BooksBarbecue
Back The Occurrence Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

She wore a hijab, and gasped when she saw Nazir had distracted the students.

The students at recess, Mariam and Nazir stood in the back of the empty classroom.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

“Hiding.”

“Did you hear about the raid on the dry cleaners?”

“Yes. And your father’s death. I’m sorry.”

He touched her cheek.

She blushed in the unexpected intimacy and stepped back.

“How did they find him?”

“I don’t know.” But it was a lie. He knew Hashim told the FBI about the farmhouse in Pennsylvania.

She looked out the window at her students playing in the courtyard. He stood beside her, and could see in her tears that now she felt more alone than ever.

She had told him the night they’d met that her mother had been collateral damage from a U.S. Forces air raid when Mariam was young. And he knew her father, Sayyid, was her one connection to family and tradition. He also knew she’d had a sheltered youth, and he’d come closest to her feeling of belonging. He knew his presence brought that longing back.

He wanted to tell her the truth of why he was here. He wanted to tell her about the experience in the desert, about what had happened to him and Hashim since, but needed her to believe he was still who he had been. So he stayed silent. Maybe, at some point, he could speak the truth. But not now.

He looked at her with love and sadness. Love for the life they might have had, sadness for the lies he still had to tell.

“Can you get me a meeting with Pashtar?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered. “But why?”

“It’s best you don’t know that right now.”

He took her hand. It was damp and trembling. He knew his coming back would break her heart.

85

85

The club was packed and loud when Nazir met with Pashtar Abbas. Pashtar was in his forties, and in spite of—or maybe because of—his large, brooding frame, he was attractive to both the men and women who clustered around his corner table in the club. More likely, it was because he was rich and powerful. These were things he would never be under the Islamic State. But here, Pashtar had made himself a conduit into an underground world, and access to terrorist cells.

In the room full of partiers, Nazir caught Pashtar’s attention.

He also saw a young man being quietly escorted out of the club in a chokehold.

The back room of the club was quiet. Soundproofing provided isolation from the noise on the other side of the walls. Nazir also sensed the isolation kept what noise happened in here from reaching other ears.

“As-salamu alaykum,” Pashtar said as he eyed Nazir. His words were clipped, like shots.

“Wa-Alaikum-Salaam,” Nazir responded.

Pashtar embraced him.