Lost to the Desert Warrior

Zahra snuggled under the covers. ‘It’s dark.’

‘I know. The dark is going to make it extra exciting. We’re going to have fun.’

The child yawned sleepily. ‘Where are we going?’

Where? It was a good question.

For a moment Layla’s mind blanked, and then she knew exactly what she had to do. Something she’d done many times before. ‘We’re going to play a game called Hide.’ Her mouth dried at the memory, because those games, too, had been played in the dark. Pulling back the covers, she tugged the little girl into her arms, trying desperately not to frighten her. ‘We’ll just put on your coat in case it gets cold.’

‘It’s night-time. Why are we playing a game at night-time?’

‘That’s the best time to play it. I used to play it with my sister when she was your age. There are rules.’ She manoeuvred Zahra into the coat. ‘First, you mustn’t make a sound. Second, you have to do exactly as I say. If I tell you to keep still you have to keep still. If I tell you to run you have to run.’

‘This game sounds like fun, but why can’t we play it tomorrow?’

Layla caught a flash of light out of the corner of her eye and saw lights approaching in the distance. Torches? Headlights?

Sure now that the threat was real, she cuddled the little girl close. ‘Because it’s going to be more fun to play it now. We have to go.’

Still sleepy, Zahra glanced back at the bed. ‘Can Isis and Horus come too?’

Already halfway to the door, Layla eyed the dogs, watching her from the bed. ‘Yes. Good idea. But we have to move quickly.’

Zahra called the dogs and they bounded across the bedroom. ‘But who are we hiding from, Layla? What’s the point of playing Hide if no one is going to try and find us?’

‘We will find a safe place and see how still and silent we can be. We’re going to practise and then, when we’re really, really good at it, Daddy can play it with us when he comes home.’ Layla knew she was making no sense, and she was so afraid she could hardly make her legs move. Half walking, half running, she kept chatting and pretending it was all a game, trying not to frighten Zahra.

Because she knew now that they were being hunted.

She felt it, and the terror rushed over her as familiar and terrifying as it had been when she was a child.

‘Zahra, listen to me.’ It was a struggle to keep her voice light. ‘If you didn’t want anyone to find you where would you go? Where is the best hiding place around here?’

‘Dahl Al Zahki. The Desert Caves.’

Layla had a dim memory of Raz pointing them out to her on a ride earlier in the week. ‘Are they close?’

‘We can ride there in five minutes.’

Ride.

Layla closed her eyes and faced the inevitable. ‘Let’s do it.’

‘If you really want to be fast we should take Raja.’

‘Your father’s stallion?’

‘I can ride him. You can just hold onto me. I like this game.’ Zahra was wide awake now and bouncing in her arms. ‘I’m glad you woke me up.’

They reached the stables and Layla turned and again saw the flash of lights in the distance. How long did they have? ‘We’ll take Raja. It’s a great idea. But how will we find the way?’

‘I know the way and so does he. He was born here. My daddy had him from a foal. But you’ll have to help me up because he’s too big.’

Somehow Layla managed to get both of them on the enormous horse and Zahra giggled.

‘His coat feels all warm on my legs. I’ve never ridden in my nightie before.’

Layla pulled the coat round the child and resisted the temptation to look down. It felt as if her life had come full circle. She’d begun this new chapter by stealing her father’s stallion and riding it into the desert, and now she was ending it in a similar way. Only this time she was determined not to fall.

‘Go, Zahra. Get us out of here.’

‘You’ve never galloped before.’

‘Then it’s time I learned and I know you’ll be the perfect teacher. Isis—Horus—’ she hissed their names ‘—come.’

The stallion sprang forward, needing no encouragement to unleash all that restrained power. Layla’s breath caught and then she was hanging on, trying to remember everything Raz and Abdul had taught her about relaxing into the rhythm.

It was the most terrifying, uncomfortable few minutes of her life, but with each long, pounding stride she knew they were drawing away from whoever was at the other end of the light, so she concentrated on not falling off and let Zahra do the rest.