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Chapter 1

Eleven years ago Mary Elise McRae had expected to fill a hope chest for Daniel Baker But she'd never thought she would fill it quite so literally

Her body currently folded inside a five-by-five-foot wooden crate, Mary Elise hugged the two sh-hewn box jostled on the back of the flatbed truck, jarring bony little elbows and knees against her Hard Not that anyone dared do more than breathe in the cedar-scented darknessA lone horn honked along the stretch of desert road in their escape route fro the way? Or a cow? Either anihts froh the tiny slits between the boards

A Rubistanian guard fro them

She'd heard his voice during the loading onto the truck Procedure didn't allow hiovernment's vehicle, but those ominous bea alongside puffing away on one of those cigars he favored Would he use this delay as an excuse to ambush them? Cause an "accident?"

The diesel engine's growl increased and the truck lurched to life Mary Elise exhaled her relief in the stifling enclosure Only another half hour, max, until she delivered Trey and Austin safely aboard a US o plane Then she would say her tearful farewells to the two children being sled out of this Middle-Eastern hell in the back of Captain Daniel Baker's C-17

Danny

His naears What would Daniel say when he saw her for the first ti she would be with the boys, but she'd expected to stay at the e crate

With any luck, they'd be too rushed to talk She would pass over her young charges Thank Daniel for answering the eh the economic attaché Then haul butt off the airstrip, back to her tiny apart post at the American embassy school

Back to her solitary life

She wouldn't letmore She'd worked damned hard for her pocket of peace away froht with the help of Daniel's father Trey and Austin's father, too And today she would repay that debt

"Mary 'Lise?" Austin whispered froo"

"Shh," she urged as loudly as she dared "Soon, sweetie Soon" She hoped

Sweat trickled down her neck, caking sand to her skin as Mary Elise willed Austin silent A crate of computers didn't whisper for a bathroom, after all Sure, a diploovernment property of any size fro talking

Her arhter around thin, preschooler shoulders on her left and the ht At least Trey was old enough to follow instructions, his shoulders pu under her arm with each heavy breath Little Austin was a wild card