“I prefer to use condoms,” she said simply, looking down at her folded hands. “It’s just always seemed a lot smarter to me. Protects against disease, you know.”
He nodded his head, eyes filled with a speculative look.
“Sure,” he said. “I have no problem with that.”
Silence fell between them. There was a knock at the door.
“Yes?” he asked, his voice sharp and businesslike.
The door opened a crack, and Valzar stuck his head in.
“I know you’re busy,” he said in accented tones. “But I think you should come out and see me. I’ve got some good news for you.”
Sean nodded and slid out of bed, apparently unconcerned by his nudity.
“Stay here,” he told her with a trace of humor in his voice. “Valzar, you got any clothing in here I can use?”
“In the drawer,” Valzar said, nodding his head toward the built-in dresser. “I brought some just for you.
I’ll be out front.”
With that he closed the door behind him and the room fell silent again. Sean pulled on his clothes and left without a word.
Valzar sat in one of the large, comfortable-looking chairs, a laptop computer propped open in front of him. He looked like a businessman, flying to some important meeting, but he was no ordinary businessman. Sean marveled again at his friend’s ingenuity. How had he wangled diplomatic immunity?
“Good news,” Valzar said, flashing Sean a grin. “Did you know you’re dead?”
“Already?” Sean asked. “They move fast. How did it happen?”
“Well, according to our friends at the CIA, you stole a small plane from the airport and disappeared soon afterward. The wreckage will be found outside Fort Wiconda in about three days, and your body will be recovered. They’re not too happy about the fact that you took a hostage, by the way.”
“Oh really?” Sean asked, dropped into the chair across from Valzar. “I suppose it complicates things on their end?”
“That’s the gist of this message,” Valzar replied with a quick smile. “Apparently they’re doing some fast work to trace her down and get enough information to fake her death believably. They said that it would have been a lot easier if you’d just killed her. At least then they’d have a body. I can see their point.”
He shot Sean a pointed look. Sean sighed, and then closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
“I didn’t want to kill her,” he said. “There’s been too much killing already, and she didn’t do anything to deserve it.”
“You’ve always been soft,” Valzar said, his face growing serious. “But your little toy is going to get us in trouble. She’s the only one who knows you aren’t dead, and that’s going to cause serious problems. You can’t let her go home and you can’t trust her. What are you going to do with her, keep her forever?”
Sean shook his head, knowing Valzar was right. But when he thought about closing those brown, pixie eyes forever, he couldn’t do it. Not now. Maybe later.
“She’s my problem, not yours,” he said finally. “She can’t tell anyone anything as long as she’s with me; you have nothing to fear from her.”
Valzar nodded his head.
“That’s certainly true,” he said. “But I’m worried about you. I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to save your sorry hide, and I’d hate to see you blow it for a woman.”
“I’m a big boy,” Sean replied. “I can take care of her when the time comes.”
Chapter Six
Heat pressed down like a pillow, muffling her breath.
She couldn’t remember ever feeling such heat, and such punishing humidity. Thank God the car was air conditioned, Sandra thought grimly. Otherwise she’d be dead by now.
She and Sean sat in the backseat of a Lexus SUV, a far cry from her worn Honda. Valzar sat in the passenger seat, drumming his fingers idly against his leg. Their driver, a tall, dark-featured man with a scarred lip, drove in silence. In fact, she hadn’t heard him say a single word since he’d picked them up at the airport. She hadn’t seen Del.
She wanted to ask where they were going, but judging from the looks Valzar had given her before, conversation wasn’t a good idea. He seemed to take her presence as a personal insult, so instead of talking she watched out the window as they drove. She was pretty sure they were in South America. The accents and climate told her that much. They had landed on a small airstrip in the mountains. Now they were traveling through dense jungle, and she could only see the road ahead. Trees and foliage surrounded them on both sides, making the way nearly passable.
“Almost there,” Valzar said from the front seat. “You can stay as long as you like, of course. When you’re ready to discuss your future and other options, let me know. I’ve got some ideas we can look into.”
Even as he spoke, they came around a bend in the road into a clearing. Perched on a hillside before them was a white, stucco-covered villa four times the size her parents’ house had been. Two wings extended to either side, accented gracefully by the explosion of tropical flowers from the well-manicured bushes.
“It’s paradise,” she said softly, then blushed as both men turned to her. Sean smiled; Valzar’s expression was more difficult to read.
“We’re hundreds of miles from the nearest town,” Valzar said. “This jungle is filled with animals that would love to kill and eat you. Don’t think for one moment that there’s any way for you to get away unless we send a plane for you.”
She bit her lip and looked away. Sean nudged her and grinned.
“You’ll be fine,” he said. “I promised you that already.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, friend,” Valzar said tightly.
They fell silent. The driver turned off the large SUV, unlocking the doors with a click. Sean opened his and stepped out, pulling her behind him, and the heat hit her like a wall. The house seemed further away.
They walked toward it quickly, but she could already feel the sweat running down her back and pooling between her breasts. It didn’t help that she wore oversized men’s clothing; that had been all they had on the plane. The legs were far too long for her, and she only had one shoe. She watched her step carefully, expecting some kind of poisonous tropical bug to run out and bite her, but nothing happened.
They entered the house and another wave of cool air conditioning washed over her. She all but moaned with pleasure. They were in a large entry hall. It held a high ceiling adorned with a giant chandelier. The floor was tiled with cool, brown stones, and a broad staircase opened into the center of the room before them. Halfway up it split into two opposing staircases. They led to an open, galleried second floor.
“Nice,” Sean said shortly, casting a glance at Valzar. “Do I want to know who this place belongs to?”
“My family,” Valzar said, sketching a short, mocking bow. “My father has always believed that wise men should have a nice, secure place to wait out a revolution. It’s come in handy over the years. We have a skeleton staff here. They’ll see to all your needs. They’re very discreet, of course.”
Someone coughed, and she noticed a man dressed in khaki pants and a white shirt standing off to one side. Valzar nodded at him, and he stepped forward.
“I’m Eduardo,” he said in softly accented tones. “I run the household here, as well as being in charge of security. If you need anything at all, please just let me know.”
“Thank you,” Sean said.
“Eduardo has been with our family for more than 20 years,” Valzar said. “He does far more for us than simply run the household.”
“I understand,” Sean said, and his eyes took on a new look. Sadness? It was hard to know. She could tell that something was going on here, but she had no idea what it might be.