“If I can get her out of the city, they’ll have to give up. They’re just local soldiers.”

“Forget about the soldiers,” Jan said. “It’s not the soldiers you need to worry about. It’s the people the soldiers are working for. Those are the people you need to be concerned with. They’re not local. They’re not even from Africa.”

She didn’t understand what he meant, but it was obvious he had no intention of explaining more. Without saying another word, he guided her through the orphanage to the back door she had snuck through less than two hours before.

“Go,” he said, all but pushing her through the door. “Iris’s life depends on you.”

The door closed before she could respond.

She looked down at the child. Iris’s eyelids were heavy.

“That’s right,” Marion said. “Sleep. Just sleep. I’ll take care of you.”

Once the girl’s eyes closed, Marion began retracing the steps that had brought her to the orphanage, not knowing how she was going to keep the promise she had just made.

CHAPTER

3

QUINN USED THE SAME PATH HE HAD EARLIER IN the day when he’d returned from his last check of the church. Only this time it was dark, and if that wasn’t hindrance enough, it seemed as if all the bushes that lined the trail had grown significantly larger in the several hours that had passed. He had to take extra care not to sound like a herd of roaming sheep.

In his right hand was his SIG, and in his left, the small wireless microphone that paired with the receiver hanging on his ear. Keeping his eyes on the path, he reached up and attached the mic to his collar.

“Give me a constant update,” he whispered. “I’m not going to be able to say much, so just keep talking.”