was wet and she supposed some tears were flowing with the shocking delight of it but they didn't matter. She did not realize that her nails dug into his flesh like the flexing claws of an ecstatic cat. He eased his loins forward until their pelvic bones locked as tightly as a closed fist, feeling her reach avidly with her body for his steady lunge.
"Darling," he murmured, "you're so damn beautiful you scare me. I meant to tell you before..."
"Tell... me... now," she gasped.
* * *
Judas, before he called himself Mike Bor, had found Stash Foster in Bombay, where Foster was a dealer in humanity in die many vicious ways that arise when there are uncounted, unwanted, gross masses of it Engaged by Judas to bring three minor wholesalers of dope aboard Judas' Portuguese motor-sailer, Foster fell right into the middle of one of Judas' small problems. Judas wanted the good-quality cocaine they carried, and he did not care to pay for it, especially since he wanted the two men and the woman out of the way because their operation fitted nicely into his developing organization.
The three were tied up as soon as the vessel was out of sight of land, plowing through the hot-looking Arabian Sea, bound south for Colombo. In his lavishly furnished cabin Judas said thoughtfully to Heinrich Muller, while Foster listened, "Best thing for them is overboard."
"
Ja
," Muller agreed.
Foster decided they were testing him. He would pass the test, because Bombay was a lousy place for a Pole to make a living even if he was always six jumps ahead of the local
banditti.
The language problem was just too much, and you were so damn conspicuous. This Judas was building a big operation and he had real money.
"Want me to dump 'em?" he had asked.
"If you would be so kind," Judas purred.
Foster took them up on deck with their hands tied, one by one, the woman first He slit their throats, severed the heads completely from the bodies, and stripped the corpses before dropping the bodies into the greasy-looking sea. He made a weighted bundle of the clothes and dropped it over. When he was done there was only a yard-across puddle of blood on the deck, forming a red, liquid tray for the three heads, eyes-adroop.
Fastidiously, Foster pitched the heads over, one by one.
Judas, standing with Muller near the helm, nodded approvingly. "Have that hosed down," he ordered Muller. "Foster — let's have a talk."
This was the man Judas had ordered to watch Nick, and in so doing had made a mistake, although it might turn into a plus. Foster had the greed of a pig, the morals of a weasel, and the reasoning power of a baboon. A full-grown baboon is a match for most dogs, except a Rhodesian Ridgeback female, but the baboon thinks in odd little circles and has been bested by men who had the time to fashion weapons from available sticks and stones.
Judas told Foster, "Watch this Andrew Grant Stay out of sight. We're going to take care of him."
Foster s baboon brain promptly concluded he would gain acclaim by "taking care" of Grant If he had succeeded, he probably would have; Judas considered himself an opportunist. He came very close.
This was the man who watched Nick leave Meikles in the morning. A small, neatly dressed man with powerful shoulders that hunched over rather like a baboon's. So unobtrusive among the people on the sidewalks that Nick did not notice him.
Chapter Six
Nick had awakened before dawn and ordered coffee sent up as soon as room service could manage it He kissed Boots' awake — noting with satisfaction that she matched her mood to his own; love-fun had been great, now on with the business of a new day. Make the parting perfect and your anticipation of the next kiss would ease you by many a rough moment She drank a quick coffee red a long good-bye embrace, and slipped away after he checked the corridor as all clear.
As Nick was brushing a sports jacket, Gus Boyd arrived, bright and bouncy. He sniffed the air of the room. Nick frowned inwardly, the
"Darling," he murmured, "you're so damn beautiful you scare me. I meant to tell you before..."
"Tell... me... now," she gasped.
* * *
Judas, before he called himself Mike Bor, had found Stash Foster in Bombay, where Foster was a dealer in humanity in die many vicious ways that arise when there are uncounted, unwanted, gross masses of it Engaged by Judas to bring three minor wholesalers of dope aboard Judas' Portuguese motor-sailer, Foster fell right into the middle of one of Judas' small problems. Judas wanted the good-quality cocaine they carried, and he did not care to pay for it, especially since he wanted the two men and the woman out of the way because their operation fitted nicely into his developing organization.
The three were tied up as soon as the vessel was out of sight of land, plowing through the hot-looking Arabian Sea, bound south for Colombo. In his lavishly furnished cabin Judas said thoughtfully to Heinrich Muller, while Foster listened, "Best thing for them is overboard."
"
Ja
," Muller agreed.
Foster decided they were testing him. He would pass the test, because Bombay was a lousy place for a Pole to make a living even if he was always six jumps ahead of the local
banditti.
The language problem was just too much, and you were so damn conspicuous. This Judas was building a big operation and he had real money.
"Want me to dump 'em?" he had asked.
"If you would be so kind," Judas purred.
Foster took them up on deck with their hands tied, one by one, the woman first He slit their throats, severed the heads completely from the bodies, and stripped the corpses before dropping the bodies into the greasy-looking sea. He made a weighted bundle of the clothes and dropped it over. When he was done there was only a yard-across puddle of blood on the deck, forming a red, liquid tray for the three heads, eyes-adroop.
Fastidiously, Foster pitched the heads over, one by one.
Judas, standing with Muller near the helm, nodded approvingly. "Have that hosed down," he ordered Muller. "Foster — let's have a talk."
This was the man Judas had ordered to watch Nick, and in so doing had made a mistake, although it might turn into a plus. Foster had the greed of a pig, the morals of a weasel, and the reasoning power of a baboon. A full-grown baboon is a match for most dogs, except a Rhodesian Ridgeback female, but the baboon thinks in odd little circles and has been bested by men who had the time to fashion weapons from available sticks and stones.
Judas told Foster, "Watch this Andrew Grant Stay out of sight. We're going to take care of him."
Foster s baboon brain promptly concluded he would gain acclaim by "taking care" of Grant If he had succeeded, he probably would have; Judas considered himself an opportunist. He came very close.
This was the man who watched Nick leave Meikles in the morning. A small, neatly dressed man with powerful shoulders that hunched over rather like a baboon's. So unobtrusive among the people on the sidewalks that Nick did not notice him.
Chapter Six
Nick had awakened before dawn and ordered coffee sent up as soon as room service could manage it He kissed Boots' awake — noting with satisfaction that she matched her mood to his own; love-fun had been great, now on with the business of a new day. Make the parting perfect and your anticipation of the next kiss would ease you by many a rough moment She drank a quick coffee red a long good-bye embrace, and slipped away after he checked the corridor as all clear.
As Nick was brushing a sports jacket, Gus Boyd arrived, bright and bouncy. He sniffed the air of the room. Nick frowned inwardly, the
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