Sands of Redemption

37

The closer they got to their destination, the more fearful Georgia became. She knew she had no reason to be. She knew that now she was in Jordan her escape was practically assured, but after all that she'd been through who could blame her for still feeling on edge?

A handful of minutes later, the little sand track merged with a deserted bitumen road angling north-west. Struggling to see anything, Georgia dropped the passenger seat visor, squinting against the glare as the sun saddled itself upon the horizon.

Several cars zoomed by. She saw buildings, little more than small boxes in the distance, but buildings! She couldn't believe it—people! Civilisation! Who would have thought she'd see it again? Georgia moaned in relief. Yazd was only a small town but it was practically a metropolis when compared with the open desert. People! Pollution! Life!

But they were not heading for Yazd.

'Where are we going?' Georgia asked as they detoured off the main road.

Neither of them answered her. She swivelled in her seat. 'Khalid?'

His eyes met hers. 'Do not worry. Everything is fine.' He turned to Hassan and asked him something in Arabic. The Bedouin's response was surprisingly terse.

Georgia frowned. 'What did you ask him?'

Khalid shook his head.

She turned back to the front, her heart skipping a beat. 'What did you say to him, Hassan?' But he didn't answer either. He didn't even look at her.

She turned quickly at the sight of a white ute speeding up beside them. Accelerating, it swerved in front of them, dangerously close.

'What the hell?!' There were two men in the back tray sitting out in the open, their heads wrapped tightly in shemaghs, the ends of which snapped in the wind. They gripped the necks of two long rifles.

'What's going on, Hassan?!'

It was hard to breathe. Her heart was flipping in her chest. He didn't answer, leaning further over the wheel, not changing his speed, not braking or swerving but keeping to his course calmly and coolly. His expression was hard and focused, as though he wasn't surprised at all.

She looked back at Khalid. 'Shit!' There was another car trailing behind them. Turning back to the front, she bent over her knees and started to hyperventilate.

'Keep calm,' Khalid said.

'Keep calm, keep calm! It's happening again! I thought we were safe.' She looked up at Hassan. 'Why are you following them? You can't do that!' She reached for the wheel.

'Keep calm!' Khalid exclaimed and Georgia snapped back her arm.

'I ... can't,' she sobbed, barely able to catch her breath. 'I can't ... do this again. Not again.'

'You must or they will kill you.'

'It can't be them. It can't be! Not now. I'm supposed to be going home.' Georgia swivelled in her seat, tears in her eyes. 'You said you'd get me home. You promised me. Is everything out of your mouth a fucking lie?'

Khalid's gaze was icy calm. 'Yes, I did and I'm sorry.' He looked directly into her eyes, his jade gaze filled with silent instruction. On the seat beside him, Georgia saw his hand curl over a black handgun.

Georgia froze. Then his eyes flicked to the front and Georgia spun back around. She stared at the terrorists ahead. She couldn't believe this was happening. What the hell was he going to do? What the hell could he do?

'Get down!' he bellowed.

As she threw her head into her lap, there followed a sickening sound, like that of a dropped egg splitting against a kitchen floor. Then the car exploded with gunfire. Georgia couldn't hear her screams as bullets sprayed through the car, piercing the front windshield and shattering others.