you weren’t going to be here.” He smiled mockingly. “Don’t you trust me?”
“No.” Zahra took a step toward him. “I want my statue. Dalai is nothing. I decided you’d have no trouble refusing to give it to her after you took it from Duncan.” She met his gaze. “But you’ll have a lot of trouble if you try to cheat me.”
“You flatter yourself.” His lips twisted. “The only problem I’ve ever had with you was surviving your vanity and stupidity. Now show me how to get into that treasury room, then get out of here. The only thing I want to do is take a look down there and make sure you aren’t cheating me. After that, I don’t have much time. I’ve got to give Markel the signal to start the attack on the village while I take care of the museum.”
“By yourself?” She frowned. “I told you not to be careless.”
“There are half a dozen men here on the hill who will be on hand if I need them. But I won’t need them. I have a few special surprises that I’ve planned for her, including the one you offered me.” His gaze went to the museum in the distance. “Duncan’s like you, a stupid woman who doesn’t realize who she’s dealing with. It will be a pleasure to teach her.”
“I don’t care how you do it as long as I get everything you promised me.” She knelt before the third boulder and quickly entered the code. “Go down, take a look around to make sure that I didn’t lie to you. Then come up and get rid of every single trace of anyone who might be a difficulty to me.”
He started to move toward the ladder, then stopped. “I think you’d better come with me.” He gestured down into the darkness. “I don’t like the idea that you’ve changed your mind about sending pretty little Dalai here alone. I don’t care for abrupt changes of plans.”
She shrugged. “I’ll go if you like. Do you think I have someone down there ready to knock you out and toss you in a trunk as I did Dalai one time?” She laughed. “You would have been amused. But I’d never try that with you.” She’d pulled out her flashlight and was climbing down the ladder as she spoke. “Come along, Dalai, he’s afraid of us.”
Dalai turned on her own flashlight, took a deep breath, and followed her. It was worse than it had ever been, she thought. This place of horror and Varak, who was the giver of pain and terror. It would be all right. She could get through this. No one was really paying attention to her. Be the rabbit Zahra thought she was.
Varak stood and watched them both go down before he turned on his flashlight and ran down the ladder.
The beam of his flashlight illuminated the hallway; and then he was striding down the hall and into the treasury.
He stopped short. “Holy shit!”
“I told you I didn’t lie.” Zahra was behind him. “This is mine. Kiya meant it for someone like me, who was strong enough to use it as it should be used.”
“You mean by giving it to me?” His beam was going from treasure to treasure, examining the jewels and the gold. “Yes, I’m sure she knew exactly what she was doing.” He turned back to Zahra. “And there’s so much. No wonder you were willing to give me half. But it would be very hard to choose.” He paused. “Almost impossible.”
She stiffened. “Then I’ll make it easy. I’ll stay down here with Dalai, and I’ll choose the items I want while I’m waiting for you to bring me the Great Beloved Wife. You will come back, have your men quickly load the treasure I will give you, and get out. I will keep my share safely here at Robaku as I’ve always done.” Her voice hardened. “And you will not betray me. Did I forget to mention that I told my Minister of Police that I feared for my life from those terrible terrorists? He insisted on having me monitored so that I would be able to be immediately traced in an emergency. If I don’t call in every hour, they’ll come after me,” she said fiercely. “You said you’d have no trouble with an attack on this sleepy little village. You won’t find my personal guard quite as easy to handle. You might end up with nothing.”