The Puppetmasters by K. D. Lamb Page B

she could afford to show her true feelings, which at the moment happened to be great displeasure. She wasn’t even afraid any more. Somehow she could tell that this man was a lot gentler than his appearance. She felt safe in his presence. His countenance was one of quiet control and thoughtfulness. He certainly did not reveal a lot of emotion. Rashid Sharif was not saying a word. He was contemplating his options and sizing her up at the same time.
    “Well, are you going to stand there staring at me?”
    He smiled, and she realized that he was even better looking than she originally thought. He had a twinkle in his eyes that flashed and sparkled with humor. She felt the urge to laugh with him, but gave herself a mental slap.
    “May I call you Kendall?”
    “Yes, if it will get me out of here. Why are we here? Why am I here?”
    He frowned. “Yes, it is unfortunate that you are here. It was never intended that you be brought here. You are what is called collateral damage. President Shazeb only ever wanted Paul Fields. Your presence is a problem. The only thing you have in your favor is that you are an Orion employee. I suggest that you cooperate and make the best of it, or you could be dealt with in a most unfortunate manner.”
    She had no doubt what he was referring to. Yet somehow, she wasn’t afraid of him.
    “Fine. I can cooperate—even help, if need be. What are you supposed to do with me?”
    “I’m supposed to get to know you to see if you have any information that might solve our problem.”
    “Well, it sounds like your system has technical issues or maybe even a virus, if you believe that state secrets are getting out through your systems. Why would you think it was Orion Premier that caused this?”
    “I’m not technically proficient, so I cannot begin to explain the intricacies of the issue. Let’s just hope that Fields and Saaqib can solve this. Why don’t you and I take a walk down to the president’s stables? He has some of the finest stallions.”
    They exited the oval room and headed downstairs, with Sharif leading the way. As they stepped out into the bright sunlight from a side door, Kendall was blinded for a moment. She stopped to get her bearings, causing Sharif to slow to a stop. He gave her a questioning look. She decided to get the jump on any interrogation and barrage him with a lot of questions.
Two can play this game, and I can be charming to boot!
    “I’m going to call you Rashid. How come your English is so perfect? You must have been educated in the West.”
    “Very astute, Kendall. I attended a university in England.”
    “Where did you grow up?”
    He threw his hands out in a wide arc. “Close to here. My father ran President Shazeb’s farms. He was the manager, and oversaw the operations. My mother worked for the Shazeb family, helping with the children and doing light accounting projects. They were both very smart and loyal people. Soon after the Taliban arrived, my parents were killed when one of Shazeb’s farms was set on fire and completely destroyed.”
    “How horrible for you! Why would the Taliban have destroyed the president’s farm?
    Rashid said with a wry smile, “They didn’t like the crop that was being grown.”
    “What a waste of humanity, not to mention vegetables!”
    “Who said anything about vegetables?”
    It suddenly dawned on her what the “crop” had been. Poppies!
Good Lord, President Shazeb was a former drug lord.
She felt quite naïve and chided herself for being such a dolt.
You really must get out more. Hey, look at this. I already am!
She felt better and continued with her questions. “So, the president felt guilty that you lost your parents, and he took you in?”
    “Something like that, only this family does not feel guilty about anything. Most things are justifiable in their eyes.” He gave a long sigh as he decided thatfull disclosure was in order. “As a matter of fact, I also lost my four brothers and sisters and the poor excuse