man.”
“I’m sure he enjoys enormously the manner in which you express your gratitude,” Daniel said harshly. “But I’ll wager there are still a few lessons you could learn.”
She stared at him, clearly puzzled. “I don’t know what you mean.”
His boot suddenly jammed on the accelerator with a force that caused the jeep to buck. Then, realizing that the impulsive action had wasted precious gas, he cursed beneath his breath. “You will.” His gaze was fixed on the hills wavering in the distance like a cool, verdant mirage. “I assure you that I have every intention that you understand me very well.”
They were some nine miles closer to those hills when the jeep sputtered, choked, and then came to a halt.
“Out,” Daniel ordered tersely, swinging his long legs over the side of the jeep.
Zilah was already scrambling from her seat as he spoke. The sand was hot beneath the rubber soles of her tennis shoes. It would probably get hotter, she thought grimly. She had better get accustomed to it. She joined Daniel at the back of the jeep, where he was raising a false bottom panel on the floor before the rear seats.
He quickly pulled out an army-green backpack, a canteen, and a lethally efficient-looking rifle complete with carrying strap. He thrust the gun at her. “Hold on to this for a minute, will you?”
She accepted the rifle with a faint sensation of unreality. It looked like an army issue machine-gun of some sort. Who would have believed a few days ago at peaceful Texas A &M that she would be here in the desert holding a rifle with which only a man like Daniel Seifert would be comfortable? She watched bemusedly as Daniel extracted the noseplugs and contact lenses he was wearing and threw them carelessly on the backseat. Then he was strapping on the backpack with swift, economical movements. He took the rifle, slung it over his shoulder, and reached for the canteen.
“Let me carry the rifle,” Zilah said quietly. “It makes no sense for you to be burdened with all of the equipment. I want to do my share.”
He shook his head. “We have to move fast. I want to be halfway up that first hill in twenty minutes-tops!” His lips tightened. “It may be all the time we have.” He gave her the canteen. “Hang on to this. The rest of this stuff is no problem for me.” He grinned. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m as big as a house. It comes in handy once in a while.” He took her hand. “Come on, hike!”
She slung the canteen over her shoulder and fell into step with him. His clasp on her hand was warmly comforting, yet she was still conscious of that bewildering tingling of awareness. She had the odd feeling that a part of her was being absorbed by his grasp. It made her vaguely uneasy and she instinctively tried to pull away. He released her at once and she immediately felt a little foolish.
His gaze flew down to her face. “You’re frowning,” he noticed. “Are you frightened?”
“Yes,” she said honestly. “I’m scared to death. I have been ever since you tore off that ridiculous false ear and exploded the gas.” She looked directly at him. “But you needn’t worry about me falling apart. I know you have enough problems without having a hysterical woman on your hands. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
His brow rose quizzically. “Just like that? No indignant protests? No women’s lib? No ranting about your right to have a say in all this?”
“I’m not a fool,” she said. “This type of action is obviously your metier, not mine. When you’re with an expert, you get out of his way and let him do his job.” Her lips curved in an ironic smile. “I’ll help in any way I can, but I’m afraid that blowing up airplanes wasn’t in my college curriculum.”
“I’d never know it. You’re a very cool lady when the chips are down.” His expression softened. “Try not to worry too much. I’m not saying this is going to be easy, but I have no intention of letting Hassan get hold of you again. I don’t like to lose. I make a habit of avoiding it at all costs.”
“I hope this isn’t the exception that proves the rule,” she said, trying to smile.
“It won’t be.” His eyes narrowed intently on her face. “I have a very special reason for wanting to win this time. Trust me.”
“Until hell freezes over?”
“It worked out pretty well the last time, didn’t it?” He glanced away. “We’d better put on more speed. There’s no place out here in the open to dig in if we don’t have as much time as I’ve been calculating.”
“All right.” She increased her pace to match his. She did trust him, she realized with a little ripple of shock. She trusted not only his proficiency in his very dangerous profession but the man himself. She was usually on edge when she was around strange men, particularly dynamic, virile men. Yet, oddly, this wasn’t the case with Daniel Seifert. In spite of the bewildering physical responses he was inspiring within her, she felt as if there were a bond between them that had been woven by years, not mere minutes.
Well, she had no time now to analyze that unusual rapport. Perhaps it was merely due to the crisis situation they shared. She shook her head. She was getting as bad as all those psychiatrists about dissecting her own reactions and responses. She had to concentrate on keeping up with Daniel’s constantly lengthening stride. She cast an anxious glance over her shoulder. No sign of Hassan. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t appear on the horizon at any minute. Her pace automatically quickened at the thought, and her gaze fixed determinedly on the hills just ahead.
2
“Here they come,” Daniel murmured. He shaded his eyes with his hand to watch the approaching jeep kick up clouds of sand on the desert floor far below the summit of the hill on which they were standing. “They’re really gunning it. They must have found our abandoned jeep and think they have us.”
“And do they?” Zilah asked with a worried frown. “They’re so close. They’ll be here within ten minutes, won’t they?”
“Just about.” He turned and took her elbow. She felt that same mysterious tingling surge through her and had to restrain herself from jerking her arm away. What on earth was happening to her? This touch wasn’t even like the other time. It was almost totally impersonal. “But we won’t be here. We’re not following the road. We’re heading through the trees and over that next hill. Then we’ll circle and rejoin the road at the border.”
“You seem to know this area very well.”
“Philip and I have done some hunting in these hills.”
“Philip?”
“Philip El Kabbar. He’s an old friend of mine.” He shot her a glance. “You’ve never heard of him?”
She shook her head. “I’ve spent the last seven years on a ranch in Texas. Should I be familiar with the name?”
“He’s probably the most powerful sheikh in Sedikhan other than Ben Raschid.” He was propelling her down from the summit on which they had been standing, hurrying from the path into the dense shrubbery that lined it. “That long? That must have been a trifle inconvenient for Bradford.”
“Inconvenient?” she asked, puzzled. “It was David’s parents’ ranch, but I tried not to be a burden to them. Once I learned to ride I could help around the ranch.”
“You’ve been stashed at David Bradford’s disposal since you were fourteen?” Daniel’s tone was caustic. “My Lord, you started young.”
“I don’t know what you mea…” Her eyes widened. “You think David is my lover?”
He held a branch until she had passed and then let it snap back behind them. “It’s none of my affair.” Then he shot her a glance that shocked her with its ferocity. “The hell it’s not. It
“He couldn’t be more satisfied with Billie,” she said dazedly. “And I’m not going to belong to you. We’re
