I Am Pilgrim

Cumali arrives to pick Murdoch up, telling him awkwardly that they are meeting her son on an archaeology field trip. They board a boat together, and Murdoch is certain they are sailing for the Theater of Death. They arrive, and Cumali leads him through the tunnel to the submerged ruins. They keep walking, and Murdoch sees men, one of whom looks vaguely familiar and is middle-aged. Murdoch reminds himself that he must call Bradley before the men can grab him. Bradley oversees communicating the danger to the boy unless al-Nassouri cooperates. Cumali explains she has discovered his real identity, and her brother emerges. Al-Nassouri explains that he will torture Murdoch to learn the name of those who have betrayed him. To his horror, Murdoch realizes the torture will be waterboarding and that the older man present is the father of Christos Nikolaides, eager for revenge on any American agent.

While Murdoch faces Cumali’s trap, Bradley takes the nanny and the boy hostage, forcing the nanny to hold the child up with a noose around his neck, so that if the nanny falls he will die. Bradley cannot reach Cumali by phone. He becomes terrified the nanny will fall before he can place the call.

The point of view switches to Cumali, who has followed her brother’s orders and walked deeper into the ruins to avoid witnessing Murdoch’s torture. She realizes that the evidence from the laptop was likely planted: No investigator brilliant enough to solve Dodge’s murder would be apprehended so easily. As she rushes back to her brother, she is back in cellular range, so Bradley sends her the video of her nephew’s plight. Murdoch is waterboarded once, lasting half a minute, and soon realizes he will continue to be tortured with no rescue in sight. Nikolaides breaks his foot. After another waterboarding session, Cumali rushes in and shows her brother the video.

Murdoch recovers just enough to tell al-Nassouri he is the key to saving his son’s life. To force a decision, Murdoch reminds al-Nassouri that he promised his wife to safeguard their child. Murdoch orders al-Nassouri to release him, reminding him that if he is harmed, Bradley will kill both hostages. He says, “My name is Scott Murdoch. I am going to ask you some questions” (568).