- A D A R A - K O N S D O T T I R -

     I watch sand blow away from our helicopter as it slowly lowers itself onto the ground. "Thanks for the lift," I tell the pilot. He smiles briefly, flashing me a thumbs-up as I take my weaponry off the chopper. Slinging my sniper over my back, I don a tan, loose-fitting shawl and slide a pair of sunglasses on. I hold tightly to the shawl as the rotors spin up, aiming to blow it away with all their might.

     My dirty-blonde hair nearly blinds me, its shoulder-length flying around in chaos. I hold firm, though, tying the shawl across my chest and draping it over my back to conceal my gear. Due to regional conflict, flying to Al Kamara with Suri was unfortunately not an option. Too many anti-air defenses made any flights over Syria and Iraq a very poor choice. As such, I'll be taking him for a little road trip. Now, though, I need to find him.

     I fish the car keys out of my pocket, looking across the tarmac. There, by a warehouse, lay an off-road-ready SUV, its bright white paint faded from years in the Middle Eastern sun. I grin, walking towards the vehicle. I fidget with my pistol in my holster, assuring it's snug in its holster.

     I'd always been more of a marksman type. My sniper featured a custom gadget I had developed with Mena: an underbarrel launcher. Inside, it shot small pods that dug into surfaces and became proximity sensors. I controlled them all from a small panel on the rifle. Even better, Mena had found a way to cram a concussion blast in each one - I still remember her glee when she pulled that off.

     Once I make my way to the warehouse, I open up the vehicle and set my rifle in the back. The car roars to life as I open my map and inspect the city of Tripoli. According to all of our information, he'd be here. Nine years ago, when he was quietly exiled, Suri had made his way here and settled into his new life at a refugee camp- one set up for those fleeing the Syrian Civil War. Since then, he's been a ghost.

     I ring Raleigh, getting a quick answer. "The Eagle has landed," I smile, putting the vehicle in gear.

     "Terrific," he responds, with a slight pause as I begin driving. "Sounds like you're rolling, too."

     "Confirmed," I smirk, looking for the gate out of the airport. "Nice of you to line me up with something so nice."

     "Well," he laughs. "I figured you'd be desert running at some point. Had my contacts set you up for that."

     "Tell them I said thanks," I ask, rolling down the tarmac towards a security exit. "Any intel updates while I was on my way?"

     "No, the plan should be the same," Raleigh chuckles. "Have fun, Adara."

     "Sounds good," I state, leaving the airport and entering the road. "Keep in touch."

- ~ -

     "Weapons?" The man asks, his hands tight on his rifle. His dusty sunglasses glint in the sun as I hold my hands up.

     "None," I answer simply, my eyes bouncing between the two other armed men behind him. Through the open door, I can see a stairway leading up in the four-story townhouse in the Zahriyeh district.

     "You sure?" He sneers, looking at my shawl. "If you're lying, this won't go well for you, girl."

     I scoff, my eyebrows narrowing as the two others inspect around me for any threats. Sure, buddy. If only you knew who you were talking to. Suri, allegedly, is involved with a local gang known as the Port Boys. These guys, belonging to a rival gang, have a Port Boy as a prisoner in this building.

     "Just let me do my job, man," I sigh, squinting as he smirks.

     "Then come in," he chuckles, the two at my sides joining with a laugh. "That way you can tell that guy to fucking pay up."

     Raleigh and Dom had managed to arrange a meeting to verify the kid's life under my fake identity. These guys think I'm a corrupt police officer hired by the Port Boys to make sure their member is alive. Only, the Port Boys don't know I'm here, much less that they'll pay anything.

     It's only these dunces that will pay anything.

     He leads me up the stairs, the two behind me talking in Arabic I don't understand. Probably something stupid. The steps creak beneath us as we make our way to the fourth floor, my eyes scanning the neighboring rooms for others. By the time I'd made it to the top landing, I'd counted two more.

    'Doable,' I think to myself, following the talkative one to a closed door. I hear movement through the door as he fishes for keys, jamming them in the keyhole, annoyed. Eventually, he pushes the door open, beckoning for me to walk in with a grin.

     My stomach drops as I see the kid in the room. He looks to be 13 or so, with a big black eye accompanying the numerous cuts on his face and arms. His ripped jeans rustle as he looks at me, a mix of terror and hope in his expression.

     "Take your video and get the fuck out," the man barks, nearly making me whip around and start fighting. I suppress the urge, though, pulling out my phone and training it on the poor kid. Dust covers the walls of the room, the wallpaper is busted in multiple places, and there are iron bars over the windows.

     "What's your name?" I ask, holding the lens on him. His eyes widen, his breathing heavy as his head whips between the four of us.

     I jump as a gunshot fires, blasting into the wooden floor next to the kid. He jumps back, his eyes watering as he looks up in pure fear. My whole body tenses as I look back, the first man screaming something at the kid in Arabic. "Basi!" The kid says in a panicked voice, earning a nod from the two behind me.

     "There's your proof," the main one says, jabbing my side with the barrel of his rifle. I wince as it digs into my skin, my rage boiling as he snickers. "Now get out and show whoever you need so we can get the cash."

     The phone drops from my hand as my body whips around, striking the man hard enough to make him drop his rifle. His body flies into the two others, caught off guard. They try to raise their guns, but lose their balance as the man tumbles into their knees. My hands find the first one's rifle, firing a volley of rounds into them as the gunfire rings through the room.

     I keep my eyes trained on them as I backpedal to the kid, grabbing his hand tightly. When the three don't move for a few seconds, I turn around and look the kid in the eye as the sounds of a few voices scream downstairs.

     "You stay behind me, do you understand?" I say simply, an edge to my voice as he nods sheepishly. "Good."

     I rush towards the door, raising my rifle and aiming towards the landing. One man rushes up the stairs, his progress being halted hastily with a couple of shots. He collapses, falling backwards and tumbling right back down. The creaking I'd heard earlier echoes through the building. Where was that?

     Right. I aim downwards, shooting a couple more rounds from the fourth floor through the staircase. I hear a scream from below, a sharp breath coming from my mouth. Anyone with training would've waited for me - but whatever. With how they kept this kid, I don't feel bad for this.

    'This won't go well for you, girl,' I think, scoffing as I lead the kid down the stairs and toward safety.

- ~ -

     "Thank you," the kid sniffs, taking the water bottle from my hand and gulping it down. Sirens wail a couple of blocks back, likely at the scene of the escape.

     "How did they even catch you?" I ask, tossing the guy's rifle into a dumpster and grabbing a rag from my pocket.

     "I walked into the wrong area," he weeps as I wipe his face with the rag. Dust and grime come off, hopefully keeping his cuts from getting infected. "They- they grabbed me."

     "You're safe now," I assure, standing up and scanning my surroundings. "I need you to help me with one thing, though."

     He looks at me, a flicker of anxiety behind his eyes. "What is it?"

     "Port Boys," I mutter, glancing down the alleyway from where we came. "Saleh's the big guy, yeah?"

     He gulps, looking away like he can't say anything. His lack of an answer, though, tells me everything I need to know. I crouch down next to him, his eyes meeting mine again.

     "I'll get you back safe," I promise, sighing as hope reappears in his eyes. "I just want to talk to him."

     "He doesn't usually talk to strangers," he stammers, furrowing his brow. "But I'll take you there."

     "Thank you, Basi," I smile, watching him eye the other water bottle in my pack. "Take it, you need it more than I do."

- ~ -

     I walk along the sidewalk, the sun beating down on us as we walk past storefronts and benches. The breeze whips by, blowing through my shawl as we come up on a large townhouse. One man sits on a bench near the door, eyeing the two of us as we approach. They go wide, though, when he looks at Basi.

     "Basi!" He exclaims, rushing over and embracing him. "Oh, you don't look so good."

     "Could've been worse," Basi says, trying to act tough following what just happened.

     "Who are you?" The man asks, his demeanor changing quickly as he sizes me up.

     "It's okay," Basi interjects, resting a hand on his arm. "She saved me."

     He squints, tilting his head slightly. "What's your name?"

     "Call me Vera," I answer, nodding at Basi. "And don't worry. If I wanted trouble, I wouldn't have busted Basi out of one of your rivals' strongholds in Zahriyeh."

     He studies me for a moment, trying to decode my intentions. "What do you want?"

     "I need to talk to Saleh," I correct, his eyebrow raising at the mention. His body tenses slightly as he stands up straight. "It's important." Basi's eyes bounce between the two of us, apprehension in his expression.

     "You armed?" He questions.

     "No," I respond quickly.

     "Bullshit," he fires back immediately.

     I sigh, pulling my shawl to my sides and exposing my plain clothes below. "I just need to talk to him."

     "I heard you the first time," he huffs, looking annoyedly at Basi and me. "Wait here."

     I nod in acceptance as he walks back up the steps. As he disappears inside, I sit down on the steps, trying to think about what to say to Suri. 'Hey man, I need you to bail the place that exiled you out. You cool with that?'

     Fuck.

     I sincerely hope he's not the guy the stories paint him to be. I never believed what they'd said about him, but if it was true... this guys not good news. He shouldn't-

     The doors open behind me, dust blowing off the steps from the speed of it. Three men step out, eyeing the two of us as I stand up slowly. The man in the middle... this must be Suri. He sports a rather short cut and stands at an above-average height. He looks my way, seemingly perplexed but with an undertone of something unfamiliar.

     I smile, and Suri walks towards me. "Saleh," I greet, extending my hand as Basi walks up the steps.

     "...Do I know you?" Suri questions, accepting the handshake and putting more force into it than I bargained for. He doesn't look like a prince; years had carved strength into his frame, honed seemingly by street combat and hard labor. "Gan out here said you wanted to speak with me."

     "That's right," I state quietly. "Could we go somewhere a bit more... secure?"

     His body language shifts momentarily, but returns to neutral quickly. That made him uncomfortable. "We can. Follow me," he motions. I walk up the steps, entering the townhouse. The two men and Basi follow, with Basi trying to close the door. It gets caught on the doorjam twice before he manages to close it.

     "Basi," Suri says, giving him a quick hug. "Thank God you're back. We'll talk here in a minute, alright?"

     Basi throws him a thumbs-up as the three of us continue forward, going up the stairs. This staircase also creaks under our feet as we rise, and I watch him turn a corner into a room on the left. I follow behind, the two men flanking me as we enter.

     That's when the two lunge at me, a fist flying towards me as the impact rocks me off balance.