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The nicker of a horse had her eyes turning to the exit and the group ofthem

Three of the riders instantly ju their reins loosely as an older rider dismounted and waved thee that Azir’s guards and the Matawa are preparing to leave the castle" The rider un holstered on belted leather

Looping the belt around his neck and under his arrabbed the rifle and looped it over the poe’s hips to help her onto the horse standing next to his

"Do they have a direction they suspect we’re riding to?" Abrae took the reins he pushed quickly to her

"To the"Ride hard and beat theet there before extraction"

He was American The sound of the Texas accent surprised her

"Good luck," he called out as Abraalloped froht

The thunder of horses’ hooves echoed around her, drowning out the sound of her heart raving in her chest

Abrae between them If it hadn’t been for her they wouldn’t have to run like this and the Mataouldn’t be chasing thees

Of course, if Azir hadn’t kidnapped her, none of this would have happened either

"Yassir is positioning his men to track Azir’s head hunters" Tariq called into the communication headset he wore "He’ll let us know if they head our way"

"He’ll head our way," Abram assured him "There are only a few usable locations for extraction and they aren’t that far apart"

They could pray and fight to get there first, but other than that it was out of their control, and that terrified her

The lack of control in both her emotions and responses to Abra She had been an independent woman with a job, a future, and the ability to make decisions for herself To risk death over such an idea was a nightht would beco this way, Abram," Tariq announced as they neared the base of the mountains that rose before theuards The Matawa coed direction"

Abrae of the trail, his curse searing the night

"They have watches" Tariq snapped "Possibly snipers"

"Azir doesn’t have any snipers and I doubt the Matawa do But Jafar would have thee’s voice tree

If she survived this then she would kill Jafar herself

"I don’t know" They were forced to slow the horses to a hard trot rather than a gallop

"We’ll take the next turn to the longer trail up the irls, is what sucks about these mountains We have no trails for the mountain wheels"

"Wouldn’t need them if we didn’t have to deal with the assholes in our farunted

"Lucked out there, didn’t we?" Abrareed as he turned his horse to another trail

"I wouldn’t call it luck" Paige interjected, a ed to get on God’s bad side that week, boys"

Silencechuckle echoed by Abrae to stay on soan there"

It was a brief sense of lightness in the tension that grew from the battle just to stay alive Theya curve that placed the jagged, sharp peaks of the huge boulders between the to block any sight of a sniper’s rifle, Paige thought

"Jafar has joined the along a trail that will catch up with us before the Matawa and Azir’s soldiers He’s riding in with a dozen er to the horses and to the up," Tariq assured hi it close"

"I didn’t necessarily want to si to hell in a handbasket, he thought, just as Azir had planned This had been what he orking for all along Not necessarily Abrae were made aware that Azir held his fate in the palm of his hand

He would kill himself first, Abram decided And he would be damned if he left that land for Jafar to take over with his terrorists He had recourse if he was forced to make that vow Azir and Jafar would find out just how far he illing to go to ensure they were destroyed if Paige and Tariq didn’t ht

"Yassir has made contactxtraction," Tariq reported "Their ETA is on ti in opposite the Matawa but Jafar’s hts black, night sensor engaged," Abram ordered "We’re the set nervous"

Tariq relayed the infore, her face so pale it was easily seen in the darkness

"We’ll make it," he promised her, even as he prayed he could keep that pro," Tariq stated "Yassir has lost sight of Jafar and his uessed, her gaze tracking the darkness as the first, weak rays of dawn began inning," Abram stated as he watched the shadows closely

Daasn’t far away Extraction should arrive withinthe presence

"Ten minutes," Tariq stated quietly "We’re almost horenades Is that not your Aht his horse slowly to a stop

"Let it go, Jafar," Abraone, you can control the province"