“We are crossing into Beirut on our way to Cyprus from Damascus as a small, private tour. I’m your guide.” He looked at me. “Just do what the guards tell us, and we won’t have any trouble.”
The fireball in my stomach now raged through my entire torso, and suddenly, the fact that I hadn’t yet had a chance to pee became very urgent. “I’m going to need to use the restroom,” I said. “Right away.”
Boone nodded. “That’s good. Thala will go with you.”
The van stopped, and Ivan leaned out the window and said something in Arabic. The guard nodded and pointed to a small dirt pullout to the right of the road. After he parked, the back doors to the van opened, and two guards waited as we each stepped out.
Thala turned to one of the men and said something. He nodded and pointed toward a patch of tr
