“What are you doing?” Leila asked.
“You stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.” He slid off the bike. Before she could say anything else, he turned and jogged to the apartment building.
Leila dismounted. What was he after that he had to actually come to her apartment, risking getting them both imprisoned and interrogated? At the rushing sound of an approaching car, she backed away from the motorbike and shrank into the branches of a bush, ignoring the pricks in her arms and back. The car sped by, not even slowing down.
She released a long breath but didn’t dare relax yet. They probably only had minutes until someone came looking for them. She threw another glance at the apartment building. Xander disappeared into the front door, which reflected a flash of sunlight as it swung shut.
Leila held the back of her neck as she watched the door, wishing Xander would hurry and pop back out. Every second was a lifetime. Every rustle of leaves was someone reaching for her. Her heart thrummed in her throat. He’d been gone for at least a minute. Then another thought hit her that turned her blood cold.
What if agents are already inside, waiting? She raked her fingers along the top of her head. How did they get into this mess? If only she hadn’t stayed silent. She should have started talking about Faris right away.
Curse her stubbornness. Once the pain had started, the man didn’t seem to care about what she had to say about Faris between cries. With the tips of her fingers, she gently felt her aching cheek. Stop deflecting, he’d said, and then hit her harder.
An SUV turned onto the street. White with windows tinted dark enough she couldn’t make out the driver. Her pulse resumed a quick speed. Coming from her left, it would reach the apartment building before it passed her, so she darted out of the bush and ducked behind the nearest car. It wasn’t exactly a better hiding place, but at least she wasn’t standing around asking to get shot.
Her mouth was as dry as the Sahara when she peered over the trunk. The vehicle slowed as it approached and came to a stop in front of the complex. She lowered her head, peeking between dirty tires as several pairs of black boots hit the pavement, stomping toward the building.
Leila peeped around the bumper. A man pounded on the door and yelled some command to open. From across the street, it was difficult to make out the exact words. Xander would never be able to get out of there without them seeing him. It was only a matter of time before they found her too.
The watchman came to the door but the conversation was too quiet for her to follow. Then the men streamed into the building.
“No, Xander, no,” Leila whispered. They were after her. She might as well turn herself in before they could do any damage. There’s no other way out of this. I have to go. She swallowed, pushed herself up a few inches, then stopped.
Quick footsteps came from behind. With a gasp, she sat up and looked over her shoulder. Xander crouched next to her, breathing heavily.
“All right,” he hissed before she could react. “They’re busy with the flat. I left the TV on and opened a back window. Should distract them for a minute.” He shoved a backpack into her hands. “Carry this.”
Still amazed he’d managed to slip away, Leila slid the backpack straps over her shoulders and nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”
Xander pressed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her in her spot. “Not yet.”
Everything was quiet, for one, two, three seconds. Then banging noises and muffled shouts drifted across the street.
“They’re inside,” Xander said. “Now.”
They sprang to their feet and raced to the motorbike. Within seconds, they were both sitting on top. Leila grabbed Xander’s waist just as the bike lurched forward. She couldn’t hear what was happening over the roar of the motor, but she watched from the corner of her eye as the black uniforms rushed out the door, their heads turning as the motorbike raced down the street.
The rushing wind filled her ears and dark strands whipped around her face as Xander sped through the neighborhood. She swallowed a scream every time he ran a stop sign and cut corners too close.
After a few minutes of zigzagging across Saqqara, she threw a glance over her shoulder. The white SUV was behind them, gaining fast. She tightened her hold around Xander’s waist, but instead of trying to shake the agents off, Xander began to slow.
“What are you doing?” Leila yelled over the sound of the wind and motor. Was he giving up?
Xander didn’t answer. Instead, he kept the speed steady, allowing the SUV to approach. His muscles tightened, arms stiff. He was up to something.
Moments later, the vehicle was so close, Leila could simply reach to the side and touch the bug-splattered grill. She turned her head away from the car, her stomach churning. The idea of having to see that man again was terrifying.
Without warning, Xander banked to the right, turning so sharply their knees scraped the pavement. Leila squeezed herself against him, yelping in surprise.
He righted the bike, then took a sudden left turn down a narrow alley—too narrow for a large vehicle. The SUV screeched to a halt. Leaving their pursuer in their dust, they shot past sheets hanging from clotheslines and underneath stone arches spanning over the narrow lane. The vehicle couldn’t follow them even if the driver tried.
Xander took a few more sudden, seemingly random turns, before Leila dared look behind them again. No SUV in sight. She let out a long, shaky breath. They’d escaped.
They merged onto a busy street, blending into the traffic, weaving in and out of lanes. The motorbike rumbled beneath them as they cruised over a bridge stretching across the Nile, then followed the curves of the river for a few miles.
To Leila’s surprise, they ended their drive at a harbor near Giza. Dusty, peeling signs for ferries, Nile cruises, and touristy donut boats all competed for her attention with faded letters. Xander ignored the signs and parked in front of the entrance to a rectangular dahabiya boat with a triangle-shaped sail on each end. He walked straight to the man in a white captain’s uniform, and they spoke for a few minutes, their conversation ending when Xander pressed a wad of cash into the man’s hand. Then Xander jogged back to where Leila waited with the motorbike.
“We’re on,” he said and jerked his head toward the boat. He grabbed the motorbike handles and walked it up the ramp and into the vessel.
Leila followed, not sure if she should be relieved or worried. He must be trying to throw off their trail and she supposed it made sense. Since they were on a bike, the agents probably wouldn’t look for them on a boat. It might work.
Xander left the motorbike near the entrance, then disappeared into the lower deck. Leila walked after him. The area was filled with white tables lining the panoramic windows that offered a sweeping view of the Nile.
They were the only ones on board.
Xander waited against the back wall, away from the windows.
“Did you rent the entire boat?” Leila asked as the vessel floated away from the dock. She set the backpack on one of the tables.
“I did.” He watched her for a moment, his jaw twitching as if he was going to say more. Then he pulled his shirt over his head.
“Uh…” Leila knitted her brows together as he tossed his shirt aside. Okay, it was a nice view with the river, the pyramids, and Xander’s chiseled physique. But this seemed like a weird moment to—
He flipped out a pocketknife and handed it to her.
Leila blinked. “What’s this for?”
“I need you to do me a favor.” He motioned to the backpack.
