Page 68 of Kismet

“True,” Jabbar nodded. “But I’ve raided Nassar’s camps before, and I never did it with more than thirty men. If Sheikh Shaheen is determined to go after this woman, he can hardly do it alone. We’ve already agreed that striking Nassar first is to our advantage. Wouldn’t it make just as much sense to use the night to our benefit as well?”

Shaheen turned his head toward Khalid. The Amazigh leader folded his arms and stroked the small beard on his chin with a contemplative frown furrowing his brow. After several moments of silence, he slowly nodded.

“There is sound logic in your suggestion, Jabbar. While it is not quite what we had planned, perhaps it is better to surprise the serpent in its nest than wait for it to strike.” With each word he spoke, Sheikh Mahmoud seemed to grow more confident in his demeanor. “How many men do you have with you?”

“Fifteen of my best,” Jabbar said quietly. “Most of them were with me the last time I raided Nassar’s camp.”

“How far is it to Nassar’s camp, Jamal?” Shaheen asked his old friend.

“Almost three hours from here,” the Amazigh said quietly. “I would judge their numbers to be at least two hundred, maybe more.”

A soft murmur rustled through the crowd of men and women. Shaheen glanced around, not surprised to see the worry on the faces of the Amazigh. Even when his tribe was combined with Khalid’s, they were barely one hundred fifty strong. It was why they’d sought Jabbar’s help. But the other man was correct. The night could be a strong ally, and even if Allegra had gone willingly with Nassar, the bastard might still kill her before the sun rose simply for the pure pleasure of doing so.

“We should attack in two waves. The first group should be our best fighters,” Shaheen mused out loud. “Nassar and most of his men will be sleeping. It will only take a few men to silence his guards, and with Nassar our prisoner, his men will surrender easily.”

“I agree.” Jabbar nodded his head “My men and I will volunteer to enter the camp first. I assume you will ride with me, Sheikh Shaheen?”

“Yes.” He sent the man an abrupt nod as Shaftsbury stepped forward.

“I’m going with you.”

He sent his cousin a sharp look, but the man’s face grew more stubborn. Shaftsbury’s decision didn’t surprise him, and he had mixed emotions about the man joining them. If anything, Shaftsbury would be useful to have along if Allegra refused to let him near her. And he’d be a fool to think she would be glad to see him after the way he’d treated her this morning. She’d suffered so much already at the hands of Nassar, but if there was one thing he knew about her, she was a survivor. Still, even someone as courageous as Allegra had limits to what they could endure. Tonight might well be her breaking point. He clenched his teeth at the thought of what the bastard was doing to her at this moment.

Beside him Khalid shouted out several commands, and the crowd erupted like bees from a hive, intent on preparing for the battle to come. Hakim pushed his way past several men to join them, and the young Amazigh heir bowed formally in front of his father.

“I wish to ride at Shaheen’s side, Father.”

Sheikh Mahmoud’s expression reflected an immediate rejection of his son’s request. Then as if realizing it would be a mistake to refuse the boy, he grasped the young man by the shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. When he released him, he nodded.

“Only because it is Shaheen you ride with will I grant this request. Be brave and wise when you enter the battle, my son.”

With a fatherly smile, he ordered Hakim to take charge of seeing that the horses were properly saddled and ready to leave as quickly as possible. Khalid’s expression was a mixture of pride, sorrow, and fear as he watched Hakim hurry off to accomplish the mission he’d been given. With a sigh, the Amazigh leader turned to Shaheen.

“He has become a man almost overnight. If something happens to me, he will lead the tribe well.”

There was a hint of despondency in Khalid’s voice, and Shaheen laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of him.”

With a small smile, the Sheikh nodded. “I would never have agreed otherwise.”

Close by, Jabbar finished consulting with two of his men then turned back to Shaheen and the Sheikh. “The last time I visited Nassar’s camp, my men and I covered the hooves of our horses with strips of material to deaden the sound of their movement. It worked amazingly well.”

“An interesting approach,” Khalid murmured as he arched his eyebrows. “I confess to being delighted that you are not Nassar’s ally, otherwise I fear we would be in dire straits.”

“Even if we’d not come to an agreement on our alliance, I would never join forces with a man like Nassar.” Jabbar’s gray eyes became icy and cold. “The man is a menace, and we’ll be well rid of him.”

Shaheen frowned at the man’s steely tone. Something unpleasant had transpired between the two men, and Jabbar was out to extract vengeance for whatever sins Nassar had committed. He studied the man’s expression for a moment, wondering if Jabbar was any more calm and collected about what they faced than he was. As if suddenly aware of being watched, the other man met his gaze and a cold smile curved his mouth.

“Don’t look so surprised, Sheikh Shaheen. We all have our dark monsters haunting us. Nassar is one of mine, and I’ve simply been biding my time.”

Sheikh Mahmoud frowned at Jabbar’s words. Looking at first Jabbar and then Shaheen his face hardened into an angry mask. “My brother is mine to deal with, is that clear? It is my right to avenge Yasmia, and I’ll not let anyone steal that from me.”

Jabbar looked ready to protest, but the hard look Sheikh Mahmoud sent him tugged a sharp nod of acquiescence from him. When his friend turned to study him as well, Shaheen grimaced. He wanted nothing more than to cut Nassar’s heart out for what he’d done to Allegra. For what he was no doubt doing right now. Tension threaded his muscles into hard knots, and he clenched his jaw as he nodded his agreement. He might have just given up the right to slit Nassar’s throat, but Khalid hadn’t forbidden him to give the man a sound beating.