Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

"Kira Drake is definitely here," Donovan told Taylor when he answered the phone. "My reports from Morocco that I sent you earlier said that Harlan's personal assistant Carl Belson had arrived at the Harlan factory there. But it seems Harlan brought Drake directly here to Hathor Island. Because a barge arrived at a seaport on the far side of the island today, and she and Harlan were definitely using underwater equipment to explore the area."

Taylor cursed. "You're sure?"

"Would I steer you wrong?" Donovan chuckled as he adjusted his binoculars more closely on the two people on the deck of the barge. "I couldn't be more certain. I'm on the cruiser you hired, and I'm a good distance away from the barge that brought in the submersible equipment they're using. But I'd recognize Drake anywhere after my trip to get you off those cliffs in Colorado. She's looking very cozy with Harlan at the moment. Sort of like a contented cat basking in the sun."

"We know what she's probably looking for," Taylor said. "If she's brought Harlan into the picture, it's even better news. Two for the price of one."

"For a raid on Kalim's stronghold?" Donovan asked. "I'll have to bring in additional men if we're going that route. That's no small island Kalim controls, plus there's the sea all around it to deal with."

"Not right now. Have them ready, but I'm not sure where I'll need them yet." Taylor started to laugh. "Though I'm beginning to have an inkling where that might occur. Just keep an eye on what's going on with Drake. I want to know everything she does."

Donovan didn't answer for a moment. "No problem. But you're still going after the treasure, aren't you? You promised me a fat bonus."

"Do you really think I'd give up a fortune just for a quick kill? I'm no fool, Donovan. The aim is always to have it all. Remember that, and you might get that bonus. Don't worry. There will be work for you very soon…"

Hannah Bryson stayed for lunch and didn't leave the hills until almost dark. The good thing was that she seemed to be getting along very well with Aban, and the young man was frankly besotted with her and followed her around like an eager puppy. Before the day was over, she'd invited him to the barge the next day, and he had accepted ecstatically and asked permission from Kira to drive Hannah back to the barge so that he could see the sleds.

"All is going well in Emerald City," Harlan murmured as he watched Aban drive down the road. "Now can we go back to your tent and see the underwater maps you drew for me?"

"I don't see why not." She moved away from the fire and strolled toward the lake. She was very contented with how the day had gone. "Emerald City… that's from The Wizard of Oz , isn't it? Wicked is one of my favorite musicals."

"That doesn't surprise me. It's a fairy tale. You're partial to them, aren't you? That's how you came here to Hathor Island. I'll wager Kalim told you a few tall tales, didn't he?"

"No, he didn't. That's your story, and it's not really true. He told me what he believed was truth based on what his ancestors had told him all his life about both the geology and customs of this island." She stopped in front of her tent. "And it turned out that he was being as honest with me as he could."

"Cleopatra's burial tomb?" he asked skeptically.

She shook her head. "No, that wasn't exactly true as we know it. But it could have been. The archaeologists are still looking." She pulled him into the tent and lit the lamp. "And we both thought there was a possibility she could have been buried near one of the wells or caves in the Valley of the Kings. So I was just as guilty as Kalim when he asked me to come here to check out the desert wells and cave systems in his own country."

"But Cleopatra hasn't been found yet."

"No, but that doesn't mean it won't happen tomorrow or the next day. Miracles happen."

"And so do fairy tales," Harlan said. "If you're willing to believe them." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "And if that's what you want, then it's fine with me. But a few words of reason would not go amiss if you'd care to expound a bit."

"Allow me," she said mockingly as she pulled him down beside her on the bed and opened her notebook. "The reason why we're not going to explore that same area we were in today is that although the basic structure that supports the island is principally limestone, the entire network of sea caves is on the other side of the island from where we are now."

"Caves?" Harlan repeated as he gazed down at her sketch. "Is that the goal you're going for, Kira? Why?"

"Because caves have traditionally offered both secure hiding places and a way to intrigue and intimidate anyone else who might be a little too curious." She shivered. "Though caves can be very inhospitable. But they've always fascinated me. I grew up on Summer Island and learned how to herd and track in other wild countries as well. Lots of caves to explore."

"Why inhospitable?" He leaned back on his elbow. "Did you find Kalim's cave inhospitable?"

Suffocating darkness. Sounds in the swishing of the blackness of the water that should never have been there…

She shook her head to clear it. "I was speaking in general. But I was always a great reader, both in college and with my duties herding in the fields. Naturally I'd come across stories about caves and the people who now and then discover something new about them."

"Such as?"

"Cavers who wanted to explore them principally for adventure. Or scientists trying to learn about the world around them by studying prehistoric history carved on the walls."

"What else?"

Kira searched wildly for another example. "I guess I should mention the Mayan leaders who sometimes drowned their sacrifices in the cenotes outside their temple caves?"

"That's interesting. I didn't know you'd been to visit those Mayan temples."

"What difference does it make? I've been to a lot of places you don't know about."

"It was just a comment. We ought to compare notes sometime."

"Why on earth are you being so inquisitive?"

"It goes with the territory. I'm one of those curious scientists you mentioned." He tilted his head as he gazed at her. "And there was something in your expression when you were talking about those caves… I couldn't quite put my finger on it. But it bothered me. Tell me more."

"You're being totally ridiculous." She shrugged. "Let's see…" She searched her memory. "They say Zeus was born in a cave, and the Japanese sun goddess Amatarasu hid in a cave, plunging the world into darkness." She snapped her fingers. "And how could I forget? King Arthur and his Round Table and hounds are said to be sleeping peacefully in a Welsh cave waiting for a powerful, mystical visitor who will summon them once again to battle."

"Ah, now we're getting into the real drama."

"May I stop now? Why are you so concerned about those blasted caves?"

"It's not the caves, it's how you felt about them that bothered me."

She had a sudden thought. "I remember the day we arrived on Summer Island, you were telling me that you were going to get to know me, everything about me. Is that what this is all about? I don't appreciate that, Harlan. Everyone deserves to have a little mystery in their lives."

"I'd guess you have more than a little."

"Perhaps I do. It makes life more exciting and different, doesn't it? Though you probably lead a far more exciting life than I do. I don't see why it's bothering you."

"Neither do I. Perhaps because it's you." He lifted his shoulders. "I suppose that's a big part of it. I appear to have an obsession about you. And I'll try to keep it from annoying you. But you do realize I won't be able to stop if I notice something is bothering you? I'll have to step in and try to solve it. It's a function of my DNA."

"I've noticed you have a problem in that direction. And those blasted caves sent up a red flag for some reason. Why worry about that now? Kalim might not even let us do any scuba diving near those caves. He considered it too dangerous before. He never permitted any of his people to do any underwater exploring in that area after he lost a couple of his villagers when an overhead stalactite crashed down on them. Kalim was always very careful about taking care of the people of Hathor Island."

Harlan looked up from the sketch Kira was drawing, his expression grim. "But perhaps not as careful about taking care of you? You were an outsider, and you were probably very curious about those caves."

She shrugged. "I was told not to go near them. It wasn't Kalim's fault, and that only made them more attractive to me. I did make sure that I conveniently lost Aban when I decided I wanted to explore by myself."

His oath was low but profane. "I thought that was probably how it went when Aban was telling me about it. Dammit, it was Kalim's duty to keep an eye on you. He invited you here."

"And I wanted to come. He didn't know anything about my trips to the caves until I went to him and told him about them." She paused. "I figured it was only fair by then." Her eyes were suddenly twinkling. "Because I had to show him the box of trinkets I'd brought up from one of those caves. Since all those caves technically belonged to him."

"Trinkets?"

"An ebony-and-stone box I discovered jammed beneath the rocks in one of the caves that contained a generous collection of gold chains, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. I'm sure you've guessed that it's that particular cave I'm so eager to return to and explore. It would be foolish not to go back to the source and see what else we can find. Kalim was very impressed. Some of the stones were quite large." She thought about it. "And he was also a bit angry, but he got over it when he decided that I could have cheated him out of the entire collection and just walked away. That's when he offered to split the treasure with me if I'd arrange to do the hunting and gathering. I gave him the treasure box so that he could investigate the age and value of the contents."

"No wonder he was so worried when you disappeared," Harlan said wryly. "It wasn't only an expert herder and trainer he'd lost when I snatched you away that night in Colorado."

"That's not fair," Kira said. "He's been very generous to me. He didn't have to make that deal with me about the treasure."

"And you didn't have to tote that box of jewels to the surface and offer it to him along with anything else you might come up with. I believe it might be even steven if you look at it that way. You might even be a little ahead."

"I doubt it."

"Of course you do. But then you believe in fairy tales and even a glamorous Cleopatra who might just appear around the next bend."

She chuckled. "Or the next cave?"

"That, too."

"But I also believe in a man who followed me up in those mountains and saved my life even when I was more than a little rude to him. That's also kind of a fairy tale, isn't it?"

"Let me think about it." He paused, considering. "No, I'm not any kind of hero you might imagine. That was my brother, Colin. I just work hard and try to get along and do my best to keep you away from any nasty caves that might frighten you."

She stiffened. "Why do you think I'd be afraid of any cave? They just… interest me."

"Most of them. And I don't want to accuse you of not being brave as a tiger, but I believe you might have a few withdrawal symptoms when it comes to facing that particular deep, black cave nemesis."

He was joking, but Kira was still having a sudden vision of swirling water, a sleek, undulating body, and ultimate darkness as she struggled to carry that ebony box toward the surface.

"You're shivering." Harlan pulled her into his arms. "Not so funny?"

"Of course it is." She nestled closer. He was warm and strong and so different from the cold darkness of that moment she'd been suddenly remembering. "But you're right. I'd never had any trouble with claustrophobia or other cave-oriented problems. But that day when I brought that box up to the surface to give Kalim, it was different. It was too dark in the water… and I kept hearing things, and I thought I saw something moving back and forth in some of the streams. I couldn't tell what it was, but it made me uneasy. I couldn't wait to get away from the caverns and up to the surface." She ruefully shook her head. "It's never been like that for me before or afterward. I deliberately went down again the next day but I didn't feel anything…" She stopped and then corrected herself. "Yes, I did. I thought I saw something, felt something, a sort of… presence moving down there in the caves, but I couldn't tell what it was. Maybe I'll be able to decide once I can focus the lights of the sled on it."

"Possibly. Or maybe you won't want to know."

"Of course I will," she said curtly. "I won't let my imagination make me afraid of any natural element. I didn't tell you that there was another, smaller container I found that I left down there in the caves because I was in such a hurry to get out of there. I fully intend to go back for it. You wouldn't respect me if I didn't. I wouldn't respect myself."

"Okay." He held her closer. "You're completely wrong about that, but I'll let it go. Can we forget about caves and talk about what a wonderful time we had today? And may I tell you how I'm looking forward to tomorrow? Or maybe we'll just wait until afterward to talk." His lips were on her temple and his hands were caressing her throat. "Afterward can be pretty wonderful, too…"

Harlan was at the main camp making their biscuits when Kira came back from taking her bath in the lake the next morning. She smiled as she plopped down beside him. "My, that smells good. This is beginning to be a habit. I thoroughly approve."

"I saw you heading down to the lake when I woke. I would have joined you, but that lake looked a little too public for my taste. I like that you're friends with the herders, but I'm not into communal bathing. I prefer a more private arrangement with you. So I decided I'd cook you a decent meal and then go down later."

"How very snooty of you. How long before you finish cooking? I need to give Fiona a call before we take off for the barges. I promised I'd stay in touch. I meant to call her yesterday, but I became distracted."

"I wonder how that happened?" He was grinning. "If you'd rather wait until later, it's not as if we've totally deserted her. I called her after lunch yesterday while you were talking to Hannah about her own career. She sounded fine, and all she wanted was for me to tell her about Kalim's horses. She said her own training with Golden Boy and Domino was going along splendidly."

"I'll still call her," Kira said. "I made a promise, and I want to tell her about how fantastic your sled is working out. She has a right to be proud of you. Not that she isn't already." She took out her phone and strolled over to sit beneath a tree while she placed the call. "Let me know when you're ready to serve breakfast and I'll come running."

"It will be another twenty or thirty minutes. Tell Fiona I said hello, and that Kalim is still not offering to sell me another horse, so she should make do with the prize horses I've already given her."

"Too bad. Much as she loves her own horses, Kalim's would have been special to her. She's not going to like it."

"Neither did I," Harlan said ruefully. "There's one stallion in that herd Adan showed me that first day that I would have paid a fortune to own. Maybe if I do something to make your old friend Kalim develop a special fondness for me…"

"Don't count on it." Kira shook her head. "I believe you're talking about Sinbad, and he's not going to sell him no matter what you offer. He's already refused an offer of more than a million dollars from some billionaire sheik; he didn't think twice. Besides the money obstacle, Sinbad is impossible to ride. All the herders have failed."

"Even you?"

She nodded. "I stayed on him longer than anyone else. But I didn't want to break his spirit. He's so wild that I was afraid it might even kill him. It happens sometimes with a horse that willful. I didn't want to take the chance with such a valuable horse. Kalim would kill me."

Harlan sat back and smiled at her. "But you wouldn't give a damn about Kalim's reaction, would you? Admit it, you love that horse. There wasn't a chance in hell that you'd risk him."

She nodded. "What can I say? He's glorious. I'd fight anyone who tried to harm him. You'd feel the same way. But then so does Kalim. So you can see why I told you to forget about owning him."

"I understand." He was still frowning thoughtfully. "You're an expert. What kind of rider would it take to tame Sinbad?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "You're impossible. Didn't you hear me? Forget it."

"But I have such a good memory, and you can never tell what will trigger it. We'll see…" Harlan went back to molding his biscuits.

Kira was still smiling when she finally reached Fiona at Summer Island. "Good morning, Fiona. I was just talking to Harlan about the conversation the two of you had yesterday. I believe you'd better give up on getting one of Kalim's horses for your stable. He's been trying, but it looks like Kalim is very stubborn. Still, Harlan said your own training is going splendidly."

"Of course it is," Fiona said. "I'm doing everything I can, and you have fantastic people here to help me. But after you told me how wonderful Kalim's stable is, it would be nice to see what they're like." She added, "And Harlan might be able to pull it off. He mentioned a certain stallion…"

"And he'll try, but don't get your hopes up. He's very busy with that underwater sled he's working on. It's quite wonderful."

"He's always wonderful," Fiona said. "And I'll be happy just having him come back here and see how good I'm becoming with my own horses. I don't want him to think I'm not grateful." She laughed. "And I think Domino misses you. There are definitely signs that he's in mourning."

"I don't believe you. He's your horse and I'm just a visitor at the gates. Though I will be glad to see him again."

"So when will you be back?"

"Soon. I do have some work to do here on Kalim's island before I leave."

"Then you should let me come to meet Kalim. We could ride together, and maybe I could persuade him to let me ride one of his own horses in the next Olympics. Think how he'd like all the fanfare over one of his herd."

"Probably not at all," Kira told her. "I'm not certain he recognizes even the Olympics as worthy of his precious horses."

"Then I'll educate him."

"We'll see. Are all of Harlan's men on the island taking good care of you?"

"Naturally, of course. All those soldiers and grooms trail around after me everywhere on Summer Island. But it's not like having you or Harlan here. Think about having me come to you, won't you? I have so much to show you."

"And you hope I have an equally vast amount to show you," Kira said teasingly, "right?"

"I admit it. But it does sound like you and Harlan are getting along just fine without me." She was laughing. "And you know how I like to be the center of attention. Can't you arrange that for me?" She went silent for an uneasy moment. "You two are getting along well, aren't you? I wasn't sure the day you left here. There were certain… vibes."

Vibes and fire and sheer sexual desire.

Kira had a sudden memory of the night she had just spent in Harlan's arms, but she wasn't about to mention that to Fiona. It was far too early in her relationship with Harlan, and it might upset the niece who clearly adored him. Instead, she said cautiously, "We appear to be. And we do have you in common. That's a very good thing."

"That's true," Fiona said. "So keep that in mind next time I talk to you about persuading Harlan to bring me to see both of you."

"You're impossible." Kira chuckled. "And it's time for me to go have my breakfast. Take care of yourself. I'll try to call you tomorrow." She cut the connection and jumped to her feet, then walked over to the fire to sit down beside Harlan. "You were right: Fiona is very determined about Kalim's horses. But she seems to be taking everything else in stride about her own horses on Summer Island. And she takes wonderful care of them wherever they are. I suppose you know that about her?"

He nodded. "How could I not? Having them helped her survive—it helped her block all the pain and fear. She became almost another person."

Kira thought about it. "You know, that's kind of wonderful. I was thinking about her talent with horses when she was talking to me on the phone just now. You asked me who could ride an impossible horse like Sinbad. It might be Fiona."

"Because she's a horse whisperer?"

She nodded. "Of course you'd recognize all the signs. She grew up with you."

"Yes, I recognized them and I was grateful. I don't know what constitutes a horse whisperer—I just accept it and try to give her whatever help she needs."

"Like an impossible stallion?"

"Who knows if he's impossible unless we bring them together?"

"I applaud the effort. Every single one that you've made for Fiona. But this will be pretty tough, so don't get your hopes up." She couldn't leave it at that, though. This man didn't know the meaning of impossible . "She did try to talk me into bringing her here to look around a bit. That might include Sinbad."

"What did you say?" Harlan asked as he handed her a plate with biscuits, bacon, and eggs. "It's not really a bad idea. Much as I disapprove of Kalim's methods, you didn't turn out too badly working here in the hills with his herders. Fiona would probably enjoy it."

"How kind of you to admit that," she said bluntly. "I thought it was a very bad idea. I skirted the suggestion entirely."

"Am I allowed to ask why?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because we're sleeping together. She's your niece and she might not understand."

"Then it's time she learned. I don't ask her who I can sleep with. I realize you may be having trouble with the idea yourself, but you'll have to get used to it, too." He met her eyes. "Because we both know we're not going to give up what we've found, are we?"

"Aren't we?" Kira asked. "It's still so new, and I tried to tell you I'm not going to demand anything from you. Why bring her into it? You care about her. She's family. I'd be taking something precious from you. It's exactly what I said I wouldn't do."

"So sensible." He shook his head. "But I can't see it. Perhaps because I'm not feeling at all sensible at the moment." He sighed. "I believe we'll put this discussion on hold for the time being. Eat your breakfast. We have work to do down at the barge."

"Maybe not as much work as you think," Kira said as she picked up a biscuit from her plate and began to eat. "I've decided to recruit additional help."

He shook his head. "Hannah said Aban wasn't ready yet."

"No, but Mack is. You saw how well he swims down at the lake. It won't be the first time that I've taken him cave hunting. He did a lot of that when I was scuba diving at Summer Island, and he loved it. It was just another game to him. It should be pretty much the same here."

"Then I guess we'll be teaching him how to hitch a ride on one of my sleds. I have an idea how to make that work. But I'm not sure how to guide him or lead him through those caves. And you're the cave expert."

"You'll learn soon," Kira said. Her eyes were twinkling. "But you'd better give him a good breakfast, too. He'll need it. He can run me ragged sometimes when we're training on Summer Island!"

Hannah Bryson hadn't arrived yet when they appeared at the barge landing. But Kira was surprised to see Kalim getting out of his Bugatti Mistral sports car and strolling toward them. "I hear from Aban that you two have been doing quite a bit of diving in the past couple days. Anything interesting?"

"Not for Aban," Harlan said. "Hannah isn't ready to train him on the new sleds yet. I told you we'd take good care of him."

"What about you, Harlan?" Kalim asked. "Are you ready to take a chance on your new toys?"

"I never release a product unless I'm ready to take a chance on it," Harlan said. "And I guarantee you're going to want an entire stable of those ‘toys' before this is over. That is, if I decide to sell them to you."

"Indeed?" Kalim shrugged. "Now, why would I want to bother with buying one of your new inventions when you know I much prefer to own the finest horses on the planet instead? Aban tells me he gave you an in-depth look at my herd the minute he got the opportunity. Were you properly stunned?"

Harlan took a step closer to Kalim's Bugatti and ran his fingers caressingly over the car's glittering black surface. "Absolutely. You didn't really need to bring this beauty to show off to me. The herd was more than enough. A car is just a car. Though I understand this mechanical miracle has all the bells and whistles. La Voiture Noire. Let's see, the last time I was thinking about buying one, it was priced at somewhere around nineteen million. Is it worth that much to you?"

"Anything I want badly enough is worth it to me," Kalim said, stiffening. "I support this island and educate my citizens exceptionally well. Why should I not buy anything for myself that I wish?"

"I didn't say that." Harlan shrugged. "I just didn't find it worthwhile for my purposes. Most of the time, I have simpler tastes."

"Oh, for goodness' sake." Kira had heard enough of this nonsense. "Will you stop?" She came forward and stood in front of Kalim. "Yes, Harlan was amazed and appreciative when he saw your horses—not to mention the dogs that I so carefully and laboriously trained for you. But you haven't had a chance to even test out his new sleds. They're a fantastic invention, and he's right, you'll want to own them. But you didn't come here so that you could taunt each other like this, did you?"

"Don't be rude, Kira," Kalim said. "No, I just wanted to make sure that everything was in order and Harlan was treating you and my property well. After all, I'm permitting him to watch over Aban, and I did allow those barges to enter my territorial waters when he requested it. I thought I should have a right to look the situation over." He turned back to Harlan. "I understand from Aban that Kira appears to believe you're not mistreating her. Though that term doesn't necessarily compute in either my opinion or my culture."

Kira stiffened. She had an idea what Aban had told him, and she needed to avoid any confrontation. "Don't go there, Kalim."

"I have no intention of doing so," Kalim said. "You're not one of my people, and you're a grown woman. I merely stated my opinion. I just thought I'd let Harlan know that you have a protector if you so desire."

"I don't desire it. You know that, Kalim. I take care of myself."

"I believe I've heard that mantra before," Harlan said suddenly. "But what if I desire it on her behalf? I'd appreciate your attention at any time, Kalim. I like the idea of having a man of your stature ready to help her if needed."

"Harlan!" Kira exclaimed in disbelief.

"It makes good sense, Kira," Harlan said. "I'm not so vain that I'd refuse anyone willing to be there for you in any bad situation. I'm beginning to like the way he thinks."

"I'm not," Kira said. "Back off."

Kalim was staring suspiciously at Harlan. "If that was supposed to influence me in any way, it's not going to work. I'm still not selling you any of my horses."

"I'm hurt, Kalim." Harlan sadly shook his head. "You misread me entirely. I believe you care enough about Kira not to focus on mere horses when her well-being is at stake. I meant every word I said."

Kalim was still gazing at him searchingly. "None of my horses can ever be referred to as ‘mere.' They're all extraordinary."

"I understand the insult and offer my sincere apologies," Harlan said. "Particularly when we're talking about Sinbad."

"Ah, Sinbad." Kalim smiled. "I knew it would kill you not to get your hands on him. That's why I told Aban to be sure you saw him immediately."

"And it does," Harlan said. "But some things are more important than getting what I want. You've just given me a gift that towers way above it in scope. Now, is there anything I can do for you?"

Kalim didn't speak for a moment. "Are you conning me?"

"I most certainly am not," Harlan said. "We're on the same page. Sometimes I've found Kira to be less than appreciative of what we try to do for her, but I think we both believe she's worth it."

"Yes, I agree," Kalim said slowly. "I've always found that to be true. She's truly remarkable." He turned back to face Kira. "I believe that it's worthwhile keeping Harlan around. This does not mean I won't assist you if you need me. But considering my recent discussions with him and the way he has treated you and Aban, it appears he may prove useful."

"Really?" Kira said. "I always appreciate your opinion, and I'm sure Harlan will be grateful that the two of you seem to have reached a meeting of the minds." She added caustically, "Unfortunately, I seem to have been left out of the discussion."

"I'm not leaving either one of you out of anything," Kalim said. "I realize how valuable both of you are. I was going to call on the villagers and take care of this problem myself if my decision had been different. But that will not be necessary, and I won't have to involve them." He turned to Harlan. "Did you know that the two of you have been watched for the last two days? And if you did, why didn't you come to me and get permission to stop it, as you did when you brought those barges here? That was very clumsily done. I could have been very angry with you."

"What the hell?" Harlan said in bewilderment. "What are you talking about, Kalim?"

Kalim gestured to the north. "You actually didn't know about it? A cruiser. It's too far away to see from here, but they're using high-powered binoculars to watch what you're doing over here on the barges… and I assume in the sea itself. Abdullah, one of my villagers, thought I'd be interested in knowing about what these strangers were doing on my property. Five men are on the ship as far as he could tell. I told him not to approach them but to get close enough to try to get photographs of the cruiser and to send them to me." He handed Harlan his camera. "I thought you and Kira might want to see if you know them."

"I definitely do. Many thanks." Harlan was copying the photos and sending them to Belson. "You were right to keep your people away from that ship. The last thing we want is for you to have any trouble with your villagers." He handed the camera to Kira. "I'll send my assistant and a few other team members to check out what's going on with that cruiser."

Kira was studying the photos. "It's a good-size ship, but I don't recognize anyone aboard from those photos. Do you, Harlan?" She frowned. "Definitely no one from here on Hathor. But then the only one I might be able to identify would be Taylor. In Colorado, I was too busy fighting him off to pay any attention to any of his men. Though I did hear him talking to at least one of his helicopter pilots on the phone when I was stalking him at the ranch house—Donovan."

Harlan shook his head. "We'd already recognized Donovan from when he managed to help Taylor escape on the helicopter that night. And I was too busy trying to keep you and Mack alive during that period to pay any attention to anyone else. But I'll alert Belson."

Kira nodded. "But it won't stop us from going for another session in the sleds?"

"Not if Belson decides there's no risk from the cruiser. I take it we won't be operating in the same area?"

She shook her head. "I thought we'd take a chance on the west coast." She braced herself as she glanced at Kalim. "We need to see what's available in the caves, Kalim. It was where we managed the first strike. We may not go directly after treasure, but we should see what our options would be."

"I told you it could be dangerous." Kalim was frowning. "You know I refused to let my villagers go into the caves, Kira."

"Not as dangerous as it would be without the sleds," she told him. "It will be an entire new game."

"And we'll be careful," Harlan promised. "I'll keep an eye on her."

Kalim was still not pleased. "You'll not take Aban unless I decide it's safe. He's young and reckless, and he takes far too many chances. The young fool believes he can live forever."

"Don't we all?" Harlan said. "I imagine that you took a great many chances yourself at the same age. I know I did. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He turned away and was dialing Belson. "I have arrangements to make."

Kalim hesitated for an instant, then turned and got into the driver's seat of his Bugatti and began backing out onto the road. "I hope you're not making a mistake, Kira. Harlan is clearly someone who likes his own way." He gave a half shrug. "But then so do you. I'll be in touch."

"I'm sure you will. That's how it's been since the day we met. And Harlan's shown me that I can trust him." She lifted her hand in farewell as she watched Kalim drive back down the road toward the castle area.

Harlan had finished his call and was coming back toward her. "Belson is on his way. We'll know something soon about that cruiser." He asked quietly, "Okay?"

"As much as I can be," Kira said. "It doesn't have to be Taylor or any of his men. It could be just some college kid or treasure hunter out to have a good time and make himself a fortune." Her lips twisted. "But neither of us believes that, do we?"

"Not bloody likely," Harlan said. "But we'll see when Belson and the team get here. Or I could take a couple of the barge hands as soon as they show and go over to take a look right away. That's what I'd prefer to do."

"No, wait," she said quickly. "We don't know what you'd find. You even told Kalim's people not to go exploring."

"Because I knew you'd insist on going, too."

"You're damn right."

He slipped his arm around her waist and brought her close. "Then we'll definitely wait for Belson. We can't have you leaving Mack out of his first treasure hunting trip, can we?"