"That's better." Staunton was standing before her. "I thought you might be playing possum. I've actually been very lenient, but it's time we got down to business. My employer wants answers and isn't at all pleased with me."

Australian accent, deadly words.

Don andAl lying butchered by the side of the road.

The memory jarred her into full consciousness. Her gaze flew to Staunton's face. "You killed them."

"We've already gone into that. You're beginning to bore me. We've already moved on." He shook his head. "And I've already lost time because you were stupid enough to try and go for that gun. I do hate waiting."

She glanced around her. She appeared to be in a hut of some kind. "Where am I?"

"The mountains. Actually quite near the stronghold of my good friends who used to rob and pillage this area." "Bandits."

"Yes. Though Shafir Ali regards himself as a warlord. Unfortu¬nately, the national government doesn't agree. He's a little too bar¬baric for them."

"Then I can see why you consider them friends. Why didn't you get them to rob our trucks?"

"I couldn't trust them. But I had them do their part." "The killings?"

"No, I did that, but of course I'll give them credit." "Or blame. You don't think the U.N. is going to sit still for this, do you?"

"No, but this country is still barbaric in many ways. The civilized world doesn't always know how to handle barbarians, and the U.N. is nauseatingly civilized. There have been bandits wreaking destruction here for centuries. Very few are brought to justice because they know these mountains." He smiled. "I hate to disappoint you, but there won't be any cavalry coming to your rescue."

"You're the one who will be disappointed. Westerners don't just disappear without a cry being raised."

"I'll take my chances."

"Why? It's crazy that you-" She stopped as fear surged through her. "Where's Joel? What have you done with him?"