Iris Johansen: A Summer Smile

“Touchy?”

“As in complicated.” Clancy’s lips tightened. “All right, here’s the way it’s shaping up.” He leaned forward in the cane chair and his words fired out with machine-gun rapidity. “The terrorists are headed by one Ali Hassan, who is the brother of one of the prisoners being held in Marasef. We think the group has been waiting for this chance for a long time. They’ve done their homework if they’ve linked David with Zilah. She’s been in the United States for a number of years and is presently attending Texas A &M University.” For a moment there was a flicker of impersonal admiration in his expression. “They’re not stupid. They’ve picked their target very carefully. The security around Alex, his family and his friends is almost impregnable. Zilah, on the other hand, is on the outer fringe of that circle and yet is close to one of its most important members. They must have been watching for an opportunity, and when Karim arranged for the company plane to fly Zilah home to Sedikhan, they pounced. They managed to substitute one of their own men for the copilot, and when they were airborne out of Houston, he made his move. That was yesterday morning. They landed in the Madrona Desert and were met by the other three terrorists.”

“The Madrona Desert?” Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “The Madrona begins only a few miles from here. They landed in Sedikhan territory?”

“I told you they weren’t stupid. They landed across the border in Said Ababa. They knew that government has been hostile to Alex’s regime and would conveniently ignore their presence there.” He paused. “And the Sedikhan province closest to their location is this one, and it’s ruled by your old friend, Philip El Kabbar. Are you beginning to get the picture?”

“It’s starting to come into focus,” Daniel said. “Philip is one of the most powerful sheikhs in Sedikhan: Alex never enters this province without Philip’s express consent. Since Philip is almost as autocratic as Alex, it might take days before that consent is given.” His hands dropped from his knee and he straightened slowly in his chair. “You’re right, this group of terrorists must be pretty damn sharp.”

“But we have one ace in the hole.” Clancy’s gaze dropped significantly to the gold ring on Daniel’s left hand with its exotically beautiful design of a rose in full bloom pierced by a sword. “You saved El Kabbar’s life several years ago, and since you retired you’ve occupied this house only a stone’s throw from his own. You’ve become good friends with him.” A slight smile tugged at his lips. “Hell, I’ve even seen newspaper pictures of the two of you jetsetting together in Paris and Monte Carlo. Quite a change for a man of your background, Daniel. Are you enjoying your newly acquired wealth?”

“It’s all right, I suppose. It has its moments.” Daniel’s gaze sharpened. “You want me to intercede with Philip for you?”

“No,” Clancy said calmly. “I want you to go into Said Ababa alone and bring out the girl. And I want you to do it in such a way that Hassan and his men will follow you back into Sedikhan.”

For a moment Daniel stared at him in stunned disbelief. Then he started to laugh. “Good God, I suppose I should be flattered. Who do you think I am, anyway? Superman?”

“You’re a damn good agent and you’ve pulled off stunts as difficult as this before.” Clancy tilted his head objectively. “If anyone can do it, you can. We don’t have a hell of a lot of choice. You’re the only man El Kabbar would tolerate violating his territorial border.” Clancy’s voice became grim. “There’s no possibility that Alex will release those prisoners. That terrorist group planted a bomb on a schoolbus, and it seriously injured several children when it went off. Alex wants those bastards, and if El Kabbar is angered by them and what they’re doing in his province, they’ll never reach Marasef.”

“I’m relieved that you don’t want me to wipe all four of them out at one swoop,” Daniel said caustically. “Just grab the woman, cross fifty miles of desert and another five through the hills. Then, if we make it to the border, I’m to keep Philip from carving up any possible pursuers and serve them to Alex myself on a silver platter. Nothing to it.”

“I’ve always liked a man with confidence,” Clancy said with a bland smile. “I take it you’re accepting the assignment?”

“Why is it necessary to go in alone?”

“We’ve told them we don’t deal until we verify that Zilah is alive and well. The terrorists have agreed to let a man come into the plane for that purpose, but only one man. They’ve also agreed to release the pilot and deliver him to the mosque in Said Ababa as a gesture of good faith. The delivery will take place at two o’clock tomorrow after-noon. They’ll probably delegate two men to take the pilot to the mosque, which is about thirty miles from the plane.” Clancy paused. “That will leave only two men to guard Zilah. I suggest if you’re going to make a move, that would be the ideal time. We’ll tell them you’ll be there to check on Zilah at two-fifteen.” Clancy stood up. “I have a few gadgets in my helicopter that might interest you. I’ll go get them.”

Daniel’s lips curved in grim amusement. He was very familiar with Clancy’s arsenal of gadgets. He had no doubt that these particular items would prove most lethal as well as interesting.

“When will you be ready to leave?” Clancy had paused at the door. “I imagine you’ll want some time to reconnoiter the area.”

“What makes you think you’ve convinced me to go?” Daniel drawled. “I’m not a complete madman, Clancy.”

Clancy shook his dark head. The rays of the late afternoon sun streaming into the study revealed the flecks of silver in its rich thickness. The smile on his craggy face was weary and faintly rueful. “Any man in our line of work has to be a little mad. You’ve lived on the edge of danger most of your life, Daniel. Don’t tell me you’re not bored out of your skull with the tame, easy life. Hell, I don’t have to convince you to take the job. All I have to do is offer it to you.” He turned away. “I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

Daniel gazed bemusedly at the closed door for a moment. Then he began to chuckle. Damn, there was no one like Clancy. He had missed him in the last two years. Daniel’s glance drifted restlessly around the luxurious study, with its rich Oriental carpet and the art objects that were as exquisite as the room itself. All very tasteful and civilized and-He suddenly pushed back his chair with leashed violence and stood up. And boring, dammit. So godawful boring that he was barely able to restrain the violence that his restlessness engendered. Clancy knew him very well. He wasn’t destined to be a playboy. It had been amusing for all of three months before pleasure had palled and boredom had reared its head. No wonder Clancy had been so confident that he would jump at this impossibly difficult mission.

He glanced down at the girl in the photograph, and a reckless smile curved his lips. One finger reached out and caressingly touched the mouth of the girl. A summer smile. Why not admit that it wasn’t only the danger that was the attraction but the idea of bedding Bradford’s lovely protégée? It had to be lust that he was feeling. Anything else was too absurd to accept. That first odd impression of finding something that had been lost was pure imagination. Yes, it had to be lust.

Hell, he was beginning to look with genuine anticipation on the coming mission, he thought with a grin. Clancy Donahue was probably right. He must be a little mad. The smile still lingered as he strode briskly across the room and out the study door to help Clancy bring in his amusing little “gadgets.”