says you fly anyone anywhere," Alex accused, slapping packages of ham and cheese on the counter. "If you can fly tourists to the pyramids, why can't you fly me to Guaymas now? You fly that . . . that Lia any where she wants to go. I've hired you too!"
He ignored her jealous outburst. "I want you to meet Jose and me at the airport tomorrow around ten. There's a little yellow building off to the right si de where we keep the chopper. Jose and I have to go over the mechanics and gas it up. Then we' ll check out this rumor. And re member, Alex, that's all it is, a rumor."
Alex spread mustard on the bread and dug out lettuce and pickles , ham and cheese. Why was he doing this to her? Building her hopes up only to kick them down. The rich aroma of strong coffee filled the room, and she placed a plate of sandwiches and a steaming cup before Nick. "If that doesn't keep you awake for at least thirty minutes, nothing will."
"Thanks. I'm starved." He dove into the first sandwich without another word.
Alex fixed herself a cup of coffee and sat oppo si te him. "You don't think she's there, do you?"
"I don't know. I told you the odds. But it's pos si ble that they would try to get her out of town. Away from Hermo si llo."
"They?"
"Whoever has her."
"And you think someone has her? That she's been stolen?"
"Definitely. I think . . ." He paused and looked into Alex's frightened eyes. "I think she's safe. But they probably don't want to ransom her. We would have heard something by now. They want her."
Alex froze. "F-for what?"
Nick took a deep breath. Damn, he shouldn't be telling her this. He was just so tired, he couldn't think st raight. He jerked to full aware ness when she gr ipped his arm fiercely. Her fin gernails pricked his skin and he felt the sting all the way to his soul.
"Tell me! What do you think, Nick? Why do they want her?"
Nick's eyes hardened and he wrenched his arm from Alex's frantic grasp. His angular face grew taut and he rose to pace across the floor. Running a large hand through his dark hair, he turned back to Alex. "Maybe . . . maybe to sell her."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Alex felt as though someone had stabbed her in the stomach. She stared horrified at Nick. "Sell? Sell Jenni?" Her voice was shrill as her emotions pitched and rolled with another of those roller coaster surges. "Oh, my God, no! Surely not! It just can't be!"
"Oh, hell! I did n't intend to tell you my suspi cions so soon, Alex, but I guess it's time you knew—"
"When were you going to tell me? After she was sold . . . when it was too late?"
Nick gripped her arms and shook her roughly. "I didn't intend to tell you because I didn't want a hysterical woman on my hands . Like now. For God's sake, calm down!"
"How did you expect me to react when you told me something so ... so outrageous!" Her eyes were like blue flames, dancing with panic.
"Alex, the only way we're going to see this thing through and get Jenni back is by calmly calculating the actions of the enemy. We will get nowhere by lo si ng control . "
"Calculating the enemy? You sound like were fighting a war!"
He released her. "Well, in a way, I feel as if we are. It's a hard bu si ness, taking a child like this. It's cruel and barbaric. We have to be the same if we're going to win."
"I don't think it's pos si ble for me."
"Then leave that part up to me. Just don't get hysterical. Stay calm and do as I say. "
"Are we? Going to win this . . . this 'battle', as you say?"
"It's going to be tough. I don't know yet."
Alex took a shaky breath, verging on tears yet not able to fully release her emotions. "It's easy for you to be hard and unfeeling because you aren't emotionally involved with Jenni. You just think of her as a thing, a name of something, not a little girl who might be afraid and hungry and crying for her mama . "
Nick's eyes flickered with something close to a savage viciousness. "I'm more involved than you think. But one of us has to be calm about it . "
Alex
He ignored her jealous outburst. "I want you to meet Jose and me at the airport tomorrow around ten. There's a little yellow building off to the right si de where we keep the chopper. Jose and I have to go over the mechanics and gas it up. Then we' ll check out this rumor. And re member, Alex, that's all it is, a rumor."
Alex spread mustard on the bread and dug out lettuce and pickles , ham and cheese. Why was he doing this to her? Building her hopes up only to kick them down. The rich aroma of strong coffee filled the room, and she placed a plate of sandwiches and a steaming cup before Nick. "If that doesn't keep you awake for at least thirty minutes, nothing will."
"Thanks. I'm starved." He dove into the first sandwich without another word.
Alex fixed herself a cup of coffee and sat oppo si te him. "You don't think she's there, do you?"
"I don't know. I told you the odds. But it's pos si ble that they would try to get her out of town. Away from Hermo si llo."
"They?"
"Whoever has her."
"And you think someone has her? That she's been stolen?"
"Definitely. I think . . ." He paused and looked into Alex's frightened eyes. "I think she's safe. But they probably don't want to ransom her. We would have heard something by now. They want her."
Alex froze. "F-for what?"
Nick took a deep breath. Damn, he shouldn't be telling her this. He was just so tired, he couldn't think st raight. He jerked to full aware ness when she gr ipped his arm fiercely. Her fin gernails pricked his skin and he felt the sting all the way to his soul.
"Tell me! What do you think, Nick? Why do they want her?"
Nick's eyes hardened and he wrenched his arm from Alex's frantic grasp. His angular face grew taut and he rose to pace across the floor. Running a large hand through his dark hair, he turned back to Alex. "Maybe . . . maybe to sell her."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Alex felt as though someone had stabbed her in the stomach. She stared horrified at Nick. "Sell? Sell Jenni?" Her voice was shrill as her emotions pitched and rolled with another of those roller coaster surges. "Oh, my God, no! Surely not! It just can't be!"
"Oh, hell! I did n't intend to tell you my suspi cions so soon, Alex, but I guess it's time you knew—"
"When were you going to tell me? After she was sold . . . when it was too late?"
Nick gripped her arms and shook her roughly. "I didn't intend to tell you because I didn't want a hysterical woman on my hands . Like now. For God's sake, calm down!"
"How did you expect me to react when you told me something so ... so outrageous!" Her eyes were like blue flames, dancing with panic.
"Alex, the only way we're going to see this thing through and get Jenni back is by calmly calculating the actions of the enemy. We will get nowhere by lo si ng control . "
"Calculating the enemy? You sound like were fighting a war!"
He released her. "Well, in a way, I feel as if we are. It's a hard bu si ness, taking a child like this. It's cruel and barbaric. We have to be the same if we're going to win."
"I don't think it's pos si ble for me."
"Then leave that part up to me. Just don't get hysterical. Stay calm and do as I say. "
"Are we? Going to win this . . . this 'battle', as you say?"
"It's going to be tough. I don't know yet."
Alex took a shaky breath, verging on tears yet not able to fully release her emotions. "It's easy for you to be hard and unfeeling because you aren't emotionally involved with Jenni. You just think of her as a thing, a name of something, not a little girl who might be afraid and hungry and crying for her mama . "
Nick's eyes flickered with something close to a savage viciousness. "I'm more involved than you think. But one of us has to be calm about it . "
Alex
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