Kamal lifted his own and drank. Then addressing the general once more, he said, “Speaking of your militias, if we act against the Saudi regime, can you give me the support of the Houthi rebels? I will make a promise to them to stop the air attacks into Yemen. They will be free to do whatever they want in their own country.”

“That, my new friend, I believe I can deliver to you.” He stood and walked to Kamal, and the two men clinked their glasses together.

Saad stood as well. “I think that concludes our business for now. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a swim in the indoor pool.”

Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

ONE WEEK LATER

EIGHT ROW FLINT, HOUSTON, TEXAS—OCTOBER 14, 2020—18:30 / 6:30 P.M. CDT

The first flavor coming through was the freshness of the corn tortilla. Then the toastiness of the masa was followed by the char of the onions, the brightness of the crema, and the “pow” of the cilantro. Listed on the menu as a brussels sprout taco, the eponymous vegetable took a back seat to the surrounding players. Nicole indulged in a second bite even before she’d completely swallowed the first.

“This is remarkable,” she said, her mouth half full, returning what was left of the small taco to her plate.

“Isn’t it, though?” Alicia Marcos covered her full mouth as she responded with a laugh. The remnants of the taco she held revealed shrimp, carrots, some kind of white root vegetable, and little black specks that looked like peppercorns or sesame seeds. “I’m so glad you encouraged me to try someplace different. I get into such a routine when I’m in work mode.”

Alicia’s ancestors had migrated north from San Luis Potosí three generations back, and she carried their coloring in her bronze skin and jet-black hair, which she kept shoulder-length, probably to keep it out of her paints. On the shorter side yet thin and wiry from all the exertion required by her artistic medium, she would be considered everyday beautiful. Her face might never grace the cover of a magazine, but the joy of her wide smile and the brightness in her rich brown eyes would cause any man to thank the Lord for blessing him with such a gorgeous wife.

“Speaking of work mode, you’ve got a little…” Nicole reached her hand across the small bar table and indicated the left side of her friend’s jawline.

Alicia laughed. “What colors? I’m assuming some blue.”

“And a little bit of red.”

The artist shrugged. “That’s my life. I’ve found paint splatters in places that seem contrary to the laws of physics. I used to go over myself in a full-length mirror after cleaning up, but now I just do a quick glance and figure that whatever I miss is an occupational hazard.”