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something else was, because that's just the way his luck went.
    His cell buzzed on the nightstand like a dying fly. Recognizing Ben's number, he let out a relieved breath. For a second he'd thought his ex-wife Emily might have been trying to reach him again. On their last conversation he'd unintentionally blurted out that he loved her, spilling the most carefully guarded secret he'd been carrying around for the last twenty-odd years. He wished the hell he'd puked and passed out like a pansy before he'd said it instead of afterward.
    “Hey,” he said to Ben. “What's up?”
    “You sound chipper.”
    Ben's familiar Boston accent was a welcome sound. “Can't complain.”
    “Good, then I'll get right down to it. Davis reported in. Sam went missing at a fake checkpoint the afternoon of the Basra op.”
    Luke's hand tightened around the phone. “Who was it?”
    “Cab driver that was with her thinks they were Mahdi army.”
    Shit. “Any intel as to what they did with her?”
    “Looks like she got away somehow. Davis is still digging.” Ben paused. Cleared his throat. “Thing is, if it was Tehrazzi's crew... She's probably dead by now.”
    Luke let out the breath he'd been holding ever since the mention of the Mahdi army. If they had taken Sam, for her sake he prayed they'd killed her quickly. He'd found some of their dead captives in the past and knew firsthand what kinds of horrors Tehrazzi's bodyguard could perform with his knives. Sick bastard loved his work, to the point where even Tehrazzi could hardly stomach him. That in itself was scary.
    Luke tried to puzzle it all together. Sam was a contractor for him. A techie. Not even an operative. What possible use could she be to Tehrazzi, other than the intel he'd already gotten about the op in Basra? There had to be something more to it.
    Ben cleared his throat again. “I'll uh... keep you posted. If we hear anything we'll act on it right away.”
    “Good. I'll meet you up there as soon as they let me out of this place.” That had better be soon.
    “Roger that. Later.”
    Luke hung up and set the phone next to his disgusting breakfast. He wasn't sure what was making him more nauseous, the food or the fact that Tehrazzi might have one of his team members. And a young, attractive female at that.

Chapter Three

    Baghdad
    Deep in the shadows of the alley where she'd spent the afternoon, Sam sighed as she counted the remainder of her dwindling cash supply. Only enough to see her through a couple more days, if she ate sparingly. Her stomach let out a harsh growl. She was so damned tired and hungry. How much longer was she going to have to keep running on her own? The past few days hadn't changed her situation any. She was still in danger, and knew for sure the Mahdi Army was looking for her. Whether or not it was because the CIA had sanctioned it or because someone higher up the terrorist food chain wanted her, she still didn't know.
    Thinking about everything that had happened, Neveah's missing letter bothered Sam almost as much as the rest of it, because the letter detailed Nev's arrival in Kabul with her Doctors Without Borders team. Why that letter, unless someone would use her cousin against her? She didn't want her cousin to get caught up in any of this. Her secret fear was that her job would endanger someone she loved, and she loved Nev more than anyone in the world.
    Digging in her bag, she pulled out her phone and stared at it in indecision. The last text she'd sent had been to Ben, warning him to abort the op in Basra. That was days ago now. She wished she knew what had happened out there, but had been too afraid to contact anyone from the team. Given that she'd cut herself off from everyone that knew her, she needed to check and see if the people who'd threatened her had sent any new messages. Trouble was, as soon as she fired it up, anyone looking for her could track her.
    She'd left her custom made device in it to act as a beacon in case of emergency. Right