Read Online The Last Twilight by Marjorie M. Liu - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marjorie M. Liu
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discomfort. Regret.
“Forgive me,” he said, finally. “Please, forgive me. I was sent to protect you. And I failed.”
Rikki was silent too long. His jaw tightened; his gaze intensified. “I told you. Larry sent us.”
“Yes,” she replied unsteadily. Her fingers twitched, but her cell phone was gone, bagged with all her other personal belongings. Not that it mattered. Reception did not exist outside the major cities. “When did he contact you?”
“Recently. We moved fast to reach you.”
“If this is because of yesterday—”
Amiri held up his hand. “Foreign mercenaries were sent for you. That is no small thing.”
Bakker. Jean-Claude’s vague warning. Rikki briefly closed her eyes, trying to focus. The threat of infection made everything else feel like child’s play; she had no stomach left to think about alternatives. “Coincidence. Some random attempt at cutting a deal for ransom. Happens all the time. No one was sent for me.”
“Other doctors have disappeared. Local physicians, anyone experienced in dealing with Ebola. You are not the only target.”
“Impossible.”
“I am not deceiving you.”
“I never said you were. But it’s a small club. I know all those doctors. Someone would have told me if they were in trouble.”
Amiri hesitated. “You did not know?”
Rikki stared, incredulous. “Know? I… you’re serious, aren’t you. They’re really missing?”
“I have no reason yet to doubt the source.”
She stopped breathing. Amiri’s hand jerked once, balling into a fist. He pressed his knuckles against his thigh, and she stared at the lines of his curled fingers, the sinew of his wrist. Trying to focus on anything but the faces swimming in her vision.
“I was certain you would know,” she heard him say, voice dim, distant. He sounded angry. “Someone should have told you. Warned you.”
“Yes.” She had the intense desire to punch someone’s brains out of their ass. Starting with Larry. “How many doctors? How long have they been missing?”
He watched her carefully. “I do not know the time line, but according to Mr. Coleman’s assistant, you and a Mackenzie Hardson are the only physicians left in this region with any related experience.”
“Bullshit,” she muttered. “There are nurses, scientists. What the hell is he playing at?”
“Excuse me?”
“We work in teams,” she told him absently. “And for every Ebola outbreak, there’s more than just doctors swarming. To take everyone who had experience with this disease would be impossible. There must be another factor. You’ve been given the wrong facts.”
Or you’re a bald-faced liar. Which, to her amazement, was harder to swallow than the idea that she was a target of kidnappers. Or that her boss had lost his mind.
She almost forgot that she might be dying. “So, because other people have disappeared, Larry thinks I’m in danger. Do you know why? Who’s responsible?”
“We are investigating.”
“Just like that’”
“Just so.” His gaze was far gentler than his words, which made it difficult for her to remain angry. Again, she stared too long—and felt odd for it, warm. Or maybe that was the disease. A lovely thought.
“What are you?” she asked, and for a moment his gaze faltered. “CIA? Special Ops? Where did Larry find you?”
Amiri exhaled, slowly. “I am not a member of any military. I am an … outside contractor.”
“Outside contractor. A mercenary. Just like those other men.”
“No. I am nothing like them.”
I believe that, she thought, but kept her mouth shut and lay back down on the cot, hands folded behind her head.
Bodyguard. Hired protection. Nothing like the other men Larry had tried to saddle her with. Brutes. Male chauvinists. Alpha dogs with their dicks hanging so far out it only took a word to bruise their egos. None of them had lasted a week. Not a one had wanted to risk their lives for her—not after she was done with them.
Deliberate.
“Forgive me,” he said, finally. “Please, forgive me. I was sent to protect you. And I failed.”
Rikki was silent too long. His jaw tightened; his gaze intensified. “I told you. Larry sent us.”
“Yes,” she replied unsteadily. Her fingers twitched, but her cell phone was gone, bagged with all her other personal belongings. Not that it mattered. Reception did not exist outside the major cities. “When did he contact you?”
“Recently. We moved fast to reach you.”
“If this is because of yesterday—”
Amiri held up his hand. “Foreign mercenaries were sent for you. That is no small thing.”
Bakker. Jean-Claude’s vague warning. Rikki briefly closed her eyes, trying to focus. The threat of infection made everything else feel like child’s play; she had no stomach left to think about alternatives. “Coincidence. Some random attempt at cutting a deal for ransom. Happens all the time. No one was sent for me.”
“Other doctors have disappeared. Local physicians, anyone experienced in dealing with Ebola. You are not the only target.”
“Impossible.”
“I am not deceiving you.”
“I never said you were. But it’s a small club. I know all those doctors. Someone would have told me if they were in trouble.”
Amiri hesitated. “You did not know?”
Rikki stared, incredulous. “Know? I… you’re serious, aren’t you. They’re really missing?”
“I have no reason yet to doubt the source.”
She stopped breathing. Amiri’s hand jerked once, balling into a fist. He pressed his knuckles against his thigh, and she stared at the lines of his curled fingers, the sinew of his wrist. Trying to focus on anything but the faces swimming in her vision.
“I was certain you would know,” she heard him say, voice dim, distant. He sounded angry. “Someone should have told you. Warned you.”
“Yes.” She had the intense desire to punch someone’s brains out of their ass. Starting with Larry. “How many doctors? How long have they been missing?”
He watched her carefully. “I do not know the time line, but according to Mr. Coleman’s assistant, you and a Mackenzie Hardson are the only physicians left in this region with any related experience.”
“Bullshit,” she muttered. “There are nurses, scientists. What the hell is he playing at?”
“Excuse me?”
“We work in teams,” she told him absently. “And for every Ebola outbreak, there’s more than just doctors swarming. To take everyone who had experience with this disease would be impossible. There must be another factor. You’ve been given the wrong facts.”
Or you’re a bald-faced liar. Which, to her amazement, was harder to swallow than the idea that she was a target of kidnappers. Or that her boss had lost his mind.
She almost forgot that she might be dying. “So, because other people have disappeared, Larry thinks I’m in danger. Do you know why? Who’s responsible?”
“We are investigating.”
“Just like that’”
“Just so.” His gaze was far gentler than his words, which made it difficult for her to remain angry. Again, she stared too long—and felt odd for it, warm. Or maybe that was the disease. A lovely thought.
“What are you?” she asked, and for a moment his gaze faltered. “CIA? Special Ops? Where did Larry find you?”
Amiri exhaled, slowly. “I am not a member of any military. I am an … outside contractor.”
“Outside contractor. A mercenary. Just like those other men.”
“No. I am nothing like them.”
I believe that, she thought, but kept her mouth shut and lay back down on the cot, hands folded behind her head.
Bodyguard. Hired protection. Nothing like the other men Larry had tried to saddle her with. Brutes. Male chauvinists. Alpha dogs with their dicks hanging so far out it only took a word to bruise their egos. None of them had lasted a week. Not a one had wanted to risk their lives for her—not after she was done with them.
Deliberate.
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