When we arrived in Upington, we made quite the impression. The airfield there was just long enough to accommodate our jetliner, so we had to have the pilot spin the massive plane around at the end of the runway and then park it to await our return. It bottled up their main landing and take-off strip, but once again I proved that in the human world almost any obstacle could be overcome with the proper application of monetary compensation. Yes, you're right, I paid the owner of the field a boatload of money and he decided it really wasn't that bad to have half his field out of commission. After I'd given him more money in one transaction, then he could make in an entire year he should have filled our planes fuel tanks with his blood. But at least it would be there when we got back.
"Now all we have to do is get a couple of cabs. They should know where this Sun River Kalahari Lodge is." Varden told me as we exited the small airport terminal.
I looked at him with wide eyes until he took pity on me.
"You've never called a cab, ever? Not in the two years I've known you?"
"No, I haven't, there's never been a need. I'm always driven where I've needed to go, so no cabs needed."
"And how is that helping you now?"
"Very funny, now how is this done?" I asked him, my patience wearing thin.
"Just follow me, all of you." He turned and walked towards the edge of the sidewalk.
"Okay, Jennifer isn't it," he turned to one of the sisters that were with us. "Now all you have to do is lift your skirt until you show most of your leg. Then lean back a little to give the cab drivers a good view and we'll have a ride in no time."
"Varden!" I yelled as my hand collided with the back of his head.
"Yey, what, you wanted to get a cab quick didn't you?" He ducked when my hand came up for another swing. "Okay okay, I was kidding." Varden apologized just as two cabs roared up to the curb in front of us.
Varden went from car to car, telling the drivers what we needed and handing them a generous portion of cash. I was in the rear car and saw him running back. But when he got to the car, he didn't get in.
"I think it's best if we go in separate cars. That way we can keep an eye on our companions, if you know what I mean." He looked at the women seated next to me.
"Good idea, go ahead, we'll be right behind you." I watched him run back and slip inside the other car with a pit forming in my stomach.
I realized this had been a bad idea the instant we pulled away from the curb. At first it was just a twitch in my right arm, then my breath began to come in shorter and shorter gasps until I was almost panting.
"Are you feeling well?" Nancy asked with a hand on my shoulder.
I didn't answer, I couldn't, words and speech were knocked out of me as an overriding need took hold of me. Yet I couldn't put my finger on what the need was. All I knew was that my body was spiraling out of control, that I needed something. Then a bright light of clarity broke through my turmoil and one word shot from my lips, VARDEN!" I screamed his name as if he were a million miles away instead of just a few car lengths ahead of us.
I began to knock on the glass that separated the back seat from the driver. I needed him to call the cab ahead of us and tell them to stop. Then I felt strong arms pulling me back into the seat.
"Cat look." I followed Nancy's finger forward to see the cab that Varden was in pulling off the road into a parking lot.
"Thank God!" I breathed out, sinking back into the seat yet continuing to fidget.
The instant the vehicle came to a stop, I bolted for the door. Nancy was on my right and Elly on my left with me in the middle seat. So, it must have been quite the scene with me trying to wrestle my way over Elly until I reached the door handle and flung myself against the door. The impact sent it flying open and me onto the pavement. Picking myself up I was heedless of all the eyes that were on me, I rushed headlong towards the other cab, almost throwing myself against the door I clawed at the handle and flung it open.
"Where is he?" My voice was almost a scream.
Why wasn't he in the car, where was he? The startled women pointed towards the door to the hotel.
"He went in to see if Zhao's people were here yet."
"Of all the stupid things, why did he go in there without me?" I thought, my brain working a mile a minute. I couldn't think straight what was wrong with me.
I rushed the door, and it wasn't until I was ten feet from the large glass pane that I noticed the two security guards standing to either side. I tried to slow down and look a little less manic, but I couldn't, I had to get to him. So, when a large hand clamped onto my shoulder, I fell into the pit of despair I was trying so hard to avoid.
I spun out from under the hand and lashed out with a sidekick. Before the blow could land, I was lifted off my feet and dragged into the hotel. My voice rose into a wailing scream only to be cut short when I heard.
"I'm really sorry fella's I tried to tell her she'd had to many rums and cokes, but no harm done, right?" I looked up to see him flip both of the men a thick roll of bills.
"What are you doing?" He hissed under his breath. "We are trying to stay under the radar, not announce our presence to the whole world."
I got my feet under me, then spun to face him.
"I told you it was a bad idea to take separate cabs." I told him as I pulled him into a bruising kiss.
"Hey, you never told me that was a bad idea, you agreed with me if I remember." He told me when we came up for air.
"Well, I shouldn't have." I crossed my arms and huffed.
"You're so cute when you do that." He answered my mood with typical charm. Then turned and walked deeper into the hotel.
"Why do I find it so hard to stay mad at you?" I growled as I followed him.
"They're here and waiting for us. They arrived three hours ago and have already procured transportation for us. All we need to do is get the ladies from the cabs and we can get going." He filled me in while we made our way into the lobby area.
The twelve Asian women stood against the wall, trying unsuccessfully to brush off the advances of what seemed like every man in the building.
"Go and get the sisters, I'll wait for you here." Varden told me when we approached the group.
"I wish I could, but if you don't go out there neither do I." I told him as sweetly as I could.
"What do you mean, just go out and tell them to come in?"
"I can't okay!" I yelled. "I just can't. I just totally freaked out in the cab because you weren't there, and I am not going through that again."
"Okay okay, just calm down, we'll go out and get them and our stuff." Varden turned to the sisters from Asia.
"If you will excuse us ladies, we'll be back in a few minutes."
True to his word, in a few minutes we were all back in the hotel lobby. After the normal greetings, we got down to the business at hand.
"We have new intelligence that gives us about four hours from now before this mission is no longer necessary." Chunhua told us in her clipped, accented English.
"That is the time we've projected it will take them to break through into the Sanctuaries war room." Another of the Asian women added.
"Then we don't have much time. Let's get this show on the road."
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