Read Online More Than Strangers by Tara Quan - Free Book Online Page B

evening news if they get blown up.”
    The man stood up to leave, prompting Jason to rise to his feet. “I haven’t taken the PHP’s offer. I don’t plan to.”
    “And I’m not saying you should.” Their gazes met, and the raw intelligence he saw made Jason remember the highlights of his time in the military. It may be a lumbering bureaucracy, but Uncle Sam did a good job attracting the best, brightest, and most passionate. No one who had been in the service for as long as Travers stayed for the money.
    “Talk to those kids and their boss, Jason. There are a number of places in the world with tuberculosis and polio that aren’t a technicality away from being a war zone. They’ve already been here for longer than is safe, and they’ve done more good than they know. It’s a noble cause, but it’s not worth their lives. Nothing is.” The diplomat didn’t want to admit it, but he cared a little too much.
    “This is personal for you, isn’t it?” There had been too much emotion behind Travers’ matter-of-fact words. “No one at the consulate knows about this meeting.”
    To his surprise, the staid official nodded. “I gave those kids a briefing when they arrived. One of them is my daughter’s age—she’s bright-eyed, full of energy, and oblivious to the danger she’s in. She goes into the most dangerous area of the city every day to supervise the TB testing initiative. It’s going to get her killed.”
    Sincerity impressed Jason. He offered his hand. “I’ll do what I can. It’s good to see you, old friend.”
    * * * *
    Daniel Khan was waiting for Jason inside the hotel suite. They’d worked with each other for over a decade before they decided to form Safe Harbor. The man had olive skin, black hair, and brown eyes. He spoke Urdu, Pashto, and Russian like a native. He knew his way around weapons, and he wasn’t bad at using a computer either.
    Dan’s recommendation would have been enough for Safe Harbor to refuse the contract. But the PHP was funded by Sheika Zahra, and her father happened to be one of Safe Harbor’s biggest clients. She had asked Jason to reconsider and provide a security assessment if not the service itself. Turning her down wasn’t a viable option if they wished to remain based in Dubai.
    After placing his overnight bag on the floor, Jason strode to the bar where a glass of single malt scotch was already waiting. Alcohol was illegal here, but the hotel seemed to have a steady supply. Considering the country he had just left and the place he was in, he deserved a drink.
    “I heard you got sidetracked.” Dan had a hint of a British accent. He also possessed three different citizenships, one of which was Pakistani. He hadn’t needed a visa to come here.
    Jason took a long sip of the amber liquid. “Travers and I were catching up.”
    “He’s one of the good ones.” Taking the file from Jason’s hand, Dan glanced over the warden message. “But he takes regulations far too seriously. The classified version would be more useful.”
    The whiskey was smooth and smoky with just a hint of burn. “Bad people are targeting Americans in Pakistan. What would it say other than that?”
    “A time, date, and place?” Dan suggested.
    “You give our government too much credit.” Jason placed his empty glass on the bar. “There was no Wi-Fi at the Yemeni airport or this one, and I had my hands full in Sana’a. You’ll have to brief me. How bad is the security situation?”
    Dan combed his fingers through his hair. It was longer than Jason remembered and now reached just past the collar of his friend’s shirt. Five months had passed since they’d last met in person. Jason took care of the Middle Eastern contracts while Dan handled Central and South Asia. At the rate the business was growing, they needed to bring in a third partner yesterday.
    “There is no security situation.” Dan made a disgusted sound. “There’s no security, period. The PHP recruited a bunch of health care