Chapter 331: Wednesday. Nour Delivery Service, Damascus, Syria.

VARA PRICE STARED OVER her cards at the three men studying their odds.

"I'm out," the one on her left said and slouched back in his seat.

The man across from her took a long, slow drag on his cigarette, studying her. She smiled back, content to wait them out.

She liked playing cards with her new hires. How a man handled the cards told her a lot about who they were. How they assessed danger and risk. Too much time spent making decisions, and she knew they weren't long for her team. React too fast and she knew they'd walk into a dangerous situation with no idea they were about to lose their head.

Her life and the success of her mission depended on these men, and they didn't have any clue what they were really doing. The old pang of guilt stabbed at her, but she was beyond letting that emotion get the best of her. What they didn't know might save their lives.