Page 43 of Saving Noor

“Leg was pinned, metal everywhere. They’ve already done three surgeries. He’ll walk again, but they’re calling it. No more field ops for him.” Bear sighed, glancing down at his hands. “Dog and Spider…mostly cuts and bruises, some broken ribs, severe concussions for both. They’ll recover physically, but the mental trauma…they watched their pilots die. They watched Tank die.” Bear looked directly at Link, his eyes filled with a shared, unspoken grief. “Tank’s family has been notified. The Navy is arranging transport home for his remains, Warden plans to escort him home.”

The silence that followed was absolute, suffocating. Link looked around the table at his men. They had won. Noor, Sammy, and the girls were safe in the next room. But the cost of that victory was written in the blood and broken careers of the team that had backed them up.

Bear took a deep breath, breaking the silence. “I also told them, Link. Every one of them. I told them that when they’re healed, Mountain View Farms is their home too. There’s always a place for them with us, and a job if they want it. They’re Protectors, through and through. They’ll get through this, and they’ll do it with our outfit.”

Bear paused, a flicker of something close to hope in his tired eyes. “And on a related note, Dog specifically asked me to look into setting up a dedicated rehab clinic near the farm. Which makes sense, considering the email I got from him yesterday. The crazy son of a bitch finally defended his dissertation right before this op. It’s officially Dr. Dog now—PhD in Biochemistry. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it with everything going on, but he wants to put that degree to use. He wants a place where the team can rehab together among their friends and teammates, not isolated in some sterile hospital. I’ve already talked to Hank, and he’s looking into options for building and staffing a small facility.”

Link’s brow furrowed in thought, then cleared. “A rehab clinic…maybe it could be attached to Flora’s office?” he mused aloud, a practical solution already forming. “That would make sense, with her expertise and the space in Monterey.”

Link gave a curt, definitive nod, a fierce surge of loyalty cutting through the grief. Jonas wanted peace, but Link knew that as long as there were monsters like Faisal in the world, the cost would always be high.

“Good,” Link said softly, his voice leaving no room for argument. “No one gets left behind. Not in the desert, and not in the aftermath. And a rehab facility… that’s exactly what they’ll need. Make it happen.”

29 - NOOR

The rhythmic creak of the porch swing was a lullaby, a counterpoint to the distant laughter of children and the gentle sounds of the farm. Noor sat, her still-braced right arm resting carefully, while her left, now free of its cast, instinctively sought the smooth, worn wood of the swing. The air at Mountain View Farms smelled of pine and damp earth, of blooming magnolias and fresh-cut grass, a scent so profoundly different from the diesel and dust of Basra, or the sterile antiseptic of the Jordanian hospital, that it settled deep in her soul, a fragile balm.

Two weeks had passed since the crash. Three days since they arrived back in Virginia. Three days of this surreal, idyllic peace. Yasmin and Amina, their giggles now unrestrained, chased Kenzi and Amelia across the sprawling green lawn. A fluffy white bunny hopped nonchalantly past them, momentarily forgotten in the flurry of play. In the distance, a rescued goat bleated, and the soft lowing of a cow carried on the breeze. Even the horses, once wild and mistreated, now grazed peacefully in their paddocks, their coats gleaming in the afternoon sun.

Noor watched them, a fierce, protective joy swelling in her chest. Her daughters. Free. Happy. Laughing. This was the future she had dreamed of, fought for, bled for. This comfortable farmhouse, with its antique furniture and the warm aroma of Eloise’s baking, was a sanctuary. But it wasn’t theirs. It was the main farmhouse, the very center of the Blue Ridge Protectors, a welcoming hub where other team members could stay while they found their own footing. Bear, Flora, and their children had their own private house on the property, and Link himself had built a separate home for himself and Sammy. Moose and Elena were even constructing theirs about a mile away. For all its warmth and comfort, this particular house, to Noor, felt like a temporary inn, not a permanent dwelling for her small, broken family. And the word “temporary” echoed with a familiar, unsettling note in her mind.

How long before this, too, is taken? she wondered, the old fear, a lingering shadow, clutching at her. How long before I am once again a guest, an obligation, a burden? She traced the worn pattern on the swing with her finger. She had always been someone else’s responsibility, someone else’s property. Faisal had owned her. Before that, she belonged to her father. Her choices had always been dictated, her movements controlled. The thought of forging a new life, a life entirely her own, was both exhilarating and terrifying.

A soft thud of footsteps interrupted her thoughts, and Flora, Bear’s wife, settled onto the swing beside her, a gentle smile on her face. Flora, with her kind eyes and no-nonsense demeanor, had become a quiet pillar of support over the last few days, offering practical help without ever making Noor feel helpless.

“They’re certainly making the most of the space, aren’t they?” Flora chuckled, gesturing towards the quartet of girls who had now started a game of tag around an ancient oak tree. “It’s good to hear such happy noise around here again.”

“It is a blessing,” Noor agreed, a genuine smile breaking through her earlier apprehension. “For so long, I only heard screams and whispers. This is a new world for them.”

Flora nodded, her gaze turning thoughtful. “And a new world for you too, Noor. I know it’s a lot to take in. Moving them, getting Sammy settled, all the chaos of… well, everything.” She paused, then turned toward Noor. “Have you thought about schooling for the girls? My own kids, Rhys, Kenzi and Amelia, have always been homeschooled, as has Sammy since he came here. Different team members teach different subjects: Stephan, who you know as Bear, handles history, Jax is surprisingly good with math, Link, or Jonas, teaches computers and technology, and I cover the sciences. We have some excellent local options, both public and private, if that’s something you’d prefer, or we can just integrate your girls into our makeshift academy.”

Noor’s brow furrowed slightly. “Education…” The word resonated deep within her, a ghost of a dream she had carried since childhood. “School. Yes. I had not…not yet. It is another big decision. For so long, education was not…available. Or safe.”

She remembered her own youth, the eager student she’d been, and the painful sacrifice of allowing herself to be sold to Faisal, driven by his false promise of continued schooling. Even in captivity, she had devoured every book in Faisal’s library, her keen mind desperate for knowledge, for connection to a world beyond her prison.

She was intelligent, thirsting for learning, and suddenly, a spark ignited within her. She looked at Flora. “Perhaps…I could help with their education, for a time. If you would not mind.”

Flora’s eyes lit up. “Mind? I would be thrilled! Kenzi and Amelia would love it. Actually, I was hoping to ask you something related to that. My girls, and Rhys too, have been so fascinated by your language. Sammy has already taught them a few words, and they love it. Would you ever be open to teaching them some Arabic? It’s such a beautiful language, and it would be wonderful for them to learn about another culture firsthand. I think it’s so important for them, especially the girls, to understand the different ways children, particularly girls, are raised around the world. To appreciate the richness of other cultures and the unique paths women take.”

Noor felt a profound warmth spread through her chest. To teach. To share. To be asked, truly asked, to contribute her knowledge and heritage, not just to accept help, was a revelation. It was a role she hadn’t considered, a piece of her identity she thought lost, and now, it was being offered back to her, respected and valued. They see me. Not just as a survivor, but as someone with something to give, she realized, a sense of belonging blossoming within her. “I would be honored, Flora. More than honored.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the children. Then, Noor, emboldened by Flora’s easy acceptance, decided to broach the topic that weighed heaviest on her heart. She took a deep breath. “Flora…I…I have a question. About…relationships.” The word felt foreign, clumsy on her tongue. “My life, it has not been…normal. I was a child bride, then I was traded, then…with Faisal. There was never a choice. Never affection. Never partnership.” She hesitated, glancing at Flora, who listened patiently, her expression understanding. “Now…with Link, ummm Jonas. He is…he is kind. He is good. He is brave. And…and I feel…something. When he is near. When he looks at me.” She looked away, her cheeks coloring. “Is this…is this normal? This feeling? This…this attraction?”

Flora reached over, her hand gently squeezing Noor’s. “Noor,” she said, her voice soft but firm, “there’s no ‘normal’ when it comes to feelings, especially after everything you’ve been through. But yes. To feel drawn to a man like Jonas, a good, honorable man who has shown you nothing but respect and protection, yes, that is absolutely normal.” She smiled wryly. “Stephan and Jonas, they’re cut from a similar cloth, you know. Strong. Loyal. A bit stubborn. But with hearts big enough to protect anyone they care about.”

She squeezed Noor’s hand again. “What you’re feeling, that’s hope, my dear. It’s trust. It’s the possibility of something beautiful and true, something you’ve been denied your whole life. Don’t question it. Embrace it. It’s what you deserve.”

Noor looked at Flora, a sudden, fierce gratitude welling up inside her. Having another woman, a kind, understanding woman, to speak these truths felt like a revelation. It was a silent, powerful affirmation that what she felt was not only real, but good.

Flora’s gaze drifted past Noor, towards the path leading from the main house. A familiar figure approached, mug in hand, his casual clothes doing little to disguise the powerful build beneath. Flora gave Noor’s hand a knowing squeeze.

“Speaking of Jonas,” Flora said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, “I think you have another conversation coming your way. He’s a good man, Noor. And he truly cares. Let him know what’s on your mind. Don’t be afraid to speak your truth.” She rose from the swing. “I think Eloise just pulled fresh cookies out of the oven, and I need to referee the cookie distribution before the children start a riot.” She gave Noor’s shoulder a gentle, encouraging squeeze before heading inside.

A familiar shadow fell over her, but this time, it brought a profound sense of peace, not dread. Jonas. He settled onto the swing beside her, his weight shifting the rhythm. The comforting scent of steaming coffee surrounding them, mingling with the cool air. He was wearing a faded Henley and jeans, his attire for the past few days as he caught up on computer tasks that Moose hadn’t been able to handle in his absence. It made him look less like the hardened commander she knew and more like the quiet, intense man who had whispered his true name in a dusty safe house doorway.

“They’re taking to it like they were born here,” he observed, his voice a low rumble that resonated through the wood of the swing. He nodded towards the girls, a soft smile gracing his lips.

“They are finding their wings,” Noor replied, her voice soft. “It is everything I dreamt for them. And Flora has kindly offered to let me help with their schooling, and perhaps teach her girls Arabic.”