more. She got out, dressed in her sleeping clothes, and left the room.
Heath glanced up and smiled. “Feeling better?”
She nodded. “Slightly more human than before.” She glanced at the bed. “Do you have a preferred side?”
“Let me sleep closer to the door.”
Of course. Always the protector.
“I’ve set an alarm. I’ll have a quick shower and then join you.”
Zoe nodded as she climbed under the covers.
Her head hit the pillow, and there was nothing else.