me.” She shrugged, but her voice carried a hint of the terror she’d felt. “They didn’t explain what they were after, but I gathered they searched the entire bus.” Her voice caught and he wondered what else had happened.
He studied her face and saw that what had appeared to be dirt was actually a series of bruises from blows to the face. She even had a healing cut on her lip.
“When did this happen?”
“Yesterday.”
“You’ve been evading the rebels for a full day? Impressive.”
She shrugged. “I was motivated.”
He couldn’t help it, he snorted. “Yeah, I bet.” He glanced at her wrists. “Motivated enough to free yourself from the handcuffs.”
If he hadn’t still been holding her wrist he wouldn’t have noticed how her pulse kicked. Now, wasn’t that interesting? Did she have experience with handcuffs? Or was she protecting someone who’d freed her? In which case, where was her accomplice?
Not my business.
Her stomach growled.
“When’s the last time you ate?”
She lifted a shoulder and glanced away. “So,” she said. “About that bath?”
“Right.” He gestured toward the cross corridor and the large windows that looked onto the inner courtyard. “This town doesn’t have running water, but across the courtyard there’s a bathing chamber with a barrel of water. The pit toilet is next to it.” He glanced at her. “Do you need a towel?”
She shook her head. “No. I brought one of my own.”
“Okay, then.”
She nodded, then picked up her backpack and left the room. He watched as she found the exterior door and walked across the courtyard. Once she’d shut the door to the bathing chamber behind her, he ran his hand over the back of his head. This situation just kept getting worse. He hadn’t listened to the news today because he’d left early for his flight, but now he grabbed his portable radio. He needed to find out what had happened to that bus and if the media knew what the rebels were searching for.
After placing the radio on the bedside table and turning it to the one station that came in clearly this far east, Seth made up the bed. Unfortunately, because of the late hour, the radio station was playing only music. All right. He shut it off. He’d have to check the news in the morning.
He tucked the top sheet in, then went out to the kitchen to throw together a meal.
As he worked, he considered the possibility that Kirra had lied to him. Maybe she was in possession of whatever the rebels wanted and had managed to keep the item hidden.
Seth adjusted the heat on the two-burner stove. Kirra seemed like a straightforward, slightly naïve woman who’d gotten in over her head. Yet something about her made his instincts sit up. She had courage and strength underneath that soft exterior. After all, she’d shredded the skin on her wrists in order to slip out of a pair of handcuffs. Most people wouldn’t have the stomach—or the knowledge—to accomplish that.
So, who’d trained her? And why?
Stay out of it.
Right. He’d been telling himself that since he’d been nine years old, but his damn protective instincts never listened. He’d gotten in trouble back then for punching Billy Rylie in the face. The bully had deserved it for shoving Gina Masters down on the playground, but it had a set a precedent that guaranteed Seth would stick his neck out for a woman in need. No matter the personal cost.
Sucker.
Seth decided that the oil in the pan was hot enough and dropped in a few slices of plantain.
Now, if only the assassin stayed away until after Kirra left, all would be good. He trusted most of the people left in this former tourist town, and they’d have told him if they’d spotted the assassin. Since the market was an hour away by motorcycle, the assassin had a wide range of territory to search. Hopefully, by the time the assassin located him, Kirra would be safely away.
Just as critical, Seth had to make certain that no word of this reached Bureh. The
He studied her face and saw that what had appeared to be dirt was actually a series of bruises from blows to the face. She even had a healing cut on her lip.
“When did this happen?”
“Yesterday.”
“You’ve been evading the rebels for a full day? Impressive.”
She shrugged. “I was motivated.”
He couldn’t help it, he snorted. “Yeah, I bet.” He glanced at her wrists. “Motivated enough to free yourself from the handcuffs.”
If he hadn’t still been holding her wrist he wouldn’t have noticed how her pulse kicked. Now, wasn’t that interesting? Did she have experience with handcuffs? Or was she protecting someone who’d freed her? In which case, where was her accomplice?
Not my business.
Her stomach growled.
“When’s the last time you ate?”
She lifted a shoulder and glanced away. “So,” she said. “About that bath?”
“Right.” He gestured toward the cross corridor and the large windows that looked onto the inner courtyard. “This town doesn’t have running water, but across the courtyard there’s a bathing chamber with a barrel of water. The pit toilet is next to it.” He glanced at her. “Do you need a towel?”
She shook her head. “No. I brought one of my own.”
“Okay, then.”
She nodded, then picked up her backpack and left the room. He watched as she found the exterior door and walked across the courtyard. Once she’d shut the door to the bathing chamber behind her, he ran his hand over the back of his head. This situation just kept getting worse. He hadn’t listened to the news today because he’d left early for his flight, but now he grabbed his portable radio. He needed to find out what had happened to that bus and if the media knew what the rebels were searching for.
After placing the radio on the bedside table and turning it to the one station that came in clearly this far east, Seth made up the bed. Unfortunately, because of the late hour, the radio station was playing only music. All right. He shut it off. He’d have to check the news in the morning.
He tucked the top sheet in, then went out to the kitchen to throw together a meal.
As he worked, he considered the possibility that Kirra had lied to him. Maybe she was in possession of whatever the rebels wanted and had managed to keep the item hidden.
Seth adjusted the heat on the two-burner stove. Kirra seemed like a straightforward, slightly naïve woman who’d gotten in over her head. Yet something about her made his instincts sit up. She had courage and strength underneath that soft exterior. After all, she’d shredded the skin on her wrists in order to slip out of a pair of handcuffs. Most people wouldn’t have the stomach—or the knowledge—to accomplish that.
So, who’d trained her? And why?
Stay out of it.
Right. He’d been telling himself that since he’d been nine years old, but his damn protective instincts never listened. He’d gotten in trouble back then for punching Billy Rylie in the face. The bully had deserved it for shoving Gina Masters down on the playground, but it had a set a precedent that guaranteed Seth would stick his neck out for a woman in need. No matter the personal cost.
Sucker.
Seth decided that the oil in the pan was hot enough and dropped in a few slices of plantain.
Now, if only the assassin stayed away until after Kirra left, all would be good. He trusted most of the people left in this former tourist town, and they’d have told him if they’d spotted the assassin. Since the market was an hour away by motorcycle, the assassin had a wide range of territory to search. Hopefully, by the time the assassin located him, Kirra would be safely away.
Just as critical, Seth had to make certain that no word of this reached Bureh. The
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