Andrew Salam stepped out from behind the bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson and asked,“Are you alone?”
Twenty-three-year-old Nura Khalifa nodded. Her thick, dark hair spilled over her shoulders, stopping just above her breasts. Beneath her thin jacket, he could make out the curves of her body, the narrowness of her waist. For a moment, he believed he could even smell her perfume, though it was more likely the scent of cherry blossoms blown by a faint breeze across the tidal basin. He shouldn’t be meeting her at night and alone like this. It was a mistake.
Actually, the mistake was allowing his lust for her to cloud his judgment. Salam knew better. She was a gorgeous, desirable woman, but she was also his asset. He had recruited her and he was responsible for the tenor of their relationship. No matter how perfect he thought they could be for each other, no matter how badly he wanted to feel, just once, her lips and that body pressed against his as he buried his nose in the nape of her neck and drank in the smell of her, he couldn’t crumble. FBI agents controlled their emotions, not the other way around.
Shutting out his desire, Andrew Salam remained professional. “Why did you contact me?”
“Because I needed to see you,” said Nura as she moved toward him.
He thought about holding out his hand to stop her. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself if she got any closer.Then he saw the tears that stained her face and, without thinking, opened up his arms.
Nura came to him and he pulled her into his chest. As she sobbed, his head fell to the crown of her head and he allowed his face to brush against her hair. He was playing with fire.
As quickly as he had allowed her to come to him, he knew it was wrong and he gently pushed her away until he was holding her by both shoulders at arm’s length.“What happened?”
“My uncle’s the target,” she stammered.
Salam was stunned.“Are you sure?”
“I think they’ve already hired the assassin.” “Hold on, Nura. People just don’t go out and hire assassins,” began Salam, but she interrupted him.
“They said the threat has grown too great and it needs to be dealt with, now.”
Salam bent down so he could look into her eyes.“Did they mention your uncle by name?”
“No, but they didn’t have to. I know he’s the target.”
“How do you know?”
“They’ve been asking lots of questions about him and what he’s working on.Andrew, we have to do something.We have to find him and warn him. Please.”
“We will,” said Salam as he looked around.“I promise. But first, I need to know everything you’ve heard, no matter how small.”
Nura was trembling.
“How did you get here?” he asked as he removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
“I took the Metro, why?”
Though the couple had the memorial all to themselves at this time of night, Salam was uncomfortable about being out in the open. He had a strange feeling that they were being watched. “I’d feel better if we went someplace else. My car is parked nearby.Are you up to taking a walk?”
Nura nodded and Salam put his arm around her as they exited the statue chamber.
Continue reading The Last Patriot excerpt.
