Page 102 of Bastard

His eyes narrow. “Vere is Lorenzo?”

“Meeting with new investors. That’s why we left Cape Town so abruptly.”

Something passes across his expression, then he nods, and I immediately feel relieved he’s not questioning my lie.

“He left me here so I could do some sightseeing.”

Another nod followed by silence. Does he hope to intimidate me? I almost smile, as Alexei has no idea who he’s dealing with. A few minutes pass before his men return.

“Truck is ready.”

“No sign of Sabine.”

I offer him a fake smile. “Have a safe journey with no more flat tires.”

The same look from seconds ago reappears. “No. You’ll come vith us. You’ll speak to Ogdenhayer and convince him to lover prices.”

“But my husband ...”

“New investors vill appreciate favor.”

Aforcedfavor. I bite my lip, searching for a way out of this.

The villagers have begun to circle, and I inhale sharply when I spy Mustafa pushing her way through, carrying a large shovel over her shoulder, which she’ll no doubt use if provoked.

Right then and there, I know I don’t have a choice.

Are Hayden’s men still close by? Are they watching? If so, they’ll follow us.

“Will we meet Barrington at the mine?” I ask, innocently.

“Vith my boss, Vladimir, and our investors.”

Hayden won’t be pleased by my sudden appearance, but it’s not like I can avoid it.

“Do you mind if I gather a few things?”

He stares at me, like he senses my agreeable nature is a lie yet doesn’t quite believe it. I hold my breath, until he nods.

Mustafa follows me into my hut. “Do not go. These are bad men.”

I hurry about, gathering what I’ll need. Bottle of water. Hat. Cell phone. Two guns.

“If Hayden returns, explain what happened and that I’ve been taken to the mine.” Mustafa’s eyes widen as I tuck the Glock into the back waistband of my shorts and the small pistol inside my knapsack. “Mine?”

“Yes. Hayden will understand.”

“Luciana,” she cries out.

I pull her into a hug. “I’ll be okay. They just want me to communicate a message.” Stepping back, I square my shoulders.

I’ve been in worse situations than this.

As for the Russian? Instead of running away from Hayden, he’s bringing me to him. He’ll discover soon enough the rise in uranium prices is the least of his worries.

37

We drive at a blistering pace, leaving Nmimpi behind to travel through the Nyika National Park and then continue northward toward the border. Another day, another less-dangerous time, I’d have stopped to admire the wildlife, might have even taken pictures of the fields of wild orchids prevalent in the park or hesitated to watch a lion dozing in the grass a short distance away. My captor seems oblivious to it all, his focus on reaching Barrington and handing over his bargaining chip. They say the love of money is the root of all evil and it’s most definitely true when considering the criminals involved with this mine.