Ashes of the Red Heifer by Shannon Baker

nurse. The other studied the doorway to Hassan’s room.
    Assuming they wanted to ask questions about what happened on the desert last night, Annie shoved David’s confession into a container in her head and latched the lid. She’d deal with that later. She hurried down the hall toward them.
    The one speaking to the nurse noticed her approach. She put her hand out to shake. “I’m Dr. Grant. I was on the bus last night.”
    He nodded. “I see. Then you know Hassan al Jabari?”
    The other guard kept some distance from her. He divided his attention between her and Hassan’s door.
    “Yes. We were in the barn when the bomb hit.”
    He squinted at her, looking her up and down. “You both were in the barn at the time? Was that unusual to be working so early?”
    She shrugged. “We had a cow calving.”
    He spoke slowly, as if trying to understand. “You say al Jabari was with you? In the barn?”
    She nodded, now impatient. “Did you find out who those gunmen were and what they wanted?”
    He looked confused. “What gunmen?”
    Irritation crept into her voice. “The four men who hijacked the bus yesterday and nearly killed Hassan.”
    He waved his hand in dismissal. “They probably found out who Hassan al Jabari really is.”
    “Who Hassan really is? What are you talking about?”
    He narrowed his eyes in skepticism. “You know nothing of al Jabari’s activities?”
    Paranoid. Insulting. Her temper barely held back. “Of course I know his activities. We work together.”
    “The Silim is behind yesterday’s bombing. Your dear friend, Hassan,” he spit the name as if it tasted sour, “is a known member of the Silim. This is just one more notch to his belt of terror.”
    Annie almost laughed at his melodrama but he was serious. She leaned in, reading the nametag above his shirt pocket. “Listen, Officer Levin. I’ve known Hassan for 15 years. Believe me, he’s no terrorist.”
    The other policeman drew closer and took out a small notebook. His nametag identified him as Kaufman. He clicked a pen and started to write.
    “What do you intend to do to Hassan?” Annie asked, hands on hips.
    Kaufman flipped his notebook closed and turned toward Hassan’s door. Levin started after him. “Place him under arrest as a political prisoner.”
    Arrest? Politcal prisoner? Oh no they weren’t. “I want to see your badges, some kind of documentation you’re real cops.”
    They ignored her and continued toward Hassan’s room. Annie hurried to stand in the doorway, blocking their entry. “You can’t do that. Hassan is innocent. I want to see some kind of warrant or proof.”
    Kaufman put his hands on Annie’s arms and firmly moved her to the side. “He will be treated as any other Muslim terrorist is treated.”
    Annie couldn’t let them take Hassan. She wasn’t even sure they were real cops. She had to stop this. “David! Hurry!”
    David ran out of the waiting room down the hall toward them.
    “They think Hassan is a terrorist,” she hollered to him. Annie lurched toward the cops, catching Levin by the sleeve of his shirt and yanking him out of the door. She grabbed for Kaufman. “You have no right.”
    Strong hands latched onto her wrists, jerking them behind her back. She struggled against the restraint. Levin’s voice was quiet and threatening. “If you do not stop interfering we will arrest you as well.”
    Kaufman continued into Hassan’s room.
    David caught up with them. “What…”
    Kaufman’s voice had a hard edge of anger. “He’s gone!”
     

SIX
     
     
           Annie burst out the front doors of the hospital and ran to a cab that had just let out a well-dressed elderly woman.
    David tried to keep up. “Where are we going?”
    Annie slid into the back seat and David got in on the other side. She leaned forward and spoke to the driver. “The Dome of the Rock.”
    The driver shook his head. “There is trouble there today, miss. I will not take you there.”
    “Why there?” David