Chapter 340: Thursday. Nour Delivery Service, Damascus, Syria.

ALEC WAS WILLING TO bet that not all of Vara's latest recruits were honest about their training. Not a one had searched them or divested them of weapons, save for their guns. They hadn't checked Vara's bag or made more than a cursory search of their captives. If they were soldiers worth their salt, they'd know a trained man was far more dangerous than a bullet.

Rafat Nour's people were even less careful.

The thing not on Alec's side in the current confrontation were numbers.

Four on two weren't good odds, but Alec was willing to bet that he and Vara were better trained than these kids for exactly this scenario. He didn't know if he could rely on Jules to play along. After so many years in captivity, what did they really know about her? Would she cave from fear? Or did she want her freedom as bad as Alec and Vara?

Alec needed the four guys to divide their attention, and he needed his hands free.