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Back By Way of Deception
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Character List
  6. February 2018
  7. Chapter 1
  8. Chapter 2
  9. Chapter 3
  10. Chapter 4
  11. Chapter 5
  12. Chapter 6
  13. Chapter 7
  14. Chapter 8
  15. Chapter 9
  16. Chapter 10
  17. April 2018: (Three Months Later)
  18. Chapter 11
  19. Chapter 12
  20. September 2020: (Two Years Later)
  21. Chapter 13
  22. Chapter 14
  23. Chapter 15
  24. Chapter 16
  25. October 2020: (One Week Later)
  26. Chapter 17
  27. Chapter 18
  28. Chapter 19
  29. Chapter 20
  30. Chapter 21
  31. Chapter 22
  32. November 2020: (One Month Later)
  33. Chapter 23
  34. Chapter 24
  35. Chapter 25
  36. Chapter 26
  37. Chapter 27
  38. Chapter 28
  39. Chapter 29
  40. Chapter 30
  41. Chapter 31
  42. Chapter 32
  43. December 2020: (Four Days Later)
  44. Chapter 33
  45. Chapter 34
  46. Chapter 35
  47. Chapter 36
  48. Chapter 37
  49. Chapter 38
  50. Chapter 39
  51. Chapter 40
  52. Chapter 41
  53. Chapter 42
  54. June 2021: (Six Months Later)
  55. Chapter 43
  56. Chapter 44
  57. Chapter 45
  58. Chapter 46
  59. Chapter 47
  60. Chapter 48
  61. July 2021: (Three Weeks Later)
  62. Chapter 49
  63. Chapter 50
  64. Chapter 51
  65. August 2021: (One Month Later)
  66. Chapter 52
  67. Chapter 53
  68. Chapter 54
  69. Chapter 55
  70. Chapter 56
  71. Chapter 57
  72. Chapter 58
  73. Chapter 59
  74. Chapter 60
  75. Chapter 61
  76. Chapter 62
  77. Chapter 63
  78. Chapter 64
  79. Chapter 65
  80. September 2021: (One Week Later)
  81. Chapter 66
  82. Authors’ Note
  83. “It Was the Perfect Day—Until the Gunfire.”
  84. Behold Israel

Then the door opened, and her breathing stopped completely. Officer Kazemi walked in. His eyes were completely black now, and his nose was still packed with gauze. He spoke to himself as he circled behind her. Although she couldn’t understand the words, his tone was enough to tell her all she needed to know about his intentions.

“God, if you are really there, please help me!”

Now Kazemi stood in front of her, staring down with hatred. With remarkable speed, his arm swung and connected with her abdomen. All the air expelled from her lungs as she doubled over, and then she retched as she gasped for air. The pain was like nothing she’d ever felt. Another blow landed, this one to the side of her head. Her vision grayed, and she continued trying to draw oxygen into her lungs.

A hand grabbed her hair and lifted her head. Kazemi’s fist was poised to strike. But then the door flew open and slammed against the wall.

“Baseh digeh!”

Kazemi released Nicole’s hair, and her chin dropped to her chest.

“Baseh digeh!” the voice repeated. “Enough!”

A harsh rasp accompanied every hard suck of air Nicole took. Digging deep, she found the strength to lift her head. Standing in the doorway was the man in the suit. He held a paper in one hand as he spoke rapidly to Kazemi, who quickly backed away from her.

The suit man looked back through the doorway and snapped his fingers, waving someone in. A fully veiled woman hustled inside carrying a large bowl in one hand and a white cloth in the other. Before Nicole could determine her intentions, her vision once again grayed, then went black.

April 2018: (Three Months Later)

APRIL 2018

(THREE MONTHS LATER)

Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

THREE MONTHS LATER

YAEL DIAMONDS, ANTWERP, BELGIUM—APRIL 30, 2018—18:20 / 6:20 P.M. CEST

Nir kept the video stream on pause as Mila set two ceramic mugs on his glass-topped desk in his office. Around to his left, he’d dragged one of the two leather chairs that normally sat opposite him so she would have a view of his computer screen as well. As she sat, he prepared to click Play, but the aroma from the mugs caught his attention. He turned and saw a tower of whipped cream dusted with cocoa powder. A sprig of some sort of greenery gave a splash of color to the concoction.

“That is not the coffee I asked for.”

“Oh, really?” Mila answered innocently, never taking her eyes from the screen. She was tall, thin, and fair-skinned with hair she kept short and tight. Several years ago, her husband, deciding that 28 and blond were more interesting than 50-something and salt-and-pepper, had left. Not long after that, Nir was looking for a new receptionist/executive assistant/office manager/personal barista.