Page 14 of Saving Noor

Shadow zoomed in on the image. The screen sharpened until the vague shapes resolved into two small children, no older than three, tumbling and chasing one another in the courtyard. The faint rustle of their movements echoed softly through the thermal feed.

Sammy’s heart stalled in his chest, and for a moment the room seemed to tilt beneath him. The stale air suddenly felt suffocating, thick with tension.

“Who are they?” he whispered, voice barely audible.

Tariq lowered his eyes, shadowed with a mix of regret and caution. “Rumors…people in market say. Other kids live in that estate. Noor not alone in that room. But me, I never see them before today.”

Link’s jaw clenched tightly, his face hardening like stone, eyes narrowing as the weight of the news settled over him. He didn’t speak immediately, the silence stretched taut.

“They’re hers?” Link finally asked, voice low, edged with steel.

“They have to be,” Shadow said, his usual calm stripped away, replaced with something raw in his tone. “Look at how she moves, she’s protecting them, always.”

On the screen, the adult figure unfolded her arms, pulling the two small heat blips close. Even in the cold, impersonal thermal glow, the gesture spoke volumes: shelter, love, desperation.

Sammy’s mind reeled. “I…I have brothers? Sisters?” The words tumbled out, trembling with disbelief and a flicker of hope.

Link’s voice dropped into something lethal. “Faisal know?”

Tariq’s tone was grim as the reality of the truth settled in. “Faisal know everything in that house. If he keep them…” He swallowed hard, eyes darkening. “…he have plans for them.”

The memory slammed into Sammy like a blow: Faisal’s threat in the market about a “high price.” Preparing them for sale. The pieces snapped together with terrifying clarity.

Sammy shot upright in his chair, the scrape of metal against the floor sharp in the tense room. The paralyzing fear that had gripped him moments before flared now into a fierce, white-hot rage. He was not just a son anymore. He was a big brother.

“We go,” Sammy said, voice shaking but forged in fury. “Tonight. Now.”

Link studied the screen, then the faces around him. The mission had shifted. No longer a quick snatch. This was a family rescue. “We have to adjust the plan, Sammy.”

“Swede,” Link barked. “Recalculate extraction weight. Let Commander Michaels know of the change. We’re pulling three packages, not one.”

“Copy that,” came the rapid response. “Setting up additional satellite coverage and confirming secure comms with Michaels. No drones, keeping low profile.”

Link placed his hands firmly on Sammy’s shoulders. “We get them all, Sammy. You hear me?”

“Yeah,” Sammy nodded, eyes locked on the three glowing figures. “I get my mom back…and two little ones, too?”

Link turned to the rest. “Gear up. I need to brief Michaels.”

Swede’s voice crackled quietly through the comms. “Commander Michaels is online, Link. Secure connection established.”

Link nodded and lifted the sat-phone. “Commander Michaels?”

A familiar, clipped voice answered immediately, laced with feigned annoyance. “Link? Didn’t I finally get rid of you? I haven’t even gotten the coffee going in the office yet.”

“Commander, you did,” Link replied with a dry chuckle, fatigue evident in his voice. “But it turns out the universe has other plans. We’ve got a situation—hostages, women and kids. I’m on the ground in Basra and need help getting everyone out. Any chance Warden’s team can move?”

There was a brief pause. “Warden’s been back to Basra since you pulled Sammy out. He stocked the shack, right? Heard Tariq passed him intel on Sammy’s mother.”

“Yeah,” Link said. “Warden’s got the details. If they’re available, that’s who I want on this: to rescue not just his mother, but two siblings as well.”

Michaels’ voice grew serious. “Understood. Warden will want to help. I’ll check their status and push for immediate deployment. What’s the plan?”

Link quickly relayed the extraction plan: to move the three hostages from Faisal’s estate to a safe house across the river, about three miles away.

“Copy that,” Michaels replied. “I’ll coordinate with Warden. We got your six.”

Link felt the familiar burden of responsibility settle deep in his chest. “Thanks, Commander.”