seth jerked the door open. “Remember, count to five,” he said. He bolted from the hut.
Miriam dropped to a knee and began to count. Gunfire filled the desert air. Several rifles and at least one automatic weapon. How could he escape that?
In three out of four they miss, he’d said. What about that fourth?
Miriam rushed the last three counts, gathered herself, and then sprinted through the door. The black cars were lined up in a half-moon. At least six of them had their doors open, weapons trained on the shanty.
“Stop firing!” The driver from the car on the far left, Omar’s driver, ran toward the hut. “It’s the woman!” The gunfire ceased.
Miriam slipped at the corner, scrambled to her feet, and tore around the hut. Then she was at the car, panting. Seth sat behind the wheel, waving her in.
“Hurry!”
“I am!” Miriam clambered around the back, threw the front door open, and dived in. “Go!”
“When we get to the Mercedes on the far left, I need you to get out,” Seth said. “They still don’t know that Omar has divorced you. You’ll be safe. I won’t be—”
“I understand,” she said. “It’s Omar’s car. His driver’s in the hut now. Drive!”
“That’s right. Don’t worry about the tires—”
“Go! Hurry!”
Seth threw the stick into reverse. The car shot backward, throwing sand. They cleared the shack. A dozen rifles spun their way.
“We’re cutting it close,” Seth said. “Omar’s up.”
He jerked the stick into drive and roared for the abandoned Mercedes. Gunfire popped across the sand. Metal pinged and one of the tires blew. They flew, and Miriam was sure they would slam into the hood of the car.
Seth hit the brakes at the last moment, and they slid to a stop, inches from Omar’s car, nose-to-nose.
Miriam shoved her door open and stumbled out.
Immediately the gunfire stopped. Once again, the men’s fear of Omar worked against him. She leaped to her feet, swung around the open door, and ran for the driver’s side of Omar’s Mercedes.
Seth ran for the other door, protected by the heavy car.
Miriam slid into the driver’s seat. Seth piled in beside her.
Omar and his driver spilled out of the hut.
Beside her, Seth was smiling. “Take us out of here, honey.”
She pushed the accelerator to the floor. They slammed into the car they’d just vacated.
“Sorry, I saw that coming,” Seth said. “Other way.”
She dropped the gearshift into reverse, and they spun backward in a tight loop. Something thumped into the car. Two more. Bullets! Then a whole row along the rear windshield. She glanced at Seth and saw that he was still grinning.
“Any other car, we’d be dead,” Seth said. “This one’s bulletproof. Literally. Omar’s parting gift.”
Of course! “Ha!”
“That’s right, ha!” he mimicked.
“The tires?”
“No chance.”
“Ha!” She slammed the steering wheel in elation. They roared over the sand, leaving the circle of cars behind in their dust.
“Left or right?” she asked.
“Left, back to the highway. Then south, toward Jidda.”
Miriam pushed the car to a breakneck speed. For a full minute neither spoke. She glanced at the rearview mirror—a plume of dust rose from the dirt road.
“They’re following!”
“Don’t worry, we have an ace behind the wheel,” Seth said. “I told you your driving would come in handy.”
“We were nearly killed back there!” she objected. “What if they call ahead and have the road blocked? We’re in Omar’s territory now, not the United States.”
“Omar may try to block the road. But your father will withdraw his support now. The coup will crumble. King Abdullah will regain the upper hand. Khalid and Omar will be forced to run for their lives. Think about it, Miriam, they have no use for you now. Neither does King Abdullah. You are no longer their pawn.”
She thought through his analysis. It made perfect sense.
“You see all this?”
“No. I don’t see anything now. It’s gone.”
She looked at him, alarmed. “Then how can you be so sure?”
“Because I saw enough when I did see to know how this works.
I’m pretty sure my days of seeing are over. We’ll have to wander around in the dark now, but I’m not sure that’s so bad, are you? Have a little faith.” He grinned. “We’re free, princess. Trust me, we’re free.”
Seth pulled Omar’s phone from his pocket and dialed a long number. He looked at her and let it ring.
“Clive? Hello, Clive—”
Seth listened for a moment.
“Easy, my friend. Omar’s divorced Miriam. The sheik is withdrawing his support. The coup is history. I have Miriam now and we’re headed for the embassy in Jidda. Yes. Please have it open for us. I’ll explain later. In the meantime, tell the State Department to call the sheik. He’ll confirm everything.”
Seth cut the connection.
They drove in silence for several long minutes. The plume of dust still hung on the horizon behind them, but if she wasn’t mistaken, it was farther behind than it had been a few seconds ago.
They reached the highway and Miriam turned south toward Jidda. Seth was right; Omar would have more on his mind than chasing down a woman he’d just divorced. He would be fortunate to survive the night.
It occurred to Miriam that she and Seth had begun their relationship like this, in a car fleeing south over miles of pavement. A Saudi princess and an American outlaw. Bonnie and Clyde. Stranded between two cultures. When would the running stop? Where were they running to? What future awaited them?
Only God knew. Love.
Emotion swept over her like a tide. The road blurred and she blinked her sight clear.
“I don’t think I can live without you, Seth.”
“As long as I’m alive, you won’t have to,” he said. “I swear it. I won’t let them take you back. Do you hear me?”
Miriam wasn’t sure why, but she began to cry softly. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.
“I love you, Seth. I love you very much,” she said.
“I love you, Miriam. I will always love you.”