"Pretty country, huh?" I say, driving the SUV down a road through northern Lebanon. The setting sun perfectly highlighted the ridges behind us and showcased the start of the desert ahead. In the distance, I could see a mix of dunes and flats, a warning we were about to enter Syria.

     Suri chuckles, finicking with his bag in the passenger seat. "Better than what we're about to see, that's for sure."

     "What," I smile, pointing ahead. "Not a desert guy?"

     "Are you?" He asks, whipping his head around to look at me incredulously.

     "...Hell no," I declare, earning a smirk from Suri as he drinks some more from his water bottle. "Glad we stocked up before heading out."

     "Yeah," he sighs in agreement, putting the bottle away and setting his bag at his feet. "Towns are really spaced out here."

     "I believe it," I say, checking the GPS. In a few kilometers, we'd come up on the border crossing. While we, of course, had fake documents and passports, any opportunity to avoid using them was best. "You a big fan of crossing the border?"

     Suri laughs. "I was thinking about that. I may have an idea."

     "Oh?" I ask, looking at him for a second. "Such as?"

     "I used it nine years ago to cross into this country," he says, pointing to a ridgeline just up ahead. "That's an old route through a small valley."

     My eyebrows rise as I check the map. The route isn't on there. "You think there's any patrols?" I ask him, looking towards the area.

     "Wasn't nine years ago," he shrugs.

     "And how do I know you're not lying?" I ask, and he looks at me, confused. "That there's no ambush set for us?"

     He laughs, as if surprised by my mistrust, nodding. "Because I need to see Kali. Even if there was an ambush, judging by how you took down my guys, I'm not sure they would be much use."

     I study his face, but I can't find any trace of dishonesty. He was either a very good liar or he was genuinely trying to help.

     "Alright, Suri," I sigh, pulling over and throwing the SUV into Four Wheel Drive. "If you're lying, and we get ambushed, you're not going to have a fun time."

     He chuckles. "Let it rip, Miss Adara."

     I put my foot to the floor, throwing Suri back in his seat as I pull off the main road and launch onto the shrubland to the right. His eyes go wide as he grabs the pillar handle. "Can't take it, Grandpa?" I joke, hitting a bump and rocking the entire car.

     He starts laughing like he's taking a rollercoaster ride. "This is fantastic!" 

     I maneuver around a boulder before sending it into the valley. The sun lit up the top edges of the ridge, but left the valley floor coated in a thick shade. I keep the speed up, seeing a somewhat travelled trail beginning to form. Let's just say... I'd seen better roads.

     "Pretty country, huh?" Suri throws my words back at me as I slow down for a curve. I look at him annoyedly before sending it down a straight part of the path. As we come up to another corner, I lean on the pedal a bit more. "Adara, you're going to slow down, right?"

     I shift up. "Adara!" Suri squeals, mashing his imaginary brake pedal into the floorboard. I shift down, throwing my steering wheel to the side and powersliding my way through the dirt. Suri's fear quickly turns to excitement, his cheering probably louder than the engine itself. 

     "Backseat driver," I kid, nodding my head in disapproval. 

     "Do it again!" He screams, too happy to care.

- ~ -

     "That's way more fun when it's not gangs chasing you through the street," Suri laughs as we exit the ridge. The dunes and flats weren't in the distance anymore; they were right in front of us. 

     "I had you shook on that turn, dude," I counter,  and I earn a slight nod from him. 

     "Fair enough," he replies, lying back in his seat a bit. He turns his head towards the side window, gazing over the desert. We sit in silence for a bit, enjoying the sound of the engine as we run over the sands and towards a lonely highway, barely illuminated by the sky and the headlights alike. 

     I'd done plenty of missions around this area with Maelstrom, but never a solo one. I catch myself remembering what Lucas had said about choosing me for this. Raleigh acted with that cold, calculating logic in the background all the time. Sometimes it worried me that he'd forget why he started this unit in the first place. Then again, any time I'd had a concern like that, it had been dispelled. We'd learned to trust each other, and in turn, the other members did as well.

     That pressure weighed on my shoulders a bit more than I'd like to admit. Being a commander fits with me - it's what I'm meant to do - but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a mountain of responsibility. Lucas, Mena, Dom, and Natalia all counted on me to lead them on the field. Then again, the most important part of my job was teaching them how to lead themselves.

     "Are you thinking of driving through the night?" Suri asks, glancing my way. He smirks as I make a telling face.

     "Probably not here," I admit, looking around the road. "Too many risks."

     He rolls his eyes as I chuckle a bit. "There's a small town ahead," he starts. "I remember a place I stayed here on my way out to Tripoli. Hopefully it's still there."

     "Sounds good," I state, seeing a road sign ahead illuminated by the moonlight. I couldn't read Arabic, unfortunately. 

     "Let me handle the talking," Suri suggests, and I squint at him.

     "I can handle myself fine," I retort, and he tilts his head.

     "We're in rural Syria," he points out. "Do you even speak Arabic?"

     I nod my head reluctantly, and he sits up in his seat. "Aren't you so fortunate?"

     "Just don't get us found out, I guess," I sigh, seeing faint lights in the distance. "That must be it."

     "It is," he states matter-of-factly. "I don't mean to be rude. I'm just being practical."

     "Don't worry about it," I sigh, done with the conversation. Suri picks up on this, looking away and towards the town. I glance towards the GPS, seeing the town ahead. "Welcome to Qarah."

     Getting closer, I see the buildings start to appear over the horizon. The SUV rolls into town, and I see a handful of people walking down the street, likely revelling in the cool night. "Up on the left, with the orange sign," Suri points, and I nod.

     I pull the vehicle into a driveway, leading us to a small parking space in the back. I place it in park, grab my backpack, and step out. The cool desert night welcomes me, the dry air a stark contrast to my days in the States. Suri follows, and we walk toward the front of the building and toward the front door. It seems to be a small hostel, with a man with a long beard standing behind the counter.

     Suri begins to speak to the man as I survey the area. The cozy lobby only looks out to the street, where I watch men pass by. I watch as Suri reaches into his pocket to pull out his wallet, and I catch the man glancing at me. 

     Still, he hands Suri a room key, and Suri motions for me to follow him. It feels weird to have him helping like this, but in the absence of my squad, it's nice to have a teammate of sorts. The two of us walk back into the building, and Suri begins finagling with the key on a door to the left.

     I glance back towards the lobby, but follow Suri into the room as he gets the door open. "What did he say? Is anything wrong?" I prod, rushing over to the windows to see the view. Luckily, our SUV was just outside.

     "Nothing out of the ordinary, I think?" Suri asks, looking at me with a bit of confusion on his face. "About how I remember it here."

     "I see," I mutter, on edge.