against the plastered wall, knees up. “If you’d stop talking,” she teased. Then sighed. “I’m okay, Daddy. I am. Really. They took good care of me at the base.”
“It’s German run, you know. But American personnel are there, too. You shouldn’t have had any problems.” He made a clicking noise. “Then again, it’s German run. If you had problems, I want to know. I can make some calls. Run a few butts up the flagpole.”
Another laugh. Ever the general. “No problems.” She thought of the handsome captain who’d put Fekiria on edge. “I need your advice though, Daddy.”
“Shoot.”
She smiled. Now he sounded in control of himself. “One of the soldiers was asking me about what happened, what I saw.”
“Good. They’d better find out who did this.”
“Your protective side is kicking in.”
“It never kicked
out
.”
Her father’s protective side unleashed something in her that she’d held close, tight. Her vision blurred. It was the headache. The exhaustion. That’s why she wanted to cry. But what she wouldn’t do for one of his thick-chested, strong-armed hugs right now. “I miss you, Daddy.”
“I miss you too, Z-baby.” His voice cracked. “I …”
“Please, don’t.” She didn’t need his “I told you so” lecture. Not now. He hadn’t wanted her to come to Afghanistan. It was unsafe … it was dangerous.
“There’s a reason your grandfather left that place.”
“Fair enough. But what I wouldn’t do to get you out of there, to change your mind,” he said. “But you come by that stubborn streak honestly. In fact, you got a double-barrel dose of it.”
Laughter was good medicine. The Word said so. And she believed it because the cloud that had hovered over her heart and life parted.
“You said you needed advice.”
“Right.” She cleared her mind and throat. “The captain wanted to ask me questions, but Fekiria wouldn’t let me answer him. She was afraid of the men at the school.”
“What men?”
“I … I don’t know who they were.” She rubbed the middle of her forehead, trying to think. “Fekiria and I noticed them before, but yesterday one of them all but threatened me.” She told her dad of the way he’d held Rashid and what he said. How they’d been in the lower basement. “He’s one of those men who makes my skin crawl.”
“Okay, you listen to me,” he said, General Zarrick front and center. Strange comfort always embraced her when he shifted into this role. “I want you to find a way back to that base. Do you remember the name of the soldier talking to you?”
“Watters, Captain Watters.”
“Okay, good. You get to that base and tell him everything you’ve told me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “So, you think it’s serious?”
“Z-baby, they blew up the school. This is beyond serious.” He grunted. “In fact, I don’t want you going back to the school.”
Zahrah swallowed, thinking about the children. This is how suppression prevailed. What was it they said? All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men—or women in her case—to do nothing. “Daddy, I can’t let the bullies stop me from teaching. They’ll win, but more important, the children will lose. They’ll lose so much.”
“Baby, if you’re dead, who’s going to fight that battle for you?”
Why did he always have to make sense? “I can’t just give up.”
“I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to arm our troops with information needed to put insurgents away, to give them time to rout this enemy. That’s what this captain needs to do. You need to stay low. You hearing me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s my girl. Now, I’m going to make some calls to a few friends. Make sure they look out for you.”
“Daddy.” Her heart climbed into her throat. “Please. Don’t. It will draw attention.”
“Attention’s already been drawn. We’re beyond that.”
“But … the children—”
“Need protection. That’s why our troops are
“It’s German run, you know. But American personnel are there, too. You shouldn’t have had any problems.” He made a clicking noise. “Then again, it’s German run. If you had problems, I want to know. I can make some calls. Run a few butts up the flagpole.”
Another laugh. Ever the general. “No problems.” She thought of the handsome captain who’d put Fekiria on edge. “I need your advice though, Daddy.”
“Shoot.”
She smiled. Now he sounded in control of himself. “One of the soldiers was asking me about what happened, what I saw.”
“Good. They’d better find out who did this.”
“Your protective side is kicking in.”
“It never kicked
out
.”
Her father’s protective side unleashed something in her that she’d held close, tight. Her vision blurred. It was the headache. The exhaustion. That’s why she wanted to cry. But what she wouldn’t do for one of his thick-chested, strong-armed hugs right now. “I miss you, Daddy.”
“I miss you too, Z-baby.” His voice cracked. “I …”
“Please, don’t.” She didn’t need his “I told you so” lecture. Not now. He hadn’t wanted her to come to Afghanistan. It was unsafe … it was dangerous.
“There’s a reason your grandfather left that place.”
“Fair enough. But what I wouldn’t do to get you out of there, to change your mind,” he said. “But you come by that stubborn streak honestly. In fact, you got a double-barrel dose of it.”
Laughter was good medicine. The Word said so. And she believed it because the cloud that had hovered over her heart and life parted.
“You said you needed advice.”
“Right.” She cleared her mind and throat. “The captain wanted to ask me questions, but Fekiria wouldn’t let me answer him. She was afraid of the men at the school.”
“What men?”
“I … I don’t know who they were.” She rubbed the middle of her forehead, trying to think. “Fekiria and I noticed them before, but yesterday one of them all but threatened me.” She told her dad of the way he’d held Rashid and what he said. How they’d been in the lower basement. “He’s one of those men who makes my skin crawl.”
“Okay, you listen to me,” he said, General Zarrick front and center. Strange comfort always embraced her when he shifted into this role. “I want you to find a way back to that base. Do you remember the name of the soldier talking to you?”
“Watters, Captain Watters.”
“Okay, good. You get to that base and tell him everything you’ve told me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “So, you think it’s serious?”
“Z-baby, they blew up the school. This is beyond serious.” He grunted. “In fact, I don’t want you going back to the school.”
Zahrah swallowed, thinking about the children. This is how suppression prevailed. What was it they said? All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men—or women in her case—to do nothing. “Daddy, I can’t let the bullies stop me from teaching. They’ll win, but more important, the children will lose. They’ll lose so much.”
“Baby, if you’re dead, who’s going to fight that battle for you?”
Why did he always have to make sense? “I can’t just give up.”
“I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to arm our troops with information needed to put insurgents away, to give them time to rout this enemy. That’s what this captain needs to do. You need to stay low. You hearing me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s my girl. Now, I’m going to make some calls to a few friends. Make sure they look out for you.”
“Daddy.” Her heart climbed into her throat. “Please. Don’t. It will draw attention.”
“Attention’s already been drawn. We’re beyond that.”
“But … the children—”
“Need protection. That’s why our troops are
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