“How did you survive?” Vienna asked when she fell silent again.
Shabina had presented her case regarding the laughing birds’ feathers and their connection to her. She didn’t see how anyone would call finding them on her doorstep a coincidence. She hadn’t planned to continue talking about her time with Scorpion.
She sighed. “When it was clear I was going to die and no threat was enough to force me to eat, no beating could induce me to eat, and nothing he did or said worked, in the end, he turned his wrath on my guards. He threatened that if I died, he would give them a slow death, not only them but their families as well. Two of the four guards assigned to watch me day and night had been decent. In a camp that size, two wasn’t many, but they were good men just doing their best to stay alive. Both had risked their lives several times to give me small respites from pain or to give me encouragement. I knew Scorpion meant what he said. He would have taken great pleasure in hurting them, although they’d served him well. I felt I had to live for their sake.”
Shabina was done reliving her past. She forced her gaze to meet Raine’s. “I don’t know why those two men claiming to be from France are here, but I think he sent them. I know he’s still alive because I would have been informed if he had been killed.”
Raine confirmed her suspicion by nodding her head.
“Scorpion and his seven cabinet members were the worst of the men who assaulted me during the six months I was with them. I know they’re on an international wanted list, but without really being able to identify them, how are they going to be caught?”
Shabina was certain they were being actively hunted. She wasn’t supposed to know, but she did. She just felt that it was impossible to find a man capable of assuming identities in various countries and committing the kinds of sadistic massacres Scorpion did. He could be anyone. Any nationality. Well, almost. She had narrowed his accent down to a couple of countries. She had a good ear for accents, but what did that get her when he could assume the identity of anyone?
She would have been informed if Scorpion had been capturedor killed, and so far, no word had come in. She had hoped, after all these years of silence, he would leave her alone.
“Did you call your head of security?” Stella asked. “Because you didn’t contact Sam.”
Sam had worked for Special Activities Division, the same as Zale, Rainier and Rush still did. Vienna’s birth father, Elliot Blom, was the director of that program at the CIA.
“No, I didn’t because I wasn’t positive that it was a threat to me. I’m still not. I don’t want my parents freaking out and insisting I close my café and come home. I’m doing my best to live a normal life. If this is just some strange coincidence, then I don’t want to panic early.”
“I don’t think you’re losing your mind.” Zahra got right to the point. “I’d be worried.”
“I can run the two men through a facial recognition program,” Raine offered. “I’ll get their faces from the security feed from your café. It will take some time, Shabina, especially if they aren’t known terrorists or known to be connected to Scorpion.”
“Thank you. Running that program won’t put you in jeopardy in any way, will it?” Shabina felt as if she were responsible for enough people’s lives ending without having to worry about Raine as well.
“No, I’m very experienced at what I do. I’m a ‘ghost’ in a computer.” She flashed Shabina a mischievous little grin. Using the wordghostwas a play on the word. There had been times when Sam and Zale had been referred to as ghosts.
Shabina returned her smile, nearly sagging with relief. She’d told her friends, and it had lifted her burden just a little. She even felt better.
“Thanks for listening. It was getting so I couldn’t sleep. I start thinking too much.”
“Don’t wait so long,” Raine advised. “I’m on a forced vacation and going a little crazy just sitting around doing nothing. It will give me something to do.”
“Who exactly is this ‘General’ who calls you during your vacation and insists only you can get him the information he needs?” Harlow asked. “If he’s very young, he can’t be a real general, can he? And he sounds like he’s a bit of a spoiled brat.”
Raine burst out laughing. It was impossible not to laugh with her. “He does sound like a spoiled brat now that you say that. I would never have thought of him in those terms, but he does throw temper tantrums until he gets his way. Can you imagine being married to him?”
“I can’t imagine being married to anyone,” Harlow said. She gave a little shudder. “Stella and Vienna are so brave.”
“Stella is,” Vienna corrected. “I’m still vacillating. When Zale’s with me, it’s a solid yes. When he’s gone, it’s a ‘maybe I need to think about this for a long time.’ ”
“I’m fortunate because I have Sam,” Stella said. “He’s dreamy.”
Zahra held up her hand. “Don’t start. None of us have had enough drinks to listen to you carrying on about how dreamy and sexy Sam is. I would have to put in earplugs.”
“We could quote you, Stella,” Shabina added. “You said those things for two years before you ever started a relationship with him.”
“But everything I say is the truth,” Stella insisted. “As my best friends, you should be able to handle me giving you factual information about the man in my life.”
“The only factual information we want is when you and Sam decide you’re going to have a baby,” Harlow said.
“A baby?” Stella choked on her ice-cold beer. “Not yet.”
“Ticktock, ticktock,” Vienna said, her tone mischievous.
“I don’t think you can say very much,” Stella pointed out.“We’re the same age, aren’t we? Doesn’t Zale want children? As in more than one? I’m sure I overheard him talking to Sam.”
