My God, what a conniving son of a bitch. She could see why Bridget had said Marrok was used to walking tightropes when even his supposed ally was waiting for his chance to slip in the knife. Even Lincoln's frankness had been aimed in only one direction. He had been testing the waters, observing her reactions, trying to find a weakness.
'Devon.'
She turned to see Marrok crossing the paddock toward her. She felt a rush of relief. She hadn't known she had felt uneasy about his absence. It couldn't be because she was worried about him. It was just that he seemed to be the center of all this madness swirling about her, then he was suddenly gone. She started down the stairs. 'I was just going down to the bunkhouse.' She bent down to pet Ned, who had run to her. 'Hello, boy, want to go down and see Gracie?'
'I'm sure he does. I'll go with you.'
She straightened. 'So that your guards won't have to stop me?'
He smiled. 'I have to protect them. You threatened to deck them.'
She had forgotten that threat. It seemed a long time ago. 'I don't see them anywhere around.'
'They're on watch. I told them to keep a low profile.' He paused. 'I saw Lincoln go into the house.'
'Yes. He told me you'd probably gone to check up on the dogs. Are they okay?'
'Fine. I just had to hand out a warning that I'd be moving the dogs and see if their caretakers wanted to back out of the job.'
'Did they?'
'No, they're crazy about the dogs. They wouldn't desert them.' He paused. 'I imagine Lincoln was talking about more than my trip. No matter what he promises, don't trust him, Devon.'
'What do you think he promised me?'
'I don't know. To get you away from here, to put you in a witness protection program.'
'He didn't promise me anything. He just talked about you and your total inability to take charge of the panacea.' She looked straight ahead. 'It seems you have no code and are completely uncivilized. You don't play by the rules.'
'That's right.'
'What happened in Ethiopia?'
'What did he tell you happened?'
'Nothing. He just mentioned it. But he was very pissed.'
Marrok smiled with satisfaction. 'Good.'
'Are you going to tell me?'
'Why not? It will just give you another example of how Lincoln is right about me not playing the game properly. Two years ago, Lincoln sent me and Ned to Ethiopia on a nasty little job. It wasn't the first time, but this one was particularly ugly.'
'Lincoln's pound of flesh?'
'That covers it. Even after MI6 came on board and agreed to shelter us, I knew that there would be a price. The prospect of taking over the panacea was too vague. They wanted immediate gratification. Ned was a valuable commodity and should be used to the hilt.'
'How?'
'Sometimes the balance of power in a country rests on a particular person or event. In Ethiopia, MI6 was backing and promoting Zafur Carmak to eventually take over the country. He was a bandit whose primary income came from stealing food supplies donated by various countries and charity organizations and selling them on the black market. Some of the other things he did made Idi Amin look like a saint. But MI6 thought they could control him, and that it would be the way to control the flow of terrorists using Ethiopia as a training ground.'
'Dear God.' She had seen photos of the starving children of Ethiopia. 'What kind of a trade-off is that?'
'Not an unusual one.' His lips hardened. 'But this time Lincoln had the bright idea of bringing Ned and me in to lend a little assistance.'
'Why?'
'Zafur was dying. He had AIDS. He wasn't going to last another two weeks. Lincoln and his team would have had to find and groom another scumbag to use. He flew us into the country and had us driven to Zafur's palace. Ned and I spent the night in his room.'
'Ned cured him?'
'Zafur was on his feet and spitting out orders to his men when I left. It was dawn, and Lincoln's men drove me over those parched cracked plains to the helicopter. It was a mistake. In the daylight, you could see the hundreds of huddled families by the roadside. Skin and bones. Malnourished children with swollen bellies. Flies everywhere. I made the van stop once to let Ned and me out and we walked among them. I thought maybe it would help a little. But Lincoln's men hustled us back into the van after twenty minutes. That's not what we'd been brought in the country for, and they wanted to get us out.' He leaned down and stroked Ned's silky, black head. 'You wanted to stay, didn't you, boy? I did, too. I looked at those people, and I remembered Zafur and how Ned had been used to probably put him back in action so that he could steal more food. It made me angry. Very, very, angry.'
'What did you do?'
'Nothing. I got on the plane and left the country.'
She stared at him in disbelief.
He shrugged. 'There was nothing to do then. It would have been an exercise in futility. I took Ned back to Bridget.'
'That wouldn't have made Lincoln pissed at you.'
He smiled. 'I waited two weeks, then I went back to Ethiopia. I stalked Zafur like the hyena he was and killed the son of a bitch. What Ned and I had given, I took away. Poor Lincoln, I blew all his plans for Zafur to hell. He was a bit upset with me.'
'What did he do?'
'Raved and ranted. I listened until he stopped sputtering, then I asked him to tell me which one of us was the real savage.' He stopped as they reached the bunkhouse. 'He's sent us out on other jobs since then, but he's been very careful at choosing them.'
'And never stopped hating your guts.'
'There was a certain amount of humiliation connected with the fiasco. Lincoln doesn't like to be humiliated.' His gazed shifted to her face. 'And I don't like the dogs or the
She could see that an experience that devastating would cause Marrok's determination to harden irrevocably. 'I can understand how it would be a deal breaker. I'm surprised you're still working with Lincoln.'
'In spite of the fact that he thinks I'm too volatile, I don't do anything stupid that might hurt the guardians. When they need help, they're going to get it.'
'The guardians. You were talking about needing a guardian for Ned in the car last night.'
'I was a little woozy. I take care of Ned.'
'These guardians take care of the other dogs?'
He nodded. 'When I knew I'd have to separate the dogs, I had to pick three other people I could trust to take care of them. It wasn't an easy choice.'
'Did they know about Danner?'
'Not in the beginning. I wanted the situation solid before I brought in a disturbing element.'
She stared at him. 'You bastard.'
He nodded. 'I searched hard until I found guardians with just the right mixture of gentleness and toughness. I didn't want to blow it. I knew it would be all right later.'
'Because you knew they'd grow to love their dogs and would run the risk.' She added, 'Just the way you risked my life without explaining zilch.'
'I had to protect the dogs. I gave my word.'
'Good God, and who is going to protect the rest of the world from you, Marrok?'
'I don't know.' He was silent a moment before he said awkwardly, 'I wouldn't risk you again, Devon. I want… to take care of you.'
'It's a little late.' But his halting words were causing her to feel strange, vulnerable, a melting. 'And I don't
