Chapter 13: "The First Hits"

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13 April, 2019 (rough idea)

Written on 29 October, 2019

Her heart sank. He should never have been here, she realized. Of all the people locked by the cross-wires tonight, Zayn was the only outsider. He had nothing to do with the family feud or Sthooriya’s bloody politics.

“I believe on their part," Burak Kaka said, "it was just a precaution to ensure --"

“Why did dad choose him?” Salma cut in sharply, jerking her head towards Zayn.

Zayn, who had been sitting with his arms folded, gave her a hard, incredulous stare. It was clear that he could not believe she kept rubbing her displeasure of him being there into his face.

“Well, you heard your father. He was the best --“

“Dad could have gone with Sarah!” Salma interrupted the Green Coat again. “Agha Gul doesn’t know her either, and she’s strong and very good at protecting me.”

Zayn clenched his jaws, trying to bite down the urge to snap at her. The agent sucked in a deep breath, refilling his cup.

“Would you rather your friend gets in danger?” he asked.

“I beg your pardon?” Salma narrowed her eyes. “Are you implying Zayn is expendable?”

Zayn’s eyes snapped at her, her reply catching him off guard. Burak too, cocked a brow, not expecting her to react like that.

“Every time y’all think I’m in danger, you think he’s the guy to use as a shield?” Salma continued. “Do you realize he has a family? Friends? People that care --“

“Bee, I really don’t mind --“

“Quiet!” Salma snapped sharply, startling them both. “Have you ever thought of Niall before jumping in onto your heroics? Does Claire mean nothing to you? What do you think would happen to your grandpa if you get caught in the cross-fire?!”

Zayn blinked, at a loss for words. He wasn’t sure what to make of her sudden outburst and concern for his life and safety.

“Why does it always have to be him?!” Salma turned to Burak again. “He’s an outsider that shouldn’t be involved in --”

“Many apologies for the intrusion, Miss Rahman,” Zayn said in a restrained tone, having had enough. “Let me know when you find an insider to replace me. I’ll be more than happy show myself out!”

Kicking his chair down, he stormed out of the room, away from her, a second time that night. Zayn had trouble digesting the fact that even at a time like this, her only problem was the fact that he was the one helping her out. It was almost as if he being nice to her or helping her got in the way of her hating him freely, and she did not wanted her distasteful feelings for him tainted, or otherwise confused.

The Green Coat looked around awkwardly, having witnessed yet another spat between the hot-headed couple within the time frame of a few hours.

“I need air,” Salma muttered, following after Zayn.

“Don’t stray too far,” Burak called after her.

Cold air hit her the moment she stepped out. Salma closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her, heaving a sigh as the wind whistled between the trees surrounding the cottage.

“What are you doing?”

Salma opened her eyes at Zayn’s exasperated question. He was leaning against the cottage wall, a deep frown etched on his forehead and his hands stuffed into the pocket of his jeans.

“Excuse me?” Salma raised a brow.

“You’re clearly not thrilled that I’m here,” Zayn said, “I’m trying my best to give you space. Why follow me outside when --"

“I cannot be alone with him. He’s not my Mahram,” she cut him mid-sentence. “But you are.”

Zayn stared at her, not sure what to make of her reply. Both of them looked away at the same time, feeling the awkwardness seep into the air around them.

The few minutes of freezing stillness seemingly stretched into long years of silence. Salma could feel her back burning under his uneasy glances thrown her way. As her fingers turned numb with cold, Salma decided to go inside.

“You should come in,” she muttered to Zayn. “The air is getting chillier.”

He said nothing. Salma shrugged his silence off.

“I don’t like people lying or faking it with me,” Zayn replied, making her pause with her hand on the door knob. “You don’t have to act like you care, you know.”

Salma turned to him to see him looking straight ahead with his head resting against the wall in a resigned manner.

“I care,” Salma returned in a ‘get-your-facts-straight’ tone. “My inability to trust you or like you is not mutually exclusive to my ability to want you safe and alive.”

Turning the knob, she went in feeling frustrated. How many people did she have to explain it to? Her dislike for someone did not automatically add up to her wanting to cause them harm.

***

July 1st, 2020

Zayn zigzagged between the trees, taking cover behind a large willow, trying to disappear. Muddled by Salma’s confusing words and behaviour, Zayn had started strolling down a narrow trail near the forest. It took him a while to realize he had strayed too far and by the time he caught up with his absentmindedness, he was already aware of movement around him. Zayn figured he was being followed. Friends or foes did not matter. He deemed it best to move away from the cottage and went deeper into the woods as he tried to lose the person tailing him. Pressing flat against the willow, he strained his ears, listening. His heart thumped loudly in his ears, and that was about the only sound he heard.

A twig snapped.

Zayn crouched. Careful as he could be, he quietly peeked around the tree to his right. He saw a silhouette cautiously moving towards him. Zayn barely had a chance to comprehend what happened next.

In mere seconds, he found himself on the forest floor in a naked choke-hold, squeezing the breath out of him. Zayn struggled, taking blind hits behind him. He could feel the rough bristles of the man's stubble digging into his knuckles. The man tightened his hold. He locked his legs around Zayn's torso, immobilising him, countering all of his attempts to shift so he could throw the assailant's off. Zayn's ears numbed and pressure built up behind his eyeballs. He could feel himself blackening out.

***

Salma pulled her foot back and aimed a good kick at his head. The attacker would not yield so she kicked him again. This time, she heard him groan but she was past her patience for her weak kicks. Crouching down, she brought an onslaught of punches on his eyes and nose that bewildered the the giant of a man. He let out a growl of an annoyed hound, let go of Zayn and pushed him off to attend to her instead, but Salma was quick to act when given the chance. Grabbing a rock nearby, she brought it cracking around his skull before he could face her fully. Not waiting to see his dark silhouette hit the ground, Salma stepped around his body to Zayn, who seemed to be on all fours, struggling to breathe.

"C'mon!" Salma urged, lifting his arm around her shoulders. "We need to get out of here!"

Zayn nodded through his rough breathing. Salma could feel his chest heaving and sighing laboriously as he took deep, rattling breaths of some much needed oxygen. Zayn found his feet under him, trying to support his weight as Salma navigated the trees. He was still dizzy when they reached the cottage.

Salma pushed him towards a chair with an utter disregard for grace and elegance. It was not her fault. He was heavy and she was not built for weightlifting. Zayn steadied himself and the chair before all three of them would have their butts smiling at the sky. He slumped on the seat. Salma dodged under his arm to get him some water.

She came back to see Zayn with his head resting on the table. Did he doze off?

“Will you be alright?” Salma asked, concerned. He seemed drained.

“Yeah,” Zayn rasped, accepting the water.

Salma winced. Zayn noticed her eyeing his elbow with a disturbed look on her face.

Zayn turned to his elbow to see the skin scratched and blood staining half his harm. The wound stung. It must have been with the rough contact with some sharp rock on the forest floor.

Salma scampered to get a first aid kit.

“Let me take a look at it,” she muttered, pulling a chair behind him and opening the box.

“It's not that bad,” Zayn muttered, biting back a wince as she applied a generous amount of disinfectant.

“Still needs cleaning,” Salma replied. “You're lucky I found you. Could have been much worse.”

“How'd you find me?” Zayn asked, wincing despite himself. The wound seared as the disinfected sizzled on it.

“I went out to ask you to come in for a bite when I saw a movement on the narrow path near the trees,” she replied. “I thought it was you so I followed. Then I saw someone jump in the dark and there was a lot of struggling behind a clump of trees. I saw you getting choked when I rounded it.”

“It was you . . .”

“Pardon?”

“I heard someone follow me so I hid behind the tree. I saw your shadow coming towards me but by then, the man had attacked.”

They both became silent, as Salma bandaged Zayn's arm. Salma wondered if Zayn was thinking the same. They had just messed up big time and Agent Tufan would probably whoop their behinds if he found out.

“Thanks,” he said after Salma finished. He felt his bandaged arm.

“Don't mention it,” Salma replied, clearing away the mess. “You have a habit of getting hurt when we're in some wooden cabin in a forest.”

Zayn smiled. It felt weird to have her talk to him . . . no yelling, no taunts, no tears and sarcastic bickering. Just an exchange of words like normal adults.

“I don't just mean the bandage,” Zayn said, trying to get out of his head. He knew it would not be long before she went back to normal. Their caustic normal.  “You saved my life.”

“Wouldn't need saving if you weren't pushed into my mess.” Salma heaved a sigh as she got up. She shut the box and moved away.

The silence returning to the sitting room suddenly made Zayn aware of the problem staring him in the face.

“I don't think this place is safe,” he said as Salma stepped out of the kitchen. “I thought your dad said there were people making sure we weren't followed?”

Salma said nothing, feeling a cold creep up her back.  Did someone die trying to protect her?

“There were people in place.”

“Someone must have outted us,” Zayn said, getting to his feet. He felt spooked. Like a bullet would wheeze through the air any moment to kill one of them.

“Impossible!” Dad's subor – his friends are some of the finest agents,” Salma quickly corrected herself to keep her father’s profession a secret. She was trying to reassure herself of the Green Coats' loyalty just as much as him.

“I don't mean to make you miserable but you should entertain all eventualities. We just got attacked in a hideout only your dad and his agent friends know --“

“I'll just go call Burak Kaka and see what should be done.” Salma walked away from him. The idea of a Green Coat outing them rattled her too much.

“Burak Kaka?” Salma went to the room and knocked softly. “Burak kaka?”

No reply.

They exchanged a look.

Zayn walked over to her. He knocked on the door sharply.

“Agent Tufan?”

They were met with silence. On impulse, Zayn pushed Salma behind him and yanked the door open. The room was empty. Salma's heart went into an overdrive.

“Where'd he go?” Salma asked as her eyes did a frantic sweep-over of the empty room while Zayn checked the bathroom. “He said he was praying 'ishaa.”

Zayn moved past her back into the sitting room. He did a quick search of the kitchen and the small pantry next to it. The Green Coat was nowhere in the house.

“I don't think he's here.” Salma said when Zayn came back to the bedroom. She pointed to the open window as the wind drifted the curtains.

Zayn hurried towards her and put a hand on her back, beckoning her on.

“C'mon, we need to get out of here. It isn't safe!”

Just as they came out of Burak's room. In he stumbled, looking panicked and staggered. He had a gun aimed.

Salma’s eyes widened as she and Zayn froze.

The gun was aimed at them.

Author's Note:

Oh no! 😱😱😱 A dun dun dun happened again 😅

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J.