instead.
“I’ve got two prisoners locked in there. I was just getting ready to question them when you pulled in.”
* * *
B OOKER SWUNG AROUND , angry. “Prisoners?”
“Two men arrived about an hour ago. They offered quite a lot of money for the capture of DoctorHaddad. And even more for your dead body.”
“How much money?”
“A few million,” Aaron answered, then laughed. “I almost considered claiming the reward when I saw you in the car. But after that kiss...well, I do consider myself a romantic at heart, McKnight.”
Booker grunted. “Sometimes I wonder which side you’re on.”
“Right now?” Aaron’s mouth twitched. “Her side.”
Bookerfollowed the other man’s gaze until his own settled on the doc as she approached.
“Then for right now, we’re on the same side.”
Sandra walked up. “Did I miss something?” She eyed the two men.
“Sabra has two prisoners locked up in the outhouse,” Booker said. “They might work for Trygg.”
“Wait here,” Aaron replied. “I’ll have them brought to my office for you to question.”
Aaron walked toward two men watering camels by the trough. He waved them over to the outhouse.
“What are you planning?” Sandra asked.
“Sabra said they were offering a high price for our capture,” Booker answered, deliberately leaving out the fact Trygg wanted him dead. “I want to ask them a few questions.”
“Give my men a few minutes.” Aaron leaned against the side of the sportscar and crossed his arms. “We can use the time to negotiate my price.”
“Price?” Sandra asked, not sure she understood.
Aaron flicked his cigarette away. “I get the sports car.”
“You can’t be serious,” Sandra scoffed. “What happens if the owner comes looking for it?”
“The owner has insurance. The only thing he’ll be looking for is a newer model to replace it.” Aaron leaned inthe window and studied the custom leather seats, the state-of-the-art dashboard. “I’ll give you food, water and transportation. Enough to get you across the desert.”
“Deal.” Booker glanced at the camels taking their fill of water from the trough. “And the transportation better have wheels.”
“Whatever you’d like.” Aaron smiled, then straightened when one of his men waved them over. “Giveme a minute, then follow me in.”
Booker waited until Aaron entered the hut, then turned to Sandra. “No matter what happens, Doc, you don’t move from this spot until I give you permission.”
“I haven’t needed permission to do anything for quite a while, McKnight,” Sandra snapped. “This is my problem. I will not be left out of it.”
“I can’t protect you and question them at the sametime.”
Sandra pulled a pistol from her medical bag. “I don’t need your protection. I have my own.”
Booker stared at the 9mm Glock in her hand. “Where the hell did you get that?”
“Aaron’s desk drawer. I don’t usually steal, but I figured he had a warehouse full somewhere.” She started toward the hut. After a few moments, she looked back. “Are you coming?”
A gunshot ricochetedthrough the air. Booker reached for his gun. “Stay here!” he barked.
Before she could answer, he slipped around the corner and into the mercantile.
One of the men was dead on the floor, his pistol still in his hand. Aaron had the other man sitting down in a straight-back chair, a Sig Sauer pointed at his chest.
“The one on the floor had a gun hidden. He tried to shoot me,” Aaronsaid, his features slanted with anger. “I shot first.”
Booker recognized the man in the chair. “Kalroy. What brings you so far out from the palace?”
“King Jarek sent me. I tried to tell him that we are on the same side,” the man responded, his voice more of a whine than angry. “That I was here to retrieve Doctor Haddad. Is she here?”
“Right behind you,” Aaron mused.
“Kalroy.”Sarah stepped through the doorway, took in the situation, her gun lowered but in
“I’ve got two prisoners locked in there. I was just getting ready to question them when you pulled in.”
* * *
B OOKER SWUNG AROUND , angry. “Prisoners?”
“Two men arrived about an hour ago. They offered quite a lot of money for the capture of DoctorHaddad. And even more for your dead body.”
“How much money?”
“A few million,” Aaron answered, then laughed. “I almost considered claiming the reward when I saw you in the car. But after that kiss...well, I do consider myself a romantic at heart, McKnight.”
Booker grunted. “Sometimes I wonder which side you’re on.”
“Right now?” Aaron’s mouth twitched. “Her side.”
Bookerfollowed the other man’s gaze until his own settled on the doc as she approached.
“Then for right now, we’re on the same side.”
Sandra walked up. “Did I miss something?” She eyed the two men.
“Sabra has two prisoners locked up in the outhouse,” Booker said. “They might work for Trygg.”
“Wait here,” Aaron replied. “I’ll have them brought to my office for you to question.”
Aaron walked toward two men watering camels by the trough. He waved them over to the outhouse.
“What are you planning?” Sandra asked.
“Sabra said they were offering a high price for our capture,” Booker answered, deliberately leaving out the fact Trygg wanted him dead. “I want to ask them a few questions.”
“Give my men a few minutes.” Aaron leaned against the side of the sportscar and crossed his arms. “We can use the time to negotiate my price.”
“Price?” Sandra asked, not sure she understood.
Aaron flicked his cigarette away. “I get the sports car.”
“You can’t be serious,” Sandra scoffed. “What happens if the owner comes looking for it?”
“The owner has insurance. The only thing he’ll be looking for is a newer model to replace it.” Aaron leaned inthe window and studied the custom leather seats, the state-of-the-art dashboard. “I’ll give you food, water and transportation. Enough to get you across the desert.”
“Deal.” Booker glanced at the camels taking their fill of water from the trough. “And the transportation better have wheels.”
“Whatever you’d like.” Aaron smiled, then straightened when one of his men waved them over. “Giveme a minute, then follow me in.”
Booker waited until Aaron entered the hut, then turned to Sandra. “No matter what happens, Doc, you don’t move from this spot until I give you permission.”
“I haven’t needed permission to do anything for quite a while, McKnight,” Sandra snapped. “This is my problem. I will not be left out of it.”
“I can’t protect you and question them at the sametime.”
Sandra pulled a pistol from her medical bag. “I don’t need your protection. I have my own.”
Booker stared at the 9mm Glock in her hand. “Where the hell did you get that?”
“Aaron’s desk drawer. I don’t usually steal, but I figured he had a warehouse full somewhere.” She started toward the hut. After a few moments, she looked back. “Are you coming?”
A gunshot ricochetedthrough the air. Booker reached for his gun. “Stay here!” he barked.
Before she could answer, he slipped around the corner and into the mercantile.
One of the men was dead on the floor, his pistol still in his hand. Aaron had the other man sitting down in a straight-back chair, a Sig Sauer pointed at his chest.
“The one on the floor had a gun hidden. He tried to shoot me,” Aaronsaid, his features slanted with anger. “I shot first.”
Booker recognized the man in the chair. “Kalroy. What brings you so far out from the palace?”
“King Jarek sent me. I tried to tell him that we are on the same side,” the man responded, his voice more of a whine than angry. “That I was here to retrieve Doctor Haddad. Is she here?”
“Right behind you,” Aaron mused.
“Kalroy.”Sarah stepped through the doorway, took in the situation, her gun lowered but in
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