Returning to her, Sadiq handed her a piece of paper before he spoke in Arabic to the camera. He went on and on—about what, she had no idea—then he looked down at her and nodded to the paper lying near her hands.
“What is it you have to say?”
Emma gritted her back teeth together and remained silent.
Clearly annoyed, Sadiq growled, “Speak the truth!”
He wants the truth? Fine. That’s exactly what I’ll give him.
“The truth...” Emma cleared her dry throat and started again. “The truth is, Jake McQueen and his teams at R.I.S.C. are the bravest, most honorable people I know. And when they find you”—she glared back at Sadiq—“they’re going to fucking kill you.”
His face turned almost purple with anger. “Infidel!” he shouted loudly. Giving the man behind her a silent order, Sadiq dragged her to her feet and shoved her into the chair once more.
After spewing off something else in the language she couldn’t understand, Sadiq returned to his place behind the camera and nodded to the other man.
The hair on the back of Emma’s hair was yanked so hard, it caused her head to be tilted backward. It didn’t take long for her to understand why.
Out of nowhere, a very large, very sharp blade was placed along the front of throat.
I’m going to die.
That knowledge sent a barrage of thoughts racing through her terrified mind.
It was crazy how many thoughts could go through a person in the span of a few seconds.
For Emma, as she sat in that chair facing imminent death, she thought about her parents. Her heart broke knowing how much pain this was going to cause them.
Alyssa was the very best sister a girl could have, and Coop...and God. She was going to miss them bothsomuch.
And then there was Trace. He was a man she barely knew, yet a part of her—the mostimportantpart—felt as if she’d known him forever.
I just found him, and now I’m going to lose him.
Though it wasn’t nearly long enough, Emma was so thankful for the short time they did have. At least she had that.
The blade’s razor-thin edge pricked her skin, the warm stream of her own blood as it began to drip from the fresh wound. Looking into the camera, Emma mouthed her final farewell.
To her parents. To Coop and Alyssa. And to Trace.
I’m sorry.
A single tear escaped, streaking through the dirt and blood on her face as she closed her eyes and waited to die.