“Why?”
“That’s a yes,” Tim chimed in, crushing an empty beer can in his fist and heading to the fridge for a replacement.
“Look,” Nate said in a patient tone, obviously trying to set her mind at ease, “it’s important to my research. That’s true. But it’s also the reason someone is trying to kill us. If we knew what was in it, maybe we could figure out who is after us and why.”
This was too much. Confusion was mixing with grief, and Anastasia felt like screaming and crying at the same time. Instead, she thought of her father and took a few seconds to compose herself. Then she stood up and steadied herself as she was still feeling a little wobbly.Nate moved to help her, but she pushed his arm away and then turned and walked toward the door. She needed to think, and she wanted out of this place. She needed to be in control of her own circumstances again.
When she neared the door, the big man called Shane stepped in front of her. She looked up into the face of the behemoth, the mouth set under a crooked nose smiling at her, not in malice, but rather in amusement. He crossed his arms and shook his head, almost imperceptibly.
“I’m leaving,” she said. Shane continued smiling but didn’t move. It was the market all over again, and she felt her anxiety rising.
Nate stood and quickly jogged over to her side. “Look, Anastasia…” he started.
“Ana,” she snapped back. It slipped out, but she didn’t regret correcting him. Her friends and family called her Ana, and her late mother had been the only person to call her by her full name. This man using it was beginning to annoy her.
“Ana,” he said gently with a smile, and she couldn’t help but like the way it rolled off his tongue. She felt her attitude toward him begin to soften. “You’re free to go. We’re not holding you here.” Shane stepped aside. “But someone out there is still trying to kill you. They know who you are, they probably know where your family lives, and they almost certainly had something to do with your father’s disappearance.”
She stopped and stared up at him fiercely, tears still brimming in her eyes. She read no ill intent on his face, and his deep green eyes seemed genuinely empathetic. She once again felt the magnetism of this man and was drawn to him in a way she didn’t quite understand. Still, she needed to stay focused and looked away. After staring at the floor for several seconds, she composed herself, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“And why should I trust you?” she asked defiantly.
“Why?” Tim yelled from across the room, his rising anger apparent. “Maybe because he dragged the rest of us halfway across the world for the sole purpose of rescuing you, a girl he’s never even met. Then we all stuck our necks out to save you, at no small risk,” he added, brandishing the Makarov pistol in his hand to drive the point home. “For the love of God, woman, we’re not your enemy. We’re trying to help you!” He turned around and stormed off.
Ana suddenly felt foolish. Tim’s outburst had shaken her out of her stupor and put things in perspective. Maybe Nate and his friendsweretrying to help. After all, they had fought off armed men in the streets of Cairo for her. But she wouldn’t just willingly give up the only leverage she had before getting what she needed.
“If I give you a copy of the report, then what? What will you do?”
Nate looked up at Wally, who subtly shook his head, then at Shane, who mouthedNo. Finally, he sighed and returned his gaze to Ana.
“We’re going to hop on a cargo ship bound for the Gulf of Aden. We’re going to jump ship somewhere in line with Socotra and enter Yemen illegally. Then we’re going to make our way across Yemen and up through the Rub’ al Khali for several hundred miles to search for the lost city of Ubar.”
Ana stared at him blankly. He returned her gaze. There was no smile this time, and his features were resolved. He was serious.Was he really planning to do what he said?Then a second thought came to her.What if her father also traveled to the area Nate was talking about, the area she identified last night from the report? It could explain why he had disappeared without a trace. It took less than a second for Ana to make up her mind.
“I will give you a copy of the report,” she stated, “but I’m coming with you.”
“Absolutely not,” Nate answered instantly.
“Why not?” she asked testily. “Is it because I’m a woman?”
“No,” he said matter-of-factly, “it’s because you’re not an experienced operator, and we can’t do what we need to do if we’re worried about protecting you.” He looked down at the floor and shook his head. “Why would you even want to come with us?”
“Because if it’s that important,” Ana retorted, her confidence building, “then maybe my father tried to reach this place before you. If the research leads you there, maybe it led him there as well.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Nate said. “Maybe not.”
“His expedition was approved and financed before he disappeared.”
“I’m sorry, but there’s no way.”
“Then there’s no way you’re getting that report.” Ana crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one hip. Her father had always called her stubborn, and today was going to be no exception.
Nate sighed. Tim had returned to the room and Ana could see all three of them were vehemently shaking their heads no.
“We let you on the boat, and you hand over the report,” Nate stated.
“Once we’re underway,” she agreed.
Nate rubbed his eyes and sighed, before slowly nodding and sticking out his hand.
