Chapter 7

 

Sadir went to his suite and awakened his father wanting to know why he had lied to him. His father denied knowing Saad was alive, but Sadir knew his father too well. He had wanted this confrontation for some mad reason. Bringing Asma here was just the start. What more did his father expect from Saad showing up?

Sadir had heard enough of his father’s lies and went to talk to Asma. He hated waking her, but lives were in harms way and he needed her to help him. He explained things to her as best he could. Yes, her father was a monster in his eyes, but he didn’t want her to see him like that. He told her that Saad wanted to see her, but he didn’t want to see her grandfather, so he was waiting with Jaxon. When she said she understood, he left her alone to get dressed.

“Your body guards should have been there. They will go with you now,” Mansur stated.

“NO! Asma and I are to go alone or he will kill Jaxon and Andrea,” Sadir shouted.

“And who will stop him from killing all of you when he gets Asma?” his father asked.

“He will not kill in front of his daughter.”

“Are you sure of that?” Mansur questioned right before Asma stepped out.

“Sadir walked over to his bodyguards and spoke to them while waiting on Asma. He wanted to make sure they knew exactly what his orders were, not his father’s orders.

“I’m ready, Uncle Sadir,” she said, smiling brightly when entering the room.

“Good; we shouldn’t keep your father waiting any longer.” Sadir took her by the hand while they walked to the door. His bodyguards moved to follow, but he stopped them with just one look.

Jaxon hated the smug look Farik had on his face when Sadir left. She wished she could slap it off him. She studied him while he walked over and sat across from her and Andrea.

He smiled, his eyes leering at her in her robe. He could see why his brother chose her to be his wife; she was quite beautiful. In her eyes though, he could see the hatred she had for him. It didn’t matter; he didn’t want to be her friend. His thoughts changed to his daughter, Asma; it was going to be difficult explaining her mother’s death to her. He wondered what lies his family had already told her. He needed her to know that her mother died trying to save him from the American infidels who were trying to kill him.

“Trying to think of what to tell your daughter?” Jaxon said, breaking the silence.

“Excuse me?” Farik asked, staring at her; angry that she would interrupt his thoughts.

“I was wondering what you would tell her as to why Andrea and I are tied up,” Jaxon explained.

“It does not matter what I tell her, she will believe anything I say,” he said with a wicked smirk. “I am her father. She has always believed what I have told her.”

“In other words, you have lied to her all along.”

“I have told her the truth!”

“What truth is that? That all Americans should die because they do not worship the same way as you. Are you forgetting that there are Muslims who live in America and who were at Dodger Stadium the day you tried to blow it up?”

“I’m sure Allah would explain to them it had to be done.”

“You are one sick bastard. How are you going to explain Samia’s death?”

“You know nothing about my wife, so do not speak her name,” Farik said, angrily.

“When your daughter finds out what you are, she isn’t going to want anything to do with you,” Jaxon said, not backing down.

Farik reached over and slapped her in the face as hard as he could. “If you do not shut up I will shut you up permanently,” he said, pointing the gun at her again.

“Father!”

This time, Jaxon was the one wearing the smile. She knew Asma had seen her father threaten her. She swore for a brief second she saw guilt flash in Farik’s eyes. She wondered what would happen now.

Asma kept hold of Sadir’s hand while they walked over to the sofa. “Why are they tied up?” she asked her father.

“It is so good to see you again,” he said, hugging her and ignoring her question.

“Father, Jaxon is my new friend. Please tell me why you have her tied up?”

“It was just a prank. Ilija will untie them,” he said, nodding to him.

Sadir untied Andrea while he whispered to her, then he took Jaxon in his arms. “Everything will be fine. I promise.”

“Do not make promises you cannot keep,” Farik said, smiling.

“It is getting late. Let them leave, so we can talk in private…”

Farik moved away from Asma to talk to Sadir quietly. “I say they stay,” he said, forcing the gun into Sadir’s side.

Sadir smiled at his brother, then looked at Andrea and nodded to her. Sadir grabbed the gun while Andrea kicked Ilija in the groin and took his gun from him. Jaxon took Asma by the arm and ran to the bedroom out of harms way. She could hear the fighting and shouting between Sadir and Farik. Then suddenly a gun went off, causing Asma to scream for her father. Jaxon held her close, trying to calm her shouts and screams.

The bedroom door opened slowly with Andrea coming inside. She had blood on her and she was visibly shaking. She walked over to a terrified Jaxon and sat on the bed next to her.

“Sadir? Where is he?” Jaxon asked.

“He’s fine. He wants to see you,” Andrea said. “I’ll stay with Asma.”

“I want to know what happened. Did he kill my father?” Asma asked.

“No, honey. Your father is fine.”

“I want to see him.”

“I think she should go to him,” Jaxon said.

The two women took Asma by her hands while they went into the living room. Ilija was lying in the floor and Farik was sitting on the sofa tied up with Sadir’s bodyguards holding guns on him. Asma went over to him and sat next to him. “Why did they do this to you?”

“Tell her, Sadir. Tell her why you tried to kill me!” Farik demanded.

“Because you were going to kill Andrea and Jaxon!” Sadir shouted.

“Do not feel left out, brother. I would have killed you as well,” he said in a whisper.

“Father, why would you kill them?”

“They are not true believers of the Koran. They are poisoning others against our kind, darling. We need to eliminate them, so the true believers can live in peace,” Farik explained.

“It isn’t right to kill,” Asma said. “I do not think you understand the Koran or you would not be thinking of killing your own brother.”

“He is weak. They have already poisoned his mind against his family. I am his brother and look at the treatment I am receiving.”

“I’m sorry, father. Uncle Sadir is not weak. He could have killed you, but instead he spared your life. You should be thanking him.”

“I should thank him?” He looked up at Sadir. “You have already poisoned her towards me.”

“I have done no such thing,” Sadir said before looking at his security people, “Take him to my suite and I will deal with him there.”

“Asma, do not let them poison you. Read the Koran and you will see what I said is true. They are not true believers and will kill all of our kind!” he screamed while the guards took him away.

“What will you and Grandfather do with him?” Asma asked.

“I wish I did not have to tell you this. Your father is wanted for many terrorist acts. I will have to call the American authorities and they will arrest him. ”

“May I go be with him until they come for him? Do I not have that right?” Asma asked.

Sadir looked to Jaxon and Andrea for an answer. His mind was telling him to let her see her father, but his heart wanted to protect her but knew she may never see her father again after the government took him in custody.

“Asma, I think you should stay with me tonight,” Jaxon said.

“NO!” she said, racing out of the suite.

“I have to follow her. I’ll be back soon,” Sadir said, running after his niece. He looked down the hallway, seeing her run into his suite. He heard her scream. He rushed into the suite to see Saad slumped in a chair with his hands still tied behind him. His Father standing with a bloody knife in his hands next to him. His mother was holding Asma while she cried. He motioned for his mother to take the girl into another room.

“Father! What have you done?” he said, going to Saad’s aid.

“He speaks with a serpent’s tongue!”  Mansur said. “So, I gave him one!”

Sadir saw so much blood he wasn’t sure if Saad would live or not. “Father, how could you have done this to him?” Saad had passed out and on examining him, he found that his father had cut his tongue almost in half. He rushed over to the phone to call for help.

“Leave!” Mansur commanded. “I will take care of him.”

“No, Father! You have done enough!” Sadir said, making his call.