CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

They were at the airport before the sun broke over the horizon. The teams of searchers had been out all night, running the working dogs from one end to the other. Whatever Farah had planned, it was well hidden.

Ellie stayed out of sight, waiting in the wings with her full Egyptian dress, staff, and headdress.

"You're very brave to do this," said the Egyptian female officer, straightening her gown. "I am Yamin."

"Ellie," she smiled, shaking the woman's hand. "I'm not brave. My friends are the brave ones. I trust them to make sure I stay alive."

"Risking your life for a country that is not your own is brave," said the woman. "It's only been recently that Egypt has allowed women to serve. We were relegated to certain roles for many years, but now women are even flying those jets out there."

"I think that's amazing," smiled Ellie. "I have female friends who are pilots of jets and helicopters. I admire them."

"That is wonderful," she smiled. "I wish to become a pilot one day."

"You would make a wonderful pilot, Yamin. Any dreams you want can be obtained. You just have to believe."

"That seems so simple for you, for Americans. I love my country, but in so many ways, we are old in our thinking."

"Progress takes time. Be patient with it, but follow it along, push it if you have to. It will happen."

"What if this woman succeeds? If she blows up the airport, kills our president, and destroys our jets, there will be war. We would not survive a war with Saudi Arabia. They are far more wealthy and powerful than we are. If others are blamed, we cannot wage war on multiple nations. I fear for all of us."

"I know," said Ellie, hugging the woman. "I fear for all of us as well. I've learned so much about your country these last few weeks. Your history, your people, your culture, it's all amazing. My sister loved coming here and loved helping General Bakkar."

"He is a good man. He treats the troops as if he were a father, but I don't believe he has any children," said Yamin.

"I think he thinks of all of you as his children," smiled Ellie. "I know someone back home who feels the same way about everyone around them. I hope to be like her one day. Wise, kind, loving, and a little mysterious." Yamin laughed, nodding.

"Women should always be mysterious." There was a knock on the door, and Leif stepped inside.

"It's show time. The parade will enter the airport in a few minutes, and you're the star of the show."

"Well, then. Time for my close-up."

"Anything?" asked Brix.

"Nothing yet," said Sebastian, scanning the crowds. "Here comes Ellie."

Walking out toward the front of the parade, the president stared at the strange woman and smiled.

"Just an actress, sir," said General Bakkar, walking alongside the car. "We wanted to bring in a little history."

"She's lovely. She looks like Cleopatra," he grinned.

"Uh, yes, sir."

Ellie walked ahead of the cars, waving at the audience with a regal swing of her hand. She could hear the others in her comms device but was solely focused on who and what was around her.

To the left, she spotted the young handler they'd met the day before running toward Major. He spoke rapidly, and then Major ran toward Leif.

"What's happening, guys?" asked Ellie, trying to smile through her panic.

"The pilots! The pilots were all drugged. There's someone else in those planes!"

The jets all suddenly turned toward the motorcade, and Ellie froze. She could hear the others running toward her, screaming for her to get down, but she knew it wouldn't matter. Not with fighter jets pointed at you.

This is what it felt like to prepare to die.

But when the guns rotated, and nothing happened, she had her chance. Racing toward the others, Leif lifted her and pulled her aside as the Egyptian military swarmed the planes, dragging the imposters from the cockpits.

"What the hell happened?" asked Sebastian. Major looked around, still waiting for Farah to appear. Instead, he saw someone else. The man stopped in front of him, his silvery blonde hair familiar, the piercing blue eyes hidden behind sunglasses.

"I'm hoping you won't shoot me when I hand you my gift," he said. He handed Major a backpack, and he looked inside. It was the firing mechanisms from the jets. He'd disabled them all.

"Why? I mean, I'm damn grateful, but why?"

"Sometimes, you have to stand up for something. Perhaps a future something. I have no idea what that might be, but I'd like to live long enough to find out."

"Thank you," said Major, stretching out his big hand. The German stared at it, then shook it.

"Had we met on a battlefield, I'm not sure I would have survived," said Burkhard.

"Then let's not meet again," said Major with a serious expression. He allowed the man to walk away, then heard the shrill screams of the princess.

"You traitor! You traitor! I am the queen of Egypt." She started to run toward them in her ridiculously high heels and expensive suit. Her hair was a matted mess on one side of her head as if she hadn't the time to comb it that day.

While the others pushed back, moving the president's motorcade along, a swirl of hot air swarmed around them as a massive royal helicopter landed. Stepping out was none other than a prince of Saudi Arabia.

"Sister! Sister! Come. I'm here to take you home." He spoke in an excited, animated voice as if he'd done this a million times. And perhaps he had.

"No. You're tricking me," she said, shaking her head.

"No. No tricks, sister. You are now queen of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. You will take your rightful place on the throne." Her eyes lit up with excitement as her brother smiled at her. They could see his pain, feel it.

"Queen?" she asked, frowning at her brother. "I am truly queen?"

"Yes, sister. Come." He held out his hand, and Farah walked toward her brother, taking his hand. As they led her into the helicopter, several medical personnel rushed forward, sedating the woman and placing her in a straitjacket.

"I hate this," said Ellie. "I know she's sick, but what will happen to her?"

"Something that should have happened a long time ago," said the prince. "I am sorry for the drama on your country's special day. We will try to get our sister the help she needs, but it may be beyond that at this point."

"We've been trying to reach you for days," said Leif. "What made you finally respond?"

"A very determined woman," he smiled. Leif turned to Ellie, staring at her.

"It wasn't me!"

"Was her name Irene?" asked Sebastian.

"No. Claudette," said the prince. "Thank you for not killing my sister. She is sick, but she is still my family."

With that, he turned and disappeared above the clouds. The crowd cheered and applauded, thinking it was an act of some sort. Ellie immediately waved again, bowing to the audience as the president's motorcade moved on.

"What happened to the pilots?" asked Brix.

"Their breakfast was drugged," said the officer. "We thought they'd all boarded their jets as planned, but one of the men went to grab something from the barracks and noticed them all in their beds."

"You did well," said Leif. "You saved us."

"That stranger saved you," said the officer. "Why didn't you arrest him?"

"We'll meet another time," said Major. "For today, he redeemed himself. You'll need these to repair the jets." He handed the young officer the backpack and shook his hand. Leif looked at his friends, then down at Ellie.

"My queen, it's time to go home," he smiled.

"I'm ready," she laughed.

Saying their goodbyes to General Bakkar, they vowed to come back one day but also asked him to visit them. He nodded, saying that retirement might be nearing for him. Today had taken years off his life.

The team gathered their gear from the hotel, drove to the base, and arranged for the transport home. Once inside the states, they waited for their Belle Fleur ride to show up. Suddenly, Alistair sat up, looking at the others.

"Did the prince say he spoke to Claudette?"