Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

SUMMER ISLAND

NEXT DAY

1:40 P.M.

"You know, I think I like your island," Harlan said as he started the descent to land his Gulfstream jet. "It's quite beautiful, and it reminds me a little of Scotland."

"Why would you think that? It's nothing like Scotland," Kira said as she gazed eagerly down at the ground. "Other than it's definitely wild country. It's all beautiful Caribbean views and lakes. And gorgeous flowers. But it's been my home base for a long time and I love it." She shot him a glance. "And it's not my island, as you probably know. It belongs to my friend Sarah. She just lets me use it for research and training. I'm surprised you haven't been here before. John Logan is your friend, isn't he? He comes here occasionally with Sarah when she visits me."

He nodded. "Friends and sometimes business partners. We have a lot of common interests taking down poachers and dealing with environmental issues. But we're both busy men, and I got the impression when he gave Sarah this island as a gift that he didn't want outsiders. So I politely backed away." He shrugged. "I could understand their need for privacy." He studied her expression. "And I imagine you can, too. You spend a good deal of your time by yourself trekking in the wilderness, don't you?"

She grinned. "I've always got Mack."

He chuckled. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten what a competition he would prove to be."

She suddenly laughed out loud. "That reminds me of something Sarah said to me the last time I saw her."

"Amusing?"

"I thought so at the time. You might not appreciate it. It had to do with dogs and the desirability of the male animal in comparison. But then we live entirely different lives. I don't have a castle with a built-in dungeon to run back to when I need a schedule break."

"No, you just need to go treasure hunting to replenish your finances."

"It's an entirely different way to—" She suddenly broke off in alarm as she caught sight of movement on the ground below them. "What's that? Don't land! There shouldn't be anyone at the clinic at this time of day!"

"Easy," Harlan said as he covered her hand on the seat. He was gazing down at the large redwood building that occupied the hill overlooking the sea. "That's the clinic? I think it's okay." He took out his notebook and checked directions. "Yes, no problem. I sent Charles Darue to the island last night. He's just setting up camps with his special guards to look out for your medical and training team. I told him to be on hand when we arrived today."

Kira drew a deep breath and then said dryly, "You could have told me. I thought we might be in for another invasion."

"Sorry." He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. "I was just interested in watching your response to this island. It obviously means a lot to you. I believed you'd realize that I'd take care of you."

"Why should I? I never asked you to do that."

"No, but we agreed that the people you cared about were an entirely different matter. I believe I was supposed to regard them as my duty."

"Yes, you are. You're correct, it's completely different. But that's not me, Harlan."

"But I've found it's a hard habit to shake since that night on the cliffs. Who knows? Maybe you remind me of my niece. I'm used to taking care of her."

"Well, I'm not fifteen," she said caustically. "Do me a favor. Work on it."

"Certainly. I'll concentrate on doing that. But it's difficult when I find I'm so very curious about you. Every time I turn around, I find something new and different. It's been like that since you showed up in Colorado."

"Why?" She shook her head. "Or are you always like this with new people?"

"No, not always. As a scientist, when I'm working, I grow curious when I find a problem I need to solve. With people in social situations it's different. You might say that you're unique. I find the need to probe. I'm going to know you, Kira." He met her eyes. "Though I'll try not to make it uncomfortable for you."

She couldn't look away from those deep green eyes. So much power, so much depth, and he seemed to be searching… He'd used the word "probe," and she could see that, too. She forced herself to turn and stare back down at the ground. "You won't make me uncomfortable. I can take anything you throw at me." She finally managed to look back at him. "And you'll get to know only as much about me as I let you. Since we've agreed to be partners, that might be more than I usually permit." She lifted her chin and smiled recklessly. "Or it might not. I'll have to decide if I want to tell you to go to hell and get a new partner."

Harlan went still. Then he threw back his head and started to laugh. "Do you have any idea where you're going find anyone even half as accommodating as me?"

"But I don't know how accommodating you'll prove to be." She was trying to keep her lips from twitching, but she couldn't do it. "All I know is that that was a very arrogant statement, and I couldn't let it pass." She pretended to be considering. "As for your replacement… maybe that handsome French captain who was so polite to me at the dungeon?"

"Captain Darue?" He shook his head. "I have other uses for Charles than letting you play games with him."

"I don't play games. I'm very serious when I go after something."

"Or someone?" Harlan asked. "I'll remember that. It will be an essential part of my research." He was smiling again. "But I think you were playing games with me just now. You should know that you're going to have your hands full here."

"What does that mean?"

"Domino won't be the only horse joining us here tomorrow. Golden Boy will probably be arriving on the same plane, along with Fiona."

"What?"

"I feel better keeping Fiona close. And it wouldn't be fair to keep her from her training regimen."

Kira thought about this. "The fact that you waited to tell me this is definitely a half-assed power play. But I'm fine with it, as long as it's okay with Sarah."

"I think it is. I've already left the request on her voicemail. At least she hasn't said no."

"Unbelievable. You've already—"

Then Kira forgot everything else as she saw a familiar figure walking toward the airstrip from the direction of the pier. "Sarah!" She reached down and rubbed Mack's back. "There's Sarah!"

Kira and Mack jumped out of the plane as soon as it landed and ran toward the clinic at top speed.

Kira reached Sarah only a few moments after Mack and hugged her enthusiastically. "It's so good to see you," Sarah whispered. "I was so worried when Harlan called me the night he took you to the hospital. Are you okay now?"

Kira nodded toward Harlan, who had stopped at the plane to talk to Charles Darue, the captain of the guards. "I wouldn't dare be anything else. Harlan has had me covered and guarded since that night on the cliffs. I'm not sure if it's because he wanted to earn another medal to add to his collection or just that he hates to lose. He told me you called about me?"

She chuckled as she rubbed Mack's head. "Several times. But you were in no shape to take the call, which only worried me more. Harlan was very soothing, though, or I would have been on my way to that damn castle of his. I told you that if you let Harlan help you, everything would turn out as it should."

"It didn't turn out quite that way." Kira paused. "And he's not the easiest person to get along with."

Sarah frowned. "But everything is going well?"

"It appears that it is," Kira said. "At least we came to an agreement." She hesitated. "But I might have to take a few weeks off soon, if you don't mind."

"Of course. You know you run your own clinic these days. You have better contacts than I do." She frowned again. "It's not because you're still ill?"

"No, I'm definitely on the way back. The doctor said I was very lucky."

"I believe it." She smiled. "You had Harlan on your side. John and I are very grateful to him."

"I wasn't exactly helpless." But that sounded a little churlish and she added quickly, "I'm very grateful for both my own and Mack's sake that Harlan was there. No, I just have to touch base with a few old friends. Then I'll be back here and working hard." She smiled teasingly. "Maybe on a few new concepts."

"Good," Sarah said absently. "‘Old friends'…" she repeated. "That reminds me: I received a few calls from a friend of yours while you were in the hospital. Jabir Kalim. It rather surprised me because I hadn't heard from him in a long time. He would usually only speak to you."

"Kalim?" Kira repeated slowly, shocked. "What did you tell him?"

"What Harlan told me." She made a face. "And Kalim was not happy. He wouldn't talk to anyone but me. He called me twice more and was angry each time. I think you'd better call him back."

"I will." Kira had no choice. An angry Kalim was never good. "Thanks for relaying the message."

"Well, he was always your friend and good to you. You learned a lot from Kalim."

"Yes, I did." Her gaze went to Harlan, who was still talking to the captain of the guards beside the plane. He looked up and peered at her searchingly before he abruptly straightened as he caught something in her face. Then he started toward her with the same expression he'd worn before they'd landed the plane. Searching. Probing. She'd have to tell Harlan about Kalim as soon as possible. It was neither fair nor smart to keep anything from him. Particularly now that she realized Kalim might blame Harlan for putting her in the hospital. Until he learned the truth, there might be all kinds of violence in store.

No, she'd have to make certain Harlan knew about Kalim right away.

She turned quickly back to Sarah. "Can you stay for supper before you leave the island? Maybe even let me tell you about Harlan's niece and what I might be doing with her horses? She's bringing them here tomorrow, and I'm very excited about it. I believe you will be, too. There's one black stallion that you're going to love. Domino. We'll have to bring the dogs together when I get far enough along in training the horses…"

"I wouldn't miss it," Sarah said. "And I have to thank Harlan in person, so I might as well let him feed me supper tonight. I'd much prefer our island to that swank castle of his." She was walking toward Harlan as she spoke. "You took good care of her, Harlan," she said as she shook his hand. "I can't thank you enough."

"You're very welcome. But I heard what you said about my humble abode. Not kind, Sarah."

She laughed. "I'm like Kira. We have a problem with castles—and admit it, so do you and John. He told me about that rajah's palace in India, and how the two of you ended up in the jungle hunting poachers and ivory smugglers to get away from it. John knows after all these years that I have a simple soul."

"I doubt that," Harlan said. "But you're right, the castle isn't nearly as comfortable as your Summer Island here. It's safer when you need strong walls to ward off an enemy, however. I have quite a few of those wandering around."

She nodded. "So John told me. I'm sure he'd approve of you taking additional care of my island. He insisted on furnishing me with a full security detail the day he turned the deed over to me. I usually leave all the security arrangements for the island and our townhome outside Miami to him. I'd rather deal with dogs and people than paperwork."

Harlan nodded. "Then you won't mind if I contact him and ask if I should add any special arrangements to my list?"

"No, I'm sure that, between the two of you, you'll have it covered."

"If you change your mind, just name it. Anything you want."

She chuckled. "That's hard to resist. Maybe staying in your castle might not be so bad. I'll have to ask Kira what she thinks."

He tilted his head, considering. "I can tell you that she likes the woods and her friend Sarah. Other than that, I'm still exploring what will keep her content."

"She likes a good many more things than that," Sarah said. "Maybe she's just bored with the palaces of the high and mighty. She's seen a lot in the short time she's lived. You'll have to ask her."

"I will. In the meantime, will you and Kira show me around your beautiful island and tell me how I can make my niece happy here?"

"Of course," Sarah said. She walked ahead of them up the hill. "It will be my pleasure. I'm eager to meet your niece. It will be like having a young Kira again. Did she tell you how we came together when she was a child I found climbing a mountain to get away from a volcano eruption in the South Seas?"

Kira tensed, and she realized Harlan had read her expression as he reached out and took her hand. Dammit, she didn't want Sarah to open any other intimate memories from her life to Harlan. He was aware of entirely too much about her already.

He sounded amused as he smiled slyly at Kira. "I don't believe she thinks me worthy of confidences yet."

"Nonsense," Sarah said. "You must have misunderstood. You saved her and Mack. Who could be more worthy of trust?"

"We'll get there," Harlan said. "I'm trying not to be too pushy. She's had a hard time lately. And she's such a delicate flower…"

Which immediately caused Kira to snort with disdain and Sarah to start laughing.

And at least it interrupted any wish Sarah might have to defend her or tell him any more about their early life together. Kira glanced at Harlan, who was nodding and smiling at Sarah. Every movement was probably creating exactly the effect he meant it to. Charming Sarah and yet letting her lead the way.

I'm going to know you , he had told her.

Well, he'd clearly begun as he intended to continue.

Yes, she'd better not waste any time telling him about Kalim or he'd try to take over her world…

"You're not a bad cook, Harlan," Sarah said critically that evening as they walked her back to the clinic where she'd decided to spend the night. "The biscuits were particularly good. Not that I didn't expect it. John is good with biscuits, too, when we go camping. I think it must be something in the male genes, or it might be a throwback to the Old West days when the cowboys sat around the campfire and did the cooking." She made a face. "Please don't tell me you had a French chef teach you the basics in that fancy castle."

"No, I learned while I was in the service. I was a SEAL. Not a chef in sight." He grinned. "But John liked my biscuits, too. I usually drew chow duty when we were hunting in the jungle."

"I can see why." Sarah stopped at the front door of the clinic. "You appear to be a man of many talents. But you and Kira really didn't have to escort me back here to the clinic. I'm used to taking care of myself."

Harlan glanced at Kira. "That sounds very familiar. Did she learn it from you?"

Sarah chuckled. "It's all blended together over the years. We learned from each other." She lowered her voice as she looked over her shoulder at the guards on duty on either side of the door. "I didn't really expect you to call in the marines to guard my island." She snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right, it was the SEALs. Same difference."

"Not nearly," he said slyly. "SEALs are naval personnel. And you should have expected this reaction. You're a very precious commodity both to John and to your friend Kira. No one is going to touch you. I'll see to it."

"Listen to him, Sarah." Kira took a step toward her. "I told you earlier this evening about the trouble we're expecting with Taylor. You still agreed to let me go forward with the new work I intend to do with the horses here. But I can't do it if there's even a chance it might affect you." She grabbed her friend by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. "Dammit, Sarah, let Harlan give you any protection available. I'll make sure it's done right."

Sarah was silent and then nodded with a smile. "Okay. But only if he teaches me to make those biscuits so that I can put John in the shade the next time we go camping."

"Done," Harlan said. "I'll give you a private cooking class. You won't regret it, Sarah."

"I know." She looked him directly in the eyes. "I haven't regretted a single thing connected with Kira since the day we met. I don't expect to begin now. You're the one who might be in trouble if you don't watch out." She gave Kira a brief, warm hug. "Take care and don't be too hard on him. I'll see you in the morning to get my first lesson, Harlan." She opened the door. "Now I've got to call John and then get to bed. I intend to have a different and exciting day tomorrow. Good night…" She closed the door behind her.

"Thank you for reassuring her, Harlan." Kira immediately turned away from the clinic and started back up the hill toward the tent area. "You made it much easier for me to get her to agree to bring the horses to the island."

"I think she would have done it anyway," Harlan said as he started after her. "She cares about you. Nothing could be more clear. How old were you when she rescued you from that volcano?"

"Ten. My mother and father had left me with a nanny at our camp, but I tried to follow them up the mountain. I had a fall before I reached them. Sarah and her dog, Monty, were assisting in rescue efforts nearby, and she sent me to the local village hospital and then went after my parents herself." She paused. "It was too late. They were both killed by the volcano before she found them."

"And then she took you into her home?"

"It wasn't quite that easy. I was a wild child and full of guilt once I realized it might be my fault that my parents had been lost when that volcano erupted. The only way she could halfway tame me was to let me work with her own dog and some of the others at the clinic. One thing led to another, and she began to teach me everything she knew because it was the only way I'd heal. I eventually got a veterinary sciences degree. Sarah gave me everything she could during these last years, including a pup named Mack, and that's why I'm eternally grateful to her and always will be." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "End of story."

He shook his head. "Not nearly the end," he said. "You have a long way to go. I could see that the first time I saw you in Colorado. Or it might have been when Belson tossed that magazine with your photo on the desk in my study."

"The media again?" Kira asked. "I believe we've both had enough of that."

"Perhaps. But sometimes they can be helpful if you handle them right."

"You might have found that to be true. I haven't had your experiences. I tend to dodge and hide when I run into any of them."

"Then I'll make a bargain with you. Let me handle them for you. It will be part of our arrangement."

"I'm not sure I want to do that. It might give you a little too much power."

"You can't have it all ways, Kira," he said. "You're already trying to mold our agreement to suit yourself." He stopped her where she stood on the trail. "Did you think I didn't notice you trying to do that?"

"Of course you did," she said curtly. "I know who you are and all the things you can do. I could see when you first came toward me from the plane today that you probably wanted to take more from me than I'm prepared to give." She added quickly, "It's not that I was trying to cheat you. It was just that I knew it was going to be difficult and I had to allow a little time to prepare myself to tell you something. Sarah had just told me she'd received a call about me from an old friend. Then you decided that you'd do your best to charm Sarah, and I was relieved because that gave me even more time."

He smiled faintly as he slowly shook his head. "But I believe the grace period has run out, hasn't it?"

"Yes. I never meant not to tell you everything you needed to know."

"Good." He took her arm and nudged her the rest of the way up the hill. "Why don't I get us a cup of coffee, and then we'll sit at our campsite and you can confess all your sins."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Nothing ridiculous about it."

They walked in silence the rest of the way, and Kira finally sat down in front of the fire and crossed her legs tailor-fashion. Mack lay beside her. "I'm sure you have more sins than I've ever managed to store up. I don't have that much imagination."

"I think you probably have a great deal of imagination. But you've already told me that you had a tendency to feel guilty as a child even when I'm sure you held no blame. Unfortunately, that puts me way ahead of you." He handed her a cup of coffee. "Now tell me why you were so edgy after talking to Sarah."

"She told me that she'd received a couple of phone calls from an old friend of mine, and it made me a little nervous."

"Nervous?" His lips tightened. "Taylor?"

She shook her head violently. "Under no circumstances would I ever consider him a friend."

"Well, you said Sarah was a little nervous And so were you, obviously." Then he asked softly, "Just who the hell is this friend, Kira?"

"His name is Jabir Kalim. He's an Egyptian national. You might have heard of him."

His eyes were narrowed. "Kalim? The horse breeder? Of course I've heard of him."

She nodded. "I'd be surprised if you hadn't, since his people have been known for centuries for raising some of the best-bred and best-trained horses in the world. He lives in desert country on an island not too far off the coast of northern Egypt."

Harlan nodded. "He's the one you made the bargain with about retrieving the treasure? I thought it might be him. Several years ago I tried to arrange a meeting with him to try to purchase a few of his horses for Fiona's stable, but he wasn't selling. What does he have to do with you?"

"I told you, he's my friend. I spent a college semester in Cairo, and one of my professors introduced me to him. I was working on a minor in archaeology, and I visited a dig in the Valley of the Kings, where you might remember a National Geographic expedition was exploring the possibility of Cleopatra's lost tomb being somewhere adjacent to a former desert well or shaft tunnel. I was very excited about it."

"You would be."

"Well, so was Kalim. He told me at the time that it was likely many treasures would be found near those dry wells in the desert—he'd run across a few on his own desert property, Hathor. He invited me to come there and explore before I went back to school."

"And you believed him?"

"Why shouldn't I? He was respected by my teachers and the Egyptian government. Even Sarah had heard about his work with horse breeding. Not only that, Mack and I discovered those Spanish medallions buried in Tortola a year earlier. To me it seemed the entire world was full of adventure and treasure just waiting to be found. Besides, I respected him." She paused. "And by that time he was beginning to respect me, too. My professor had told him about my life extension work with Mack and other animals, and he was very interested in letting me take a look at his herds to see if I could improve them. It seemed like a win-win invitation. How could I lose?"

"Any number of ways that I can name. Rape. Drugs. Human traffickers for three. Sarah should never have let you go alone."

"But she did and I'm glad. It was an experience to remember. Kalim and I both learned a lot from each other. I improved his herds and gave them training when I visited him every summer. In return, he showed me the location of those abandoned wells and caves that you'll be able to tap as a reward for helping me. So you have no right to complain."

"Then why did you look so nervous about telling me about him?"

"Kalim was upset that you gave me an assignment that put me in the hospital. He regards himself as head of the tribes and villagers who live on his property just as all his other ancestors in the family did before him. He didn't know you, therefore he doesn't trust you with a person he considers his responsibility. He's kind of adopted me as one of his villagers since we've worked so closely together. But he can be rather… intense at times."

"So can I," Harlan said grimly. "But I didn't realize I was going to have to prove it to one of your old pals."

"You won't," Kira said quickly. "Kalim will be very reasonable once he understands that you did everything you could to help me. And he's already guaranteed that any deals I make regarding the treasure will remain in place. Egyptian-made items will remain in the country. Only things with a foreign origin can be taken away. Most of the things I saw were left on an island by a trading partner. But you have to promise that you'll not do anything to tip the balance."

"And leave your old friend to furnish all the fireworks?" He finally shrugged. "We'll have to see what happens, won't we? I have no intention of taking down anyone but Joseph Taylor, but then I haven't run across your Kalim yet. Our situation is taking on new shades and textures even as we speak."

"Nothing is going to go wrong. I won't let it." She finished her coffee and set the cup down in front of the fire. "You saved Mack and you saved me. I couldn't let anyone hurt you. You'll just have to use a little restraint. And remember that Kalim has been a ruling force in his country for most of his life."

"You have no idea how much restraint I've already used up since you came into my life," Harlan said wryly.

She nodded. "Yes, I do. And there have been times when I haven't been kind or understanding when you got in my way. I have a tendency in that direction, but I'm trying to make up for it. Can you help me do that?"

He shook his head ruefully. "I don't know why, but I'll do my best. It seems to be my fate in life."

"That's good." She got to her feet. "Now I'm going to my tent to get some sleep."

"You're sleeping out here with the rest of us peons? You don't have your own place on the island?"

"Of course I do. But it's a fairly small apartment, and the visitor accommodations are full right now. It felt wrong for me to stay in my apartment while you and Fiona rough it in the tent village."

"It's hardly ‘roughing it.' Fiona will consider it an adventure. And I've always rather enjoyed the camping experience. Certainly more than I'll enjoy navigating the feelings of your old friend Kalim."

She stood up. "It really will be fine, Harlan. I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"That's comforting to know." He took her arm and walked with her and Mack to her tent. "Because you'll have one more day to show off the horses and set up the training barriers and schedules with the dogs before we leave here tomorrow night. After that, I'll make final plans to move camp to go visit our new friend Kalim. You don't mind if I take Mack when I go check the sentries tonight? I'll be sure to bring him back to you when I've finished."

"No, of course not. Mack will enjoy it. He hasn't done any real work since the night on the cliffs." She shivered. "And I don't like to remember that night. Though I can't ever forget how Mack looked crawling toward me after he was shot."

"Neither can I. I promise to bring him back to you in great shape this time." He whistled for Mack as he turned to go down the hill. "And you don't have to worry. I've assigned an expert crew to monitor your tent area while you're here on Summer Island."

She watched his flashlight spear the darkness as he headed down toward the clinic where they'd left Sarah. "I'm not worried," she called as she heard Mack bark eagerly. It was true. There was no fear, but she felt oddly alone staying here when she felt she should be out there with Mack, doing her job.

Should she go after them? No, that wouldn't be either efficient or businesslike. Just keep an eye out in case of trouble…

"No problems," Captain Darue reported to Harlan as he bent to stroke the head of the retriever. "Mrs. Logan only opened the door about an hour ago to give me a cup of coffee and told me that she was retiring for the night. Nice woman."

"Yes, she is. Did you get any reports from anyone else making their rounds?"

"Gregot said he thought he heard sounds from the bridge area, but he hadn't gotten around to checking it out yet, so I may go up there myself and see if it's worth sending up another few men."

"I thought I heard something in that direction, too, before I reached the clinic." Harlan smiled. "But I thought I identified what I was hearing after a few minutes."

"You want me to check it out?"

"No, I want you to stay here and make sure Sarah Logan stays safe. I'll go up to the bridge myself and take care of any problem."

"Not your problem, sir," Darue said. "Let me call someone to assist."

Harlan shook his head. "I'm not expecting a full-scale assault. I don't believe Taylor would dare bring anything resembling a heavy force to this island after he saw how many of your men were occupying it." He took out his phone. "I'll call Belson instead. I told him when I talked to him before supper that he should scout around the island and see if he found anything interesting going on. By now, I'll bet that he's as bored as I am and just as eager to be productive."

"And what do you believe is happening on that bridge?" Darue asked curiously.

"What I said. Nothing for you to worry about, but maybe enough to be interesting…"